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Chapter 4

This one continued to the water hole and, getting on his hands and knees, pressed his lips to the surface. He took several long draughts before rising, grunting as he struggled to his feet, and leaving, heading in his original direction. Dakota heard him making other guttural noises as he walked away. The stories from other survivors mentioned the scavengers didn't talk or communicate in any way other than the grunts and strange noises.

Only when he was out of sight beyond a low ridge did Dakota begin to breathe easier. He realized he’d been sweating and uptight, he felt exhausted. But he didn’t want to try sleep. The fact that a scavenger was close by robbed him of the ability to doze off. Neither the scavenger nor the coyote returned for the remainder of the night.

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