Scott returned to the group; they were all ready to begin the trek back home. The group needed to put as much distance as possible from the road and the demolished RV. Camila said she would make sure no one was hunting them, but it was better to be safe than sorry with people trying to murder you. Scott and Vanessa had maps and a compass that provided the general direction to head. They calculated that If they could make it 20 miles or so today and made camp, that would leave them with another 25 or so before they made it into North Eastern Territory and could call for transportation.

Before setting up camp, the group hiked through the woods until it was too dark to continue and traveled approximately 22 miles by Scott’s calculation. They rotated one person, always awake and on guard duty, for a couple of hours and then switching with someone else. Everyone took a turn on guard duty. Alexia initially protested getting the first sleep session. Still, once she lay down and closed her eyes, a rampaging grizzly bear would have been hard-pressed to wake her from her slumber, which is good because a grizzly bear’s roar is an apt comparison to Bricks snoring.

Vanessa woke Scott to take the last shift of the night.

“Anything go down?” Scott asked

“No, but I think it’s safe to assume that no one is looking for us. If anyone was, then Bricks snoring would be a giant neon sign that says, ‘We Are Right Here! Come Kill Us!'” Vanessa held her hands up and opened and closed her fingers, mimicking a blinking sign.

“There is no doubt that he is sawing some serious lumber,” Scott replied

“So, what’s the play once we get back in the N.E.T.” Vanessa sipped from a cup of coffee she had made over the campfire and looked towards Scott.

“Yumi has her contacts, and she said there should be no problem getting us a new ride quickly. Then back home.” Scott wiped the sleep away from his eyes.

“You know what I mean, Scott.”

Scott looked around at the sleeping group for any signs of being awake. Confident he saw none, he finally responded: “I still think Camila’s offer is the best bet.”

“Does it come with more attempted murder? Not to be a spoilsport, but I am not a fan of people trying to kill me” Vanessa raised her eyebrows.

“I guess that is why you keep your distance from your ex-girlfriends. " Scott quipped and quickly ducked as Vanessa picked up a rock and chucked it at his head.

"Seriously though, I believe that was all Ewan. You saw how hard-pressed he was on not trusting us. I probably should have seen the signs earlier that he was going to take it to the next level.” Scott didn’t mention that he felt partly responsible for the attack against them. His parting jab to Ewan probably helped set the dominoes in motion. He was just thankful no one was dead.

“There is something to be said for that old saying about the devil we know. The Overseer may be a mega jerk, but we pretty much know what to expect from him. He has shown us his bad side. You only got to see the side of Camila that she wanted you to see.” Vanessa reached and grabbed some wood and added it to the fire. The crackle and popping of fresh timber filled the air, and tiny embers floated slightly above camp fire before gracefully floating back down.

“Have we seen the worst of the Overseer? All we know is that he is willing to use our families as leverage. What happens when he is done with us? What if we fail to meet his expectations or stop being of use to him? I know Camila isn’t going to end up being all she portrayed to us, but it’s not hard for her to be better than the guy threatening our families.”

“And because he set you up that day back in that warehouse?” Vanessa looked Scott directly in the eyes. “This is personal for you. You know that is dangerous."

“It’s not personal with you? You are one wrong move from a visit by N.E.T security to your parents or your sister and two little nephews. That doesn’t bother you?” Scott met Vanessa’s stare head-on. There was no anger in his eyes, only seriousness.

Vanessa and Scott were no strangers to frank conversations. They had years of planning jobs and deciding the best course of action for their team. Never with so much riding on it, and there was a tension that neither of them had ever felt. Not an angry tension but the weight their collective decision carried with it, and it loomed large on their minds. They both knew that whatever they agreed on for the next course of action would ultimately be what the group did. It may take some convincing but as Scott and Vanessa went, so did the group. Never in all their years together had they felt this much pressure, and it left them both on edge.

“Of course, it does, Scott. I just want to make sure we make the best move for all of them, not the move that grinds your ax.” Vanessa’s gaze never wavering from Scott.

“I think we can check both boxes. You know I would never endanger Jeanie and Walker over my petty grudge. If I thought the Overseer was our best option for their safety, I would swallow my pride in a heartbeat. I really think this is what is best for all of us. I could be wrong, and it terrifies me. I know I couldn't handle the fallout if we end up backing the wrong side. I can't lose my family, Vanessa. I just can't, and that includes all of you. Since I got out of prison, I have kept my distance, but I never stopped thinking of all of you as a family. I really feel like this is what keeps all of us safe. All of us.”

“Alright. That is good enough for me. If you're wrong, though, know I will bust your face up.” Vanessa rose to her feet and stretched her arms.

“I would expect nothing less,” Scott said

“Good night.” Vanessa walked over to her sleeping back nestled in between Yumi and Bricks.

The rest of the night went by without issue. The group woke up at dawn and resumed their voyage to North Eastern Territory. Scott and Vanessa worked as a unified front to sell the rest of the group on moving forward with Camila. It took a lot of convincing, but everyone came on board. Alexia and Bricks knew that if Scott and Vanessa had agreed that their bases should be covered. Yumi was sold on the promise of her family's sustained safety. Scott and Vanessa had both planned on Yumi being a harder sell, but she quickly bought in.

They kept a good pace with minimal stops and made it over the border early evening time. They stopped a mile inside the border to rest and allow Yumi to connect to N.E.T communication channels. Yumi made contact over the N.E.T communication channels and explained they needed a ride and supplies. N.E.T would deliver a new RV at a drop location about 1 mile from where they currently were. The drop-off would occur the following morning. Yumi updated the group, and they decided to make camp there for the night. Despite being inside the N.E.T. borders, they still rotated one person on guard duty. Yumi took the first shift, and it passed without incident. She woke up Alexis to replace her.

“I know your game Yumi.” Alexia slowly stood up from her sleeping bag and began stretching.

“What do you mean?” Yumi nervously asked

“Don’t think I didn’t notice what you’re up to,” Alexia said

“I…ah.. really don’t know what you mean.” Yumi’s heart rate quickened as her nerves began to ramp up. Her mind raced over possible things she had done wrong. Did she miss something on her guard duty? Was there something she forgot to do?

“Calm down, Yumi. I was just talking about how you always volunteer for first guard duty, so you can get it over with and then get to sleep the rest of the night peacefully.” Alexia walked over and put her hand on the panicked woman's shoulder. “I am just busting your chops, I promise. You need to learn not to get so flustered.”

“Sorry, I guess I am just a little on edge. You know I am not used to being chased and shot at. I am just a tech geek and a healer.” Yumi tried to regain her composure.

“I know I already said this before, Alexia, but I can’t thank you enough for what you did for me back in the RV. You probably saved my life.” Yumi looked at Alexia with her big brown eyes as they poured out appreciation.

“No sweat, that is what teammates do. Your just lucky you could heal my wound. Bullet holes are not a cute look.” Alexia smiled at Yumi. She hoped that she could bring some levity and calm the frazzled woman down.

“I’ve never really had what you call teammates, just random people that keep me around to run their equipment and patch them up if they need it. Missions are usually quick, and we never really have a chance to connect. Honestly, with a lot of the people that I had to team up with in the past, I am glad I never saw them again. They weren't good people, and they didn't care about anyone but themselves. It feels good to think people have your back. It’s really nice.” Yumi became calmer as she spoke.

“It is, isn’t it? I can take it for granted sometimes. This group has been through some hard times, but I always know I can count on them to have my back. You are a part of us now too, whether you like it or not” Alexia began to boil some water for coffee over the campfire.

“Thanks, Alexia. I guess I better get some sleep.” Yumi rose from her seat.

“You cool with everything? You know, mission-wise?” Alexia asked

“Yeah, I trust you all. If you say this is the best way to go, then I am on board.” Yumi replied

“The whole rah-rah team thing is great, but how do you feel about it.” Alexia probed further

“I just want my mother and sister to be safe. I will do anything I can to ensure that. I know you guys want the same for your families. I haven’t earned the right to go against the flow, so I trust you guys.” Yumi was playing nervously with the sleeves of her sweatshirt.

“Quit that haven’t earned the right nonsense. You are part of the team now, and that gives you a say.” Alexia looked Yumi in the eye imparting the seriousness of the situation with her gaze.

“I know, I don’t like the missions I usually get. I try to stay out of the mission details other than knowing my role but sometimes I pick up on things, and the people I help aren’t always doing good things. Sometimes they hurt people, innocent people. I hate that. I truly do. But my Mother and sister are well taken care of, like really well.”

“Most importantly, they are safe. It’s hard to risk that part of it, you know?” Yumi’s eyes flashed an uneasiness that was never present when they previously discussed. Something about the look troubled Alexia. There wasn’t time to delve into it right then and there, but Alexia filed the feeling away to review later. She picked up a trick from Vanessa, who was the best at reading people. There is too much information gained in a conversation to halt it, Vanessa once told her. You always explored a gut feeling, though, so you noted it and filed it away for a time that you could dig a little deeper into its meaning.

“Sounds like you are a little conflicted.” Alexia tried not to make it sound accusatory. The last thing she wanted was for Yumi to go on the defensive now that she was finally opening herself up.

"I love my family more than anything. I don't take gambling with their lives lightly. It's just hard, you know?" Yumi looked down at the ground most of the time, only occasionally raising her gaze to meet Alexia.

"We are all in the same boat, and short-term safety has a tempting draw, but you have to think about long-term safety. What happens when you are unable to meet the expectation, or you outright fail a mission? Is this someone you want to have that control over you and your family forever?" Yumi said.

Alexia had been asking herself very similar questions the entire day. Ever since Scott and Vanessa brought up the plan early that day, she danced around it from all angles. She was on board with the plan, but she had her reservations and knew the stakes. Alexia wouldn’t communicate her doubts to Yumi, and there was no need to pile on the poor girl's raging internal struggle. Alexia had a feeling that everyone, Scott and Vanessa included, had a lot of doubts they were battling.

"I know Yumi. This won't get any easier, that is for certain. But, we won't force anything on you." Alexia made eye contact with Yumi and saw that she looked tired and troubled. "Why don't you sleep on it, and if you still are having major doubts, then we can talk about it as a group tomorrow."

"Sounds good." Yumi made her way to her sleeping bag, glanced back at Alexia, smiled, and mouthed, 'Thank you.'

The night passed quietly aside from Brick's snoring. The following day the group made their way to the rendezvous point. Upon arrival, they found an RV identical to the one they had left in a smoking pile a couple of days earlier. They loaded themselves and supplies onto the vehicle. Scott called a team huddle to discuss the plan, and despite the late-night talk with Alexia, Yumi expressed confidence in the proposed path forward. With everyone in agreement, they began the trip home. During the drive, they received instructions to report to the N.E.T Security station, where they first spoke with the Overseer, for a debriefing.