They were approaching the house, when Mark squeezed his legs and nudged his heels into Barney's ribs, asking him to trot. At first Barney resisted, but Mark kept trying and eventually Barney complied. He wanted to pick up the pace. They needed to get out of here before they were spotted. Behind him, Sean looked terrified. He was grasping the horn of his saddle and looking like he was going to be sick. Despite the fact the Sean wasn't giving the horse any commands, she followed Barney at a slightly brisk walk. Once they were around the house and mostly out of sight of the barn, Mark held his breath and moved his had to the left of the saddle horn. Barney side-stepped to his left enough to clear Sean's horse. Then putting his hand at neutral before the horn, he pulled back a bit past the horn and Barney backed up until he was next to Sean's horse. Sean shook his head, mumbling out. "I can't do this, Mark... I haven't ridden since I was a kid... and it didn't end well."

Mark watched Sean's horse closely. The horse had its ears back listening to Sean but was hanging its head in a way that made the mare seem... unsettled by him. Reaching out with his free hand, Mark told him in a serious low tone. "Alright, swing over quickly." Sean grasped Mark's hand in a death grip, roughly adjusting to swing himself over behind Mark. Flipping the mare's reins over her head, he told Sean over his shoulder. "Hang on." Keeping the reins slack for the mare, he looped the reins around the horn of his saddle and coaxing Barney back into a trot. The mare jolted in surprise but kept up alongside Barney as they trotted out to the road. Behind them, voices started to sound off as someone yelled out. "Two of the horses are missing! Look around! Find them!" Sean's arms tightened around his waist as they reached the main road, but Mark stayed focused on the task at hand. He had to stay alert. Turning Barney onto the main road, he nudged Barney's ribs and huffed out. "YA!"

He had only done this once with Barney and prayed that he didn't fall on his ass. Barney sprang forward into a gallop and Mark held his breath. Chica whined loudly, but Mark kept his eyes on the road ahead. He wasn't a bad rider, but he was still nervous. Barney and himself hadn't really bonded as much to be doing a trip like this. He could only hope that Barney wouldn't be too upset with him. Mark guided Barney between a few abandoned cars a little offset, but they cleared them. Mark felt bad, but he pushed the horses to keep going for as long as they could. He didn't know how experienced the riders were back at the ranch, but he wanted to try to put some distance between them. The only thing that played into their favor was how dark it was getting.  After a few hours, Sean's breath warmed the back of his neck, when he asked a bit worried. "Mark... it's getting really late. We need to find shelter. And I have to go to the bathroom..." Mark slowed Barney down on the road, glancing around for anything that might house them.

They were on an open road that didn't appear to have anything in any direction. Mark coaxed Barney to keep walking, telling Sean softly. "I don't see anything. We might be safe just camping out here tonight." Sean squeezed his waist tighter, mumbling out. "I don't like it..." Mark noticed a sign ahead and coaxed Barney into a trot to reach it faster. Getting close enough to read it, Mark tried to sound upbeat as he said. "There's a truck stop ahead. It will be risky... but we might find water for the horses there." Sean shifted uncomfortably behind him, grumbling out. "It'll have to do. Let's go." Mark coaxed Barney to keep walking at a brisk pace. He could tell by the way Barney panted that he was tired, but sweetly he told him. "Hang in there for me, Barney boy. Just a little way more and we'll stop for the night." Mark patted Barney's neck to comfort him. Then reached out to pet the mare a little. Behind him, Sean asked him curiously. "We could have tried talking to the people back at the barn... Maybe stayed with them?"

Mark patted Sean's thigh, telling him grimly. "I thought about it, but I just didn't want to risk it. Odds are that they would hoard the horses for themselves. Horses are now more valuable than gold. Besides, they might not even be the people that ran the place originally. Did you see how the main house was all open? No. Something happened there, and my instincts told me to get out." Sean chuckled against the back of his shoulder, whispering sweetly. "You surprise me, Mark..." Mark glanced over his shoulder, asking a little confused. "What do you mean? Did you think I'd get us killed? Cause that could still happen." Sean smiled brighter, chuckling out. "No. When the world went to hell... You kept it together. I don't know how you do it..." Mark cleared his throat, admitting honestly. "I'm not. I just refuse to go without a fight. For as long as I can... I'll keep fighting. Even when all hope fades away and I have nothing left to protect. I'll keep going. Because it's better than sitting still and despairing over everything I lost. If I go out... I want it to be because I wasn't afraid to live."

Sean wrapped an arm over his shoulder, hugging him back against him as he told him warmly. "Wouldn't you get lonely?" Mark huffed, answering seriously. "Of course. You know me. I'd probably cry myself to sleep or when a memory came up that reminded me of something... I'm human. But I couldn't live with myself if I just gave up. I could lose everything, but I could also save someone along the way too. Someone who could change all this one step at a time." Sean rested his head sleepily on Mark's shoulder, whispering in a tired voice. "You're so stubborn." Mark smirked, chuckling out lightly. "Ya... but I'm hoping it will be enough to keep you alive." Sean lifted his head back up, asking a little surprised. "Me? What about you?" Mark kept his eyes on the road ahead as he answered very seriously. "I haven't lost my hope yet. I still hope that I'll see my family again. And I'm hoping that I can keep you alive. For right now... That's enough to keep me going." Mark let out a heavy sigh to hopefully disguise how much his heart was racing.

Having Sean's arm over his shoulder was distracting. He wanted to remove his hand, but he was too tired to put forth the extra effort. As the large truck stop came into view, Mark straightened up in the saddle. The truck stop looked like it was in pretty good condition. Beneath one of the pumps was an eighteen-wheeler with a livestock trailer. Mark steered Barney around the truck cautiously. Whatever livestock had been in the trailer had been... let out. The doors were open but didn't look like it had been forced open. Sean suddenly clutched his chest hard, telling him shakily. "Mark, over there." Mark stopped Barney to look in Sean's direction. Sitting a few feet from the truck and laying in the grass was the body of a large man. Mark tapped Sean's thigh, then grabbed Sean's hand to help him get down. Once he was down, Sean grabbed the inside of his thighs and groaned in pain. Waiting for him to force himself upright, Mark then lowered Chica down to him, before dismounting himself. He was just as saddle sore from riding for so long, but he sucked it up.

Handing both sets of reins to Sean, he told him softly. "Stay here. I'll check it out." Sean shook his head, but Mark was already heading over to the man. He removed Becky from his backpack to hold at the ready. However, as he approached, he lowered her. The man was laying with a shotgun braced under his chin. He'd killed himself. Mark kneeled beside him, staring at the open locket in the man's hand. A woman and a little girl. Mark cleared his throat, telling Sean from across the way. "It's ok. He went out his own way. Leaving the man be, he started to head back and found the keys to the truck on the pavement. Picking them up, he showed them to Sean and asked him with a smile. "Wanna sleep in the truck?" Sean blinked, mumbling out. "Is there even room in there for that?" Mark nodded, answering confidently. "Of course. It has got a sleeper cabin." Sean gestured to the horses, asking nervously. "What about them?" Mark pointed to the livestock trailer, telling him coolly. "Put them in there. It will keep them safe for the night and they won't wonder off on us."

Mark took Barney's reins from Sean, walking him around to the extended ramp. Pushing the door open more, he started to lead Barney in. Barney only made it to the end, before slightly rearing and tugging back. Sean pulled Chica closer, uttering out. "He doesn't like that Mark..." Mark backed Barney back off the trailer ramp, walking him around for a bit. To settle him down, Mark chatted with Barney sweetly. "Come on, boy. The sooner you get in. The sooner I can find you some water. Please be good for me." Barney snorted as Mark tried to walk him up the ramp again. Again, he only got to the end of it before letting out a spooked whiny and backed up. Cursing, Mark removed his backpack and walked Barney around in a circle again. Sean shuffled his feet, telling him. "Let's just tie them to it. He clearly doesn't want to go in, Mark." Mark removed his shirt, telling Sean stubbornly. "It's fine. I got this. I've watched a few western movies... I'm going to try something." Draping his shirt around Barney's eyes, Mark stood close to him talking to him softly.

After a minute, he slowly began to walk forward, and Barney cautiously followed. Taking it slow, Mark lead him up the ramp and into the trailer. Praising Barney, he removed his shirt from his eyes and slipped back out. As Mark walked down the trailer with a bright smile, Sean told him a little impressed. "Way to go, Cowboy." Mark rolled his eyes, moving to take the mare from him. Doing the same thing with her, he walked her up into the trailer. Mark was quite proud of himself. Patting the horses lovingly, he removed their bridles and told them sweetly. "Just hang on for me. I'll see if we can get you some water." Stepping out, he closed the metal doors and slide the metal rods to lock them. Turning around he started to tell Sean confidently. "I'm going to take a look inside and see if they have buckets and water. They'll need a lot. So, we'll have to drink something else... but it will be..." Mark drifted off, noticing that Sean's eyes were looking over his chest. Pulling up his shirt to cover his chest a little, he cleared his throat awkwardly.

Sean suddenly jerked his head away, mumbling out. "Sorry... I heard you though." Mark quickly slipped his shirt back on, hopping off the ramp to grab his bag. Sean anxiously rushed to his side, reaching out to grab his arm as he quickly interjected. "Mark, could you wait a minute? I really need to pee." Mark swallowed uneasily but took Chica's leash from him as he mumbled out. "Alright. Make it quick." Sean jogged to the far corner of the building and Mark followed to lean on the other corner of the wall. Staring out at the way the horizon was turning a beautiful orange and grey, he tried to his distract himself from what Sean was doing. They'd done it like this for a while now. It allowed one of them to be a lookout and at the very least they were there if something happened. Behind him, Sean grumbled out anxiously. "Will you talk or something... You're making this awkward." Mark huffed sarcastically, stating out half-assed. "Fine weather we're having, huh?" Sean groaned, retorting just as dryly. "You're such an arse. Be serious."

Mark tilted his head back against the brick building, mumbling out softly. "What do you want me to say, Jack?" Sean's voice dipped into a sad tone as he uttered out. "Please don't call me that..." Mark turned his eyes to stare out at the horizon in Sean's general direction, asking in a low tone of his own. "Why? You used to love when I called you that." Sean didn't answer for a moment, then told him in a wounded voice. "That's just it... It meant something more to me." Mark lowered his eyes to the pavement, gently uttering out. "Sean... I'm sorry. But you have to understand, I-" Sean cut him off to say a bit sternly. "There is nothing to understand. I heard you the first time." Sean suddenly stepped out from behind the wall, locking wounded blue eyes with him as he added in a dead voice. "You didn't feel anything for me. You just did it as a joke. What's not to get?" Sean took the leash from Mark's hand a bit forcefully, struggling to say over his shoulder as he walked away. "Come on. The horses are thirsty."

Mark stood frozen to the spot for a few seconds, feeling like Sean had struck him. Lying to him was painful. Taking a deep breath, he followed Sean without a word. Sean removed a flashlight from his bag, shining it around the store. The place was empty and almost untouched. Sean raised an eyebrow, saying softly. "Sweet. Looks like the people up and left. This place is far enough out that no one has touched it." Mark nodded, leaning over the counter to see a dead woman with a pistol in one had and a TV remote in the other. Leaning back, he told Sean lightly. "I don't think anyone really left... Looks like they just took the news of shelters going down or loved ones dying to heart." Mark waded into an aisle as Sean kept going toward the drinks. Finding two cleaning buckets, Mark told him happily. "These will work nicely. What did you find?" Sean chuckled, pointing at the large amounts of drinks as he said happily. "What didn't I find?" Mark rushed over to take any bottles of water he could find. Stuffing them into the buckets, he told Sean with a smile. "It's about time we caught a break. Think this will be enough for them?"

Sean shrugged, answering honestly. "I don't know. We ran them pretty hard. Plus, we have Chica." Mark sighed heavily, stating out. "We'll make it work. We need these horses. I'll cut my own water ration for Chica if I have too." Sean stashed a few snacks into his backpack and then took Chica to the dog aisle. It was small but had some canned dog food. Even a few toys. Before Sean could stop her, she snatched a stuff toy from the shelf and laid down to chew on his fringe. Mark waited until they had enough snacks, before picking up the heavy buckets of bottled water and carried them out. The horses snorted restlessly, recognizing that a bucket meant food or water. They followed him to the ramp, waiting patiently. Mark unloaded the bottles and began pouring them into the buckets. The horses nickered softly, making Mark try to rush. They had to be thirsty. Picking up the half-filled buckets, Sean opened the doors slightly for him. Wedging them inside, he nearly dropped them as the horses dived their noses in to guzzle the water.

Giving their necks another pat, he slipped out and locked the doors again. Sean bit his lip, asking him a little concerned. "Should we remove their saddles too?" Mark reluctantly shook his head, telling him. "No. If we need to move fast... that will just make things harder. For now, they should be alright." Mark moved to the truck cabin and popped open the unlocked door. The inside looked nice and cozy. Hopping down after a cautious peek, he told Sean. "You first. I'll get Chica." Sean stepped up to slip inside, walking in between the seats to get to the back. Mark hefted Chica up with some effort, muttering out through clenched teeth. "Why do you have to be so heavy...?" Shoving her in, he finally climbed up and shut the door. Between the seats and in the back was a single sized bed and above it was another single bed. There was even a tiny mounted TV and a mini fridge. It wasn't much, but it was warm and safe. Sean sat on the mini fridge, asking him with a small wicked smile. "Top or bottom?" Mark narrowed his eyes on Sean, replying seriously. "Now who's fucking around?" Together they shared a soft hearty laugh. To Be Continued...