Chapter 102 First Blood In The Snow

• The news spread before dawn—quietly at first, a murmur threading through the concrete hallways of the shelter, carried by half-whispers and confused looks. By the time Lucy, Darren, and the kids reached the entrance corridor, the murmur had hardened into a knot of fear.
• A patrol had failed to report in.
• A small one. Only four men. Supposed to be a routine sweep around the perimeter, checking weak points in the barricades now that the endless night had begun.