The vehicle carrying Changmin’s group ran out of fuel first, leaving the party stranded until one of the wolves could put the piddling amount of the extra ration into the tank, giving Siwon’s jeep a small share to keep them going just that much longer.  Neither lasted half as long as any of the group wished and it was still hours from nightfall when both vehicles gave up the fight.  Contrary to what they’d thought, taking the back roads and staying off the main grid had not brought them anywhere near a fuel station they could trust or rely on.

                Changmin stifled a sigh when he heard Wonsik drumming his fingers on the steering wheel uncertainly.  He glanced at the wolves in the back with the vampires, noting how they were understandably grumpy at the situation, but his kin were getting antsier still.  A disagreeable situation had just gone from bad to worse, and they all felt like sitting ducks in the confines of the now useless vehicle.

                “Well this is great,” Kangin mumbled in irritation, wedged between Niel and Youngjae, neither of whom seemed to know how to respond.

                “What’s not to like?  Plenty of sun.  No fuel.  Poor company…” Changmin snorted without mirth, taking a careful peek into the outside and wincing from the beam of light that jabbed him.

                “It could be worse,” Youngjae urged, one hand held up to forestall any further words.

                “Alright pups,” Seunghyun called from the outside, banging on the side of the door to further wake the grumpy, sleepy wolves within.

                “Change of plans,” Yunho added, stepping out of the front and shutting the door behind him, considerably more recovered than the day before.

                “Whose failed idea was this again?” Daehyun roused himself enough to grumble between clenched teeth as he pushed the door open, yelping when it was shut in his face as light streamed in to attack Changmin on the far side.

                “Warning would be nice!” the elder vampire snapped waspishly with a snarl at the wolf, who bared his teeth and growled right back.

                Tension rose with the pair at a stalemate until Sunny leaned over and bumped her head under Daehyun’s chin, giving a plaintive whine in the back of .  “Easy, Dae,” she soothed, pressing against his chest with her shoulders hunched, almost in his lap but not quite.

                The vampires in general looked uncertain about the placating gesture but Kyung had to keep himself from laughing at the almost immediate reduction in Daehyun’s annoyance.  It appeared to be more of a reflex response when he sighed in acceptance and lightly hugged her back.  “It’s okay,” he added with a glance down, catching sight of the more prominent but healing wounds on her body.

                “How cu-”

                Youngjae’s response was cut off by an elbow from Kangin who shifted to make space so the other vampires could get out of the path of the sun.  “We’re trapped for the moment and we need to get a game plan going before anything else happens.”

                “Too right,” Changmin nodded, joining the rest in the cramped corner before Daehyun carefully opened the door again, sliding out with Sunny and Kyung in tow.

                On the other side of the glass, Yunho spoke to the occupants, “Two vehicles are too cumbersome so we’re going to bring Byunghee and Yoochun over to ride with you guys.  We can push you to a safe vantage from there.”

                It was far from ideal but the vampires looked at each other, pale faces appraising in the dimly lit confines.  “Well.  I guess the smell of burnt fur will keep us from getting hungry at least,” Niel shrugged, earning an incredulous and disgusted look from Chango, while the rest of their companions laughed once.

                “How close are we to cover?” Youngjae asked while the door opened again, admitting the grievously injured wolves in their lupine forms.  Yoochun looked like he was doing slightly better, despite the missing limb, though Byunghee was an ugly sight.  His skin had yet to heal over completely from the explosion burns and patches of fur had been seared away all across his torso.  He growled in pain when he settled into place, ignoring the occupants as he tried to make himself comfortable.

                “There’s some sort of bridge not too far from here,” Yunho answered from the outside, still listening in on them.

                “How can you tell?” Kangin shot back, head turning to look despite already knowing the windows were covered.

                “There’s a sign,” Seunghyun laughed, tapping on the hood of the Humvee.  “That should keep you guys nice and cozy for a bit.”

                “Joy,” Changmin responded with pursed lips.  Admittedly, the prospect of hiding under a bridge wasn’t that bad but he hated having to hide in general.

                “Wonsik.  Siwon.  Take the back.  Geng.  You’re driving,” Seunghyun instructed while the other two wolves grunted in understanding.  A shadow fell across the back of the Humvee shortly after and the occupants knew they’d transformed into their monstrous forms.  Risky indeed since none of them wanted to be seen but it was also the most effective.

                “Kyung and Junhong.  Scout ahead.  Make sure the way is clear,” Yunho urged, keeping pace beside the vehicle while it started moving at a steady, measured speed, bumping over uneven terrain as it had been doing before.

                “It’s a miracle we’ve gotten this far without a mishap,” Kangin shrugged as he shifted with the movement of the vehicle, his eyes trailing towards the injured wolves incidentally.

                “Daehyun.  You come with me,” Seunghyun called as he moved away from the vehicle, voice changing slightly with the distance.

                “Why?”

                “Because I said so.”

                A low growl emerged but Yunho smoothed over the tension quickly.  “Just go, Dae.  We need someone to get rid of the other jeep.  Can’t just leave it in the open like that.”  Daehyun groaned at the explanation but the occupants could hear him moving away, muttering under his breath.

                “Is he always that moody?” Youngjae couldn’t help but ask, giving a very confused look to the rest of his companions.  They heard a snort from Yoochun whose eyes were closed, but his ears continued to flick and twitch, listening in.  “I’ll take that as a yes,” the vampire frowned.

                Kangin shrugged, shoulders brushing against Youngjae’s with the motion.  “From what I’ve heard, he’s actually not half bad when he’s not being a twerp.”  That earned him a one-eyed look from Yoochun who glanced at him balefully, not appreciative of the continuous gossiping about the wolf.

                “Quiet,” Changmin waved, tilting his head to listen.  He didn’t hear much beyond the normal sounds of the wolves pushing from behind and others quietly keeping watch nearby, but there was something.  Water.  Didn’t do them much good but the wolves could use it for sure.

                “I smell water,” Niel perked up.  Yoochun’s ears flicked forward at the announcement and his tongue emerged to trail along the side of his muzzle.  Changmin nodded in confirmation and the younger vampire grinned, nose wrinkling when the smell was apparently lost in the rest of the overpowering scents inside the cab.

                “Gonna be bumpy going down,” Yunho warned preemptively before the back end of the Humvee was picked up and everyone inside shifted towards the front slightly.

                Muttering in irritation, the riders were jostled while Siwon and Wonsik eased the vehicle down a steep slope.  “It’s kind of like a fair ride if you think about it,” Changjo smirked, lurching into Niel with a sudden shift that told them one of the wolves slipped.

                “Hey!” Youngjae yelped, scrambling to steady himself by using Kangin as a support.

                “Easy!” Yunho urged, grunting from the front where he was presumably manning the nose of the jeep.  Two deep rumbles responded from the rear, almost apologetic in nature.  “Almost there,” he announced for the benefit of the vampires.

                “And here I thought it would be an endless hill,” Changmin shook his head, fingers crooked into the interior to hold himself in place.  Yoochun looked thoroughly displeased by the descent and it was hard to tell what Byunghee thought since his face was permanently in pain of late.

                Regardless, every vampire smiled when the vehicle leveled out and a shadow fell over the entirety of their enclosure.  As carefully as he could, Kangin peeled away the covering and laughed when he confirmed they were under the belly of a bridge.  “Finally!”

                “Come on guys,” Yunho opened the door for them and waved the group out.  Yoochun shifted out of the way enough for the vampires to bolt by, though Changmin held back until the others were free, his expression thoughtful.  “You coming, Min?”

                “Yeah.  I just thought I smelled something odd,” he explained with a shake of his head.

                “You’d be the one to tell,” the wolf shrugged, waiting for Changmin to step out so he could get in to help the injured wolves.  Water and a chance to rinse off would do them both good.  Changmin lingered nearby long enough to see Yoochun limp out on three legs and then had the interesting experience of watching Yunho carry Byunghee to the water’s edge.  His vampiric kin were already wandering around in the shade, stretching their legs and trying to test just how much space they had to play with.

                Under the bridge and in the open though, it gave Changmin a better opportunity to smell for that odd scent, and he frowned when it became sharper in his nostrils.  “Niel.”

                “Yeah?”

                “Do you smell something odd?” he asked, not ready to commit himself to it if he was the only one off at the moment.  The other Shim came close to sniff the air carefully, a puzzled expression crossing his face.  Damn.  It wasn’t just him then.

                “What is that?” Niel asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

                Changmin turned to look at the rest of their party first, noting all the wolves drinking deep at and in the water.  The only exceptions were Daehyun and Seunghyun who were still at the top of the slope, keeping an eye out while everyone else relaxed for a moment.  Kangin was checking on Chaerin and making sure she had a chance to slake her thirst as well and the other vampires simply observed.  Or washed themselves off as the situation merited.  The scene was almost idyllic and he didn’t want to break the moment but…  “It smells like poison,” he finally admitted, waving off Niel’s immediate concern when his gaze shifted to the water supply.  “Not like that.”

                “I’m confused,” Niel admitted without hesitation, scratching his head and taking another deep breath.

                “Maybe radiation?” Changmin offered instead, not entirely sure himself.  Some chemo patients he’d been near had a similar smell at times but this was different.  It felt off.  Wrong.  And it made him nervous in a way he hadn’t expected.

                “But is there even something nearby that could explain it?” Niel frowned.

                “Youngjae.  Do you know if there are any nuclear power plants in the area?” the vampire asked, directing his attention to the young man who was fastidiously washing himself in the water.

                “I don’t even know where we are,” Youngjae admitted as he stood up and gestured to the scenery around him.

                “We’re in Missouri and yes, there is a plant in this state.  Or at least there was,” Kangin explained without looking over his shoulder while he watched Chaerin.  She seemed more awake than she had been for the first time in a couple days and there was a genuine smile on her face when she stepped out far enough to hold her hand under the sun.

                “How did you-” Youngjae stopped midsentence when Kangin simply pointed towards the top of the bridge where a sign explained who it was dedicated to and the river they were splashing in.  “Seriously?”

                “You try being mentored by Kyuhyun,” Kangin snorted, finally giving his companion Cho a look with a bemused expression.

                “That explains it then,” Changmin sighed, his expression troubled.

                “What does it mean?” Niel asked though he seemed agreeable to listening.

                “I’m not sure yet,” the elder vampire admitted, annoyed by that fact.

                Rocks slid down the incline and they all looked up to see Daehyun and Seunghyun rushing down to get away from the top.  All the figures froze when they heard a vehicle passing by, tires thumping along the bridge noisily.  “Wouldn’t have expected someone on a back road so much,” Seunghyun snorted, glaring at the retreating vehicle.

                “We should stay here for at least a little while,” Yunho stated while he inspected the group members.

                “Not like we can go anywhere while it’s daylight anyhow,” Changmin snorted.

                Yunho gave him a perturbed frown and added, “It’ll be good for us as well.”

                “Ne.  And when night falls, we should be able to get to the military fort over that way somewhere,” Kangin gestured, checking the position of the sun hiding behind the bridge to make sure his direction was accurate.  Youngjae just glared at him for his access to additional information and Kangin smirked back.

                “Good.  That way we can finally figure out what the hell is on that information disk,” Seunghyun grumbled with a nod towards the Humvee.  “Gotta ditch this thing too though.”

                “I know,” Changmin frowned, feeling even more vulnerable than before.  This whole stupid conflict had made everything much more inconvenient.

                A loud splash followed by a skittering thump had their attention on Wonsik who was apparently fishing with his hands.  “What?” he asked when he realized he was being watched.

                “Nothing, wolf,” Changmin waved dismissively, keeping his attention focused outward.  He would be able to hear things before any of them could and he intended to make sure they weren’t caught unawares.

                “Can I go hunting?” Kyung asked energetically, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waited for a response from Yoochun who nodded once in agreement.  The alpha yipped at Junhong who jerked in surprise but then grinned.

                “Sure!”

                “You could ask,” Seunghyun scoffed while he looked between Yoochun and Junhong, the latter of whom paused uncertainly.  Yoochun huffed at the Choi alpha and turned around to get some more water.  “You’re lucky you’re injured!” Seunghyun pointed, though a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.  “Go on,” he waved at Junhong, freeing the younger male from his uncertainty.  “Keep the runt safe.”

                Kyung gave the alpha an annoyed glare but fell into step beside the much taller boy.  Granted, the size difference didn’t carry over so much when they turned into their lupine forms but they disappeared swiftly in the foliage, leaving no trail behind.

                “I wonder what else is in the water,” Siwon mused, glancing askance at Seunghyun with a sly smile that made his dimple appear.

                “Oh, just go already,” the alpha gestured emphatically, shifting from foot to foot.  “Better yet.  I’ll come with you,” he added after a second of thought, speculative gaze lingering on the surface of the water.

                With a splash, both males crashed into the river and went under.  Changmin could only presume they were transforming into their monstrous figures to last longer, though really, the only thing they might need to worry about would be alligators.  Or crocodiles.  He shrugged and moved to pester Kangin about what he knew of their next destination.

                He was only passingly cognizant of Wonsik providing food for Byunghee and Chaerin tending to wounds again, still in her own mind for a change.  Sunny and Geng were curled up in a corner, both catching what rest they could and trying to recover from similar injuries.  It looked like Daehyun was considering joining them too, while Yunho kept an unofficial watch over all of them.  And as for his vampire kin…  Well, with them relegated to a small patch of existence that wouldn’t kill them, Niel and Changjo were desperately trying to find something to entertain themselves, and it looked as if Youngjae was still perturbed at being shown up by Kangin.

                Go figure.  Changmin was pleased to see cloudbursts on the horizon though.  Maybe they’d get the rain he hoped for after all.  That would make him more than happy.

(a/n: I know this is far shorter than my norm and very little actually happened but just bear with me while I try to find my footing.  It's been much too long since I've updated and re-gathering my train of thought is proving a bit troublesome as I try to pick up the pieces and get things moving in the direction I want.  You might have picked up on the little ominous hint planted in this chapter about possible things to come.  heh  Though I do believe I'll have some action in the next update and at this point, I should also be able to work on it far more often.  My semester is officially done and I intend to get some writing done!  If my muse will agree with me.  *face palm*  But thank you so much for being patient with me in the meantime and here's to the next several chapters coming in hopefully a timely manner!)