The last thirty minutes passed in a blur of quiet packing. Kane stood in the middle of the living room, double-checking every strap and buckle on the four bug-out bags lined up by the back door. The house felt even smaller now, the sandbags and plywood blocking most of the morning light. Outside, the distant gunfire had settled into an uneasy rhythm—closer than yesterday, but not on their block yet.
Raven knelt beside her pack, carefully folding one extra shirt the way Kane had shown her. Her movements were slow and deliberate, like she was afraid of doing it wrong. When she leaned forward to cinch the top strap, her body brushed against Kane's side for a second—soft and warm through her torn shirt. She pulled back fast, cheeks flushing dark under the smudged eyeliner. "Um… sorry," she mumbled, not meeting his eyes. "I didn't mean to get in the way."
Kane just nodded once and kept working. "You're fine. Keep the weight even on the hips."
Willow was on the other side of the room, trying to fit the last water bottle into her pack without it shifting. Her glasses slipped down her nose again. She reached up to push them back, but the pack strap caught her sleeve and they slid completely off. Kane's hand moved without thinking—steadying her waist for half a second to keep her from tipping. The contact was brief, but her narrow frame felt warm and tense under his palm. She froze, green eyes wide behind the lenses once she got them back on. "Thank you," she said softly, voice catching. "I'm usually better at this."
Liora sat in the corner of the couch, knees pulled up, watching the whole thing with her arms crossed tight. She hadn't touched her own small pack since Kane had set it beside her. Every time one of the girls asked him something or got too close, her hazel eyes narrowed a little more. "Daddy, do I have to carry anything extra because of them?" she asked, voice blunt and small.
Kane straightened and looked at her. "No, kid. Your pack stays light like we planned. You just stay right behind me and do exactly what I say." He crouched in front of her for a moment. "We're all carrying our share. That's how we make it."
Liora's lip pushed out, but she didn't argue. She just glared at the floor instead.
Raven finished her pack and stood up, brushing her hands on her jeans. "I think I got it right this time. It feels balanced." She glanced at Kane, then quickly away, like she was still embarrassed about the accidental brush earlier. "We're really doing this. Leaving the city, I mean."
Willow zipped her bag and tested the weight on her back. "It's heavier than I thought, but I can manage. I promise I won't slow us down." She adjusted her glasses again, cheeks still a little pink from the brief steadying touch. "Just tell us when to move and we'll follow."
Kane slung his own chest rig on last, the Mk18 already across his back. He checked the front window through the firing port one final time—street still empty, bodies still in the yard. The air outside smelled like smoke now, faint but getting stronger. "We move in five. Stay tight, stay quiet. Eyes on the sides, not the ground. If anything feels off, you say my name once and nothing else."
Raven nodded fast, biting her lip the way she did when she was nervous. "Okay. We'll stay right where you put us."
Willow gave a small, determined nod too, her hands fidgeting with the pack straps. "We're ready. Whatever you need."
Liora slid off the couch and grabbed Kane's hand hard, standing right beside him like she was claiming her spot. She didn't look at the girls. "I'm staying right behind you, Daddy. Like always."
Kane gave her hand a quick squeeze, then scanned the room one last time. The house that had been their safe spot for the last few days now felt like a trap waiting to close. Jade's radio message was still looping in the back of his mind—people would come looking. Staying meant waiting for them to show up at the door.
He opened the back door a crack and checked the alley. Clear. The cold April air rushed in, carrying the faint smell of distant fires. "Time to go," he said quietly. "Single file. Liora behind me. Raven next. Willow last. No talking until I say."
Raven picked up her pack and settled it on her shoulders, giving Kane one last grateful look. Willow did the same, her movements quick and nervous. Liora stayed glued to Kane's side, small hand still in his.
They stepped out into the gray morning light, the back gate creaking once as Kane eased it open. The neighborhood felt dead—doors hanging open on some houses, cars stalled in driveways, no voices anywhere. Kane took point, rifle ready but low, scanning every corner and rooftop as they moved. Liora followed close, her steps matching his. Raven came behind her, trying hard to stay quiet, her breathing a little fast but steady. Willow brought up the rear, eyes darting left and right like she was determined not to miss anything.
They slipped through the first backyard without a sound.
The city was cracking faster than Kane had expected. But the road west was open for now, and the cache waited.
Four people moving together—dependent, tense, but moving.
That was enough for the first mile.