Ruins of Mankind - The Road Back
The Road Back The truck settled into a steady rumble as it rolled away from the settlement, the heavy tires grinding over broken asphalt that had long since surrendered to weeds and cracked concrete. Behind them, the great scrap-metal gates groaned shut with a metallic clang that echoed through the quiet morning. Mara glanced over her shoulder through the rear window, the settlement disappeared behind the walls. For the first time since she'd returned to Earth, she was heading back toward the place where her old life had ended. Sheriff Waites shifted into a higher gear, his hands relaxed on the oversized steering wheel. The old military truck wasn't fast, but it was solid, dependable, and surprisingly quiet considering its age. "So," he said after several minutes of silence, "which way, Navigator?" Mara unfolded her hand-drawn map across her knees. "Stay on this highway for about twenty miles. There'll be an overpass that's collapsed onto the ro...
