"Northeast."
"Looking for family?"
Kenn shrugged, not looking away as the wind pushed more sand towards them. "Something like that."
"He your son?"
Kenn took the first step toward making himself look good to a stranger. "He might as well be. I'm Kenn. He's Charlie. We came from Ft. Defiance."
The driver removed his glasses and looked at Kenn with beautiful, pale blue eyes. "I'm Adrian." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "Those are my people, grunt, and they're from everywhere. We have room as long as you follow the rules and pull your weight."
The tone was casual, but those startling eyes were hard, assessing. Kenn put away his gun, voice firm. "For a while, but he stays with me and we leave together when I say. He's my people."
"We're Americans, Marine. No one is here against their will."
Trying not to flush at the scorn in the response, Kenn stayed quiet.
Adrian picked up his mic, told someone to come get them. "We'll make camp in about an hour and Neil will see that you get settled."
Kenn grinned. "Thanks. We could use some R&R."
Adrian smiled back. "Don't thank me yet. After a full week of working with us, you may want to be alone again."
Kenn was encouraged. Work meant organization, authority, and planning. All the things he was looking for in the people they would stay with.
A small gray minivan pulled up next to the semi, the side door already open, and Kenn automatically snapped a quick salute to Adrian. Not waiting for it to be returned, he waved Charlie in and climbed aboard, sliding the door shut.
The males were very grateful to be in any shelter, but this one was warm, comfortable, and moving, and Kenn sank down with a groan of relief even as his eyes went over the three armed men watching him. One was roughly the size of a tank, the other two wearing the weapons and tools of Marines, even though they clearly weren't.
Neil saw the look and shook his head, mind already racing as he backed the minivan up to third in line. "It's not like that. If he thought you were a threat, he would have split you two up. You'd be with him."
Kenn was introduced to Doug, Kyle, and Neil, and gave them only his first name and no details. Their leader knew he was military. These guys could figure it out for themselves.