He stayed alone in the house, and waited. Logically, he knew it was useless, but there was nothing else to do. A nagging thought reminded him of what Wes had said—that if he was lost, he would at least be lost knowing that Linc was alive and able to try something else. He supposed he should be trying something else. But he hadn’t the heart. The radio news reported the evacuation still going on. Stanley had worked out a new method, sending larger groups of people and using all the roads, paved and unpaved, to baffle the Eyes. With so many out at once, the Eyes couldn’t get them all. Some got through. Many didn’t, but following Collins’ rule of the loss of the few for the good of the many, Stanley went ahead with the evacuating-bombing plan. Twice during the three days, there were footsteps in the driveway, and the back door rattled as someone tested it for entrance. Peering out, he saw a man one time, a woman and boy the next time, all of them dirty and disheveled.
