or that the military
zone would be anything like the official broadcasts promised. But they
were together in the same vehicle, with a plan on the table and each
other's judgment to lean on. For now, that was enough to keep the wheels
turning.
The first clear sign of trouble came a little after noon, when Yan
lifted her head from the map and asked Bai to slow down.
At first Bai heard only the familiar sounds of the road: the low rumble
of the engine, a loose piece of metal vibrating somewhere near the rear
compartment, and the faint rattle of the map case whenever the caravan
passed over a crack. Then the knocking came again. It was so quiet that
it could have been a branch tapping against a window, but there was a
pattern to it. Three quick knocks, a pause, then two slower ones. After
a longer pause, the same rhythm came again.
Yan put the map down. "Stop here, but leave enough room to move forward
or turn around."
