It wasn’t until they got to the third shelter that they had any luck finding Sam. While Derek talked to the people who ran the place, Joe went into the recreation area. He knew some of the guys, as he had at the other two, and began chatting with them, asking how things were going—which led to stories about how they’d managed to make it through the storm.
“f**k, I ran into one kid,” a teen who called himself Nike said. “He didn’t have a clue. Dumber than dumb. If he hadn’t been so fat he’d have frozen to death before I convinced him to get his ass over here.”
That piqued Joe’s interest. “I think I know who you mean,” he said. “Wears glasses with one of those straps to hold them on?” He was guessing about the strap but maybe he’d find out if Nike had seen Sam.
“No strap, but yeah on the
