After leaving Lakeview Estates, Ethan and the others headed steadily away from the Safe Zone.
It wasn't that they were afraid of the government—more like they still had a healthy respect for it.
If it were just Ethan, he wouldn't care. With his Teleportation ability, the government couldn't touch him. But Chris and the rest weren't at that level yet. They couldn't afford to ignore the authorities, not while they were still growing.
They needed time to lay low and build strength.
Once Chris and the others reached Stage D and awakened their second abilities, the team would hit a whole new tier. At that point, maybe they wouldn't have to keep looking over their shoulders.
For now, they kept moving.
Ethan carried the iron cage. Skinny Pete had Alicia slung over his shoulder. The rest hauled packs stuffed with supplies, clearing the way ahead.
The cage was too heavy to load into a vehicle, so they had no choice but to go on foot.
