Ashes Part 2 Pachow

I am reading Ashes by Ilsa Bick and I am chapter thirty one page 211. Were I left off Alex just met Tom the person who saved her life. Tom describes that she has been out for two days and didn't know if she was going to make it. Tom also explains the situation and that they are going to head out for a nearby ranger station to see if they can get into contact with somebody somehow. After roaming awhile they hear an engine. Ellie wants to run towards the engine, but Tom stops her before she can go. He explains that it could be a trap and they should be more careful. Carefully Tom slowly flanks around the station and leads the group into the ranger station. Clearing the station they head inside and start scouting around the place for anything useful. Tom finds an old truck and says it will still work. Then Ellie calls Alex's name to come down to the cellar and come see the gun safe. Alex approaches the gun safe, but before she can reach it a trap swoops down to try to hit her. Alex moved out of the way just in time. Tom beacons for the two to hurry back upstairs. Three weeks pass listening to an old ham radio that rarely works and Tom wants to leave. Desperate to get out of their they hop in the car and head for the road. Pulling over to scavenge for supplies Ellie spots a man in the distance. Slowly they both walk towards each other and begin conversation. Larry the man who Ellie saw tells the group about how his part of his family turned and killed everybody but him. To their shock Larry tells the group that his child that has turned is shackled to a wall and that he doesn't have the heart to kill him and asks Tom to do it. Reluctantly Tom accepts and shoots the boy. Tom, Alex, and Ellie pile and the car because Larry wants to stay behind. Ellie gets mad at Tom for shooting the boy, but Tom justifies by saying that it had to be done. This book really demonstrates life in hard times. With tons of difficult decisions the characters make, this book is intense. At this time the theme of the book is companionship and hard decisions. Alex shows companionship for Ellie many times and Tom shows hard decisions by killing Larry's son. Tom and Alex would have to be tied for the lead of best character because they are both really good people and stick up for each other. "I helped him Ellie, I did what I had to do". This shows the hard decision making and the moral processing that the Tom had to do which makes it a good quote. I wonder if the group will ever settle down and find a place to live.