by Ruth Silver
Cate sniffled and wiped a few stray tears with the back of her hand. “Someone has to come with me.”
“Someone will, I will,” I repeated forcefully, staring at Collins as I pushed myself into a sitting position on the sofa. “I'd like to come, to help those in Thena and be better prepared for whatever awaits us in the Gravelands.”
Maya heaved a sigh and finally spoke up. “There are others with more training, but I think it would be good for Olivia to gain a little freedom. Besides, if we're expecting her to fight, she should know what she's fighting for.”
Was she seriously batting for me? “You can count on me.” My eyes lit up from excitement. “What about sending Sydney too?” I wasn't trying to suggest Sydney could replace me, not after Maya offered me exactly what I wanted. However, neither of us was a doctor.
Collins sighed, “We can't risk Sydney being gone. She's too valuable to the community right now. Cate's been trained as a nurse,” he informed me. “She had training back in Thena, and she spent time interning with Sydney. She's plenty qualified.” His gaze turned towards the other council members. “Does anyone have any objections?”
Joshua cleared his throat, “I do.” I elbowed him hard in the ribs to shut up. He didn't so much as look at me as he stared at Collins. “If Olivia is going, I want to go with her.” I breathed a sigh of relief. At least he wasn't fighting the decision.
Collins ran a hand across his forehead, clearly frustrated. “You can't, Joshua. I need you here. There are things you're responsible for and the entire community needs your help. Besides, her safety is dependent on you being in Shadow.”
“How is that possible?” I scoffed. I hated that they wanted to separate us. It was like Haven all over again. Except I knew this was my choice, wanting to go to Thena. No one had imposed the decision on me.
“Olivia's right,” Joshua acknowledged. “I go where she goes, we're a team.”
“Team or not,” Collins gritted his teeth, trying his best to keep under control, “Shadow may be under attack if Joshua leaves.”
Josh squeezed my hand and gently let go. I glanced at him, wondering what he was thinking. “Collins is right,” he sighed.
“What do you mean, right?” I didn't understand what they were talking about.
“The drone that flew overhead—we managed to bring it down,” Joshua explained. “I managed to bring it down. Actually, I brought down all five drones.” He clarified. “Collins thinks I may be able to interface with the system.”
“Really?” I couldn't believe Joshua hadn't told me the minute he'd found out.
“It's all theoretical,” Collins cleared his throat, “but we need Joshua to help us understand the inner-workings of the drones and possibly even fly them again.”
My mouth hit the floor. “What?” I couldn't believe what Collins was suggesting. “What makes you think Joshua is capable of that?”
The Chancellor answered matter-of-factly. “He's the one that brought them down. He's also turned off the drones so that the government can't locate the downed planes. All in a matter of minutes.”
I let the information sink in. “So you have to stay here, while I go to Thena?” I wasn't crazy about leaving Joshua behind. We were a team, always looking out for one another.
“I'd rather not,” he glared at Collins, “but he's right. I might be able to protect you better from Shadow. If I can rewire the system and get the radar to be functional, I'll know if another drone is coming.”
“Don't you worry they'll come after us? They're going to want their missing fleet.” I asked.
Collins answered me, “We have it covered.”
“How?” I couldn't understand how they were calm when just a few hours ago we were under attack. “What if they send soldiers on foot?”
“Relax.” Joshua rested a hand on my thigh. “I promise, you're safe here.”
“And if I go to Thena? Will Cate and I be safe on the way?” I glanced at Cate. Her eyes were red but the few tears had dried. I knew she wanted to go and someone needed to search for survivors, but if it was a trap and the government was planning on sending more drones, we needed to be prepared.
“That's why I want to rewire the radar,” Joshua reminded me. “I'll do everything in my power to keep you both safe,” Joshua assured me. I didn't know how he intended on keeping us safe but I trusted him.
CHAPTER 6
As soon as dawn broke, Cate was at my front door. I gave Joshua a goodbye kiss and headed for the vehicle parked on the street. Seeing the familiar van sent a chill down my spine. It was the same vehicle we'd driven in when we were recruits and had been required to undergo Mindonsiphan. It made my stomach somersault. I was glad I’d skipped breakfast, because I thought I might vomit.
“I brought some food and water,” Cate told me as I climbed into the van. Cate started the vehicle and together we headed out of Shadow. The last time I was out of the city, I'd been on the run. I sat in the front seat, glancing out the window, hoping no drones would circle the skies again today. “Don't look so worried,” Cate remarked. “I won't leave you out on the side of the road.”
“I wasn't worried,” I answered, shifting to look at her. At least, I hadn't been worried about that. I didn't know what to say. She was the last person I wanted to travel with. The trip by car would only take a few hours. Any more and I couldn't bear it.
The further we drove from Shadow, the dryer the land grew, the earth becoming caked and cracked. Cate rolled down her window and I felt the cool air pummel us through the open window. I reached for the heat, turning it up a notch.
“Don't tell me you're cold.” Cate shot me a glare before she returned her attention on the road.
“It's the middle of January and you have the window open.” I shivered as I pushed the vents towards me. If she wanted to freeze herself to death, that was her business.
Cate rolled her eyes. “It's the desert.”
“Doesn't make it any less cold in winter,” I retorted.
“Actually it does.” She pushed the middle vent that had been pointed towards her away. I relished the additional heat as I cranked it up further. Maybe it wasn't as cold as Genesis in winter, but with the window down while driving, I was freezing.
“Whatever,” I mumbled beneath my breath. There was no pleasing Cate.
“Do you mind?” Cate shot me another glare. “I can hear you when you mutter under your breath.”
I didn't answer her. There was no point in giving her the satisfaction. She wanted a fight and I wouldn't give her one.
I ignored the clock, paying little attention to what time we left Shadow. The awkward silence stretched on for minutes.
“So your family lives in Thena?” I asked, trying my best to kill the tension. I knew she must have been stressed thinking about them.
“Yeah.” Cate's answer was short and curt.
“Both of your parents?” I asked, trying to ease it out of her.
She shot me a look before turning her attention back to the road. “And my baby sister.”
I opened my mouth to ask how she had a sister and then shut it. Things weren't the same in the rebel cities. Families could have more than one child but they were never their own biological children. Both of the girls had to have been taken from a Genesis city at some time in their lives. “How old is your sister?” I asked.
“Do you actually care?” Cate retorted.
“I wouldn't ask if I didn't,” I admitted.
Cate sighed, waiting a long moment before finally deciding to answer. “The last time I saw her she was six. She'd be nine now.”
“You've been in Shadow for three years?” Maybe we shared some things in common, being away from our home and the people we grew up around.
Cate sighed, her hands tensely griping the steering wheel as we grew closer to Thena. “Yeah, sounds about right. I always planned on coming home to visit but you know the rules,” she huffed. “Collins never saw a reason for me to go home back to Thena. Mason on
the other hand, he could go back whenever he liked.” Her words were laced with anger and hatred. “He got to go home so we could trade but no, not me.” Her cheeks reddened. “It's not fair!” She slammed her fist angrily on the steering wheel.
“No,” I whispered, “it's not.” I didn't know what else to say to Cate. We'd be in Thena soon enough. Hopefully her family and her sister were still alive.
We crested the hill and I could see the ruins of what was once the town. Fragments of broken stone lay strewn along the path as we drove closer. I gasped in astonishment. This was new for me—when Joshua and I had escaped Haven, we'd never witnessed what remained.
“Hang on,” Cate instructed as she drove us into Thena past the rubble and through the destruction. The streets were a mess, littered with debris. I felt the vehicle jolt as she entered town, pulling to an abrupt stop. Not a single building remained standing. The smoke had cleared but the damage hadn't vanished. I stepped out from the van, glancing around, unsure where to start. “This way,” she told me as we climbed across the street through the devastation. I glanced down, realizing that what we were pushing aside to get through town was parts of homes and buildings. It was unsettling.
“Hello?” I called out, listening for survivors. I wasn't sure how to find anyone in this mess. Cate led me further into town. Her destination: her family. I couldn't blame her. I'd do the same thing. Perhaps Cate had more of a heart than I originally thought.
“Come on, Olivia. We don't have much time and a lot of area to cover.” Wearing jeans and a gray t-shirt, I climbed through the street and followed Cate until she stood in the middle of what was once her home. “Mom! Dad!” she called, searching through broken cement and stone.
I pushed aside what I could, digging beneath the surface. “Hello? Anyone?” I called, hoping if someone was alive I'd hear them answer me. I moved around from what used to be house to house as Cate continued to pull off the debris from her home and search for her family. I gasped as I found a female body, her skin pale and blue. She was ice cold. I felt for a pulse but it was much too late to help her. I didn't tell Cate. I glanced back as I saw her crying from a distance. There was no sense in upsetting her further.
I kept walking further across the street as I searched every home that once stood. It seemed an impossible task to find anyone left alive. It'd only been twenty-four hours. I'd gone longer without food and water when Joshua and I had driven across the Gravelands. This was worse. These people had died from what the government had purposefully done. It wasn't from starvation. I pulled my sweatshirt tighter and zipped it. If anyone had survived I wasn't sure how. It was a cool morning and it had been an even chillier night.
Pushing aside rubble, I heard the faintest whimper. “Hello?” I called aloud, digging deeper for the sound. My fingers carefully pushed aside the broken glass panel from a window along with two pieces of heavy stone as I listened for the soft sound again. It was someone crying. “I'm coming for you.” I answered. “Cate!” I called, hoping she'd hear me and would come help.
My eyes widened in shock as I unburied and saw a small space, where I found a little girl still alive. She shook and cried but was physically unharmed, which was surprising, given the circumstances. “It's okay,” I assured her, lifting her into my arms. “Cate!” I called, feeling the little girl shiver. I unzipped my sweatshirt, then wrapped it around her body as Cate came towards me. Her face looked red but she hid her tears.
Cate cleared her throat. “Let me look her over.” She held out her arms but the little girl tightened her hold, shaking her head no defiantly.
“Okay, okay.” I rubbed her back. “We're just going to take you to the van. Get you something to eat and drink,” I assured her. We walked the half-mile back to the vehicle over the rubble. Once inside I sat her down and grabbed a bottle of water, opening it for her. Cate grabbed some snack food while I left the little girl momentarily alone. “There could be other survivors,” I told Cate. “We need to keep searching. You should stay with her though.”
Cate gave me a look. “What if you need help?” I knew she was right, but I couldn't fathom leaving the little girl alone for even a few minutes. She was young.
Cate walked back into the van, bending down to the girl’s height. “What's your name?” she asked. I stood by the door, seeing her wide blue eyes staring past Cate towards me. She pointed at me and then sipped her water quietly.
Cate sighed, stepping out of the van as I climbed into the seat beside the little girl. “Are they good?” I asked watching as she ate some crackers. She nodded enthusiastically. She handed me a cracker, offering me one.
“Thanks.” I took it from her fingers and popped it into my mouth. “I'm Olivia,” I told her. She handed me her empty water bottle and I grabbed another from the bag behind me, opening it. I offered it to her, watching as she drank another sip. Already she looked better.
“I'm Adelaide,” she told me with bright eyes.
“How old are you?” I asked as she played with the hem of my sweatshirt she wore.
“Six,” she whispered. She was small for her age but incredibly bright. I could see that already.
“That's Cate.” I pointed towards the window. “We're both going to search and see if we can find more people buried under the rubble. Can you promise me you'll stay in the van?”
Adelaide nodded as she sipped her water. “I promise.”
“Are you hurt at all?” I asked her, knowing it should have been the first question, but other than looking dirty she seemed unharmed. Adelaide shook her head no. “Okay good.” I smiled reassuringly, giving her a hug. “We'll be back soon. You stay here.” I grabbed another bag of crackers. “If you get hungry,” I said, handing them to her, “these are for you.”
“Thanks, Olivia.” Adelaide answered.
I climbed out of the van, heading with Cate as we searched the rest of the streets through Thena, hoping Adelaide wasn't the last survivor.
CHAPTER 7
Cate and I headed back to Shadow with Adelaide in the backseat. Behind her lay two other survivors, barely breathing. Cate managed to stabilize them to get them back to town. I didn’t know how long they'd last. I hadn't even gotten their names. We'd been careful to distract Adelaide and not to let her see the badly injured bodies we transported. The last thing I wanted was to give the child nightmares.
The five-hour drive felt like an eternity. We reached Shadow at night and though I was worried about barreling into town with our headlights glaring, I also knew we had little choice.
The moment we crested into town, everyone came outside to see us, including Taron. A part of me hoped that he was Adelaide's father but I knew the chances were slim. Cate would have mentioned it, if that had been the case. We stopped in front of the medical center and Sydney came rushing outside. “You're back already?” I wasn't sure what she expected. How long were we supposed to be gone?
“We brought three survivors with us. A young girl and two patients in critical condition,” I told Sydney. I helped a sleeping Adelaide out as Chancellor Collins and Sydney worked to get the two injured into the infirmary.
“Olivia?” I heard Joshua's voice through the crowd and saw as he moved to the front, coming to wrap his arms around me. He stopped, seeing the small girl in my arms. “Is she…okay?”
“She's fine. Just asleep,” I assured him. “She got lucky.” I felt her shift in my arms. “Shhh, go back to sleep.” I patted her back. I glanced around; everyone was dispersing. Collins had gone into the infirmary to help Sydney.
“Come on, it's late. We'll take her back with us,” Joshua offered, freeing up my arms as he carried her home for me. “In the morning we'll figure out what to do.” She didn't wake up again. I nodded, knowing he was right. She deserved a family—her family—if they remained alive. I opened the front door and Joshua carried Adelaide upstairs and into the spare bedroom. I was thankful for the twin-size mattress. Though the room was rather plain of decoration, it was perfect. Joshua laid her d
own in bed and I tucked her in as well. Tomorrow, Adelaide would need a shower and fresh change of clothes, but at least she'd be well rested and cared for.
I closed her door, heading for our bedroom. “How was it?” Joshua asked me as I shut the door and stripped down for bed. I didn't care that Joshua watched as I changed into my pajamas. I was much too tired to care or to walk into another room. At least the lights were off and the darkness hid my curves.
“Tiring,” I breathed, finding the mattress and lying down, closing my eyes. “I searched for hours and we only found three people.”
Joshua knew as much by the van we'd brought back from Thena. “At least you found three people. Three who wouldn't have survived without you being there,” he reminded me, trying to be the optimist he always was.
I nodded weakly. “I'm not sure the two adults even have much of a chance of making it through to morning.”
Joshua stripped down to his boxers, climbing into bed beside me. “You remember the medical center: their technology is superior to anything I've ever seen.” I knew he was right. I'd seen what they did to us and what they'd done for Joshua's injured foot. “If these people have any chance, you gave it to them,” he assured me. “Besides, you saved that little girl.”
“Adelaide,” I told him. “Her name. I saved Adelaide.”
I felt his breath as he kissed my cheek. “You saved Adelaide.” He affirmed, wrapping an arm around my waist. “You did amazing, Olive.”
CHAPTER 8
Waking up early the next morning, I heard the soft patter of footsteps against the floorboards. “Olivia?” The sweetest and softest voice pulled me from slumber as I rolled onto my back, glancing at the open bedroom door.
Adelaide stood in the doorjamb watching me with bright, curious eyes. “Hey sweetie.” I smiled, sitting up in bed. I glanced at Joshua and climbed off the mattress, careful not to wake him. “How about we get you some breakfast?” I whispered, reaching out for her hand as I led her out of the bedroom.
