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.