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. “
“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.
