The desolate road never seemed longer. They had hijacked one of the army cars and set off deeper into the city. Jake kept his eyes deadlocked onto the road while Harris watched him worriedly. Sergio's last words had been directed toward him and Jake was taking them into stride, the trouble was Harris didn't know what he had meant.
The army convoys had probably headed toward the base camp so their path remained clear for a while. However, they caught sight of someone walking by the side of the street, who jumped up to signal them to stop. Jake accelerated, leaving the man behind wailing frantically.
"You should've stopped for him!" said Harris angrily. "He needed help."
"You don't know this place. He could've been an imposter."
"You don't know that."
"That's right, I don't. So we go on, we don't take anyone." Jake said with finality in his tone.
They remained silent for the rest of the way before reaching the heart of the city. Jake had agreed on a location with Adra and Salem to go to in case they had separated and was driving the car there. But with the city wrecked, the roads were blocked.
They left the car behind and headed into one of the buildings. It was a school. The hallway was decorated in art, strings stretching from wall to wall that were painted to reflect the school team colors.
They stood on a basketball court. It was left untouched, the basketballs were stacked in the corner while the crowd seats stood empty but relatively clean; this place had seen life not long ago. They moved forward into the next departmental building, the kindergarten.
The place was even brighter than the previous one. A giant wall of colors, drawings by children, mainly scribbles but clearly done with innocence. A picture was perched in the middle – the staff and students that once occupied the building – all smiles. He wondered where those children were at that moment, whether the teachers had done anything to protect them or had perished before. Seeing it all put his own situation in perspective.
Back when the cancer had reached its final stages Harris had seen one of the patients – a child – make a full recovery and had dearly wished then, to swap his ailment with him. It hadn't mattered whether he hoped to transfer his pain to the child. Now, an ugly sort of guilt overcame him. Had his wish been fulfilled, he would have made the child suffer like numerous children were surely suffering here. The first time around in Invio, Harris had simply evacuated, not caring for the fate of others...
Jake flipped one of the tables in frustration and punched the wall.
"They're not here!" He yelled despondently.
"They could still be on their way; we should wait it out."
"And what about food and water?"
"I don't know..." replied Harris, it struck him that they hadn't had anything to eat or drink for a day. Now with that realization, he couldn't help feeling thirsty. He was also certain Jake's anger was for the same reason.
"Let's search for whatever we can find and meet back here."
He had no inclination to stay around and entered the teachers' room. Numerous notes were scattered on the table, drawers had been emptied frantically, and stationery items spilled on the floor. He noticed a note and picked it up in curiosity.
'Ire ad central boulevard, non tutus hic'
Harris could make no sense of those words but suspected that was exactly the reason why it hadn't been written in English. Whoever the note was for had failed to get the memo. He hurried back over to Jake in one of the nursery classrooms. Jake was crouched with his back turned away from the door.
The mysterious ticking sound commenced, becoming louder as he drew closer. Jake held a stuffed bear in his hands, his eyes unfamiliarly tender as he held it close to his face and let out a sigh of gloom. He noticed Harris's presence and stood up swiftly, dropping the bear; the ticking stopped as abruptly as it happened.
"When did you get here?" He asked apprehensively. "I- uh... I was just looking around... what did you find?"
"This." He handed over the note. "What does it say?"
"Yes!" Jake exclaimed happily. "It says to go to the central boulevard, they should have gone there. Most of the soldiers don't know how to speak Latin, which must be why it's not in English."
There was a big dent in their plans; the road was blocked, and they would need to go on foot. The central boulevard was miles away.
"What now?" Harris asked.
"How would I know?" Jake retorted and kicked the car door in anger. "I haven't had anything to eat in over a day, how long do you expect us to survive with people out to get us?"
"You're not helping matters right now, either. Let's stay in for the night and figure this out tomorrow," suggested Harris, Jake glared at him angrily for a few moments but relented under the adamant return gaze.
They were able to start a fire using the books from the school as they lay in the nursery that night. Harris was in deep thought over their possibilities while Jake tore up pages to throw in the fire.
"If I die, I want you to do whatever it takes..."
"It's not going to come down to that." Harris quickly shot down the implication.
"Better me than you, huh?" Jake continued his ridiculous suggestions. "Look, there's no sign of anything around us, I'm trying to think of the worst case here."
"That's all you do!" said Harris furiously, it was hard to hold back the hunger. "All I've seen you do is dive into self-pity. You think you're suggesting something noble here, that it's going to redeem you for what you did? It's not."
"That's the best I can do. There doesn't seem a way out."
"Then we make one! Let me tell you straight, if you die giving up, I'm going to find that woman and child and tell them everything, how you were the reason Sergio died and how you were too weak to see this thing through."
"Is that right?" Jake asked, getting up dangerously. "Well then, why don't you say that to me straight up now?"
"I'm not getting into any one-upmanship with you."
"Come on, mystery man, why not?" Jake stared him down. "You show up here all of a sudden, no idea where you are or what this place is. But then you have this strange attitude like you can see what we all can't see. How is it that you're taking this all so easily?"
"Back off."
"Or what?" said Jake giving him a push, now incensing Harris as well who pushed him back. "Ah, a little fight in you."
This time he slapped him in the face, Harris had had enough and threw a punch which was easily caught. He tried once more for the same result; Jake seemed to be enjoying himself now, clearly seeing it as a way to vent off his frustrations. Harris charged, Jake caught him in a headlock and kicked him in the gut, throwing him to the ground. Harris coughed in pain but didn't relent, he attempted to swipe at Jake's feet who dodged it and him near the fire, his face dangerously close to the flames.
"I wouldn't be surprised." Harris spluttered, his face burning up but his bravado was still there. "This is what you do best, after all, isn't it? I'll just be another life you take."
"I swear I will." Jake brought Harris closer to the fire, who did not give up.
"Then do it." He dared, despite feeling the searing pain. "Do it... and quit..."
For a moment it seemed as if Jake was about to go through with it; however, he released Harris and backed away – a mortified expression on his face – in disbelief over what he had come close to committing.
"I was about to..." he stared at his trembling hands, his eyes wide with incredulity. He grasped at his hair, wrestling with inner conflict, and pounded the window to his side violently – creating booming noises that resonated all around – then fell to the ground.
"I'm sorry..." He said in a weak voice. "It's just- this is all I know... I've never known how to be on the weaker side. I don't know if I'll last."
"You don't prove anything by saying you regret what you did. You have to show it." Harris croaked, his throat hurting after the headlock.
"But how?" Jake implored.
"First things first, stop saying this is the end. Because it's not, we'll get through this," said Harris determinedly. "And now, let's figure out what the plan is for tomorrow."
Jake was much more compliant after that. They spent the remainder of the night devising their tactics till they reached the central boulevard. Harris suggested taking it slow to scout areas where they could pick up rations; it was the only way they could survive before reaching their destination.
"I'd still like to know," asked Jake as dawn drew closer, and they'd managed a few hours' sleep. "How did you get here? You seemed to have just popped up."
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"It helps to share, you know. The reason why Sergio's family became so close to me, is they shared." Jake said in a faraway voice. "When I told you about myself, it felt like a slight load off."
"Alright then," said Harris feeling it was only fair to return the favour. "Honestly, this isn't the first time I've been here, or maybe it is, I'm not sure, but it doesn't feel like it because I'm not the same.
"Before, I just... left. I didn't care about what happened here, whatever it was, it wasn't my concern. Truth be told, the reason I even came here was to be alone. My life, or what it used to be, was all about being alone. I didn't want to be around anyone, I got a chance to come here because I heard it was a place few people came to. I saw it as a way to be detached, a solitary confinement of my own that I not only wanted, I enjoyed."
"Why would you want to be alone?"
"I didn't have anyone I wanted to be with."
"Not even your family?"
"Didn't really have any waiting for me," Harris said poignantly.
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Yeah... I am too..."
"Any brothers to spar with?" asked Jake in a light-hearted manner. "Judging by the punches you throw I'd say you needed someone to practice with."
"I had my brother." Harris told him, looking into the distance longingly, "He would've looked out for me if he were here, I know it...what about you, any family?"
"Nah, didn't have any siblings, mom and dad died a while ago. I would've loved to have a brother, though, it's that bond you have, being there for each other no matter what."
"Is that what you had with Sergio?"
"I'd like to think so."
"Family..." Harris muttered, "no matter where you are with them, it always feels like someplace safe."
Silence fell amongst them. The morning after, they scraped whatever they could find and departed from the school. Harris noticed the absence of the toy bear as they left, feeling pleased with what that implied.
Fortunately, it didn't take long to come across another car once they were back on the road. Luck was seemingly taking a turn for the better, the hunger and thirst was still there, but with their spirits unexplainably lifted, it was hard to feel very pessimistic.
The trail was barren as before; according to their planned route, reaching the central boulevard would take a few hours at most.
"I have a feeling they'll have food there," said Jake.
"Once we find a way out, we should try and take a breather. I'll even whip something up for you, Adra, and Salem." Harris offered. He had high hopes for the rescue helicopter to be there.
"I hope you cook better than you fight." Jake said good-humouredly. "Who was it most popular with?"
"My brother loved my cooking the most."
"I'll be sure to try if I get the chance, sounds really good at the moment. You know, Adra and Salem would-"
"Is that someone by the side?" Harris pointed."We should help him."
"Let's not get into this again..."
"Have some empathy, man. He needs our help."
Jake continued to look unsure but relented and slowed the car down next to the person. Harris stepped out to inspect when the scene shifted dramatically; the man looked up with a smile while Jake shouted from behind.
"It's an ambush!"
Without warning, several men jumped out of nowhere, cornering them.
"You should really make sure who it is you stop to help nowadays." The man smiled as the others swarmed in.