Zero Day: Days Left

Chapter 7

The first light of dawn filtered through the trees, casting a soft, pale glow over the campsite. Cliff stirred awake, feeling the cold earth beneath him and the warmth of Aubrey still nestled beside him. He blinked groggily, the memories of the previous night rushing back—his rage, their shared pain, and the fragile bond they had managed to rebuild.

A soft crackling sound drew his attention, and as he sat up, he saw Aaron crouched by a small fire, a raccoon slowly roasting over the flames. The smell of the cooking meat filled the air, and Cliff's stomach growled, reminding him of just how long it had been since they'd eaten anything substantial.

"Morning," Aaron said, his tone surprisingly light, as if the tension of the night before had never happened. He didn't look up from his work, carefully turning the raccoon on a makeshift spit.

Cliff felt a knot of guilt tighten in his chest as he watched Aaron work. He seemed different somehow—more focused, more determined. Cliff hesitated, glancing down at Aubrey, who was still sleeping peacefully, before he quietly got to his feet and walked over to Aaron.

"Hey," Cliff began awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck as he struggled to find the right words. "About last night... I'm sorry. I lost it. I said things I shouldn't have."

Aaron looked up at him, his expression unreadable. For a long moment, he didn't say anything, just stared at Cliff with an intensity that made the older man uncomfortable. Finally, Aaron gave a small, sad smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Shit happens, Cliff. We're all just trying to survive."

Cliff opened his mouth to say more, to try and bridge the chasm that had formed between them, but he couldn't find the words. He saw the sadness in Aaron's eyes, the weight of loss that still lingered there, and he knew that no apology could undo the damage that had been done. All he could do was nod in response, a heavy silence settling between them.

Aubrey woke soon after, drawn by the smell of the cooking meat. She joined them by the fire, and they ate in a quiet, almost companionable silence. It wasn't until they had finished that they began to talk about what to do next.

"We need to find a car," Aaron said, wiping his hands on his pants as he glanced around the forest. "We can't stay out here much longer. If Cyprus is still hunting us, we need to be on the move."

Cliff nodded in agreement, though his mind was elsewhere, still fixated on the thought of Cyprus. The anger he had felt last night simmered just below the surface, and he clenched his fists, trying to keep it in check.

"We find a car, and then what?" Aubrey asked, her voice steady but tinged with uncertainty. "Where do we go from here?"

Cliff's jaw tightened. "We find Cyprus, and we end this. I'm not leaving him out there to hurt anyone else. We can't let him get away with what he's done."

Aubrey shook her head, her eyes filled with sadness. "Cliff, you have to let it go. We've lost too much already. Revenge won't bring Jonas back. It won't undo what happened to those women and children... or to me."

Her words hit Cliff like a punch to the gut, and he looked away, struggling with the conflicting emotions tearing at him. He wanted to argue, to tell her that they couldn't just walk away, but when he looked back at her, he saw the truth in her eyes. She had suffered more than any of them, and yet here she was, telling him to move on.

Aaron spoke up, his voice quiet but firm. "She's right, Cliff. We've all got our demons, but if we keep chasing after Cyprus, we're just going to lose ourselves in the process. We need to focus on staying alive, on finding some kind of future... if there's even one left for us."

Cliff's hands trembled as he clenched them into fists. The thought of letting Cyprus go, of just walking away from the man who had destroyed so much, was unbearable. But then Aubrey reached out and took his hand, her touch grounding him once more.