Left Alone

Kane

Chapter Two

Present Day...

"Get your lazy ass out here!"

"I'm coming!"

I shook my head, exasperated. Of course he would take this long. He knew how important it was to leave, to get moving...

"Ready to go?" He asked, smiling down at me. I clenched my fists.

"It's about time, princess." I shoved my remaining clothes into the duffel bag before throwing it over my shoulder. He just shrugged.

"So," he said once we finally get our stuff together. "Are we still heading northeast?"

"Of course." I had already explained this a million times. Sometimes, my partner could be so dense. "We still have a mission to complete."

"Have you heard from him?"

I froze. No, I hadn't heard from Star. And that terrified me. He always found a way to reach me, no matter what. If he couldn't contact me...

I shook the horrible feeling off. "No."

"He'll come," my companion promised. "He always does, right?"

"Yes."

"So let's go."

I rolled my eyes. "That's what I've been trying to do for the last hour!"

Kane just stood there, grinning like the idiot he was. I sighed and opened the hatch that led to the outside world. Bright light invaded my temporary living space, causing me to squint and step back.

"It's been a while, huh?" Kane said, his hand up to his face like a shield. I nodded. It had been too long, but it had been necessary. We had come too close to being caught. Barricading ourselves in the earth was the best way to escape. But now, we had to get moving before they found us. It wouldn't take very long...

"Let's go."

Outside, everything was bright and hot, two things I was not used to. The earth shimmered and wavered under the heat. I breathed deeply, filling my lungs with fresh air and sand. Beside me, Kane coughed.

"This is too much," he informed me, looking dazed as he doubled over and put his hands on his knees. "There's sand everywhere!"

I smiled at his whining. "That's because it's a desert, sweetie," I told him dryly.

He glared at me, then swore. "I feel sick."

"It will pass," I assured him. "Just give it a second." I waited long enough for him to pull himself together before starting out northeast. When I chose this place as a hideout, I knew the risks. The desert could be hazardous towards us, especially since Kane wasn't used to so much travel. But, it was close to the border, which had been my goal. That is, until Star went missing.

"How long will this take us?" Kane wanted to know. I shrugged.

"Two, maybe three weeks." He groaned. "You'll live."

"Barely!" He complained. I turned on him, staring right up into his face until he looked away.

"If you stay with me, you'll live." That was all I had to say. Kane subtly turned his head to the right, a sign of submission. I nodded and turned back around.

Having Kane around wasn't so bad. Star picked him up on our way to what used to be Mexico. He lived in an apartment building in Massachusetts before joining me and Star. He had had a good life, once upon a time. It wasn't surprising that he was still used to his old life.

"So," Kane panted beside me. "We've been trekking from one coast to the other and you still haven't told me your story yet."

I waited. When he said nothing else, I sighed. "Is there supposed to be a question somewhere in that statement?" I inquired.

"Tell me about yourself."

"That's not a question," I pointed out. He glared at me.

"How come you were running west?"

"Just felt like it," I answered. I wasn't going to give him the real reason. That was much too personal.

"I don't buy that," he informed me. He was starting to sound impatient but that was fine by me. My answer would not change.

"You don't have to."

He put his hand on my arm, forcing me to stop. The look on his face was one of understanding and empathy. "You can tell me. If we're going to find you brother, I need to know some more about the two of you. For months I've been quiet about it because I know you guys like your privacy, but I can't trust virtual strangers. So, what can you tell me about yourself?"

I thought about it. What he said made sense, of course. I wouldn't want to be following someone who was a stranger to me either. I just really hated to think about my life because it's too depressing. However, this would be an opportunity for me to get to know Kane as well. So, I decides to give it a shot.

"My brother and I were looking for our father."

Kane's eyes widened. "I thought both of your parents were dead."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because," he started. "Who would just leave their kids on their own?"

"Well, I don't think he had a choice." I sighed again. This was really personal for me. "Star and I need to find him. I can barely remember him so that's why I have this." I pulled a picture out of my pocket and showed it to Kane. It was the only picture existing of all four of us together. Dad was holding my hand and had his other arm around Mom's shoulders. Mom was clutching her round belly protectively while I watched my parents instead of looking at the camera. I don't know why my father insisted on a photo. In times like these, a family portrait is the last thing on anyone's mind. But it was something he wanted, so it was done. The next day he was gone. He either ran or was taken, I don't know which. All I know is that when I woke up, Mother was crying, my dad was gone, and our photo was on my pillow.

"Think he's still alive?" Kane wanted to know. I shrugged.

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have bothered."

"What will you do when you find him?"

I smiled. "I will introduce him to Star."

We walked on for what felt like ages. Already, the sun was syphoning the energy out of me but the last thing I wanted to do was sit down. Eventually, it did get dark so we were forced to stop. It was beyond freezing, so I quickly made a fire and pulled out two emergency shock blankets for Kane and me. We huddled close as we listened for any signs of danger, human or otherwise. The silence was overbearing.

"What can you tell me about your parents?" I asked Kane, just to fill up the space.

"They are both alive and are very much agents."

I started. "What! Are you serious?"

Kane grimaced. "Unfortunately. They tried bringing me into it but I just couldn't stomach it. It was too awful, seeing that every day. They wouldn't listen to me when I said I wanted out. They thought I just needed some experience." He snorted. "As if. There's no way I could get used to murder."

"It's not murder," I found myself telling him. He gave me a look and I backtracked. "I mean, it is, but it's legal. It's supposed to cleanse us of the bad apples."

"A four year old boy isn't bad," Kane insisted. I stared at him. This was not something I would expect from him. He was a rogue agent, for God's sake. But the conviction in his voice made me believe him. You can't fake that kind of disgust.

We didn't talk the rest of the night. Eventually, we both found sleep though it was difficult. I woke up every once in a while to keep the fire going, but no animal dared come near us and the fire was hidden from any person who might be looking for strays. It was kind of peaceful, something I'd never expect, given everything that the world was going through. I actually felt kind of okay. In the desert, everything was quiet. No wind, no chirping animals, no shuffle of boots or gunshots. Everything was silent, as if the world was ready to rest. I smiled. I was, too.