As I drive down the road, Renee sits with her arms crossed, glaring out the passenger-side window.

The tension in the car is so palpable that–even though I have the air conditioner blowing–the air feels heavy.

I grip the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles turning white. Why can't she understand we had no choice?

After many minutes of tense silence, Renee shifts in her seat. "We could have helped them, Charlie. They weren't a threat," she says, her voice tight.

"We don't know that," I reply, my voice even. "Our priority is getting Harry to Solisdad."

I can feel Renee's blue eyes bore into me. "But at what cost? We're losing our humanity if we just leave people to fend for themselves," she shoots back.

"We have to survive," I say, my grip on the steering wheel tightening even more. "We can't save everyone."

Renee doesn't respond, but the way she leans against her closed window lets me know she doesn't agree.

And I get why she is mad. Renee is a helper. She let me and Marcy jump out of her dorm room window without asking any questions. That's just who she is. But that doesn't make my decision wrong.

The car falls back into an uneasy silence, with only the hum of the engine and the occasional bump in the road filling the gaping space that has opened between us.

The scenery outside is a blur of barren land and desolation. I focus on the road ahead, trying to push down the gnawing guilt that Renee's words have stirred up.

Is she right? Did we make the wrong choice?

Behind me, Harry lets out a low moan.

I glance into the rearview mirror and see Alex, who is still holding the scanner, reach out to feel Harry's forehead. "Are you okay, Harry?" they ask, their voice soft and reassuring.

Harry nods weakly, his breathing still labored but steady. "I'm okay," he mutters, his eyes half-closed. "Just tired."

"Okay, keep holding on," Alex says, their voice reassuring. Then they lean forward. "Any idea how much further to Solisdad?"

Paper rustles next to me as Renee unfolds the map we've been using to navigate. She studies it for a moment, then responds. "We're on the homestretch, but there's a bridge up ahead." Out of the corner of my vision, I see her tracing the road with her finger. "According to this, it's the only way across the river for miles."

She holds the map up for me to see. I glance over before returning my eyes to the road, and reply with a grunt of agreement.

Renee leans forward. "The ride's been smoother the last few miles," she says. "I hope that's a good sign."

The road we're driving on cuts closer to the coast. Salt air comes in through the vents and a few gulls fly overhead.

Then we round a curve, and I see it.

As we approach, my heart sinks.

The bridge is a twisted mass of metal and concrete, completely impassable. I pull the car to a stop, and we all get out to stare at the obstacle in front of us.

The bridge is a wreck, and unlike the potholes in the road, this isn't from lack of maintenance. Someone has tried to demolish it.

I stare out at the ocean on our right. Steep cliffs lead to the churning surf. A wide river flows below in the deep chasm that separates two bluffs. Even if we ditched the car, there wouldn't be a way to cross.

"Great. Just great," I mutter, running my fingers through my hair.

Renee lets out a loud huff. "This is exactly why we should have asked those strangers for more information. They might have known an alternate route."

Alex nods in agreement. "She's right, Charlie. We're out here, on our own, and now we're stuck."

I grit my teeth, trying to keep my temper in check. "We couldn't trust them. We did what we had to do to stay safe."

"Safe? We're stranded in the middle of nowhere because you didn't want to take a chance," Renee snaps.

I take a deep breath, trying to think clearly. "Look, arguing isn't getting us anywhere. Let me try to send a transmission back to Christopher. Maybe he can give us some advice."

I extend the car's antenna and climb back into the driver's seat to turn on the radio. The signal is weak; the airwaves filled with static. I fiddle with the dial, trying to find the correct frequency.

Harry is still sitting in the back seat. He's more lucid now, his eyes focused and clear. He looks over at me, concern in his gaze. "What's going on?" he asks, his voice weak but steady.

"We hit a dead end," I say, struggling with the dial. "I'm trying to get some help, but we're too far away."

Harry nods, leaning back against the seat. "We'll figure it out. We always do."

Despite the static, I press the button to send a transmission. "It's Charlie. We hit a dead end. Are you there, Christopher? Over."

While I wait for a response, I pull out my com device from my pocket. Even though there isn't a signal, I have one unread message. It's from Marcy. My heart skips a beat as I read her words: I miss you. When you come back, we should meet up.

I glance at Harry, who's watching me closely. For a moment, I consider showing him the message, but something holds me back. He's been so negative since we rescued him. I don't want him to sour this feeling blooming in my chest.

"What is it?" Harry asks, his brow furrowing.

"Nothing important," I say, pocketing the device. "Just a message from Marcy."

Harry's eyes widen. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah," I say, forcing a smile. "She's fine."

As we wait for Christopher to respond to our plea, the silence stretching thin, every second dragging longer than the last.

Then Renee and Alex return to the car, their expressions determined. "We looked at the map," Renee says. "There's another route we can try. We have to backtrack, and it'll take us a bit out of the way, but it's better than sitting here."

I nod. "Alright. Let's give it a shot."

Once they are both back in their seats, I turn the key in the ignition. As the lights on the dashboard light up, the battery symbol flashes.

Backup power is running low. And I broke the charging panels when we rushed away from the strangers.

But there is nothing I can do about that now. All I can do is hope that we have enough juice to make it to our destination.

As I turn the car around and settle back into driving duty, I allow myself a moment to collect my thoughts and focus on Harry's condition. We need to work together if we're going to make it through this.

"Thanks for stepping up," I say to Renee, my voice quiet in the enclosed space.

She glances back at me, a small smile playing on her lips. "We're a team, Charlie. We'll get through this."

Alex chimes in, their tone lighter. "And maybe next time, we'll just ask for directions."

I know they're trying to make a joke. Trying to lighten the mood. But it's too soon to laugh about this. There is too much riding on us making it to Solisdad in once piece.

But I appreciate the effort, so I do my best to smile at them in the mirror.

As we continue to drive, the sun dips lower on the horizon, casting long shadows across the landscape. I lean back, the tension in my shoulders easing slightly.

My mind drift to Marcy's message. I miss her too. Her touch. Her scent. Just having her next to me. That reassuring presence that let me know I was enough.

But there's a long road ahead before that can happen.

Literally.

"Turn here," Renee directs, interrupting my thoughts.

I ease the car onto a dirt road that runs between two open fields.

"Fuck," Harry moans, grabbing his head as we bump along, plumes of dust rising around the car.

By the time Renee tells me to turn again–onto a paved road, thankfully–my own head is throbbing from the constant jostling. I can't imagine how Harry feels.

After a few more miles, we reach another bridge. A simple cement overpass. The land has flattened out, and the river has widened and slowed.

"Should we get out at check out the bridge before crossing it?" Alex asks from the back seat.

I slow the car and stop. "It looks fine to me," I say. "But be my guest."

Alex hops out, jogs to the center of the long flat expanse. They take a moment to stare down at the water, then they turn and give a thumbs up.

Finally, we get a break.

The sun is low on the horizon when we see it—Solistad. Rising out of the desolation like a beacon of hope, its skyline is dotted with structures that glint in the fading light, a stark contrast to the barren landscape we've been traversing.

The sight of it fills me with a renewed sense of purpose. We've made it.