"Adira, this is Hale. Come in."
Terri sat inside the car and watched through the windshield as Hale paced a few meters away with the walkie talkie pressed to his mouth.
She had not left the car.
Not once.
The trees around them stood tall and still, forming a thick wall of dark green at the edge of the road. Beyond that was nothing but miles of empty land. No houses. No towns. No signs of life.
Just quiet.
They had stopped there because Hale wanted to try the radio again.
"Status and location," he said. "What's your status and location?"
The only thing that answered him was static.
Terri shifted in the passenger seat and pulled her knees closer to her chest. Her eyes stayed locked on Hale while he waited for a response that never came.
This had become routine.
For two weeks, it did not matter if they were driving, eating, or setting up camp. At some point Hale would step away, pull out the radio, and try again.
Every single time.
