A black truck, loaded down with supplies, was parked at a rest area just outside the city. Inside, a woman leaned back against the headrest. Fatigue and worry were writ large in the soft pixie like features of her face. Her eyes, closed at the moment, were framed by dark marks and lines of strain. The car was silent, though it was an expectant silence.

“I can’t believe you’re even considering this.” The voice was harsh, angry, and filled the cab. He was furious, he had ever right to be.

“What else can we do?” Her voice was just as strained, though filled with anxiety and exhaustion.

“WE can leave it to the professionals, Lil. It’s not your job.”

“Then whose job is it?”

“Not yours. Let the government handle it.”

“You heard what he said last night.”

“He said they have it under control. He said that they were getting reports from inside.”

“And you believe him?”

“What are we supposed to do, Lil? Save the goddamn world?”

“Wasn’t that what we set out to do all those years ago? To change the world?”

“Change it, not save it. Nobody can save a world that doesn't want to save itself.”

Lillian pinched the bridge of her nose, squeezing against the frustration that filled her. “Who are we to decide that they don’t want to save themselves? We don’t even know what’s going on in there!”

“Exactly!” He yelled back at her. “We have no idea what’s going on in there. There is nothing coming out. Nothing!”

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“Don’t you want to know? Don’t you even care?”

“Fuck that, Lil. Of course I want to know. My fucking family is in there.”

“But you’re content to let them handle it?”

“What in the hell else am I supposed to do? Drop everything and go haring off into the unknown with nothing but my damn idealism to cling to?”

“Don’t you fucking dare, Chris. Don’t you fucking dare. My family is in there and I’ll be goddamned if I’m going to just leave them there.”

“I’m not asking you to just leave them there, damn it. I’m asking you to fucking think. Do you really think you can do anything that the government can’t? They’re sending the national guard. They do’t need you. We need to wait until we know something.”

“Are you planning to wait until they’re all dead?”

“We don’t even know if they’re in direct danger.”

She snorted, scrubbing both hands over her face as though she could erase the fatigue and frustration. “We don’t know they’re not either.”

“I get it. I really do. You’re worried about them. I’m worried about them. You want to help, I want to help. There has to be something we can do without risking our lives.”

“I can’t believe you’re not willing to risk your life for our family.”

“You are my family, Lil. I can’t believe you would even think of leaving without me.”

Again she scrubbed at her face, wiping tears from her eyes. “You won’t do anything, Chris. I know you. You won’t.”

“It’s stupid.” Chris answered. “It really is. To assume that we could make any difference in there. We don’t even know what’s going on in there.”

“You think they’re going to tell us whatever they find out? What they’ve probably already found out. Fuck that, Chris.” She was silent for a breath. Then she repeated, “Fuck that.” She sat forward, hand hovering over the button on the dashboard that would end the call. “Listen, I’ll wait here for one hour. That’s long enough for you to get here. You can come with me or you can sit on your ass at home. I’m going.” She pressed the button then grabbed her cell, turning it off. He would come or he wouldn’t, either way, she was going to find her family.