“You’re a Saber.”
“I’m female.”
“I don’t get it, your people are so advanced. You should be beyond the sexist thing.”
“My world is still male-oriented, much like yours. Many different species believe the male is the stronger of the species and that their job is to protect the female of their kind.”
“I know I want to protect those who can’t protect themselves, but I also know many women who are as strong, if not stronger, than men inwardly if not physically. I saw men fall apart after the nukes hit, just lose their shit. Women, even young girls, held themselves together, organized and helped others to form the tribes. Without those strong women, many more would have died.”
“Women like Maggie?”
Corey couldn’t help but smile at the thought of his best friend. “Maggie was tough as shit from the moment I met her. Hell, she was just a kid, but she had already survived things that no person should ever have to endure and at a young age. I may have been physically stronger, but there were times that Maggie and Lily helped keep me going when I felt like giving up. They had an inner core of strength that was unprecedented.”
“I’m sure you helped them survive as well.”
“Well, yeah, that’s what families do. We love each other and support each other through the good times and the bad. Even if we were angry with one another, we still had each other’s backs.”
“Some families are like that, not all.”
“You said you went to live with family and friends. Who took you in?”
“I got passed around until I ended up with Quinn’s family. His mother took me in and looked after me. She was the closest I had to a mother and Quinn was more like a brother.”
“Lieutenant Quinn Estro, Liam’s cousin?”
“Yeah. The Estros are the only real family I’ve ever known. I would do anything to protect them.”
Corey chuckled that this would be the thing they had in common. “It’s amazing how people who are not blood-related can be more like family than those who are blood.”
She smiled. “That’s very true.”
They sat in silence for a while. He felt a connection to her that he hadn’t felt before. He was starting to understand her just a little bit more and he found that he…liked her. He wanted to know more about her. His attention was brought back to their current circumstances. The wind started to die down. “I think the storm is passing.”
“Good, let’s see what we’ve been left with.”
Chapter 6
“How do we do this?” she asked.
“You keep your end up while I let mine down. When I lower the blanket, the sand on your side will slide down to me. Hopefully, there won’t be that much coming in on us. Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
Corey dropped the blanket and immediately was covered with sand and dirt. It just kept coming and coming and coming. Nix could feel the weight that had been on her end moving off until she was able move it away and see the open sky. She looked over at Corey and felt sympathy for him. He had six inches of sand covering him.
She pulled her pack on her back then gripped the edge of the hole and tried to pull herself up, but it caved in on her, making her fall back. Corey was there to catch her.
“Let me help you up.” Corey knelt down and cupped his hands together.
Nix stepped into his hands with one foot and he lifted her up until she could get to solid ground. She turned and offered him a hand up. Once they were both out of the hole, she surveyed their surroundings. The truck was gone with no tracks at all to show the direction the rebels had taken.
“I’ll try to find the computer,” she told him as she walked over to where she thought she and Corey had been standing before they hit the ground. Using her boot, she kicked at the sand but didn’t feel anything.
“Even if you find it, it’ll probably be ruined. I can’t get anything from the built-in communicator in my helmet but static.”
She sighed. “Me too. We’re completely out of touch with the command ship or any other warriors for now.”
“So, boss, what do we do now?” Corey asked.
