Barren

CHAPTER EIGHT

  "You ready?" Joseph asked Mackenzie.

  Swallowing her nerves, Mackenzie could only nod. She took a deep, steadying breath, slowly blowing it out between her lips.

  She was standing outside the town hall again, both of her parents with her. Joseph looked fairly calm, but he kept tapping his feet nervously. Lorelei kept wringing her hands and staring at Mackenzie as though it was the last time she would ever see her. The worry that had lined her face made Mackenzie feel twisted with guilt. Just the sight of her mother in so much emotional agony made her want to throw up her hands and declare she no longer wanted to be a Diviner, to then go home to their modest shack, to read, to talk, to do all the things that had once seemed so mundane. Instead, though, Mackenzie just stared at the ground in silence.

  Ethan stood nearby with his family. He had his older brother, Tristan, with him, as well as his mother, Isabelle. Ethan's father had died several years ago. The three remaining Renauds all looked equally nauseous as Mackenzie felt.

  Gathered around them all was a few hundred people, all having come to see the result. Mackenzie couldn't hear anything but the buzzing of the crowd as they discussed amongst themselves who was about to be chosen to join the Diviners. Mackenzie wished they would all just shut up for a while. They were making her even more nervous.

  Finally, the door to the town hall opened and the Diviners began to file out. The buzz of the crowd died instantly and Mackenzie tensed up at the sight of them. When she saw Jesse, her stomach backflipped as she wondered if he would look her way, but he simply followed Vasseur's footsteps like a loyal soldier, ignoring everything else.

  The Diviners lined up before Mackenzie, Ethan, their families, and the whole crowd, all with blank expressions on their faces. Abbas, Lowe, Greaves, and Bell stood shoulder to shoulder, while Vasseur stood a few steps in front of them, looking between Ethan and Mackenzie, as though no one else was there.

  "It's no easy task," he began, speaking loud enough for everyone to hear. "Choosing between two candidates such as these. It's also no easy task deciding which of them we are willing to put in mortal danger for the sake of everyone else."

  At this, Lorelei whimpered slightly and clutched Joseph's hand. Mackenzie felt her heart break all over again.

  "There has been much discussion," Vasseur went on, "over who would make the better Diviner."

  Mackenzie noticed Vasseur's eyes flit to Joseph as he said this, his jaw clenching somewhat. Glancing sideways at her father, Mackenzie saw Joseph was staring hard back at Vasseur. The glance between the two men, though extremely brief, did. othing to make Mackenzie feel more confident.

  "I know you all thought we would make this decision behind closed doors," Vasseur continued. "But that's not the way we do things. Nor will I alone make the decision. I may command, but we are a democracy in all matters that concern the whole squad, the whole town, and what's left of our race. There are no secrets among any Diviners. For that reason, we will vote on the best recruit, and we will do it here and now for them, and all of you, to see."

  Mackenzie felt a real concern that she was going to throw up. What if no one voted for her? She knew Jesse wasn't going to. He'd already said as much last night, saying that he didn't think she'd make a good Diviner. If she still wanted this (and she did, more than anything else) then her hopes would have to rest on the other Diviners.

  Vasseur stepped back and fell into line with the other Diviners, standing beside Abbas. He fixed his steely gaze on Mackenzie, and then slowly looked towards Ethan.

  "I vote for Renaud," Vasseur said loudly.

  Mackenzie expected applause, but there was none. Instead, Ethan's mother gasped a little and held her hand to her throat. Tristan looked like he had just lost several shades of color, having become ghostly pale.

  Abbas was next in line. After letting Vasseur's vote sink in, he squared his shoulders and called out his own vote.

  "Miller!" he barked.

  Oh! Mackenzie thought in surprise.

  Lorelei whimpered softly beside her, while Joseph was grinding his teeth together. One vote each, three remaining.

  Bell was next and she winked at Mackenzie before shouting out, "Miller!"

  Ethan and Mackenzie glanced at one another, each with mixed emotions. Neither wanted to take this away from the other, but only one of them could go.

  Lowe adjusted his hat and then shouted, "Renaud!"

  Two votes each, Mackenzie thought, then her heart sank as she realized what that meant.

  Jesse Greaves was the deciding vote.

  "It's down to you, Greaves," Vasseur growled, as if vocalising Mackenzie's fear.

  Jesse stared at Mackenzie for what seemed like a long while, his dark eyes seeming to bore into her. Mackenzie felt as though she was deflating. Her hope of doing something greater with her life, following in her father's footsteps, was beginning to fade away in front of her eyes. As Mackenzie accepted defeat, Jesse turned his gaze on Ethan, staring hard, as though reading him. Finally, Jesse gave his answer.

  "Miller."

  Joseph gasped through his teeth and Lorelei buried her face in her hands as she broke into tears. Ethan looked to Mackenzie, his expression nothing less than horrified. Mackenzie could see that his family looked relieved, but she only felt numb. She was in. She was a Diviner. This was real.

  Joseph suddenly walked quickly forwards and took hold of Vasseur's arm, leading him away from the other Diviners and whispering harshly in his ear. Vasseur scowled and shook his head, saying something back, then pointing a finger in Joseph's face and saying something angrily, but Mackenzie almost didn't care. She felt frozen to the spot, stunned by what had just happened, but also confused as to why. Jesse had all but told her he didn't want her as a Diviner, yet he was the deciding vote that gave her the title.

  There was no time to consider it, though, because Bell was suddenly in her face, throwing her arms around her shoulders and hugging her tight.

  "You have no idea how long I've waited for another woman to be in the squad," Bell whispered in Mackenzie's ear. "Seriously! The guys are great, but there's only so much I can take on my own."

  "Mackenzie?" Lorelei whimpered.

  Bell released Mackenzie and stepped back, unable to hide her grin. Mackenzie turned to her mother, expecting to see her crying. To Mackenzie's surprise, though, despite the fact that tears were running down Lorelei's face, she was also smiling.

  "I'm so proud of you," Lorelei said, wrapping her arms around her daughter. Mackenzie, still feeling numb, returned the hug. "You did it. You're a Diviner."

  "Congratulations," Ethan said, appearing beside them. "If it wasn't me, I'm glad you got what you wanted."

  "Thanks, Ethan," Mackenzie said, finally remembering how to speak. "I'm sorry."

  Ethan shook his head. "Don't be. You earned it."

  "Mackenzie," Joseph said solemnly, having returned silently from his argument with Vasseur. "You, er... You and the other Diviners need to prep. You'll be heading straight out on mission. Today."

  "Oh," Mackenzie replied flatly. "Okay. Where do I..?"

  Joseph placed his hand on her back and began to lead her away from the others. Everyone was wishing her good luck, Lorelei was saying that she loved her, Ethan looked torn between numerous different emotions at once as he watched Mackenzie walk away. Mackenzie had absolutely no idea how she felt, though. She had supposed she would be excited or scared if she was chosen, but neither of these emotions came to her. Instead, all she felt was sluggish and numb.

  Before she knew it, she was standing amongst the other Diviners, Joseph's hand still on her back.

  "You take care of my girl, now," Joseph said to Vasseur and the others.

  "She'll be all right," Bell said cheerily. "I'll watch her back."

  "Thank you," Joseph said thickly. Then he turned to Mackenzie and placed both hands on her shoulders as he looked into her eyes, his own full of worry.

  "I'm proud of you,"
Joseph said, but there was a note of hesitation that made Mackenzie wonder if he was being completely honest. "Just be careful, okay? Make sure you come back."

  "I'll be fine, Dad," Mackenzie said. Then, offering a smile, she added, "Seriously."

  Joseph nodded stiffly, then wrapped Mackenzie into a quick hug. It was brief, however, as it seemed Joseph was in a hurry to leave. Mackenzie watched him walk back towards Lorelei. She expected him to look back, but he didn't.

  "Come on, then," Vasseur said gruffly, glaring at Joseph's back before turning to face Mackenzie. "We need to get you your equipment."

  Mackenzie allowed herself to be led inside the town hall, where her future awaited.

  "Bam!" Bell announced triumphantly as Mackenzie appeared in the doorway. "Looks like it was made just for you."

  Mackenzie glanced awkwardly down at her new attire. She was now wearing the Diviner uniform; khaki pants, white long sleeved T-shirt, brown boots and cap, and a large vest that had a velcro-sealed pocket on every available space. Mackenzie had no idea what each pocket would be needed for, as none of them contained anything just yet, but she wished one had a canteen right at that moment. Her mouth had been dried out by nerves again. The feeling of numbness had passed and now she felt on the verge of panic at the prospect of wandering into the desert, but was also quivering with excitement at the thought of what adventures might lay ahead.

  "You tied your shoes wrong," Jesse said, sounding disinterested.

  "What?" Mackenzie asked, almost laughing. "They're tied. How can they be tied wrong?"

  "Double knots," Jesse replied. "Keep 'em tight. You lose a shoe out there, you might as well have lost a foot."

  "Jesse's right," Vasseur agreed. "Double knots. Other than that, I think you're set for clothing. We'll be gone for a long time, but you'll have two spare sets of everything. You'll rotate your clothes so you can wash the dirty ones and always have a clean set to wear. That way you won't stink up the truck."

  "Rhiannon," Bell corrected, seemingly automatically.

  "Now we need to get you some basic equipment," Vasseur went on, ignoring Bell. "We'll show you the more complicated tools you'll be using when we're on the move."

  "What stuff do I need?" Mackenzie asked as she kneeled to retie her shoes.

  "You'll have a field knife," Abbas said. "A canteen with a day's worth of water, but don't drink just because you have it. Make it last as long as you can. You'll have some other basic survival tools, too, such as a compass, a radio to speak to the rest of us with, a compact mirror, binoculars, and a flashlight."

  "Wait, what's the mirror for?" Mackenzie asked. "I don't think I'll be too worried about my mascara while we're out there."

  Bell and Lowe both smirked, but Abbas replied humorlessly. "The mirror is to signal for help. Reflect the sunlight to show us where you are. If you get separated from the team and your radio fails, the mirror may be the most valuable thing you have in your possession."

  "We can cover the rest in the field," Vasseur snapped, seeming impatient. "We have a lot to show you and no time to do our jobs."

  "So, are we leaving right away?" Mackenzie asked nervously.

  "Yeah," Lowe replied, nodding. "But don't worry, your family will have a chance to say goodbye before we go. All of our families will."

  "They always see us off with Rhiannon," Bell added. "Gives us something to think about out there, you know? Something to come back to."

  Mackenzie then received the tools Abbas had told her about, lining her many pockets with them and trying to figure out how to remember where they all were kept. Then, after taking a quick sip of the canteen she had been given, Mackenzie stepped outside the building with the Diviners.

  Indeed, all the people who were close to the Diviners had come out to see them off. Vasseur was immediately in the arms of his wife, both of them speaking rapidly in French as Vasseur kissed her hands.

  Lowe was lifting a small boy up off the ground and tossing him into the air, the boy laughing wildly and screaming with joy. A woman, Lowe's wife, was smiling at them, but wiped a tear from her eyes.

  Bell was with another woman, both of them pressing their foreheads together as they whispered private words to one another and traded kisses. Bell's partner wrapped her arms around Bell's waist and pulled her close, stealing another kiss.

  Abbas was with his family, also. He didn't appear to have a wife (Mackenzie thought she remembered hearing that she had died several years ago), but there were three girls of varying ages all around him. Abbas was talking to his daughters, making sure they would be all right, telling the eldest (who Mackenzie guessed was close to her own age) that she was to look after the others. The eldest daughter was nodding while the two younger girls were clutching their father's arms as though afraid to let him go.

  Mackenzie then saw her parents and headed towards them. Without hesitation, she threw her arms around Lorelei and squeezed. Lorelei smiled and sniffed as she wrapped her own arms around Mackenzie.

  "I'm sorry," Mackenzie heard herself blurt out. "I didn't mean to upset you."

  "That's okay, sweetie," Lorelei soothed. "I want you to do what makes you happy. Just make sure you're safe out there."

  "Yes," Joseph agreed. "It's dangerous, but I'm sure you can manage it. And the others will take care of you."

  Mackenzie and the others all said their goodbyes, many tears were shed, and one of Abbas' daughters was crying for him to stay. Mackenzie swore she saw him wipe away a tear of his own as he forced himself to walk away while his eldest daughter restrained the shrieking child.

  Ahead of her, the truck named Rhiannon waited for them. The door on the side of the front cabin was open, a small staircase having been lowered to the ground. Mackenzie was the last to enter, and as she placed a foot on the bottom step, ready to climb inside, her heart thumping with excitement, she heard someone call her name.

  Turning around, she saw Ethan running towards her. He charged past Lorelei and Joseph and Mackenzie stepped away from the truck to meet him.

  "Ethan," she said, smiling. "I didn't think you were going to come."

  "I nearly didn't," he admitted. "But I had to see you before you left."

  "Aw," Mackenzie replied. "That's sweet. But you don't have to worry about me, I'll be-"

  Suddenly, Ethan placed his hand on the back of Mackenzie's neck and leaned in, pulling her slightly towards him. Surprised, Mackenzie didn't move as Ethan kissed her. He pressed his lips into hers and Mackenzie could feel people watching as she froze in shock.

  It seemed as though the kiss went on for a long time, and the whole while Mackenzie didn't know if she should stop it or let it happen. Before she could make up her mind, Ethan pulled away, though he still kept his hand on the nape of her neck, his face stiill close to hers, staring into her eyes as she stared back into his. Though while Ethan's eyes were full of hope and longing, Mackenzie's only showed surprise.

  "My timing sucks," Ethan said softly, "but take care of yourself out there."

  Mackenzie wanted to say something, fought hard to think of something to say, but her mind was just blank space. She merely stared at Ethan, stunned by the kiss, until she was saved by someone clearing their throat behind her.

  Turning away from Ethan, Mackenzie saw Jesse Greaves sticking his head out of the truck. He was glaring between Mackenzie and Ethan, his forehead creased with impatience.

  "You coming?" he growled. "Or would you rather your boyfriend take your seat?"

  Frowning at Jesse, Mackenzie replied shortly, "I'm coming."

  Jesse shot her one last dirty look, then disappeared inside. Mackenzie turned back to Ethan, still not sure how to respond.

  "I have to go," she heard herself say.

  Ethan nodded, but looked disappointed. "Right. Yeah, um..."

  There was an uncomfortable silence between them as Mackenzie wished she was already in the truck and Ethan shifted on his feet, unconsciously rubbing his thumb over his fingertips.


  "We'll talk when I get back," Mackenzie offered.

  "Miller!" she heard Vasseur bark from inside the truck. "If you're not in the truck in five seconds, I'll tie you to the grill! Hustle!"

  Mackenzie placed a foot on the steps and began to climb inside the truck, but looked back at Ethan one last time. He was smiling at her, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. He looked saddened, regretful. Mackenzie wanted to say something to make him feel better, but she was still at a loss. Hoping that her expression was enough to tell Ethan that she wished she had more time, she turned away and climbed inside the truck. The remote door slid closed behind her, sealing her in.

  "Strap in," she heard Vasseur order.

  Glancing around, trying to distract her buzzing mind from Ethan's kiss from left field, Mackenzie quickly took in the sight of the main cabin. At the rear there were some bunk beds bolted into the walls, and in the center was a ladder leading up to a hatch in the roof. Mackenzie guessed that was where Jesse would go when he was on lookout with his rifle. She noticed the long gun with its scope was hanging on the wall by the ladder. She turned away and began to study the rest of the cabin.

  Her first impression was that it seemed strikingly similar to a picture she had once seen of the inside of a 21st century NASA spaceship. There were two large padded seats at the front, the driver's seat taken by Bell while Abbas sat beside her at navigation, punching buttons on the dashboard and looking at a screen full of green lines and red dots that made absolutely no sense to Mackenzie.

  Two more seats were behind them, one taken by Vasseur, who was closely examining his tablet, tapping his fingers on the touchscreen in rapid succession. Beside him in a swivel chair that allowed him to either face forward or turn sideways to face the wall, Lowe was examining a large switchboard on the side of the cabin, typing at three holographic keyboards at once and examining dozens of readouts on screens in front of him. Mackenzie guessed it was where he studied the weather patterns to ensure safe travel. She knew that there were dozens of drones hovering in the atmosphere at all times, transmitting their data back to the truck for Lowe to examine. He was likely making sure that their planned route was still safe.

  The one empty seat at the back was obviously for Mackenzie. Like Lowe's seat, it could swivel around to face the wall, which was taken up by screens and radars, much like navigation. Mackenzie couldn't even begin to count the number of buttons and dials that were blinking bright red lights at her. Mackenzie felt powerfully intimidated by the machines, wondering how the hell she was supposed to use them.

  Beside her seat, Jesse was already strapping himself in with seat belts that crossed over his chest and clipped into the buckles by his waist. He looked up at her and jerked his head at the machine she was staring at.

  "It's easier than it looks," Jesse said flatly. "You'll figure it out. And Vasseur will train you on the road."

  Swallowing hard and nodding, Mackenzie took her seat and strapped in. Vasseur glanced up at her, and then returned his attention to his tablet. Bell flipped a few switches and the truck suddenly revved to life. Mackenzie thought it sounded much louder on the outside. She could barely hear the engine turn over and it then hummed gently.

  "Systems?" Vasseur asked.

  "Navigation fully operational, sir," Abbas replied.

  "Weather is in check," Lowe reported. "There's a low pressure front that might turn into a sandstorm, but it's moving away from us, due south. No problem."

  "Rhiannon is geared up and ready for action, sir," Bell said enthusiastically.

  "Ready, sir," Jesse said.

  "Miller?" Vasseur asked without turning around. "You ready for this?"

  Mackenzie hesitated for only a heartbeat before replying confidently, "Absolutely, sir."

  She could have sworn she saw Vasseur smile a little.

  "Then let's move out," Vasseur ordered. "Bell, we're in your hands."

  Grinning wildly, Mackenzie felt her body press into the padded seat as the acceleration increased and the truck began to speed off into the unknown deserts. She pushed her confused thoughts of Ethan from her mind and allowed herself to finally realize her situation.

  She was a Diviner.

  This is awesome!