A/N: Yeah, I know this update is a day late. Seriously, I don't have an excuse this time. I just decided to read yesterday instead of write. *shrugs* The book was good, what can I say?

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02 - 12 - 2089

Riding in a transport car was not how I imagined it would be. It was bumpy, smelly, and I was sick to my stomach the whole way. Cade had to put up with my sick stomach twice when it decided to empty itself. Thankfully, he had an extra shirt so I didn't have to smell awful until we got to the larger settlement.

Now I'm wearing an oversized shirt over my t-shirt instead of my jacket. Cade's jacket is wrapped around my shoulders even though I insisted he keep it.

We walk down the street from where the car is, and I stare at this new settlement called Dunhaven. It's larger than Fairbanks, much to my surprise, and Cade explained that it is also a relatively new settlement. He said it was formed to help even out the population in different states, whatever that meant.

"Where are we headed to now?" I ask, marveling as my breathe puffs in front of me. I'll never tire of seeing the mist I make with my breath. It's so pure, appearing and disappearing only a moment after it is created.

"The train station. We need to get some tickets to get out of here."

I nod distractedly, watching the transports pass by on the wet road, blinking when the sunlight reflects off them into my eyes. I glance across the street as a large transport pulls into a garage. A man pulls open the back doors of the vehicle, and I stifle a gasp. Bodies line the floor of the transport, limp and covered in sores.

A hand wraps around my arm, pulling my gaze away from the horrific sight. Bile burns my throat, and I swallow it back, turning to Cade. I know my face is ashen without him telling me.

"What--" I shake my head, unable to form words to explain the horror across the street. I try again. "What was that--why--" I stop, realizing what I'm trying to say cannot be described.

Thankfully, Cade glances across the street and realizes the reason for my shock. "It's a sick house," he says quietly. "They aren't dead, but from the stage they're in, I don't think they'll last much longer."

I force myself to look at the bodies, watching as the driver hauls them up, one at a time, and carries them inside. "What's wrong with them?" I swallow hard, finding a lump in my throat.

"It looks like Ilium Disease, but it could be a variety of things."

"What?" I look at him in confusion, pulling my arms tighter around myself to guard from the sudden chill that attacks my body.

"It's a new virus that developed during the breakdown before the FRA rose up. No one really knows what causes it, and there's no known cure. It's almost as bad as Abdominal Paraplegia." I stop breathing at his words, and Cade frowns. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you that."

"No," I force myself to say the words. "I want to hear it. I want to know."

Cade's forehead pinches, but he gives a curt nod nonetheless. "Abdominal Paraplegia is an autoimmune disorder, characterized by the onset of paraplegia in the stomach and diaphragm and..." he hesitates, "leads to the eventual suffocation of the infected."

I stare at him, and then the sick people, my mind unable to process what I'm hearing. I've read about so many different things during my stay at the facility. Why did I never hear of these things? "What about hospitals? Can't they help them?"

"There is no cure, and the disease is turning into an epidemic. Sick houses are the only way to contain it."

"That's horrible," I breathe, more to myself than Cade. But he hears and nods his agreement.

"We should keep moving," Cade says, breaking the quiet abruptly. He grabs my hand, and I barely glance behind us before I see several men walking this way. They aren't looking at us, but they are definitely some of those sent to find me.

I hurry, my feet sliding on the sidewalk. Cade grips my hand tightly, and I cling to it as we turn the nearest corner onto a side street. Cade tells me we are close to the station, and then we can get out of here. We can leave this place behind forever.

"Hurry," Cade breathes, pulling me down another street so fast I can hardly keep my feet under me. I pray the men didn't see us back there, but I don't have the courage to look back and check.

Several minutes pass as we slosh through the mucky streets before I look up at the building rising up before us. The sign pasted across the front in bold, black letters names the buildings as Dunham Transport Station. I let myself breathe easy for a moment as we walk inside the busy entryway, taking in the hordes of people and tall, cavernous ceilings.

Cade tugs on my arm and keeps me close as we weave through the crowds, finding a line and waiting until it's our turn. I stay close as he talks with the lady behind the counter, trying to purchase our tickets out of this place.

As he talks, I turn to stare out at the crowds. I notice a lady sitting with her young son, her hair bleached white. She wears a turtleneck sweater under her brown coat, and I can see the bright color peeking above the collar. I can't stifle a smile, though I try. Green. It's so... beautiful.

The woman looks up and from across the room, we lock eyes. Then she frowns, and I realize I'm staring. I move my eyes away, but my smile stays. How can I not smile? I've just seen my favorite color for the first time.

But the smile fades from my face as I spot a different sight across the room. Three men in dark clothing have just entered the building and scan the room. My heart drops into my stomach and I'm about to grab Cade's arm in a warning, when one of them spots me.

I stare at the man as he squints, then realization dawns in him and he says something to his partners. They all look over, seeing me. A second passes, and they head toward us, pushing through the crowd relentlessly.

Before terror can completely cloud my senses, I spin and grab Cade's arm. "They've found us," I gasp, pulling to get his attention. He turns to look at me, then scans the crowd, spotting the men right away.

Cade blows out a breath and mutters something unintelligible. Then he grabs my hand and we push past the line of people waiting to purchase tickets. The entrance is now behind us, and I have no idea how we are going to get out of this place. We have no train tickets, and no way of losing the men that are right behind us.

Please have an idea, I silently beg to Cade.

"This way." We leave the main foyer behind and run down a well lit hallway lined with doors. A moment later, I hear a shout from behind us and know the men are making chase.

We reach the end of the hallway where a door marked as the stairs is the only way out. Cade pushes it open, ushering me inside and telling me to go up. I grab the railing and take the steps two at a time, hearing Cade's footsteps just behind me.

"Up there!" The shout comes from below, and I risk a glance down the stairs. The men enter the stairwell just as we reach the second floor.

"Keep going," Cade gives me a push, though not harshly. We clamber up the steps, floor after floor, and I wonder how tall this building actually is. We don't stop until the stairs level off to the fourth floor. Cade opens the door and we continue running down the hallway, this time without the sound of footsteps behind us.

I start to wonder if we have lost the men pursuing us when I hear their voices coming from the stairs. Cade and I slip into the room at the end of the hall quickly, and the voices are cut off as the door clicks shut.

Cade pulls me over to the edge of the office room, behind the large desk to where a wide window overlooks the street. The sun streams in, portraying a false sense of warmth on the frozen land.

A gust of cold wind almost knocks me back when Cade opens the window. I peer out in confusion, seeing a small ledge outside the window. I look over at Cade, unsure of what he is thinking.

"Climb out," Cade says, gesturing with his hand. "We can hide out there."

I don't hesitate, not when I hear the voices just outside the room. I realize what Cade intends. They won't think to look for us out there. At least, I hope.

Angling my body so I don't hit the top of the window, I grip the windowsill and slide out onto the frozen ledge. I adjust my hands so Cade can slip outside, but before he can climb out, the door to the office is shoved open.

The men burst inside, weapons raised, hesitating when they see us. Dread clings to my arms and legs as I speed up, sliding over to let Cade get out before it's too late. My arms strain against the slippery surface and my mind works faster than I can keep up.

I slide my foot to the left, just one more inch, and hit an icy spot. Before I can correct my footing, my feet slide off the ledge and my knees slam into the edge. I stifle a cry as pain radiates up my legs, gripping the edge of the window to keep from falling to the ground.

"Gis!" Then I hear Cade's voice, a stifled cry when my fingers lose their grip and I slip.

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