CHAPTER HUNDRED
“Shouldn't we have waited till night to do this?” Anna whispered as we hid behind a dumpster for people who went to drop off their kids to school to clear out of the way.
“That'll be putting Roe and Lisbeth in more danger than necessary. Don't worry, we've got each other and we can do this, okay?” I reassured her with a strained smile.
After thirty minutes, the path was clear again. People were probably at work and would be for the next few hours so all we had to do was hurry through the suburban neighborhood to get to our shop.
We ran for a few minutes before I noticed something.
“I think someone's following us,”
“Or you're being paranoid which is totally normal in this situation but we must not stop again. School closes in about two hours,” Anna replied and I didn't respond, still feeling weird about the sounds I'd heard. One would think not seeing any movement in the daytime meant danger in Brown County but it was the opposite. Only dangerous people moved about by this time over here.
My phone began buzzing again and I quickly silenced it, the realization that someone would have heard it making me pick up my steps.
“Why does he keep calling you?”
“Something tells me he was in on whatever this is and just wants to gain my trust. But I've learned my lesson, I'm never trusting an alien again,” I grunted as we rounded up on the street leading to our destination.
“Or he might genuinely want to help,”
“Look, all I've gotten from that guy is mixed signals. With Xavier, I know his angle and I was just stupid for not expecting the worst after everything I've seen but with Corbin, it's like he's absolutely perfect in a humane way yet you can tell he has his own objectives. I have no idea what they are and I'd rather we figured out a way for ourselves than be used in whatever war he's got with his cousin,”
“You're right, I'm sorry. I'm just so scared of all of this. I mean, what if we don't succeed and they accuse us of treason? What about our parents?”
“I understand you Anna, I totally feel these fears too but we need to put one foot in front of the other and look at the bigger picture later. And maybe when we get somewhere safe, I'll call him and ask about our parents, okay?”
“Alright.” She sighed as we got to the shop, “Who's going to drive the van though?”
I looked at the vehicle and memories of Mom using it to take us to school and going to the market rushed into my mind. She is the strongest woman I know and I had to make sure we got through this, every single one of us, alive.
“I'll try but browse driving instructions while we check for the money,”
“Okay,”
We got to the back of the shop without incident and went straight to the hole a tree had been dug out of when we were little.
And that was when chaos ensued.
“Hey! Stop there!” We heard from the entrance and my heart skipped.
I turned around and there were three men, probably doped up with their bloodshot eyes and fidgety movement. One even had a lacrosse stick with him.
“Hello,” I waved, mustering fake courage, “what's the problem?”
They looked at each other hesitantly before the one I assumed was their leader spoke up.
“The King is looking for you and he said he'll pay us if we bring him information about you,”
“Right. Well, go ahead and let him know that I wasn't kidnapped, I just want to know where he kept my parents and once they're found, everything will be back to normal,” I said, looking him in the eyes, a trait I picked up from Xavier. It always made him look unquestionable.
“B….but..”
“You better get going before someone else beats you to that grand prize. He didn't ask you to bring her back, he only asked for information and you have the best information anyone out there has. You have seen us, right?” Anna added, her voice even stronger than mine but as she held my hand, I knew she was as terrified as we were.
They were standing at the only entrance to the backyard and we were just two girls. If this turns violent, what were our options? Fight three weird looking men? I learnt a little bit of defense from Theresa but I doubt it'll be of any use against three men.
I fixed their leader a state as he thought about our words, his fingers twitching visibly from tension or whatever he had in his veins.
“Think of what you could buy with ten thousand dollars!” I pressed, hoping he'd take the bait.
“But I have a feeling he'd pay twice as much if we brought you to him, alive or dead,” the one with green veins said, his voice sounding gravelly and dull.
“Trust me, you won't live to tell that tale buddy. My sister is the soulmate of the King's alien and I don't expect any of you retards to understand that but his father lost his seat as king because he tried to kill her. Guess what he'll do to you who are humans,”
“And they're not even the useful type. He can't send Jackie over there to the farms because he's obviously got an addiction and neither does Mr green veins qualify for any authentic position in his security and you,” I pointed to the first guy that spoke to me, “will be the first he'll decapitate without moving a limb. I'm not joking, I've seen him do it when radicals came for him the first time he took me out. Look, this is a couple’s fit, okay? He's just making it a big deal because he's not used to something like this so just tell him what you saw and you'll be able to afford drugs for the next one month, okay?”
“B..but what e…evidence wwwould w..wee have?” The third guy who looked like he'd been working out pretty hard until he discovered heroine asked.
“Do you have a phone? Take a picture,” I responded and then stood silently, watching as they scrambled through their pockets to figure out where they'd kept it.
“Found it!” Jacked up guy exclaimed without stuttering this time and I smiled into the camera as he took a picture.
We watched them leave, our heart beating wildly from the close call.
“That's our cue to hurry up,” I told Anna as I took the bag from her shoulder and began shoveling the money from the hole in the ground.
Hopefully, we'll make it out of here before people who weren't inebriated found
their way here and actually decided we were their tickets to a great life.
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