The cars took off, all the black suits inside, and once again I was alone. Not wanting anyone else to see me like this, I pulled myself to my feet and wiped the tears off my face, all the while wishing it was as easy to wipe away the ache in my chest.
Beck didn't know this, of course, but he'd just done me a huge favor. No guards meant no one would see my next steps as I changed my entire fucking life. This was a point of reckoning for me, the moment of realization that I could no longer be the same Brooklyn Lawson who had first come to this camp. Who did what I was told the moment I was told it for fear of the consequences if I didn't.
That Brooklyn was dead. And from her ashes, I was going to rise into someone who took control of my damn life and stopped waiting for someone else to ride in and save my stupid ass.
Without a single look back at the office, because a new life meant letting that bastard go, I raced toward his cabin in the woods. On the way, I focused on my plan, running over my next steps in my head. I couldn’t waste time—Dylan would be on my ass so fast—but this was my best opportunity and I wasn’t going to waste it.
After tripping over more than a few rocks, I had to slow my pace. I wasn't worried about the injury to myself, but I was possibly pregnant with another life. It was my job as apossiblemother to ensure I protected my child.
Step one of my new life was to get a damn pregnancy test.
When I reached the cabin, I grabbed my backpack because it would hopefully not have a tracker in it, and stuffed it full of the survival gear that had been in the camp provided bag. My plan was to leave via the same path I'd used on arrival, then hitch-hike from there. While the path we’d come in by seemed fairly safe, one thing I had learned from being here was it never hurt to be prepared.
Especially in the outdoors during winter.
As I packed, I debated whether I should leave Dylan a note. But then again, dogs and mice couldn't write, so surely, he wouldn't expect a note from me. Even his "little bird" wouldn't be able to write, so... fuck him.
Yeah, my anger over the animal references was building.
Exiting the cabin in no time, I went the long way around the camp, all the while hoping my sense of direction wasn't completely faulty as I navigated somewhat familiar landmarks. When the dirt path out of here finally appeared, I could have screamed in excitement. I refrained, not wanting to clue anyone in on my whereabouts… if they'd even noticed I was gone yet.
Once I was on the smooth road, I took off as fast as I could go, pushing through my fatigue. From the walk up here, I knew it was only a couple of miles down to the main roads, and from there, I would hopefully be able to hitch a ride into the nearest town.
I mean, no risk, no reward, right? Dylan had taught me that, the bastard.
My pace didn't slow, and my stomach had settled enough that the nausea was gone, allowing me to keep my food down and my energy levels moderate. There was something so freeing about taking my life into my own hands, and even though I was currently penniless, homeless, and possibly pregnant, a part of me was pretty sure this was the best off I'd ever been.
The sound of cars and traffic reached me before the road came into view, but it was enough to spur me on with the thought of how close I was. When I rounded a bend and the dark asphalt became visible in the distance, I let out a small "yes"of celebration.
This was it. My chance to get the fuck out of here and start a new life.
I just needed a little helping hand because the twenty bucks in my pocket—the only emergency money Blake had allowed me—was to buy a pregnancy test and nothing else. Once I'd done that, I'd find a homeless shelter or some sort of refuge for the night, and then tomorrow I'd worry about the other details.
When I was on the road, I walked until there was a decently open section of road—giving me space to check out the oncoming traffic and make a Russian roulette choice of who I would flag down. Surely, there was an instinct that went into this shit, and if I could make the right choice, I might just make it through the night.
A blast of icy air ruffled my light jacket, and it felt like the temperature dropped even further as I walked along the road, waiting for another car to come along. The dark clouds on the horizon were also a little ominous, but hopefully I'd be in town before that happened.
A motorbike zoomed past, and I dropped my head. The next was a truck and then another one right behind, both driven by men. I didn't want to risk that, so I looked the other way and kept walking. Even when one slowed, I waved him on, and he didn't stop.
The next few cars were noes for various reasons too, until finally, a light brown sedan came into view, going significantly under the speed limit. As it got closer, I saw it was being driven by a middle-aged woman.
This is it!She was the one. I had a good feeling about making it through the day alive with her, so I lifted my hand and waved her down. At first I thought she was going to ignore me, and fuck, I wouldn't have blamed her. When the sedan continued past, my heart sank. I dropped my arm and head, letting out a long breath of exhaustion as another burst of freezing air chilled me to my bones. Knowing I couldn’t give up yet, I lifted my head again only to find she had stopped a little further down the road.
Her car was idling as I hurried forward, heading to her side first. She cracked the window just a touch, cautious. She was older than I'd thought at first, her hair a mass of silver waves brushing her shoulders, and she had very kind blue eyes that met my gaze.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
My lips trembled from the cold as I forced a smile. "I'm so sorry to wave you down like that. I just got lost while camping in the woods, and I was hoping for a ride into town so I could call my family to get me."
She fumbled for her phone, which was sitting on the passenger seat. "You can use my phone."
I'd already thought of this possibility, but I was banking on the fact that there was likely no cell service. It was probably part of the reason Dylan set the camp up here in the first place. I'd let her discover it, though, if it made her feel more at ease.
She unlocked her phone, looking down before her forehead crinkled. "Oh no, sorry, there's no service here."
Wow, really?
Her face didn't lift for a beat, and I knew she was debating whether it was a good or bad idea to allow a stranger into her car. I felt terrible for her, guilt slamming into me. But I was cold as all hell, and there was a storm on the horizon. Surely she wouldn’t leave me.
