CHAPTERFOUR
Sawyer
Iwas too annoyed to sit back and relax, so I picked up my phone again after pouring more Tic-Tacs in my mouth. I tapped my photo icon and opened a folder with pictures Aria had sent me of her family. I decided to familiarize myself with the photos to make sure I knew exactly what each one of them looked like.
“Are you looking at photos of the family?” Taylor asked.
“You’re talking to me now?”
“Sawyer, we’ve got to work together to bring Aria’s family back.”
“I have it handled. I just need you to stay out of my way and keep an eye on my back.” I looked back at my phone again.This one was Jensen. I think. He had differently shaped eyes and facial structure than the other two boys.“You’re probably used to looking at a lot of backs,” I murmured.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” I shrugged but didn’t look at her.
“What does it mean, Sawyer?” I remained quiet. “Are you insinuating that I could never lead something like this and that I’m always going to be a backup?”
“Look, let’s get something straight. While I’m around, you and everyone else will always be backups to Michael.”
Taylor leaned back in her seat and looked straight ahead. She folded her arms across her chest and crossed her leg over her knee. Her leg began to bounce, an obvious sign of being annoyed.
“I’m going to concentrate on my notes for a while,” I said.
“Maybe we should discuss our notes. It could come in handy.”
“Fine.”
I only gave in to Taylor’s suggestion because I knew it would make Michael happy. I unbuckled my seat belt, leaned forward, and pushed on the headrest of the chair in front of us to turn it around to face me. It was my way of inviting her over. While she dug into her bag beside her, I pulled the conference table out so it extended between us. Just as Taylor took the seat on the other side of the table, Holly walked over carrying a wicker tray.
“May I get either of you anything to drink or eat?” she offered, lowering the tray so we could see our choices of drink pods and food. There was a variety of coffees, teas, cocoas, snacks, and whole fruit on the tray.
I gestured for Taylor to make her selection first. Taylor set her portfolio and pen on the table and then ended up picking the exact coffee that I wanted. Luckily there were multiples of all the items. Taylor also picked out a banana and a fruit-filled breakfast bar. I grabbed two of the chocolate chip granola bars.
“I’ll be right back with your coffees,” Holly said before heading back toward the front of the jet. By now Taylor had her portfolio opened, pen in hand ready to go.
“Let’s go over our plan,” she suggested.
I opened the map of Sweden on my phone and zoomed in some, then set the phone down so she could see.
“Basically, the plan is you and I drive toward Solsidan by a longer route out of Stockholm. Solsidan is rural and somewhat desolate, but the people who live there will watch out for others within their community. Kind of like most rural places in the U.S.”
While Taylor’s hands were busy trying to retrieve something from the portfolio pocket, she continued to watch my screen. I swiped at it a few times to show the route we were going to take from Stockholm. Taylor pulled out a map—an actual full-fledged map. She pulled the cap off the other end of her pen, revealing a highlighter tip before she set it on the map. I eyed her with raised eyebrows.
“What?” she said with a sigh.
“I’m in shock that you have an accordion style map,” I commented as I watched her outline our route to Solsidan.
“Yes, they do exist. When I was in the Army, we had to use physical maps and didn’t rely on cell phones.”
“Did you ever get lost?”
“Did I? No, never.”
“Why?”
“Because I can read a map.” She smiled as she returned the cap to her highlighter. Holly returned and set our coffee cups down and then silently left.
