Almostthreehourslater,we pull over at the side of the road near the cabin.
The road is dense with the treeline on either side, and the long, winding driveway up the hill is swallowed by the thick branches from the low-hanging trees, only allowing a sliver of sunlight through.
“Hold this,” Regina groans, handing me some square device.
“Do you need me to hold it out the window?”
I don’t have great cell service here, it’s better in the centre of the town, and I know this thing is to boost whatever sorcery she’s crafting on the laptop.
“You’re good…for now.”
I huff a laugh at her answer. Technology can be great, but nature will always be its sworn nemesis.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asks whilst typing away, and my gaze travels up towards the cabin in question.
“It wouldn’t be right to ignore her plea.”
We’re Victoria’s only hope, and she’s told us she doesn’t care how he’s taken care of, just that her son isn’t there to witness it.
We’re to rid the world of John, then bring her child home. One less Sumus member is good enough for me.
Regina’s fingers hover over the keys, her eyes drifting up to focus on me. “What are you going to do with the kid?”
My head moves to rest against the car seat. I hadn’t thought that far when thinking things through. I’ve never had to deal with any witnesses, never mindrescuingsomeone.
I’m not exactly qualified for that. I’m hardly qualified as it is, just a girl with a ravenous hunger for vengeance.
Lucky enough to get away with it so far.
A rapid expulsion of air leaves my lungs. “I’ll figure something out once we watch his movements.”
I can’t put plans into place if I don’t know how John moves, how he lives. I need to make sure there’s no one else in that cabin with him first of all, learn his routine, check for vulnerabilities.
This one shouldn’t be quite as hard for anyone raising the alarm, seeing as it’s in the middle of bumfuck nowhere.
At least that’s one thing on our side: minimal interruptions due to how far away each home is, and the way those trees provide enough cover and hiding places, it’s like the perfect hunting spot.
“Indie,” Regina sighs, turning to look at me from the passenger seat, “I’m really not sure about this one. A kid involved? This could go so wrong, like end-of-the-fucking-road wrong. I know you want to help. Fuck, so do I. But…”
Her words die off, gaze shifting past me towards the foliage-encased driveway.
“Do you think we could ask your—”
“No. Fuck no, Gina.”
Has she lost her fucking mind?
I stare at her with wide eyes, my lids so enlarged I’m surprised my eyeballs don’t roll out onto my lap. Hers are silently pleading back to me.
“How the hell would we explain how we got the information in the first place to Louisa?”
I can already hear how that one would go.
She’d interrogate the hell out of us; it wouldn’t be something we could shrug off if it didn’t go our way. I’d maybe be able to hold it out against my sister. I’ve hidden so much from her through the years.
But Regina?
She’d collapse like a wet piece of cardboard the moment Louisa got her claws into her.
