Blood Bound

Chapter 14: A little bit of Macgyvering

A little bit south from here is the Wrangell-St. Elias National Preserve. It's huge so there's got to be lots of trees that could work as cover for us. I glance at the camping gear. Did Sophie assume that we might need to camp at some point?

I chew my lip hesitantly.

It's not a great plan but it's the only plan we've got at the moment. However, it's going to take me hours to drag her and carry everything with me, and let's face it, I'm not exactly at the peak of my physical wellbeing.

I look around; there must be something here that I can use to my advantage. I lose hope as my eyes travel to the beige colored concrete surrounding us and the white painted, albeit dirty, stalls. It's just a public restroom, nothing but sinks and toilets. Nothing useful.

I groan, burying my head behind my knees.

"It's hopeless," I mumble out loud, despair taking hold and almost suffocating me.

What would Princess Leia do?

She would, of course, take action and go with it, no matter the consequences. She wouldn't rely on Luke or Han Solo unless she absolutely needed it. She would be able to think of something.

I grit my teeth. I'm not like her because I'm no hero. I just can't live up to her name, like Sophie expects me to. It's just too much for me to handle.

My mind begins to wander, traveling into memories that I had pushed away in light of the dire situation. It's playing in my mind like a film reel as it stops at a particular scene when Sophie is telling me how she killed that vampire in the hotel room. By now, the maids must have discovered the body, or at least what's left of it. It must be hard to clean up all that blood and gore, I muse morbidly.

Clean up. . .

The revelation hits me like lightning and I bolt straight up and walk straight for the furthest end of the room. Nothing but toilet stalls. I curse under my breath, running my fingers through my hair. I drag Sophie behind the door before storming out and checking out the men's room. Nothing there either.

My heart is hammering in my chest and the uneasiness is coiling around the pit of my stomach like a frustrated viper. This is a public restroom. It has to be cleaned at some point, which means it would have a storage closet or something for all the cleaning supplies.

I jog behind the building, searching for any sign of a storage unit of sorts. Bingo! At the far end, I spot a door and I almost whoop out loud in relief. I grab the knob and turn, but the door doesn't open.

Shit!

I turn it in all directions, in hopes of it to open but of course, it doesn't. I try kicking it open but it only results in me hopping around on one foot in pain, swearing profusely. Almost giving up hope, my eyes find a window next to the door. I blink in surprise. How could I have missed that?

I curse my own stupidity and search for a rock. I find one that's a decent size and weight and throw it with all my might at the window. The shattering of glass pierces my ears amidst the silence that engulfs me. I pick up another rock and smash the jagged pieces that are intact within the frame. I stand on tiptoes and gaze inside; It's completely pitch black inside but I can see something big hidden within the darkness.

I reach my arm over to the side where the door handle is located and fumble feebly with the lock. I really have to strain my arm for my fingers to get a hold on it and I childishly wish my arms could stretch out like Mr. Fantastic. My fingers finally grasp around the cold surface of the metallic lock and I hasten to turn. Never have I been so satisfied to hear that click. I yank on the door handle and it opens up to me.