When we landed in Alberta, the first thing I noticed was snow. Lots and lots of snow piled up in the corners of the enormous landing strip. It looked so fluffy I wanted to jump in it, but I decided to do myself a favour and not catch a cold. The sky was a dirty grey and it was very windy. I ate more hair in one minute than how much I lost in the shower.
Nick helped me down the steep plane steps. Other than the pilot and her friend, there wasn't anyone else around. There was a black car with tinted windows waiting but no one was inside. After gathering some bags, we went to the car. I sat alone in the back, my nose red from the cold, and Nick and Micheal sat in the front. Nick was driving.
I stared out the window, catching a sight of the private plane. It was a simple white with a few bird (crows, of course) silhouettes flying away. Beneath it, stamped in thick black letters, said the phrase 'CV - Property of Crow Airlines - Travel Limited, Live Free.'
"You wanna go get some Taco Bell?" I leaned across the seats and nudged Micheal in the shoulder.
"November, you just had some."
"You can never have enough Taco Bell, Micheal."
"Shut up, November."
"No, thank you. I like bothering you guys." I sat back and stretched my legs in front of me. The sedative Cage had given me had miraculous after effects. I felt like I was floating on a cloud but that cloud was slowly disappearing and trickles of anger replaced my drugged happiness. My ankle had healed up nicely. I was still too afraid to take off the bandages Cage gave me to check on what happened. But it felt fine so I decided ignorance was bliss and left everything alone. "Are we there yet?"
Nick shot me an annoyed glance through the rear view mirror. "No."
"How about now?" I asked not three seconds later.
"No!"
I waited for five seconds. "And how about now-"
"I'm going to shoot you."
The car was driving through a rocky road with lots of trees. Canada looked the same as Ivey, but there were fewer acres of woods and more civilization. Hope bubbled up in my chest as we drove past a bunch of apartment buildings and oh look, a police precinct. Maybe I could escape. I had to.
No matter how I felt towards them or Cage, I refused to be a part of the Crows. I needed my simple, Netflix-induced life back and Fern next to me. I hadn't even met my niece yet. However, that little burst of hope slowly died out as Nick continued driving through gravel roads and wooded paths. Soon, any sight of a building became rare as we went deeper into the forests.
"How about now?" I reached over and tugged hard on a strand of Micheal's hair.
He slapped me away angrily. "No! Ask me again in ten minutes. We should be there by then. There's a cabin in Montgomery that we'll be staying at for a few days until they find Jonah. Take a left on the next intersection, Nick."
Anger curled up in the pit of my stomach. They talked like I had no choice but to go with them everywhere like a tranquil puppy. Micheal said that Cage wasn't a dictator, but forcing me to go with them just because Cage couldn't trust me not to talk seemed very ironic given his words. I was tired of getting dragged along unwillingly for their benefit. I had a life too, one that I desperately needed to get back to. Besides missing copious amounts of school, not having any contact with Fern was giving me a lot of anxiety.
''I want to go home." Sitting straighter, I rested my knees on the back of Nick's seat and glared at them both. "I miss Ivey. I miss my sister, Micheal. Cage won't let me talk to her....I just want to talk to her. Just once, please. I need to let her know that I'm okay. Fern just had a child, she's under enough stress already. I don't know how kidnappings really work, but I believe I am allowed one free phone call."
"This isn't prison, November." Nick mumbled.
"Again, you both ignored my initial problem. I need to talk to Fern. What more insurance does Cage want?" I threw my hands up into the air with frustration. "You guys can already track my every damn move. If your privacy was ever compromised, then fine, come back to Ivey and kill me. But even if you're not going to let me go, then at least let me talk to my sister. Five minutes. Please."
"November, we don't to call the shots around here." Micheal turned to face me, his brown eyes swimming with regret and frustration. "I wish I could let you talk to your sister, but I can't. If I could, I would. Please, believe me when I say that Cage makes the decisions. We don't have the power or the authority to let you make phone calls. Talk to Cage about this. Don't beg us like that- it breaks my heart. You're not a prisoner, November. You're complicated, that's what you are."
"You know what will be complicated?" I snapped angrily. Even though I knew what Micheal said was the unwanted truth, I lashed out. "Picking my toes out from your teeth after I shove my foot up your ass."
Micheal cringed, I cringed, and Nick burst out laughing.
"No wonder Cage wants to keep you." He smirked at me through the mirror. "You're so cute when you're angry. I can't take you seriously when you try to act tough even though you're, like, less than five feet tall."
I picked up an empty candy wrapper and threw it at the back of his head. "I'm five feet and five inches, you asshole."
"Wow, so tall."
"I'm average!" I defended myself hotly.
"She's average." Micheal repeated with amusement to Nick. They both chuckled simultaneously. I didn't find the humour to this at all, but then again, it's not like Nick and Micheal were normal people either. High class criminals with a taste for pain...man, I was so out of my league here. As children, they probably played with bullets when I played with Barbies and her totally hot boyfriend and her big mansion- man, that bitch had everything.
"We're here!" I shouted excitedly when I saw the cabin until I realized that no, I really shouldn't be excited. I was supposed to hate this, wasn't I? It was like an accidental road trip that didn't mean to happen but totally did. However, I found myself nauseous with a clench of humiliation when I realized that Cage probably planned to stay here as well.
Stepping out into the snow, I carefully inspected my surroundings and of course, making sure there was an escape route. If not for the tracking chip in my arm, I could easily slip into the trees and disappear.
The cabin was not quite a cabin, but more of a mansion. The Crows never did anything half-assed, did they? An enormous wooden porch with stacks of firewood in the corner looked back at me. The balcony on the second floor was supported by cherry wood pillars. The front door was double set and white with a lion head knocker. The cabin was big enough to have two sets of wings, one on either side of the balcony that towered above and even a tower behind that blew up smoke from the fireplace occasionally. Surrounded by the snow and pine trees, it was a thing of beauty.
My admiration was rather abruptly ended when a ball of snow smacked into the back of my head.
Startled, I turned around to see Micheal smirking, brushing off the snow from his hands. And then I noticed Nick, who was quickly balling up another mountain of snow in his gloved hands. A snowball fight with the Crows. This was going to make a great story to tell Fern's daughter.
"No!" I shrieked, ducking down as he chucked it at me. I barely dodged the thing. The snowball hit one of the pillars and crumbled. Micheal laughed loudly, his nose and ears red from the cold. I straightened up, grinned at the devilish idea that formed in my head, and bent down to pick up some snow to return both their favours.
"Not today, asshole!" I threw the snowball as hard as I could at Nick. Since he wasn't expecting it, it hit him directly on his stomach.
And that, ladies and gentleman, was how a war began. The enemies were Nick and Micheal, the ammunition was snowballs, and the war zone was the front yard. My laughter instantly stopped when a clump of snow crashed into my face. Micheal was enjoying himself until a mountain of snow was poured over his head, courtesy of Nick.
We went back and forth, laughing hysterically. Nick had the best aim and pummeled both of us. Micheal and I soon came to the consensus that he was the main target. Almost instantly we teamed up for an epic battle. Pretty soon I was out of breath and freezing, my fingers numb from grabbing so much snow without gloves.
"Micheal-" Snow exploded all over the front of my jacket with a soft flump.
Gasping, I balled up some more snow and threw it at Nick. Laughing loudly, he ducked down and it sailed over his head. Micheal was on the ground, holding his stomach and absolutely losing it when another clump of snow hit my arm. His face was covered with little fluffs of snow. I felt happier than I had in a long time until again, the realization that I should be neither excited nor happy about any of this floated back.
"Hey, Nick." I grinned, hiding the big clump of snow behind my back. Brushing the snow out of my hair, I waited as he turned around. Snickering, I launched the snow at his face. Micheal was laughing too hard to even stand up.
I missed Nick but I did hit something else. Or rather, a someone.
We watched as the snowball sailed through the air...and hit Cage Vickers right in the face.