Thinking before acting is wisdom, but acting before thinking is regret.
My mom used to say these exact words to me at least once every week. And it's probably what I should be thinking. But instead, the first direction my brain gives my body is to follow the tracks. Forget about Alix and Liz, and get out of these woods before I slowly die of insanity. Getting out of these woods means freedom. But it also means answers.
Alix is smarter than he looks, and he grabs my arm. He knows that this could be the turning point for me.
The last flicker of light from a dying candle.
"I know." Alix says, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of my arm. "I know. But we can't leave Liz, and we won't survive another night without supplies. I promise you, we will find them. I'm a man of my word, remember?"
I do remember. The night we met was the night I accepted the deal to keep his identity a secret. It is only now that I really understand how much of a risk he's taken for me. Part of the reason I've been so reluctant to trust him is because I don't want to have to deal with the pain that comes with betrayal. I learned that the hard way, what with Bayley and Jax.
I let out a long breath, before focusing on him rather than the tracks that could lead straight to my parents. "Okay."
My answer seems to ease some of Alix's worry, because his shoulders slump in what I can only assume is relief. "Okay?" He asks again, as if unsure of the answer I gave him.
"Okay." I respond firmly. My mind has been made up.
~
Back at camp, I plop down on a stump as far away from Liz as I can manage without jumping off of Earth. This girl seems like the kind of person who can hold a grudge until the last Star Wars movie. And I'm not sure I even want to know about her temper...
"So, a thought crossed my mind." Alix says, trying to break the awkward silence.
"Must have been a long and lonely journey." I say, placing my chin in the palm of my hand.
"Thanks for the self-esteem boost, Fireball. I think you gave me a little too much heat on that one, though."
"Sorry." I say shrugging. "But you walked right into that one."
Alix rolls his eyes. "As I was saying, we aren't going to be able to survive out here in the cold for long if we don't have proper supplies. Here's what I propose. We sneak into one of the stores tonight, grab what we need, and voila! Another of my fabulous plans completed."
I snort. Alix shoots me daggers, and I resist the urge to pat him on the head like a dog.
"I know a thing or two, if y'all would switch your attention to a different perspective." Liz says, playing with a lock of her hair, the look of pure boredom fogging up her features.
Reluctantly, Alix falls silent and we both look at her with matching looks of question.
"Look. I've had my fair share of getting in trouble. You two don't even know the extent of it. I'm not just some emo-chick who goes around to freaking bars with a fake ID. We clear?"
Alix and I nod, eager for her to continue her thought.
"I've broken in to plenty of places, so you're going to need my help. First, I hope you're both not stupid enough to sneak in during the day."
"Hey." Alix says, pretending to be offended. "This isn't preschool. We know what we're getting into, sunshine. Continue?"
Liz looks miffed at the term of endearment, and I get the feeling that the next time he's stupid enough to call her 'sunshine' again, I'll be digging a grave.
"Second, we need to have a full-scale plan. Not just a hastily put together piece of s**t idea that has no chance of working."
I glare at Alix when she says that, and I'm surprised to see his mouth half tilting upwards in a dorky grin as if to say, 'Oops. What can you do?'
"There are most likely going to be cameras monitoring the inside and the outside of the door. Do either of you two have any idea as to how to get past those? That's step one."
I rack my brain for potential ideas. If we dress in black and try to sneak by the cameras.. the only person here dressed in black is Liz, and she isn't going alone. What if we were to pick a specific store that doesn't have cameras? No, that wouldn't work. This city may seem ancient, but even if there is a store without security cameras installed, it surely wouldn't have any of the supplies we so desperately need. Wait a minute...
"Hey, Alix...." I say, turning my attention back to him for the moment. "When we first met, I remember you bragging to me about how fabulous your knife-throwing skills were. Do you think you could knock out the cameras with a well-aimed throw? That is, if you're up for it. I totally understand if it's too stressful to--"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Princess. Do you seriously doubt my magical throwing abilities? Clearly you haven't met me." He says, clutching his chest like I'd seriously wounded him.
"Yes, I have, no matter how many times I regret it." I say, rolling my eyes at him. "Anyway, if he can strike the cameras before they see us, then we should be clear."
Liz sends an approving look my way, along with a stiff nod. We've barely known this girl for a day and I already look up to her. It's like she's the celebrity everyone's been dying to meet since the second grade.
"Okay, well, that takes care of problem number one, but there's also the fact that the doors will be locked."
"Easy peasy lemon squeezy." Alix says, shrugging nonchalantly. "It's all in here." He points to his tool belt.
"Oh, okay." I say, my voice coming out high pitched from the effort of trying to hold back more laughter. "Amelia's got it covered." Like car insurance. Ha.
The response I expect is immediate. Both Alix and Liz speak at the same time.
"Who the hell is Amelia?" Liz asks, her eyes fierce.
"Are you doubting her like you doubted me?" Alix asks, his voice thick with contempt.
I press my lips firmly together and gesture towards Alix. He has the tool belt that he named after a girl, he can explain it to her.
"Nevermind that." He says, avoiding the question altogether. "We have more important matters to discuss."
"Yes, we do." Liz says, shaking her head and blinking. The idea of a tool belt with a name and personality is definitely something that may take a little getting used to. "I'm sneaky, so whatever helpful tool you have to help us break us in, give it to me."
I nod at our forming plan. This might actually work. Without any side effects.
"I guess that leaves me in charge of getting the actual supplies." I say, looking at them both in turn. None of them seem to be against the idea.
"Okay." Liz says, wiping her hands off on her jeans, though I don't think she has anything particularly dirty staining them. "Let's get this show on the road. We leave in five hours."
~
Five hours. 300 minutes. 18,000 seconds. Time seems to drag on for ages when you're anticipating something. For the last five hours, I've been holding myself back from running back to the tracks to follow them deep into the forest. That's what desperation does to a person. Occasionally, when I hesitate and look in the direction of where my parents could have possibly been taken, Alix will catch my eye. All it takes is an almost imperceptible shake of his head, reminding me that I have a place here. It is also a silent reminder that this isn't just about me. I'm not the only one here desperately in need of something.
Finally, after a lifetime of waiting, Liz hops up off of her log and sets her small hands on her hips.
"Oh, get up. Both of you. I know you'd much rather stay here and watch the freaking sunset drop under the horizon like those couples from the movies, but we're on a time crunch. Now, let's go. Let's make s**t happen, alright?"
~
In the time it takes to get back to Silverton, the sun has pretty much retreated back where it came from for the night. The night slowly overcomes us, and dark shadows are cast in front of us.
My heart is beating in my chest, a steady thumping that helps keep me focused. After tonight, everything would be different.
The only sound through the empty darkness is our boots shuffling down the path. In less than fifteen minutes of walking, the alleyway I remember faintly looms in front of us. Thank God we're not going down there.
We haven't spoken at all since leaving the camp, and it is mildly surprising that it's a comfortable silence.
The faint glow of plain lightbulbs lining the alleys are the only source of light in the darkness. As far as we can see, anyway. I should remind myself to grab a flashlight while we're in the store.
The store we're "borrowing" from is the general store about two hundred feet from the pawn shop. Though I'm eager to get the supplies, there's always the fear of failure breathing down your neck. With so much depending on me, the weight of it is heavier than the strength it takes to hold myself up.
We sneak around the outskirts of the city, passing alley after alley until, low and behold, the general store is in front of us.
The sign that reads "General Store" is unlit, leaving the place empty and quite frightening, to say the least. I would have stood there forever, just looking up at it. I would have, that is. But Alix's fingers press into the small of my back, forcing me forward. We're still far enough away from the city that the security cameras haven't registered our existence yet.
"Do you have your knife?" I say, my voice dropping to a whisper.
"Do I have my knife?" He repeats incredulously. "Nah, I left at home—yes, of course I have my knife."
"Good." Liz whispers, joining the conversation. "Because if you had forgotten it, I wouldn't have been able to guarantee your survival."
"What great friends I have." Alix says, to no one in particular.
"Yeah, and you can't miss." I say, looking him straight on. "We only have one shot at this. You can't blow it."
"Okay, okay, I got it. You're basically saying 'no pressure,' which is code for 'Alix, the world's economy is dependent on whether or not your knife hits the exact center of the video camera before it sees us." Alix says, rolling his eyes at us. "I got it. You guys are going to drive me insane."
"Maybe that will cancel out with your current insanity and create sanity." I say. Liz snorts.
"Alright, alright." Alix says, grinning at the both of us. "Let's do this before I get scared and call my mommy."
~
My directions are simple. Get in, get out. If we're lucky, we can be in and out in less than twenty minutes.
My back is pressed against a tree, my chest rising and falling quickly with every unsteady breath I take. I'm waiting for my cue. Liz is beside me, behind another tree. I can faintly make out her figure, but she's wearing black, making it difficult to see her.
It isn't long before I hear the first crash and the sound of glass shattering. Something metal clatters to the ground. I hear a grunt, and I know that Alix must have successfully hit his first target. Unfortunately, the storeowners aren't stupid enough to only have one camera. No. They're bound to have some inside and outside the store. I just hope that Alix can keep up.
Two more times do I hear the familiar shattering of glass and the knife falling from where it had attached itself before Liz, silent beside me, takes action. She slips out into the night without so much as a peep.
Then I wait.
And wait.
And wait.
It takes nearly five minutes before my signal comes. The loud hoot of an "owl."
Then I'm up and running through the night towards the store, my boots thumping on the pavement. We're on a time schedule. There's no way the people in charge of security will pass up the fact that at least five of its cameras just died. Who knows how long it will be until the police are back. Better make this quick.
Metal and glass remains of the now-useless video cameras litter the ground, their sides dented and steaming. Nice work, Alix.
Now it's my turn. I slip around the front of the building and open the door to the store. It's unlocked. I half-expect the door to be the ones from the movies where it squeaks as it opens, but this one is as silent as a sleeping baby. I let out a breath I don't realize I've been holding as I slip inside.
The store is silent and dark, reminding me to grab a flashlight. I jog through aisle after aisle, taking as many supplies as I can see. Right when I think I'm going to need to grab a shopping cart to put everything in, I see her. A black figure at the entrance to the store. At first I assume the worst. But as she gets closer, I realize it really is just Liz.
She steals half of the pile of stuff in my arms and without a word, nods her head toward the door. I nod back, and follow her back out into the night. It's done. Just like that?
Ha! Just kidding. Cliché just likes peek-a-boo.
"Stop right where you are!" A loud booming voice yells, and I hear the click of at least five guns switching their safety to off.
"Run!" Liz yells. Like I need her permission.
Getting a good grip on everything in my arms, I take off after Liz, her black figure the only thing I can focus on. Right as we enter the forest, the first shots are fired. We have the advantage, seeing as it's not light out, so the bullets hit the trees and the ground behind us, sending up clouds of dust as they hit.
Based on our plan, Alix really shouldn't be that far behind us. He isn't.
I should have kept going.
Another trigger is pulled, but this time, it hits its target. A yell of anguish tears through the once still night, ripping me sharply back into reality. I can hear the blood rushing through my eardrums. I can practically feel the bullet wound, though it's not me it hit. No. It hit Alix.
Liz stops abruptly, looking back at me, her gray eyes finding me in the dark. Our eyes meet, and a single thought is written on both of our faces. We can't leave him behind.
I drop the supplies that I have in my hands and run back towards where he would be lying. Vulnerable. I take his shoulders, and Liz grabs his feet, and we half-carry, half-drag him into the forest.
As soon as he's got cover in the trees, we're back out into the open, running at the police with new energy coursing through our veins. Liz sprints straight at one of the heavy-built men with a loaded gun up and ready to shoot, but somehow, she's too fast for him. Before I can blink, Liz has his gun, and she has it pointed right at him. My turn. I bull-rush a skinnier guy who's too caught up watching Liz's show. I don't know a ton of self-defense, but there's certain things I remember from when one of these same policemen came to the high school to teach us some simple techniques. I grab one of his arms, twist it behind his back, and grab his gun with my free hand. Two down.... Four to go?
Waiiiitttttttt.
How is that even possible? In the time it took me to disarm this guy, she'd disarmed all four of the other ones, her hands overflowing with more guns than she can carry. The men are kneeling on the ground, their hands up in surrender. The irony makes me want to laugh.
"Liz." I say loudly, an unspoken question in my tone. We have guns, the police are vulnerable, and we can leave now. Right?
She sees my expression and takes off running into the forest. I quickly follow, my hair whipping my face and getting into my eyes, making it even harder to see. The next few things seem to happen in a blur. The struggle through the woods back to the "camp" we'd set up is long and strenuous. Alix is still groaning in our arms, and the fact that he's still alive and kicking fills me with hope. What I see when I dig out a flashlight steals it away again.
He's been shot in the leg. Blood pours out of the wound like a waterfall. It pools underneath him, turning the ground black.
Oh. My. God.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellloooooo! Sorry for the tremendously long wait, but school and finals and life tends to get in the way a lot, doesn't it? Please leave feedback below on your thoughts and feels!
Btw, shout out to the wonderful KassyAnnDarrow for following me very early on and giving my book a chance. This one's dedicated to you, Kassy! ;)
~trebleclef