Syncear
I've never seen Ida host such defeat and sadness. Even when maintaining what seemed like everything in her mind at bay—or trying—the corners of her narrow eyes glistened with tears. No one noticed, but I quickly did. She turned away violenting the second she noticed it, too.
I have no idea what Boston might've said —because of deliberate hushed tones—to turn her this way, but it broke her heart. Enough said in her eyes and posture to deliver that much. Much of what Ida had said and done not only to me, but to the people she claimed to love should've caused every compassionate bone in my body to go to anyone but her, but I couldn't help it.
She was human just like the rest of us and like any human on the planet she made mistakes I'm sure she regretted. How often that occurred was another question for a later date.
I couldn't believe I was saying this but she didn't deserve what Boston served her. Whatever it might've been.
"We have to get out of here, Syncear." Ryder's whisper tore my thoughts apart. I looked over my shoulder and into the direction of his voice. "I don't like the feel this place is giving me."
I nodded along to the words replaying in my brain. "You're right. The sooner, the better."
I didn't have to say much before Ryder took what we said into immediate action. Stalking in Boston's direction with so much determination and less fire that one wouldn't think he wanted to kill that man just minutes Bertie this.
Ida said nothing, Boston looked up at him with slightly defeated eyes. I swear after this, I don't ever want to see that look in his eyes ever again. I'm so tired of that look.
"I'm going to help you stand; do you think you can walk?" Ryder's gentle tone lightened the tension of the room by a few stones. The expression on Boston's face wasn't expecting anything like it.
He nodded slowly. "I'm cracked, not broken." A small smile caressed his lips matching exactly what he meant.
Spoken like a true champ.
Ida swallowed back something hard. Oh, I get it. That was meant for her.
Poor girl.
With no help from gravity, both Boston and Ryder struggled to keep either one of them balanced. Having both undergone horrible treatment and one literally having a bullet hole that nearly killed him, having only each other to lean on served many more problems that I'd rather not count at the moment.
With that thinking, I skipped out on hesitation to assist them both. While Ida sat and held back tears and struggle of her own.
"Thank you. . .Syncear." Boston held back any hard emotion but his words paid good enough. Clearly appreciation from both of them.
I'm just here to make their lives easier. . .I can't believe that's what I'm doing now.
"One problem down, a thousand more to go." The pity in Ryder's voice gave me chills. This was a dread for him. I guess having to solve everyone's problems again wasn't his cup of tea.
I should know that better than anyone.
"Are you coming, Ida?" The words came slipping right out of my mouth just before I had the chance to think about it. To reconsider if I actually meant it.
I did. . . Strangely.
Obviously, I expected Boston to give me the 'what the hell look' when inviting his history to join new beginnings. But oddly enough, Ryder did. Did he expect me to forget about her? Or was he trying to?
Ida perked up at the sound of her name then dimmed at my voice. She refused to make eye contact, but I could still make out what they looked like from here.
"No. Just leave me here; I've never done any good either way. You should know that better than anyone." The familiar shine sleeked over the tears in her eyes.
"We can't leave you behind, Ida. We've all done terrible things here. None of us are innocent."
I wanted to convince and somehow change her mind. If Boston deserved and gotten his second chance then maybe I could try the same with her. She was young, maybe even younger than me and with that fact, it thickened the idea that she was lost and confused just like Ryder explained. She needed guidance.
What if I became that guidance?
Ida said nothing. Clearly unconvinced that I even cared despite all my efforts.
"Ida, please." Boston found himself begging to the same girl he caused tears.
Maybe it wasn't over for her.
Within seconds her entire defense crumbled like sand under our feet. A blinding glint of appreciating radiating within her gaze.
Clearly, that was more than enough fuel to charge her. Maybe the thought of Boston reconsidering a few things sparked hope. About them. About me. That possibly she still had any real chance at a do-over or winning his heart.
I can't say I don't doubt it. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
"Ok, I'll come." How terrible she was at hiding that smile on her face. "I—I know the way out. Just follow me."
Immediately Ryder tensed which in return prompted Boston to do the same. Starring off at the woman who offered the next escape with squinty eyes.
"What if she's just leading us into another trap?" Ryder whispered to the two of us. His gaze never even coming close to falling.
"Ryder, that is your sister." Don't think he needed a reminder.
"And you've seen what my sister has done to all of us. How can I ever trust her again?"
Sad that wasn't a question. Disappointing it's come to this.
I had no answer to defeat his argument. Looking back at it, I'd learned that Ida had made it fairly difficult to look at her any other way besides with a burning hatred. That will forever leave her in the dark no matter how many torches she lights.
"Come on, its this way. We don't have that far to go."
Still, Ryder hesitated to make that step into that direction. Boston and I already prepared for the seemingly difficult task, just hoping to get it over and done with. Clearly, no reason to make anything more difficult than it need be.
Ida knew what was at risk at this point. What she was so close to losing forever if she hadn't already. So why make another mistake when all of them were already taken?
Ryder finally came to his senses, helping me guide Boston down the path Ida created. Trailing behind the young woman with a giddy jump to her step. The floppy hair against her back and obvious happiness in the way she did everything. If I'd met that girl before any of this, before life's hands cursed her and the good girl she could've been, I could see us actually having a nice conversation or being true friends.
I wish that girl was here now.
"Here. We can get out here."
We paused in front of a large barn-style like door that I hoped led nowhere but to the outside. I could already feel the stinging cold on my skin just thinking about it. How nice it'll all be not in this dilapidated, dank warehouse building a moment longer.
I swear it's giving me respiratory issues.
"Syncear, you help her get the door open. I've got Boston."
Ryder instructed. The look in his eyes positive the two of them wouldn't collapse to a pile of flesh and bone if I so much as lifted a finger.
I didn't doubt him, I doubted the voice he used to ensure me. That's what I doubt.
Hesitantly, I nodded in agreement. Slowly removing my grip around Boston's waist to again focus all my strength to another different task. Boston said nothing, a determination in his gaze saying he might actually try and walk now.
That sneaky bastard.
Upon approaching Ida's position I expected a protest, a problem with my help. Honestly, I anticipated the strong claim that she could do it all on her own and the help of a weakling was the last she needed. I gazed into her eyes and found none of that. She was still basking in the high of hope to care what was going on a moment sooner.
Wordless coordinations, both of us positioned ourselves at one side of the sliding door prepared to heave it open
"On three?" She suggested. I was just ready to go.
"Three!"
Unexpected that actually worked, the two of us harbored every ounce of elbow grease to unhinge the rusty slab of metal to reveal a slick earth with early morning rain and an arctic breeze like no other. The chattering of all our teeth took over the ear shrinking sound of adjusting steel.
"Wow. I'm surprised that did it—" not nearly enough time to celebrate one step closer to freedom before Ida made it painfully clear she wanted to replace me. By quickly jetting to Boston's side—the one I once occupied—she became the new supporter. Couldn't say I didn't see that coming.
"Alrighty then." I cleared my throat, for some reason extremely embarrassed. "Shall we?"
I could tell they all dreaded the journey as much as I had. Scratch that, there was no way we dreamt of having to do something like this. The idea of spending a few more hours inside this dank building was feeling and looking a little bit sweeter.
"A little cold shouldn't. . ." —I gazed fearfully past the door and out in the element—"shouldn't hurt anyone?"
"Yeah, tell that to the dinosaurs during the ice age." Ryder counteracted sorrowfully. The internal freezing reflected across his face effortlessly.
"Come on, we can't stay here a moment longer. We've got to go."
The urgency in Ida's voice almost gave me chills. As if, she knew something was coming and the only way to prevent it was to run.
What is this girl up to?
Before I could question, Boston spoke up. His shaking knocking his words off course just a little.
"Ida's right. We have enough time to die to the cold once we're out of here."
That was a joke right? I hope that was a joke
With nothing else to go along with that, I took deep breaths, collecting myself. We came this far and failing now would just defeat the entire purpose of fighting. I fought for this, for him. I fought for myself.
We all seemed to follow a formation through the opened door, except I was reassigned to the back last minute as the three of them took the lead. The cold hit so much harder once completely engulfed in all its frostiness that it almost knocked me to my feet.
That's not even a word and I'm positive someone will know just what I mean.
"Ok, it's not as bad with the three of us huddled together like this." Ida cheerfully smeared her warmth in my face. She didn't even have to look at me or say my name and I knew she hated me.
Ugh.
I rolled my eyes, huddling my only source of warmth to my chest. My arms. "Hmph. How lucky you all are."
The audacity!
"Shh. Wait a second, do you guys hear that?" Ryder outstretched a hand to silence us both. Turning his head slightly to the left, he listened.
We all did the same, at first not exactly picking up on what his hawk ears had. The sounding of crickets off in the distance being just about all I could identify. I sighed.
"What are you talking about, Ryder? I don't—"
There it hit me with a weight of a thousand bricks. The spinning of propellers off in what sounded far to close to be a distance. My stomach instantly twisted into multiple knots. Any moment now I could literally puke.
"Shit, shit, shit!" Ida grumbled urgently.
I knew she was up to something.
"Ida, what the hell did you do?" Ryder shouted in what sounded like his big brother stern voice. Now I could tell he regretted following her lead. Hell, I feel terrible I convinced him.
Always up to no good. Seems like our final mistake will be trusting her.
"I didn't—he—they. ."
"Now where do you guys think you're going?"
I swear it came out of nowhere. The voice from above ricocheting a ball of panic right down our lane.
How we thought this was over frustrated me. It's never over with the life we live.
"You guys have to run." Boston wasted little time with that. "We will only slow you down."
"No, I refuse!" Ida being Ida stomped her feet metaphorically and hissed just to match.
"Boston, there's no more running, son." The voice held a giddier rumble to it as it spoke. Unable to see just who it was from bright lights and frankly my own fear of finding out.
"How do they know your name?" I panicked accordingly. A more bitter reality once again against my tongue now.
A familiar look of disbelief washed over Boston's face. He shook his head, disbelief vanished. "It doesn't matter. Just go."
"We can't—I won't!"
"It wasn't up for discussion." That shut down then killed another refusal in either one of us. The fire behind Boston's eyes burned many nerves that made us sure that everything would be alright. That we could make it out is this together. Everything was quickly falling apart and he saw that first hand.
He didn't want us to want this. How crazy that all sounded but made so much sense at the same time.
Despite the constant distraction above us and now between us, Ryder remained as calm as possible. Maybe just long enough to get us to run. Just long enough to convince Ida, his precious little sister.
Ryder took a slow step forward with Boston still in his grasps. Boston refused to make eye contact with me or her.
He'd made up his mind.
"Look, Ida, I know you can take care of yourself. You always have. You'll be alright."
Ryder meant every word, we could tell. Hearing anything like that would break anyone's heart over again. Being told that she again had to be alone couldn't possibly be slid on like butter on toast.
Ida wanted to protest his request. Probably tell him something along the lines of 'we were going down as a family,' or simply 'no way.' But everything in Ryder's gaze read her enough not to. Wanting the absolute best for her. And not having to rot away in a jail cell for the remainder of her life better.
I, on the other hand, wanted to tell him that he was batshit crazy to think we would just walk away only to watch them fall. And then a burning feeling ripped through me. Who was I kidding? I was way over my head. What made me think I could survive one night in prison let alone the rest of my life if they so much as though I was one of them.
I killed someone in there. Put a bullet straight to the head and smiled about it.
Oh my God. I'm one of them.
"Please, just take Syncear and go. I refuse to watch what happens if you don't."
The absolute defeat in Boston's voice shattered every adrenaline-induced fight in my body. Enough for me to give in. Far too much for Ida to pick a fight. We had no other choice. With a boot pressed to our throats, we had only one decision left to make, so we made it.