“We need to leave,” Dom stated matter-of-factly.
“But what about Rafe?” I argued. “We can’t just leave him here.”
“Rafe can take care of himself.”
“Dom!”
Another man stood outside my driver’s door, his hand wrapped in a T-shirt. Balling his fingers, he punched the shit out of the glass. It cracked and popped, spiderwebbing into numerous, uneven lines. I screamed.
“Kearly, you have to get us out of here!” Dom yelled.
Two of Julian’s men had Rafe by the arms, while Julian pummeled Rafe’s face and body over and over again.
“They’re going to kill him!”
Dom grabbed me by the arm and forced me to look him in the eyes. “You have to trust me. Get us out of here. Now!”
I threw the car into reverse, knocking over one of Julian’s men. Air entered and exited my lungs in rapid spurts—so fast I was on the verge of hyperventilating. Gripping the steering wheel helped keep my shaky hands steady. As I drove away, Julian shouted something that sounded eerily like: “You can’t hide from me! I will find you!”
Peering into my rearview mirror, five bright flashes nearly burned my retinas. As a reflex, I braked, in case the apocalypse chose this exact moment to rain hellfire and brimstone. But it wasn’t the end of the world. Apparently, Rafe’s support arrived in the form of several strongly-built men, who, more than likely, were Rebels.
“That’s not going to be pretty,” Dom said, cringing. “Keep going. We need to be as far away from that exchange as we possibly can.”
Once my breathing returned to normal, I stated, “I’m assuming they’re part of the resistance.”
“Yeah, they are. My concern is that the Ministry will receive word of what’s happened, send more reinforcements, and then Rafe and the rest of our group will be punished, severely. If that happens, we won’t be meeting with him tomorrow.”
More flashes occurred behind us, like lightning bolts observed from behind blinds, shutters, or curtains. I pressed on without stopping this time, hoping Rafe and his crew of Rebels was okay, that the Ministry wouldn’t win. From what Dom had told me, though, the number of Ministry agents far outnumbered those in the resistance, which concerned me.
“Well, I guess we won’t be meeting him at all,” I said, “especially not back there. Our location was compromised. The Ministry will know the general area where we’ve been hiding out.”
Dom pulled out the map he bought at the gas station and examined it for awhile, silently. I didn’t stop driving, even though I had no clue where I was headed next. I wished none of this had happened. I wished Jessica hadn’t wanted to visit the cabin, and that Dom and I were still there, safe.
Folding up the map, Dom said, “I don’t know anymore. It doesn’t matter where we go, they’ll find us.” He tucked the plastic chart into the pocket on the passenger door.
“Hey,” I murmured, catching his attention. “You’re not giving up on me, are you?”
His expression changed, and the harsh lines disappeared. Eyes softening, he replied, “I’d never give up on you. I made that mistake once before, and I won’t let it happen again.”
Coolness coursed through my body, solidifying my limbs. I didn’t respond. I didn’t tell him I wasn’t her. Cassandra. That’d be a discussion for later, if we made it out of this mess alive and with our minds intact.
I concentrated on the road ahead. Without knowing where we were going, I was just burning fuel. We needed a plan, quickly.
“So, where are we headed?” I asked.
Dom chewed the inside of his cheek, unwilling to answer me right away. Eventually, he responded, “I’ll check the map again.”
Better than nothing. With limited resources, we were running out of options. The Ministry would be enthusiastically checking the park over the next few days, in case we decided to show up. And I was willing to bet that Julian would be inspecting Rafe’s memories. I just hoped Rafe and the rest of the Rebels were okay. Alive. From what little I learned about Rafe in our brief encounter, he seemed like a respectable, honest guy. If Dom trusted him, I could, too.
My phone rang inside my book bag.
“I’ll get it,” Dom stated. He sorted through the contents, until he picked it up. With a sigh, he mumbled, “It’s Ryan.”
I pulled over onto the shoulder, so I could talk without distraction. “Hello?”
Ryan whispered, “Hang on.” The receiving end swished, like he was either hiding the mouthpiece or covering it. Maybe both, especially if Jessica was nearby. Silence hung between us for what felt like an eternity, but then he returned. “Okay. Sorry about that,” he said. “I had to make sure she was in the shower. Anyway… Jessica’s mom called and wanted to know if she’d come home early, so they could go shopping. There’s a brand new outdoor mall about an hour from Central Falls, and I’m pretty sure that’s where they’re going.”
“So, you two will be out of there soon?”
“Yep. Should be out within the next hour. Just thought I’d give you guys a heads up. I’ll text you when we’re on the interstate.”
“Well, that’s nice of you, but we won’t be returning,” I lied.
“Oh. Where are you guys now?”
Images of Ryan relaying our whereabouts to Jessica flickered through my mind, and my gut told me not to trust him. He was still dating Jessica Lyons, even after all he knew about her and her father, and what they wanted to do to me. And if he was conveying information to Jessica, he was basically communicating with the Ministry. They’d locate us in a heartbeat.
“I’m not sure where we are,” I fibbed again.
“Not sure?” He chuckled. “How can you not know? There are signs everywhere.”
I licked my lips and replied, “I’ve been preoccupied and haven’t paid attention.”
“Okaaay,” Ryan said. He didn’t sound like he fully bought my excuse. “Well, be careful out there, wherever you two are. Shit! Gotta go. The water cut off.” He hung up before I could reply.
“What’d he say?” Dom asked, his eyes scanning the perimeter around my car.
I couldn’t contain my grin. “Jessica is going on a shopping trip with her mom, so she and Ryan are leaving early.”
“How early?”
“Like, within the next hour.”
Dom’s lips curved upward at one corner. “Finally. I hope there’s still some food, because I’m starving.”
Now that he mentioned it, I was hungry, as well. The sharp pain in my stomach previously registered as a bundle of nerves, but maybe it was a result of not eating. Thinking about Dom’s cooking made me want food that much more.
“Me, too. And a hot shower? Even better.” My body had a feeling of weightlessness, as if my problems vanished just by knowing Dom and I would have a place to stay.
Dom moaned. “A hot shower sounds amazing right about now.”
I circled the area near the park and cabin but kept my distance. We didn’t need any Ministry agents spotting us, and we didn’t need to waste any more gas, either. I parked in a fast food parking lot—a place where, more than likely, the Ministry wouldn’t show their faces, not with that many witnesses. With what little money I had in my book bag, I bought us two breakfast sandwiches, two hashbrowns, and two small coffees. I devoured the food in no time. Sure, I was supposed to limit human interaction, but Dom and I needed a meal, even if the meal was cheap and unhealthy.
The early-morning sunlight warmed my car, and with a full stomach, I wanted a nap. But as soon as my eyes closed, my phone dinged. Dom handed me my book bag, and I sorted through the objects inside. I checked the screen. Ryan.
On the road now if u change ur mind, he messaged.
I peered up at Dom, who stared at me. He raised one eyebrow, questioningly.
“Ryan and Jessica are gone,” I told him.
He barely nodded his head, then shut his eyes. “The sooner I reach that bed and fall asleep, the better.”
I pursed my lips to avoid grinning, b
ut that didn’t work out so well. Before getting too comfortable, I started my car and drove toward the cabin. This time, I didn’t creep down the road, looking suspicious. I sped.
18