Chapter 60
60
Under the cloak of night, we sneak into the wooden shed used for storage and haul every bottle of lighter fluid we can find back to my bungalow. Iz and I quietly stack all the patio furniture against the french doors so no one can force their way out through the rear.
“Okay,” Iz says, dusting off her hands. “Now what?”
I haven’t told her the full plan. It doesn’t feel right to drag Iz into this, but beyond that, I have a feeling I need to do this alone. In my brief vision, she wasn’t present. Not as a member of the Belladonnas, or as a perpetrator of fire.
I know there are no hard-set rules about sacrificing human beings; it’s not like there’s a handbook detailing do’s and do-not’s on how to trade human souls for power. (Hell, I’m still not sure if I believe in this Eto thing.) But if I’m going to murder, I might as well murder right. I don’t have the time nor privilege to dip my toes and test the waters. I need to dive straight into the deep end and believe I’ll come up on top.
I can’t take any risks. Having an extra variable might fuck this all up.
And anyway, getting Iz out of this situation is a net positive for her. She gets saved and she doesn’t have to commit a crime.
“You shouldn’t do this,” I say.
She frowns. “What do you mean? Aren’t we just making a fire signal so we can get help?”
“Um…” I cast my eyes to the lighter fluid, then to the bungalow. “About that…”
She follows my gaze. Her eyes widen and she palms her forehead like reality is suddenly hitting her, the initial rage-fueled adrenaline wearing off. “Shit,” she whispers. “Shit, shit, shit. Holy fuck. You aren’t thinking of seriously harming them, right?”
“Don’t freak out.”
“How can I not freak out?” Her voice is pitched high. “You’re thinking of burning—”
“Shh! You’re going to wake them. We— I have to stop this. Look, I know you have a family, kids to take care of. You don’t have to be involved in what happens after. I can take all the blame.”
“But—”
“It’s the least I can do after I left you hanging like that.” She tries to protest but I shake my head. “I’ll be fine. Run toward the main house and hide out somewhere nearby until you see the flames. The staff are bound to notice and run out to extinguish the fire. At that time, go inside. You still remember where the landline is?”
She nods.
“Call for emergency services. Tell them the island they sent the helicopter CG-484 to yesterday needs further assistance since there’s a fire. And once you confirm they’re sending help, hide until they come.”
“Oh my god.” She paces around, then drops to a crouch, panting deeply. “I can’t believe this is happening. This is all so fucked! We can’t do this.”
“No! Fuck that.” I bend down and grip her shoulders. “I know it’s scary, but this is the only way it ends. Do you really think they’ll let you out of here after everything they’ve done? Even if by some miracle we get off this island, do you think these girls will let us waltz back into society unscathed? Think of how much power they hold. It’ll be the word of eight beloved white women against us. ”
Desperation clouds her eyes. “There must be another solution. Some other way we can all get out of this safely.”
I can understand Iz’s concerns, but I know it in my gut. This is the only way forward. “I can’t explain the details to you, but I’m sure this is the right thing to do. You have to trust me.” I say it full of intent, wide-eyed and true.
She closes her eyes and groans, fisting her hair. “This is seriously so fucked up!”
“I know. But there’s no other choice. Now go before someone notices you’re gone.”
She stands and collects her breath. “God! This is the worst vacation ever.” She trudges forward. A few paces away, she stops and glances over her shoulder. “Good luck.”
“You too.” I watch as she runs toward the main house.
I turn toward the bungalow entrance with two bottles of lighter fluid and take a deep breath, trembling.
I am strong.
I am brave.
I am a warrior.
I am going to be okay.
I push inside.