Chapter 32
Betty
“Those fuckers!” Sybil shrieked, her usually delicate complexion flushing crimson. The cabin trembled with her pint-sized fury.
I wanted to laugh at her reaction, were it not for my need to say the same.
How could they do this to us? Gray should know better by now, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that I deserved this. I’d put him through hell this last month, so it only made sense he’d get back at me, at least once. Still—the audacity of that man!
I paced a hole through the floorboards, unable to push down the feeling of abandonment, my personality refusing to let him win. If Gray and Nash were risking their lives, there’s no way in hell we’d let them do it alone.
Never underestimate a scorned woman, and all that, am I right?
I whipped around. “Come on, Sybil, pack your things. We’re going after them.”
Her grin was wicked, her tiny body brimming with pent-up energy and barely leashed fury. “Yes!” she squealed.
I loved it.
“Do you still have your phone?” I asked, heading straight for Gray’s secret cabinet, only to find he’d locked it again.
“Fucking dickhead.” Annoyed, I growled and stomped over to the stove.
I snatched up the fire poker. Holding it above my head, Sybil leapt back with a scream, and I swung it directly at the lock of the cabinet.
Wood splintered around the brass handle, and the hinged door let out a pathetic whine as it fell open an inch.
As if he thought a flimsy lock could stop me now? Dream on. I was angry, and this small hurdle was but a bump in the road.
A diabolical cackle passed Sybil’s curled lips, and she danced up behind me. “Nice one, Betty!” She put her hand out, presenting her phone. “And I have my phone!”
Nodding, I brushed away a few splinters of wood and rummaged inside the cabinet. “Good, I’m glad you still have it. At least they’re dumb enough not to take it and leave us with nothing. Make sure it’s charged; we have plans we need to set in motion once we reach cell service.”
Gray had taken all the guns from the cabinet, which was fine, but he’d left my taser. I had begrudgingly handed it over to him after the bear incident. Gray persuaded me to show him where I’d hidden my purse and illicit contraband, promising me he’d keep it safe.
I scoffed, yeah right. I never should have given it up, but I let my guilt get the better of me.
I plucked the taser out and hugged it to my chest with glee before checking its charge. The battery was low. I scanned the area near the solar station and spotted a cord that would fit.
Bingo.
After plugging in the taser, I returned to the cabinet and found the four-wheeler keys hanging beside a few rolls of cash.
I took all of it, not wanting to risk using any of my credit cards in case they were being tracked.
I thumbed through a stack of papers. It contained fake passports, birth certificates, and death certificates, all in a jumbled mess.
What surprised me even more was finding my passport there.
“Yes!” I cried out, cradling it in both hands.
He’d snuck me across the border, but at least he had the sense to grab this before leaving New York, so I’d have a way to get back. I hugged it to my chest as I had the taser. Luck was on my side for once.
Sybil had been gone for a while now, presumably down in the shed packing her things.
I grabbed my coat, pants, boots, and a backpack, stuffing a change of clothes, food, water, and other essentials inside. I rummaged through the kitchen drawers for knives or anything else I could use as a weapon, as it seemed Gray had taken everything of real use.
Damn, that asshole was sneaky when he wanted to be. How had I slept through all that?
I heard a loud thunk on the porch, followed by Sybil walking through the door.
“Ready,” she puffed out, coming inside.
I nodded, hands on my hips, eyes fixed on the cats. I was chewing on the inside of my cheek. “What are we going to do with the cats?”
Sybil gnawed at her sleeve. “Take them with us?”
I cursed under my breath.
This was going to be a complete circus.
“Alright, Mr. Beans,” I announced, my voice carrying a warning. “Saddle up, buddy. We’re going for a ride.”
He blinked twice. Poor guy wouldn’t know what hit him. This time, the weather was warmer, so he wouldn’t freeze in the little kennel.
I sprang into action. “Stay here, Sybil. I’ll bring the four-wheeler up and get the kennel from the shed.” I pushed past a very excited Bill, who was buzzing with excitement.
In the shed, I removed the cover from the cherry-red four-wheeler, settled into the seat, and held my breath as I turned the engine over. It roared to life. I let out a whoop, hopped out, and topped up the gas.
Once we were closer to civilization, I’d call Clementine and update her.
I was already cooking up my own plan, one that would eclipse whatever harebrained scheme the boys had in mind.
If there was one thing I excelled at, it was proving assholes wrong—Nash and Gray were about to get a healthy dose of spite.
I just hoped Sybil would be on board with the plan, but anger was a powerful motivator and she seemed more than ready to kick some ass.
Once we reached cell service, I’d call Frederick to come get us. Then I’d get the perfect team assembled. The boys wouldn’t know what hit them. Besides, I was eager to pull off another heist, and what better way to do it than with a spectacular show.
An hour later, Sybil and I strapped ourselves in and sped into the forest, leaving the cabin behind. I couldn’t help but feel the tug in my heart at seeing the property disappear in the rearview mirror. I really loved that place.
“We’ll need new outfits!” I shouted over the roar of the engine to Sybil, who sat beside me.
It was a four-person Polaris built like a beast with shocks that were far more effective than anything on the snowmobile. We really needed to get a better winter option in the future because this was nothing short of pure luxury.
Sybil grinned back at me, nodding.
I went on, “And you, my dear, will also need a seriously awesome tool belt.”
Her hands clapped together, and she wriggled in her seat with excitement. It was wonderful to see her so happy. She’d agreed to my extravagant idea without a second thought.
There was a low yowl from the back. It was Mr. Beans, but he was barely audible over the din of the engine.
Villainy was nestled on Sybil’s lap in his makeshift harness, strapped to her front and bobbing gently with the motion of the vehicle.
He seemed to enjoy the drama. Bill was in the back seat behind Sybil, secured in his own harness with goggles perched over his eyes.
His tongue was lolling as he hung his head out the side. He seemed to love this too.
Damn, we were quite a sight.
By midday, Sybil’s phone pinged with returned signal, and I made my calls while she took the wheel.
Apparently, Sybil had never driven before, but she tackled it with gusto and a terrifying amount of confidence. I must have shrieked into Clementine’s ear a few times as we jolted over bumps in the rugged, overgrown forest road, while Sybil giggled.
She called it payback.
By mid-afternoon, we reached the town. After grabbing something to eat, the phone buzzed with a message; it was Frederick. He was already at the border and expected to arrive by late evening.
We fed the animals, giving Mr. Beans a well-earned strip of bacon, and found a spot for the four-wheeler to stay while we were gone. A garage in town contained lockers filled with vehicles similar to ours. I happily discovered that our vehicle was already registered, making the stay free.
As we sat down for coffee at a small-town shop a little while later, we attracted a few curious stares as the pets came along with us, though Sybil didn’t flinch from the attention.
No one bothered us about the pets at least, Sybil veraciously standing up for them and flashing Bill’s service dog paperwork.
I was so proud of my timid sister-from-another-mister.
If she was growing brave, that just meant more fun for us.
Upon Frederick’s arrival, he entered the coffeeshop and gave us both a warm hug, then helped gather our crew and load everyone into the town car. Mr. Beans curled onto the leather seat beside me, finding peace and solace in comfortable luxury once more.
When I checked in with Clementine soon after reaching the main highway, she’d already tasked her team with locating and putting a tail on Nash and Gray.
It was easy with the help of Sybil’s tracker on Nash’s phone.
We needed to know their plans and movements if we were to stay a step ahead and beat them to the punch.
Clem secured safe lodging in New York for us through her gaming network. We arrived that night to a rather childlike apartment full of anime figurines, rainbow LED lighting, and gaming posters galore. Thankfully, the occupant was out of town.
Sybil was over the moon with all there was to take in and touch, even playing a few video games while I worked. She tried to get me to join, but I was still trying to iron out the last details of the plan and order all the items we needed to pull it off via DoorDash.
It was well into the early morning when we finally settled down. All that remained was to brief the team on my flawless plan and set it in motion. I could hardly wait to see the look on Gray’s face. That alone kept me going.