Chapter Twenty
The dim light of the single overhead bulb flickered as I paced the small living room, the tension in the air palpable from the disgust of what I had just done.
I was counting down the seconds until I could see, feel, and inhale Bethany again.
I placed the burner phone in my back pocket as I waited for Birdy to tell me what to do next.
I never contemplated my life choices as much as I had the last few months. One choice changed my life forever.
Working for Marco had its bonuses, aside from the cash I made, I learned how to get creative when trying to get around undetected. Those first few years taught me a lot about myself and my capabilities which was crucial to my survival getting out of Chicago.
In the bustling airport, travelers rushed past me, their faces a blur of anticipation.
It dawned on me that these men who saved me would be able to track me simply by checking the name on the passport they gave me.
I wasn’t looking to return the favor of them saving my life.
Stopping to lean against a column, I scanned the crowd passing by.
My eyes landed on a lanky guy with tousled hair and oversized headphones as he scrolled through his phone while walking.
I watched him head toward the restroom where I followed him in.
Leaving his luggage and backpack behind him as he took a piss at the urinal to which I purposely knocked into. “I’m sorry man,” I say as I neatly place his items behind him while swapping our boarding passes.
The kid looks over his shoulder, “It’s all good.”
Quickly I dashed out and purchased a carry-on from one of the shops.
Finding another restroom, I transferred the money from the duffle bag to the carry-on suitcase quickly while in one of the stalls.
It would be risky keeping anything they gave me so I tossed the duffle bag and burner phone in case they had any tracking devices installed on them.
Making sure no one would be able to trace back to me, I couldn’t risk that I was seen by anyone.
Once that kid knew his ticket was swapped, the only person he’d interacted with that might have been odd would be when I knocked into his things.
So, for an extra layer of protection, I found another person I could swap tickets with.
Walking over to one of the bars stationed at a nearby gate, I saw a woman eagerly trying to get the bartender’s attention as a voice on the loudspeaker called last call for boarding the plane.
By the look of anxiousness, I could tell it was her flight.
Swiftly I stood beside her unnoticed. With her purse opened wide, I reached in and took her boarding pass, wallet, and passport then quickly walked away.
I tossed her wallet and passport in the trash.
If she couldn’t identify herself and she had no boarding pass then there was no way of her interfering.
Sprinting to the gate, it wasn’t until I sat in the seat that I realized the destination.
Iceland.
It was flawless and I did the same when I had Bethany come back with me. Where was my error? How did they find us? I paced the room, my mind going over every detail.
Suddenly, I heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps pounding up the stairs outside my door.