Chapter 4
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As the trio headed out of the hotel early the next morning, Infinity pulled Cameo aside and asked if there was anything she could do to help him.
“Not unless you can change the past.” He went on to explain that his parents had been murdered in cold blood, and that his younger brother had been taken to D.C. to be bombed. “If their deaths mean nothing, then we will be doing all this in vain. I will avenge all of them,” he whispered darkly.
“I will help you, but we need to keep ourselves safe first. Alaska, and then, we kill every person involved in this. I’m just glad that Kyla’s only eleven.” Infinity murmured.
“Fine,” he growled. He stalked off angrily, hatred and revenge burning in his every feature. Infinity followed him out to the minivan and climbed into the passenger seat. Cameo started the car and pulled vehemently out of the hotel’s front drive.
As he whipped around the corner, Harley yelled, “Slow down!” Cameo blocked her out and accelerated farther, taking out a snow bank on the opposite side of the road. Blue and red lights flashed behind them and Cameo was forced to slow and pull over.
“You idiot! She told you to slow down!”
“I know, I know, but he’s going to arrest us for being alive! How are we going to get out of this?”
The policeman climbed out of his black-and-white and walked over towards the driver’s side door. Cameo rolled the window down and the cop stuck his head in the window.
“Hello officer, how can I help you?” Cameo’s fake grin faltered.
“Yes, well, I've pulled you over for speeding. I believe my radar gun caught you going at a hundred and ten mile an hour.”
“Well, sir, you see… uh… she’s my wife! And… her mother’s dying in Canada and we need to get there as fast as possible.” He glanced over at Infinity who burst into tears. Little did he know that the tears were from embarrassment, but they played to the trio’s advantage. Cameo grasped her hand and patted it lovingly. “Don’t worry, my dear. We’ll get there in time.”
The police officer cleared his throat. “And, who is that in the backseat?”
Infinity spoke up. “That's our daughter. She’s eleven and she’s very close to her grandmother,” she said stutteringly.
“Yes, Baby, I know,” Cameo answered gently, and leaned over and tenderly kissed her lips. Harley, in true childish fashion, cried, “EW!” from the back.
“Well, because of the situation you folks are in, I’ll let you off with a warning. Have a nice day.” The policeman walked off and Cameo rolled up the window.
Cameo turned to Infinity. “I’m so sorry. I couldn’t think how else to get him off us and-”
“Just drive.” Infinity hissed through gritted teeth. She closed her eyes and bared her teeth unconsciously. Cameo restarted the car and drove off down an unplowed dirt road.
Miles later, the car rolled to a stop. “Where are we?” Infinity asked, opening her eyes.
“Get out and see.”
The two girls jumped out of the car and blinked in the glaring sunlight. Sitting a few yards away were two beautiful, sleek snowmobiles.
“Ladies, this is our ride.” Cameo said, tossing them each a snow white snowmobile helmet. One of the trees shimmered and a boy, slightly older than Cameo, appeared out of thin air. “And this is-”
“Ethaniel!” Harley exclaimed and ran toward him
“Harley!” The boy replied. When they reached each other Harley wrapped her arms around his neck, and they began to whisper into each other's ears. Infinity raised an eyebrow at this display.
“Harley’s dad owns a farm out west, and last summer he hired Ethaniel to help in the fields. Of course, they got all ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and were really, madly in love, but when her dad found out, the town was in an uproar at the torrid affair, and he fired Ethaniel and sent Harley to live with me and my family.” Cameo explained. “I never realized how much they must have missed each other,” He added, noting the tears glistening on both of the lovers’ cheeks.
Ethaniel glanced over at them and asked Harley a whispered question.
“Cameo already kissed her!” Harley hollered in response. Infinity’s face flushed, Cameo turned and banged his head against the nearest tree, and Ethaniel raised his eyebrows tauntingly.
“Really? You, of all people, are the last person I suspected of getting all Romeo and Juliet with one of your choices, at least so early in the game,” Ethaniel teased, barely holding in a laugh.
Cameo scowled. “Look who’s talking! If you want a love affair, all you have to do is look over there! Besides, it was to get a cop off our tail. We had to solidify our story. I had no choice!”
Infinity threw on her snow clothes and the helmet and stormed over to one of the snowmobiles and clambered on.
“You aren’t going to get to Alaska just standing there, if that's what you’re thinking,” she seethed. Ethaniel took the hint and jumped onto the other machine.
“Harley, you’re with me,” he said, warily glancing at the icey way Infinity was glaring at Cameo.
As the other two sped off into the wilderness, Cameo slipped onto the snowmobile in one practiced motion. “Look, I'm sorry, okay? He can be a bit much, and I didnt know you would get so mad at me. It was one small little kiss. Is that really worth getting so worked up over?” He started the snowmobile and continued talking. “And he won’t be with us forever. Just until we get over the border. Then he’ll be gone and it’ll all be fine.” He shot off on the trail Ethaniel left. “Besides,” he continued, knowing she couldn’t hear him over the roar of the four-stroke engine, “it’s not like you signed a contract. And is it my fault you just look so beautiful all the time? Like, who wouldn’t have wanted to–”
“Um, bro? You forgot to turn off your comms.” Ethaniels voice came through loud and clear, and he knew everything he had just said would have gone through to all three of the others just the same.
He cursed loudly in Russian and tried to snap off his commlink but couldn’t press the button with his bulky gloves. He jammed his thumb down on the accelerator. He tended to show his aggression and frustration through his driving, and, though he tried to contain it, the past few days it had gotten the better of him.
Infinity grabbed him around the waist as they careened around a cluster of trees. Her touch infuriated him even more, for reasons he couldn’t understand, nor wanted to. As more feelings flooded through his brain, he fought to keep the snowmobile under his control. Eventually, the fury, the hatred, the cold wave of death and sadness overwhelmed him and he screamed, unleashing every ounce of anger and frustration he held within him, shorting out the commlink. He pounded the accelerator, screaming until all the air had been ripped from his lungs, until he longed to stop, to let Jaidin capture him and put him out of his misery. Infinity wouldn’t have him, Harley was as good as Ethaniel’s, his parents were dead, and his brother soon would be. There was nothing left for him.
He saw, more than heard, the bullet ricochet off of the tree just to the left of them as they flashed by it. His eyes widened as he saw five more snowmobilers coming up fast behind him in the side mirror.
“Ethaniel come in!” he yelled, knowing there would be no response. He floored the accelerator. He could see the other snowmobile just ahead. He pulled up next to them and pointed backwards. Ethaniel jumped off the speeding vehicle and rolled into a shooting position. He pulled a missile pistol out of the holster on his belt and fired it three times, each shot taking out it’s target. The fourth and fifth attackers each managed to get a round into Ethaniel, just before being exploded in a fiery blaze.
Ethaniel fell backwards, crimson blood staining the snow beneath him.
“Ethaniel!” Harley wailed. She dashed over the snow and dropped to the ground next to him. She took off his helmet and gently laid his head in her lap. “Oh,” she moaned, “don’t die. Oh, please don’t die!” He reached up and brushed a tear off her cheek. He tried to say something, but began coughing up blood. Cameo slid to the ground and began unzipping Ethaniel’s jacket. Infinity came up on the other side of Ethaniel’s body and helped him unbutton the bloodsoaked flannel shirt. She paled at the sight of the two clean gunshot wounds, but continued to work. Cameo carefully prodded underneath Ethaniel.
“They went out the back, so that’s good. Come on, help me get him onto the snowmobile. I’ll drive him. Harley, I hope you remember what I taught you.” She nodded, tears falling off her cheeks and into the bloody snow. Infinity and Cameo hoisted him onto the snowmobile. Harley brought his helmet over, and began to put it on him. Her hands shook and tears clouded her vision. She threw the helmet to the ground and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him, long and passionately.
Bloodspots made it impossible to see, but Ethaniel fought to stay awake. When Harley kissed him, he opened his eyes but couldn’t see what was happening. He felt the soft touch of her lips on his, the wetness of her tears running onto his cheeks. His lips parted and he kissed her back. He cried too, each sob sending a shockwave of pain through his battered body. He battled for consciousness, knowing that if he slept, he wouldn’t wake up. He could feel himself fading. He grasped at Harley’s hair, ran his hands up and down her neck and back, soaked up every last moment. He caressed her face, pressing her into him.
Behind Harley, Infinity and Cameo stood back, watching these moments of heartbreak. They sobbed with the couple, sharing in their sorrow and pain. Infinity sank to the ground, her legs giving way under her. Cameo sat next to her and she leaned against his shoulder. He put an arm around her shoulders and held her as she cried.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry I kissed you, I'm sorry I dragged you out to the backwoods of Canada, and I'm sorry you have to watch my cousin’s lover dying. All I wanted to do was save your life, and now I just feel like I broke you. Once we get to the safe house, I'll leave you and Harley and you'll never see me again. I promise that-”
He was interrupted by Harley’s sudden appearance. He jumped up and hopped onto the snowmobile Ethaniel was straddling, the injured boy’s breathing labored and shallow. “There’s a hospital ten miles out. I’ll meet you there. And Harley? He’ll be okay. I promise,” he said. Harley nodded, fresh tears spilling over her cheeks. The boys sped off and Harley and Infinity jumped onto the second vehicle and followed the trail of crimson snow.
ns 172.70.130.158da2
and then Add to home screen.