Okay it sucks but I’m ready to admit it. I have no fucking idea where we are. I thought we were heading towards the road, I really did, but we’ve been walking forever now and there’s no sign of a fucking road. In fact the hill seems to be going up instead of down. Shouldn’t it go down if I’m getting close to the road? I fall down against a tree and Dani does something similar across from me. We don’t talk. Neither one of us are happy with each other at this point. We’re cold, we’re tired, and we’re scared. I refuse to list scared first, though truly the fear I feel inside is like this giant knot threatening to choke me at this point. Worse I’m horribly numb. The radio had said the high today would be forty but it feels like fifteen. I’m so frozen I don’t think I’ll ever get warm again. I close my eyes and picture Dragon. He probably doesn’t even know I’m missing. He was going to be gone all day. Dani and I had both been trying to use our cell phones but no signal. That’s the thing about living in the Appalachian Mountains, cell service sucked donkey balls. I would almost suck donkey balls to get out of this mess. Shit no, I’d make Dani do it. Bitch owed me, even if she didn’t admit it and surely that couldn’t be as bad as sleeping with that creep I had stabbed.
Oh my God I stabbed someone. I should feel remorse I guess. The last hour or two or however long we’d been out here, I was mostly wishing I had been able to Lorena Bobbit his ass or dick as it were.
“We need to keep moving,” Dani said.
I wanted to ignore her because I figured she deserved that shit.
“Feel free, I need to take a minute to breathe,” I grumble instead. I sounded like a spoiled two year old but I didn’t care. I blame Dani, even if I understand her reasons behind it. I love my girl but she got us in this mess and I want to slap the shit out of her.
“I’m sorry Nic,” She sounded so miserable, I felt a little guilty.
“Forget it. I understand, but you’ve got to trust me when I tell you that Dragon is nothing like Michael.”
Dani didn’t say anything. I could tell from her face that she didn’t believe me, but she was wise enough to let it go, so I did too. She’d see in time, because despite what Dani said, despite the photos, despite everything, if I managed to survive this, I was totally going back to Dragon. I plan on holding him tight and never letting go.
“Should we try getting off the trail and sliding down the mountain to see if it might end up near the road?” Dani asked and I could hear the fear in her voice. This was because when she said slide, she meant it. I had looked over the edge a time or two and it was a cliff’s edge that falling off would most likely kill either of us. The mountains were gorgeous to look at, but clearly I should have listened closer to all those news reports about lost or injured hikers.
“Hell if I know at this point Dani. You know my parents trips to Lexington and Louisville were their idea of recreation. I know shit about climbing hills or directions apparently.”
“Did you hear that?” She asks.
My body stiffens because I did. It sounded like branches snapping. Someone’s coming. We stare at each other in panic and then Dani nudges with her head and points to a big rock behind her. It’s not much but we make our way to it as quiet as we can to hide. Once we crouch down behind it, we sit and wait. When she grabs my hand, I hold on as tight as my numb fingers will let me.
“Alright bitch it’s time for you two to come out. I know you’re here, Irish tells me I don’t have time to watch you squirm anymore. It’s time we finish the game.”
I would have thought he was bluffing if I hadn’t heard a gun cocked on my right side. It sounds so chillingly loud even over the man’s yelling.
I look over to see one of the last faces I expected. I almost feel relief but the other guy’s words register in my numb brain.
“Irish?” I ask confused.
“Sorry Nic, just business. You got caught up in it. It’s time Dragon is brought down and sadly girl you are a sure way to keep him so wrapped up in his head he has no idea what’s going on,” he says grabbing my arm and pulling me up. He lets me go, then grabs Dani by the hair of the head. He holds a gun to her as he urges us around the rock.
Another man is on the other side holding a gun. I don’t know him. In fact I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen him before.
“How could you betray Dragon like this? He thinks of you as his brother?” I ask Irish. I’m not really trying to stall at this point. My mind is racing on how to get out of this, but really I’m pretty sure I’m going to die. I try to keep the tears from falling though; I don’t want to give them that victory.
“Just business Nic. Dragon and Dancer pissed off the wrong people. The same people offered me a sweet deal to help them get revenge. Club makes a fuck of a lot of money, but Dragon’s gone soft trying to keep everything in the legal. Once I’m in control and part of the Phoenix’s pipeline, I can live in the Bahamas and rake in the cash.”
“So you’re betraying your brother for money?”
“Fucking shut it. What are you doing telling this whore our business?” The other man hollers out.
Because he’s a moron!
Bad Nicole whispers and though that is a hundred percent certainty, I fear I know the real reason.
“What does it matter anyways? She’ll be dead and we’ll be long gone by the time Dragon finds her or her friend.”
Oh yeah see, I totally knew the real reason.
“It matters. You don’t follow instructions well! I know I told you to make sure Dragon didn’t find out about this until the deed was done, yet here we are.”
“I had to report in after Nailer came through, if I hadn’t it would have been too suspicious. This way I can still play my role and spy on Dragon until you make your big move.” Irish defends.
The other man looked totally unconvinced, but instead of responding asks, “Which one of you killed my friend Tiny?”