Hellooooo lovelies! I hope everyone is doing well and is ready for some updates. It's going to get good in the next few chapters, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts! Thank you all for reading! much love! xoxo
Alex drove for hours until he was too tired to continue, at which point Michael took over. Gabriella offered to drive, but was shot down by both men. She sat in the back, sipping on water and occasionally eating protein bars. She had put on some weight in the past few days, but was still regaining her strength, and her wound was barely healed over. She flexed her arm, bending and moving it, making sure the flesh kept moving and the muscle underneath was still strong.
She hadn't told the men, but her pendant was glowing softly against her skin, so they must be heading in the right direction. They had found some maps of Vermont when they had entered the state, and had determined that they needed to head to the northernmost part of Vermont. She held the map in her lap, directing them as they drove, which for now was pointless, as they were on the highway, and would be for some time.
She pulled a novel out of her pack and settled in to read, it was pretty much the only thing that helped to pass the time, other than sleeping, and for once she wasn't tired. She knew that not being tired was a good sign; it meant she was healing, that her body had extra stores of energy that her body wasn't using to fight an infection.
She sipped on more water as she read; the book was quite good she thought, it was about a woman who had been kidnapped and held captive for a year, and it was quite thrilling. She was engrossed when Alex called back, "Hey, shouldn't we be turning Gabriella?"
She looked up from her book and saw that they were idling on the side of the road. She grabbed the map and then asked, "What mile marker did we just pass?"
Alex turned to look back at her, "51.5"
"Hmmm, ok, hold on" she murmured tracing a finger over the map. "Ok, go another two miles and take exit 53, to Snowbank Road."
Alex nodded and pulled away from the side of the road, driving slowly until they came to the exit. Alex negotiated the snowy roads easily and continued down the road, asking over his shoulder, "Where to now?"
Gabriella consulted the map, "Mmm, go another 10 miles on this road and then we'll be making a left onto Three Points Road. From there it's another twenty miles to Three Points Gorge, and at that point, we are in the national forest, and there are thousands of acres to search for the cabin."
She heard Michael sigh and saw him stare out the window, a look of frustration on his face. She was frustrated too, and knew they still had a ways to go before they were successful in finding the cabin and the spear.
They had just two days left, and they were running out of daylight. She was scared, and for once, wasn't looking forward to her birthday.
Her parents had always made sure that they celebrated, no matter how dangerous their current living situation was, or how little they had to go around. She remembered the year she turned 16, and her mom had given her two boxes wrapped in newspaper.
She had only ever gotten one present each year, so the second one had been a huge surprise. They had been living in a warehouse at the time, and had been safe for over a year.
She remembered the huge smile her mom had given her as she opened the first box; it held a hunter green dress with an a-line waist, elbow length sleeves, and a scoop neck. Gabriella had fought tears as she held it up against her body, so excited to have something new, and so beautiful.
Her mother had tears in her eyes when she handed her the second box, "I think you're old enough for this."
Gabriella had opened it to find a collection of makeup and a few pieces of jewelry. This time she did cry, hugging her mother tight, whispering her thanks.
Her mother pulled away smiling and wiping away tears, "I guess I should show you how to put this on properly, huh?"
They had spent the next few hours playing dress up and doing Gabriella's hair and makeup, relaxing and enjoying her birthday. Now she thought that the most likely gift she would receive on her birthday would be the spear. If they lived to find it.
Gabriella fell asleep a short while later, her body resting, healing. Alex and Michael drove for hours down Three Points Road, into the dark reaches of the national forest. They came upon an abandoned Ranger station and decided to pull over and check it, look and see if there were any maps to help guide them.
Alex roused Gabriella and helped her from the hummer, sticking close to her as they walked into the station. The three of them moved through the station quietly, looking for maps or files to indicate where they should go to find the cabin.
Gabriella sat down at the desk in the back and began to rifle through the drawers, pulling out files and papers, yellowed with age. After a short period of time Gabriella sat back with a sigh, she hadn't found anything useful.
She looked around the room until her eyes landed on a filing cabinet. She stood and went over, tugging open the top drawer. Riffling through the files she came across one labeled "DO NOT APPROACH-Three Points Gorge."
Raising a brow, she pulled the file out and leaned against the filing cabinet, laying the file open on top of it. She flipped through it quickly once, noting that there were three photos of the cabin, the road, and an aerial shot. There were hand written reports, and a point on a map circled in red.
She grinned and gathered up the documents and took the file out to the men, waving it in the air, "Look what I found!" she called with a grin. Alex and Michael converged on her, taking the file and spreading it out on the front counter.
Michael studied the map, staring at it intently. He looked up at Gabriella and Alex who were discussing the written reports, and cleared his throat, "I believe from what this map indicates, the cabin is no more than 50 miles away. We can make that by tomorrow afternoon. We can bed down here tonight, since it's already late, and get on the road early."
Alex and Gabriella exchanged a quick look, and both nodded, "Ok, sounds good" Alex said.
They moved quickly to unpack the hummer and get it hidden behind the building in the small garage. Gabriella prepared some rice and beans with some venison jerky simmered all together. Alex had found a space heater and poured some gas into it, lighting it so that they could sit around it and be warm while they ate.
Gabriella reclined in Michael's lap, her head resting on his shoulder while he finished eating. She was warm, and sleepy, drifting off as Alex and Michael talked in soft low tones. Michael looked down at Gabriella, pleased to see the color in her cheeks, the weight that she had gained back in the past weeks, making her look healthier.
He cradled her in his arms and lifted her, carrying her to their bedroll, laying her down gently. He curled himself up with her and listened as Alex moved to open a window near the back to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
After a few minutes the ranger station was quiet as they all settled into their bedrolls, both men decompressing and wondering what the next day would bring. Eventually, they fell asleep, the rigors of the road taking their toll.