I didn't look back once as we drove away. We drove all night and part of the next day trying to get as far away from Ella as possible. It was hard given the pain in my lag and Zoe crying. We stopped at a gas station for some gas and a bathroom break. I also needed to get something for my leg. We unloaded and I gave Leo some cash and told him to get some snacks. He took Zoe with him to the snack ile and I went and found some bandages. We met at the cash register and paid for everything. The man didn't look confused or ask why two twelve year olds in PJs and a seventeen year old who looked like they hadn't gotten any sleep in a week and were bleeding from bullet wounds were at the gas station buying random stuff.
We loaded up in the back of the car and crashed. Zoe climbed into the very back and put up some blankets while she changed out of her PJs. Leo sat nibbling on a bag of potato chips. I wrapped up my leg as best i could after removing the bullet with tweezers and disinfecting it. After Zoe was done changing Leo climbed back and changed. After he was done we all sat in the back of my van in silence.
"What do you guys want to do?" i asked. Zoe looked at me with her fragile eyes. "We could go back and hope the police took care of her, or we could keep going and find someplace new to live for a while. I can get a job and finish school, once I graduate we can do whatever."
"You don't think the police will look for us?" Zoe asked, her voice was so quiet i almost didn't hear her.
"I don't know, they might, but we can go to a new state. I heard Wyoming is nice. That would only be a day and a half dive." i said. I had already looked at how long it would take to get there. I had been looking at places there for a while.
"I say yes, we should go to Wyoming. It would be safer, and if worse comes to worse we would live out in the woods." Leo said.
"Won't they still be able to find us with credit card numbers and driver license and that kind of stuff?" Zoe asked.
"I've spent years planning in case i ever needed to get you guys out. She won't be able to find us, ever." i said. I had spent the last year separating all my accounts from Ella and all that stuff. Without me to pay the bills she would end up homeless.
"Then yes, let's go to Wyoming. A new start would be nice." Zoe said.
"Great, i'll change my phone number and license plate once we get there." i said. I got back in the front seat and started the car.
We drove for a day and a half, taking the occasional bathroom break and to get food. It was a long car ride and gas wasn't cheap. But in the end it was worth it. We pulled into a town called Evergreen. It was small, maybe three hundred people.