earth

chapter 11

                                                                                      *William*

5:00 pm inside the truck.

I lift my gaze to meet Jason's, and as soon as our eyes connect, I notice his wide grin, pulling the corners of his lips up so high it almost threatens to touch his ears. "What's so funny?" I ask, my curiosity piqued.

With a loud wheeze, Jason can barely contain himself, his laughter filling the air between us. "You know how to make a woman scream, huh?" he finally manages to say between fits of hilarity.

My eyebrow arches in amusement. "I'm guessing you don't?" I retort, cocking my head to the side.

For a beat, Jason's laughter comes to a sudden halt, replaced by an intense stare at me. He has small eyes that peek out from underneath his thick dark eyebrows and long eyelashes.

"H-how am I supposed to use this?" The gun feels heavy in my palm as I glance at Ava, who's struggling to load it. Sweat beads on her forehead as she fumbles with the bullets, but Jason yanks the firearm from her grasp. He tucks it inside one of the holders on his side, his movements quick and efficient.

"You aren't going to be doing anything- you're just going to be our escape driver, got it?" Jason boasts. Ava seems pleased with the idea, but I don't...

"Did Riley tell you that?" I ask him, my voice strained.

"I mean, I've known her for a while. I'm sure she'll agree with me," he tips his head, a smirk playing on his lips.

"You think she will? Isn't Riley brilliant? What makes you think she'll agree with any of us?" I let out a deep sigh. "If Ava is supposed to be our getaway driver, don't you think she's supposed to be in the front with Riley? And yet she's in the back with us."

"Well, someone has to be our getaway driver! Might as well be the weakest person, right?" Jason's words cut through me like a knife, but I don't let him see the pain in my eyes.

"Why do we need a getaway driver if Riley is going to hack into the system and make sure no phones work in this area? How will they call the police? How would they know if we are shooting if we have silencers?" I fire back, my tone sharp.

He stays silent, which is good for him. The truck comes to a stop, and soon the backdoor opens. I see Riley's face again, this time looking a bit bulkier with the bulletproof vest underneath the identical white shirt and black pants we're all wearing, along with the black tie that drops down the middle.

"I didn't go over the plan in much detail this morning, as I would have liked to. We are going to overrun this city, and you have my permission to use anything you want. Do anything you want," Riley said with a cold, calculated tone. "As planned, Jason and I will deal with the local police station. William, you take care of the rest."

My heart races as I try to process the magnitude of the situation. Jason speaks up, questioning, "Wait, Riley, does that mean Ava is the getaway driver?"