Survivor

Chapter 18

Ruby watched the backlights of the black Range Rover from the living room as it drove down the driveway, disappearing behind the corner.

She was still in awe of the impressive garage of the mansion when Benjamin had loaded the vehicle with weapons. Sam had been smart enough to chose a completely abandoned place far away from any people, so the drive would take about two hours. Witnesses were rather unfavorable for both sides.

For a moment, Ruby just stared down the gravel driveway before turning away from the floor-length window, nervously pacing up and down. After what felt like hours, she looked at the clock. It had only been a few minutes. Frustration and worry spread through her and she fiddled with a loose string on her shirt, as she watched the seconds ticking by. There was no way she could just wait here for them to come back. The feeling of being utterly useless while others put themselves in danger was driving her crazy. Sitting down on the couch, her knee immediately started to bounce. There had to be something, anything, she could do to help them. A few minutes passed in silence, but then she froze when an idea suddenly hit her.

"I'm a doctor!"

How didn't she think of this earlier? It was impossible for them to not get injured, despite what Aaron had told her. What if all four of them got shot and no one was there to drive them home and save them? Then they were an easy target to actually get killed. Plus, Ruby wouldn't get in their way in the fight and didn't have to do anything but drive and go to some kind of hill so she could see when they needed help! Damn, she was a genius.

Ruby frantically looked at the big clock in the living room. They had left about half an hour ago, which meant Ruby would hopefully not be too late if she drove after them immediately. She remembered the address that Benjamin had typed it into the navigation system of the Range Rover. Her heart pounded in her chest when she jumped up, hurry making her clumsy, and she nearly slipped on the carpet as she sprinted towards the front door. But then she suddenly stopped, remembering a crucial detail. She had no vehicle.

"Shit."

Ruby looked around as her eyes fell on the big picture in the hallway. The wooden plate of the frame was fixed to the wall, but there was a small gap between the frame and the canvas. Irritated, Ruby squinted her eyes and nudged at the picture. The canvas swung open, revealing a whole series of keys hung inside. Ruby hadn't seen where Benjamin had gotten the car keys, but since one of the keyholders was empty, it must have been from here. He must have forgotten to close the picture completely. Holding back her excitement, Ruby paused. This felt a bit like stealing.

"Sorry Benjamin. It's just borrowed, I promise."

Grabbing a random car key, Ruby turned and ran to the garage. Her eyes fell to the slate-gray Mercedes as its lights lit up when she pressed the key. Starting the engine, she barely closed the seat belt, before slamming her foot on the gas. The tires of the car squealed as Ruby pulled out of the garage.

The more time passed, the more anxious Ruby became. The crushing feeling of being too late made her worry her lip between her teeth so much, she tasted blood. She just couldn't shake off the fear that something bad had happened. The picture of Nikitas face appeared in her mind. Ruby knew the woman for less than two days, but somehow, she couldn't stop thinking about her. She didn't know what she would do, if she had to see the light fade from those golden eyes.

When a forest appeared on the horizon after what felt like an eternity, Ruby exhaled audibly. A little of the tension of the last few hours fell away from her as she glanced at the side of the lonely road, looking for a sign that marked the way to the sawmill. Turning into an overgrown path, a shiver ran down her spine as branches and twigs scratched over the car doors.