Babe.

49.

Benny.

In the last five minutes the look on my girlfriend's face had gone from terrified to determined and it had scared the hell out of me. Terrified I could handle, determined was dangerous. When Blanca set her mind on something there was quite literally nothing tthat could stop her getting what she wanted. I'd seen it a million times she was like fucking super girl.

Only this time I didn't know her plan which meant I couldn't intervene if she did something incredibly stupid and or reckless on all of our behalves. It was freaking me the hell out. 

Blanca. 

It had taken one look at my shell shocked face in the reflection of the front mirror in the car and realised how unbelievably pathetic I was being. How unbelievably pathetic I'd been. They were right when they said if you wanted things done right you needed them done yourself, I couldn't keep expecting other people to save me. I needed to do it myself. 

So far everything I'd wanted to do I'd done, I'd learnt how to dance even though my teachers had sworn up and down that I had no rhythm, I'd taught myself how to speak french fluently and I was the best in our grade at every single subject in our school. That led to the logical conclusion that I was smart, poteintially smart enough to figure out a way for all nine of us to get out of this unharmed. 

"What are you thinking?" Benny asked looking stressed. 

"Nothing worth saying out loud yet," I relplied quietly as I tried to compile all of the information I had about who was chasing us. 

He shot me a 'level with me here' look, "it's always worth saying out loud, I need you to fill me in on what's going on in that crazy head of yours or I won't be able to focus on outdriving them."

"I'm scheming, but I don't have all the information I need yet for my scheme so I need to think," I replied quietly, "I'll fill you in once I'm done."

I wasn't listening anymore when he replied because I was too wrapped up in myself. What did I know about my Uncle? I needed to start simple, what was feuling all of this? He'd been disowned by my family, my grandmother and my father had erased him from their life so clearly he must have had a whole bunch of complexes about his family. Mommy issues probably, infiriority complex, definitely anger issues which led me to believe he was probably unstable, easily set off, that could be useful. It might make him more easy to manipulate, but it also made him dangerous because he was probably volatile. 

What else did I know? We were probably outnumbered and definitely outpowered, they had guns and we didn't so that was one obvious advantage to them. Our cars weren't full of gas theirs probably were so that was another point to them. This was too pessimistic of me though, I needed to start thinking about where we had the upper hand. 

I knew the forrest pretty well, I'd gotten so bored while I was in the cabin alone that I'd memorised the entire map of the surrounding area, that could potentially give me the advantage. They probably knew it well too though, seeing as they'd had to stake me out, so I would say that we were even on that account. 

Come on Blanca, what are your best assets? You're a super crazy people pleaser which means you're good at reading people, so read him, what are this guys' weaknesses? He can't be a meticulous planner otherwise he never would have gotten caught, so he's a bit sloppy, maybe he hasn't thought this through fully. Plans fueled by rage were rarely very thought through. 

What else? What else? What do you have on him? He's a violent, dangerous criminal, who is an expert in multiple different areas, kidnapping is probably one of many. This is no big deal for him, he's calm right now. I needed to rattle him, make him mad, throw him off track. I needed to change the rules of this unbelievably twisted game so that they benefited us instead of them. How the hell was I going to do that?

"Turn left at the next road going into the forrest," I said as I focused on the picture of the map I had created in my head. They were catching up to us and we needed to lose them fast, woodland terrain would make it harder for the guys on the motor cycles because the woodland roads were total shit and their motorcycles wouldn't be balanced enough to take it. Their cars were another story but there were only two of those so at least we'd be a little more evenly matched that way. 

"Are you sure?" Benny asked glancing behind us, "because that road won't lead us to town." 

"I know, but town is too far for us to risk it, the woods might give us a fighting chance," I said determinedly as I climbed over my friends to get into the trunk of the car to see what we had with us other than clothes. 

"BB what in gods name are you doing?" Nika asked confused. 

"I need to leave a sign at the road so that when the police come they know where we drove into the forrest," I said pulling open her suitcase when I realised we only had petrol and our bags back here. "What's the thing in your bag you'll miss the least?" 

"You're such a cow," she muttered, "take the black cardigan."

"Thanks." 

"Care to fill us in on the rest of your plan?" My boyfriend called back after he used the walkie talkie to tell Kya where to turn.

"Uhuh," I clambered back into my seat, "the roads are too rough for the bikes, and there's a bridge leading onto an island in the lake, one of those stringy ones. If we cut it then they'll have to swim across and they'll separate which will make them easier for us to take them." 

He gaped at me, "you want us to take them?" 

"Nine kids verses one man with a gun odds are a lot better than nine kids vs nine adults who have guns," I pointed out, "the nearest town is miles away from here it would take ages before the police found us! We have to take matters into our own hands." 

"Where is this coming from?" 

"I'm tired of being pushed around Benny, and other people trying to decide my life for me," I said firmly, "and I'm not waiting around for them to take me either. So there's only one thing I can do, fight back." 

"You really think we have any chance at all against them?" Yeah-yeah asked worriedly, "that's fucking insane." 

"Yeah, if we can get them to split up, I do. So unless you have a better plan I suggest you get on board because this is the only way all nine of us are getting out of here alive," I snapped, "any objections." 

"Just for the record I think this is a horrible plan," he shot back.

"But?" 

He sighed, "but if this is the only chance we have of living then I say we do it." 

"Me too," Nika added winking at me. 

"Same." That was Ty, him I wasn't too happy about involving, he was a twelve year old little boy, he didn't need this, but I had no where I could leave him where he'd be safe so I had no choice but to take him with us. 

I turned to Benny the only person I actually needed to be on board with this, not just because he was driving but also because he was my support system. I needed his help. 

"Fuck, fine I'll do it," he agreed turning sharply down the road, "I'll help you with this completely crazy plan."