7 Minutes ✧ Syndisparklez

Master Plan

"Jordan," I whispered, gently shaking his shoulder. "Jordan, get up."

"What? What time is it?"

"It's like 4:25 or something, I don't know. I need to talk to you."

"4:25 in the morning?"

"Yes, in the morning, can you just come to my tent before Tom wakes up? Please?"

"It's still dark outside, can't this wait-"

"Jordan."

"Alright, fine!"

I hurried back over to my tent, finishing up some things. I shoved some clothes, a few hygiene items, and my portable charger into my backpack. I scrambled to put my phone and Ethan's keys into my back pocket, and secured my gun to my belt.

"What are you doing?" Jordan questioned, rubbing his tired eyes. He held blanket tightly around his waist.

"Do... Do you have clothes on?"

"...not important. What are you doing?"

"I have a plan."

"To wake my ass up at four in the morning?"

"No, sit down- and cover your goods please. Tom may want to see it, but I don't," I laughed.

"Sorry. So what's this master plan of yours?"

~~My Realization~~
As I was laying on the cold hard ground that night, I finally realized something that should have been slapping me in the face. I had no strings attached. Sure, these were all my friends and I appreciated them, but they have families. Jordan and Tom have each other, and Alice is pregnant, and Jojo and Ethan are together, and what did I have? A bunch of friendly neighborhood prostitutes who housed me after I was raped? I had no one; therefore, I had absolutely nothing to lose.

"I need you to help me get everybody's phone," I ordered.

"That's your plan?"

"No, it's only the very beginning of the plan. Can you please trust me on this?"

Jordan looked into my eyes, studying my face. His expression relaxed as he finally agreed: "fine."

"I want everyone's phone and everyone's computer. Anything electronic, really; except for Ethan's flip phone."

"Ethan has a flip phone?" Jordan giggled. "What a nerd."

"Yes, he has a flip phone for when he needs to go undercover and can't be tracked."

Jordan seemed confused as to where I was going with this, but he patiently followed along with what I told him we needed to do. We stealthily creeped around our make-shift campsite, collecting everybody's electronics and tying them inside a plastic sac in my tent.

"So why did we do that."

"I can't have him finding you while I'm gone."

~~The Master Plan~~
Without traceable technology, the whole group was off the grid - except for me; I would have everyone's bugged and tracked phones in Ethan's truck with me, making me the largest target leading Oliver and James right to me. Somewhere exactly where I would have wanted them. Jordan, Tom, and Alice would be safe in the forest with armed guards (Ethan and his husband) to protect them, while I killed James and Oliver. Once it was all sorted out, I'd call Ethan's flip phone, let them know I was on my way, and return everyone home safely.

"Are you insane?"

"Jordan, please. I know there are probably a hundred other ways to solve this, but I'm tired of seeing you and Tom suffer. You were both so happy together and you deserve to be happy again, but that will never happen as long as James is alive."

"But you're not a detective. You're going to be arrested. Ethan just had this talk with Tom about four hours ago-"

"I'm one hell of a shot, so they're gonna be gone for good. And if charges were to be pressed, I'm a lawyer. I'll get out of it."

"Ingrid-"

"Jordan, you deserve to be happy." I watched as his eyes welled with tears.

"Ethan won't let you do this, you know he won't."

"You're right," I laughed, gently wiping a tear away from his face with the edge of my thumb. "That's why it's a secret. You're going to tell them what's going on in the morning when I'm already gone."

"We can find another way. We can all do this together."

"Jordan, that's too risky. Tom can't lose you again."

Jordan took in a shaky breath, glancing down at the ground.

"Alright, fine. But please promise me you'll stay in contact with us through Ethan's flip phone? More than just once the job is done."

"I can do that."

"Okay."

Jordan quietly helped me gather my things and the stolen technology, and secured them in the truck.

"Be safe, please," Jordan said, giving me a kiss on the check. My heart dropped as the realization of how intense the next few days were going to be settled in. However, I kept telling myself it would all be worth it - no matter how brutally intense it may be.

The engine growled as I started the truck. The yellow glow of the headlights softly illuminated the little hide away we had built together. If only we could hide here forever, but that wouldn't be fair to any of us.

As I shifted the gear to reverse, I caught a final glimpse of Jordan snuggling into Tom's arms. Jordan softly smiled and waved as I pulled away.

My heart felt as though it were a pin cushion as I drove away in the dark, my path only illuminated by the weak headlights and the fluorescent moon. My biological family was virtually gone. The people sleeping peacefully in those tents were the closest I had to a family. God, I wish Mason and Damien were here to meet them. They would have loved them.

I know I loved them.

Hot tears streamed down my face, leaving damp remnants of sorrow embedded into the fabric of my shirt. I choked back sobs, blasting the radio to drown out my nervousness to lose them.

~~Update~~
I miss them all. So much.