ARKEN

Apology

Alyssa helped her sisters back to the truck. They were still recovering from the effects of Arturo's darts. Alex sat on the back bumper, Alyssa went into the cab and reached behind the seats to grab a bottle of water. She gave it to Alex, who gratefully drank from it and handed it to Audrey.

"Are you two okay?" Alyssa asked.

Alex nodded, "Now we are...that stuff was weird."

Audrey handed the bottle back to Alex, "What was that all about?"

"He was new...I've never seen him before. I don't even know what was in those darts he stuck you both with. Now he's dead, so neither of them can tell us where Stavish is going."

"I have an idea," Alex said. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a piece of paper. Alyssa took it and looked it over. It was a copy of a bill of sale for a property in Illinois.

"Where did you find this?"

"It was in the office. I found it and put it in my pocket. Next thing I knew, I was drugged."

Alyssa had never heard Stavish or anyone else ever mention a property in Illinois or anything about buying property there. It was the only thing they had to go on, though.

"We need to go to Illinois," Alyssa announced.

Audrey looked at her, "How long are we going to do this, Alyssa?"

"Until we avenge Pops." Alyssa almost struggled to say his name, still feeling wracked with guilt over it.

"So, we just chase them halfway across the country?"

"What's left for us here, Addy? We've got nothing. I'm not going to let Stavish and the others get away with this just because they've gone far away."

Audrey's eyes left Alyssa's. "You two don't have to come with me if you don't want to," Alyssa told them, "I'll go alone if I have to, but I am going."

Alex stood up, "I'm not going to let you go alone, Lys."

They looked to Audrey. After almost twenty seconds of silent staring, she stood, "Alright, I'm coming."

They got into the truck, with Alyssa driving this time. They left the scrap yard and went back to the house long enough for each of them to get a few spare outfits and other essentials. They stopped at the nearest gas station to fill up before leaving.

It was almost midnight as they went off Interstate 84 onto Interstate 82. Alyssa knew it would be more than a day's drive to get to Illinois, she planned on taking Interstate 90 all the way into Minnesota, then taking Interstate 35 down in Iowa. From there they would take Highway 18 and 218 to get to Interstate 380 and 80 to get to Interstate 74 which would take them into the heart of Illinois.

By one in the morning, they were in Washington, driving up the 82. Her sisters slept, and Alyssa focused her attention on Stavish to give herself the energy to keep going even though she was admittedly drowsy.

Stavish had always been just out of reach the whole time, even when she was a part of the group, she only ever really saw him when it was her turn to be with him.

He had the power to command absolutely without having to do anything himself, he had people willing to die for his cause. The first part of being in the group was giving up individuality, she wasn't Alyssa, she was Stavish, and so was she, and he, and she, and he, they all were.