Deserted Highways

Don't Tell Me if I'm Dying

Unharmed, completely fine, and free to go save more pathetic human lives and live her life as a widow. If you show up with anyone other than yourself, if you are so much as a millisecond late, if I get a whiff of Kaelie anywhere, I will slit your mother's throat while you watch, and then I will make sure Kaelie watches you choke on your own blood. Do I make myself very clear?"

Jace's face went cold, clammy. He could feel a cool line of sweat trailing its way from his forehead and down under his collar and he placed his free hand under the still running water, wiping it over his face in an attempt to focus. He knew. He knew it was monumentally stupid, giving in to Jordan, meeting him alone, he knew it was a ploy, a means to an end, that Kaelie would show up whether he told her or not.

Jace had no choice. He had to do it, exactly, or his mother died. She would die for nothing, and then he would die for nothing, and Kaelie would be left to watch, standing alone, and then she would die too, trying to avenge him. If he did it, and he did it right, his mom would walk free. He still may not live, but he knew Kaelie would find a way to get him out, that she'd never let Jordan have her, never give him whatever it was that he wanted from her.

"Here, Jace. Proof that I'm no liar," Jordan's voice came again. There was a short scuffling sound, Jace could hear someone whimpering.

"JayBird," his mom called, her voice hoarse with tears and pain. "JayBird, don't do it, I'll be okay. JayBird, don't do it," she begged and Jace heard the sickening sound of skin on skin and then a crash as his mom fell to the floor.

"Unsurprising," Jordan said, monotone.

"Where?" Jace asked, quiet, cool, collected. His mind was clear. He had no choice.

"There's an airfield 17.5 miles outside of Phoenix. Very small. Go to the hangar on the far left, a helicopter will be out front. Wait outside the hangar for me, at exactly sundown. Clock's tickin' Jace, you've only got about an hour of sunlight left," Jordan said, his voice haunting. "Tick tock."

Jace hung up. He flushed the toilet, trying to keep the others off his trail for as long as possible. He looked above the toilet, saw a small window he would very narrowly be able to fit through. He climbed onto the toilet, his shoes scuffing the porcelain. He forced the window open slowly, trying to avoid any noises. He looked to the bathroom door. Nothing. He climbed onto the tank, cringing as the lid clanged against the toilet. Still, no one came, and then he squeezed his way through the window, landing quietly on the dying grass below and rubbing his pants clean. He took off towards the street quickly, he'd need to find a ride, there was no way they wouldn't notice the missing car.

"I'm coming mom," he said.

Chapter 15

Burned Out

Kaelie paced back in forth in the narrow room. Her head was pounding now, trying to figure it out, she wanted nothing more than to lay down next to Jace and let him run his long fingers through her hair. She was tired, she felt empty and worn down. She rubbed her hands together, but she wasn't cold, and she listened to Sarah argue with Michael about what Mrs. Dae's note could have meant. They were going in circles, spinning the same ideas in new words and no one was getting anywhere. They'd run through every species of bird Google could find, every play on words, every nonsensical anagram, they had nothing.

Bird, bird, bird, she thought. Maybe- maybe it wasn't an animal at all, but some form of transportation. A plane? "Fuck," she exclaimed loudly and suddenly. "Fuck!"

The room fell quiet, she heard the toilet in the bathroom flush. "I think I figured it out," she said quietly, still turning the idea around in her head.