Void (The Youngest, Book 3.B.)

Chapter 十六 (B)

Scott leaned over the street map, eyes scanning the various routes as he went over the plan Allison and Lydia had pieced together. He sighed, shaking his head slowly as the weight of the plan settled in his mind.

"This is a really bad plan," he said finally, looking up at the others.

Lydia, bouncing Kylie gently in her arms, tilted her head slightly. "It's not that bad," she said, though her tone betrayed her lack of full confidence.

"It's definitely not that good," Ethan added, a touch of dry humor in his voice.

Lydia sighed, adjusting Kylie in her hold. "Look, none of us knows the exact route they're going to take. If Allison can get one of her dad's GPS trackers on the armored car, we could follow it and adjust as needed."

Allison nodded, pointing at the bridge on the map. "So, when they reach this point-"

"We attack them," Aiden interrupted, finishing her sentence with a smirk.

Lydia shot him a sharp look. "No! You and Ethan will pretend you got into a bike accident on the road. It'll force the driver to stop, and that's when we move in."

Aiden looked ready to interrupt again, but Lydia cut him off. "Distract him. Distract him, Aiden. Not attack." She turned to the rest of them, visibly exasperated.

Scott sighed, and Ethan rubbed his temple, clearly feeling the weight of Aiden's unhelpful commentary.

Lydia refocused. "While Aiden and Ethan distract the driver, Scott will get to the back door of the truck."

Scott blinked, pointing to himself. "Me? Break open the back door? I'm not exactly experienced with armored vehicles."

"You can do it," Lydia insisted, though her tone held a mix of confidence and desperation.

She turned to Ethan. "Once Scott gets the back open, your job is to find Katashi's finger. That's where the scroll is hidden."

Ethan frowned. "Wait, it's not actually his finger, right?" He looked nervous at the idea.

Lydia groaned in exasperation. "It's a metal prosthetic. We need to retrieve it without drawing too much attention."

Scott shared Lydia's sentiment. This plan was out of their comfort zone-usually, Stiles was the one who came up with plans like this, detailing them so well that everyone felt confident, even when the plans were insane. Without him, the weight of the situation felt heavier.

"Why aren't we getting help from Stilinski?" Ethan asked, clearly uncomfortable.

"Because if he gets caught, it's the Sheriff tampering with federal evidence," Lydia reminded him. "He's got enough to worry about without us adding federal crimes to his list."

Allison stepped forward, her voice clear. "Guys, this is going to work. We have to make it work. We're losing Stiles, and Kylie is barely hanging on. My dad is in jail for murder. We need to do this-for all of them."

Scott nodded, sharing a look with Lydia. She nodded in return, her expression softening. Ethan and Aiden exchanged a glance before reluctantly agreeing. Even though they were all scared, Allison's words had given them the will to try.

Aiden then pointed to Kylie, who was now walking around, dragging her teddy bear along with her. "And what about Kylie?"

Scott, Lydia, and Allison exchanged a worried look, and Scott let out a sigh. "For now, she'll stay with Lydia. We'll figure out what to do after."

Lydia knelt to Kylie's level, giving her a gentle smile as she placed a hand on her back. "I'll take care of you, okay, sweetheart?" Kylie nodded sleepily, leaning into Lydia's comforting hold. The weight of it all wasn't lost on Lydia, but she'd protect Kylie with everything she had.