Edict 42

Chapter 10- Alina

The birds cawked in the distance as the waves crashed against the cliff.

Alina’s hand was shaking, she took deep breaths with her eyes closed. What I did was right, right? I had to kill them otherwise they would kill me. Alina felt the sun’s presence on her hand it was hot and stood above head it had to be midday now.

After a check on what they the two men were carrying. Alina had found what seemed like an execution order. It was entitled, “Subject due for termination threat deemed too high to release.” They were going to kill her, then why did she feel so bad about killing them. The pain hadn’t hit her until she had internalized it. She had thrown up twice and the thoughts of their dead bodies lingering on the ground circulated in her mind.

She was a murder.

Alina had been sitting in the truck at a lost for what to do next. She had initially thought it would all be over when she escaped her confinement and reported the matter to the police. The situation that unraveled before her was far from what she was expecting. She looked at her face in the rearview mirror, there was a small cut on her left cheek and a slight bruise under her right eye which looked pronounced on her light brown skin.

Should she contact her husband? The two men had phones and the man was probably worried out of his mind. Who ever would have thought that the thing she detested most about him was what ended up saving her life. If he had not been worrying so much she would have never went gun training on her off days or picked up martial arts. If she had to contact him though that would probably be the end for both of them. They had to be waiting there or when they find out from lack of contact. They would come here first and then there after, she doubt they would be watching a man when they already had what they wanted.

She looked back at the logged house perhaps she should tamper with it a bit? Make it seem that she was kidn*pped from outside but no that wouldn’t add up with the scene down stairs. Outside of that she didn’t even know how to begin something like that.

Nikkolai that bastard was in line with the secret police. The men that kidn*pped her that she thought were just with the company. A product of wanting to silence her about what she dreamed about and the project Cain were now linked to the government. She had first thought it was more of an elitist move or funded. She had to stopped all of this or else millions of people could die. If they approached her about this the other person they would probably try would be Ryan.

Alina hit the steering wheel with her hand. These men, she though before starting the engine at some point someone will come looking for them. She would have to find somewhere to lay low.

She tried to pull up a GPS on the truck but it didn’t respond. She sighed, looked at the gastank it was halfway. They wouldn’t have come with this amount if something wasn’t in the area. Alina decided she would gamble by driving directionless until she either found a gas station or some place else to go. She had never driven a truck before and she fumbled with it initially to get it moving.

The truck creaked as it slowly moved forward through the woods on the track.

It was a while before Alina found herself greeted by a cracked road leading either left or right. On both sides of the road was more forest and some poles were also there but no street lights.

She decided to go right and pray that her decision was a good one. The truck turned and fought her as she shifted on to the road it bounced forward and then back.

The road seemed never ending with the trees looking identical. Every c***k was felt causing the truck to bump up and down. It was only when she was far out on the road that Alina remembered she didn’t take any of the weapons or ammo from the last two men. She was in such a hurry to get out she had left everything there instead. Should she go back for them? What if they were already there? They would find out soon wouldn’t they? She was a walking target with this truck. She would have to get rid of it but how?

It was a long while before she found the first sign of civilization on her left. The sight gave her relief. It resembled a motel with a convenience store outside. There were two cars parked on the outside. Alina pulled into the car park and parked the truck. She took a deep breath looked in the mirror and tried to make sure she didn’t look rattled or crazy.

The convenience store was at the side of the motel that looked almost like a square with a small looking seated area in the centre. The building seemed old like it was here for a long time. The paint on the motel’s side was fading revealing gray and white in certain areas. On the other hand the convenience store stood out with bright yellow.

“What do I need?” she said out loud, “Information, I need to know where the hell am I and how far from civilization.”

It wasn’t like she had much of a plan after this. Being out here might be even far safer than going back into the city. Where exactly would she go or who would she talk to. If they came to her with the Cain project the only other person she could think of that would be stupid enough to accept would be Ryan. They were the two brightest minds at Bostic Lab. The way they approach her she figure that he would probably buckle under the pressure. After all she didn’t know that a gun was going to come out and be pointed in her direction.

Maybe she should of just accepted it, and faked the plan until she found a way out. Could of, should of, would of, none of that mattered now she had to face the reality of her situation. Alina opened the cubbyhole and found a pair of shades seated within. She grabbed it and placed the shades on her face. Opening the door, she stepped outside the truck and headed towards the convenience store.

There were a few people hanging around outside what appeared to be the motel rooms and heading towards the table. From some of their apperances they didn’t look like the friendly bunch. Hopefully it would be different in the store.

Alina walked to the door and pushed it open. The inside of the store was a shocker, shelves laid bare with almost nothing on them. She turned to the shop keeper to see a few CFG products behind them but none of the other competiting brands. Cigarettes and alcohol were also dominant on the top shelves.

“Good day, sir,” Alina said to the man behind the counter and walked forward.

At least she thought it was a man until she had walked forward further to realise that it was instead a woman that had grown a moustache. The woman was tall and muscular and the blue overall she had on help give her the look of a strapping mature man.

The woman frowned at her. “What are you having?”

“Sorry,” Alina replied, “I am just wondering if I can get some directions or do you have a map that I might be able to use---.”

“Buy, you mean buy, we don’t give out anything here for free. Is that all?” The woman asked Alina with one eye looking at her the other in a next direction.

“Okay how much for the map and would you be able to tell me the location of where I am?”

“Yeah, once you buy the map or something in the store.”

Alina thought for a while she was sure that she had seen some money in the cubbyhole when she had taken out the shades.

“One moment, I will be right back,” Alina said, as she walked towards the exit door and stepped outside.

Outside Alina saw a lanky over tan young man standing next to the truck. He wore blue shorts and a white tshirt while scratching his unkept beard. He removed his black baseball cap off his head as he proceeded to peer inside the vehicle. She took a step back but realized that the man did not appear to be a threat.

“Can I help you?” she asked the man as she continued to walk forward.

The man jumped at the suddenness of her voice and turned in her direction as he smiled sheepishly revealing brown stained teeth. He reeked of alcohol and tobacco.

“Is Lenny with you?” he asked, “He said that he would come back and gave me some money in an hour or two. I saw the truck so I thought that he had returned.”

Lenny? Who the hell was Lenny. Was it one of the two men that she had killed or was it the man that gave her the food. She couldn’t remember the name, they had made a stop here it seemed this man might be a threat if they were searching for her.

“No Lenny isn’t with me, I am just trying to get a map of the area at the moment,” Alina said while walking towards the truck.

“A map of the area? He looked at the convenience store, Ma tried to sell you one I figure? Wait here, I have one of those, wait a moment going to get it from my room.”

Before Alina could even respond to him, he had already headed in the direction of the motel.

Alina opened the truck door and sat inside and waited. In the cubby hole she had found the money but she felt very uneasy being exposed like this. She kept her eyes constantly turned towards the road in the direction which she came.

The sudden noise that came on the truck door startled her as the man had returned.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare ya, here.” He handed Alina a folded map, she took it from him but not before noticing the tattoos on his outstretched hand. Gang related? She wondered to herself.

“Thanks,” Alina said as she opened it, “Do you happen to know where exactly we are on this map?”

He looked at her confused, “ You don’t know where you are?”

He took the map and placed his hand on it as Alina’s eyes followed.

“Here, we are here.” He tapped his finger on the same spot twice.

Alina looked at it and compared it to where the city was. It looked like a day or two days away from the city. She looked at the gas tank. She didn’t think she would last that long with out getting some gas.

“Thank you, very much,” Alina said to the man.

“Its no problem lady. Tell Lenny for me when you get the chance not to forget me.” The man said as he walked away from the truck.

“I will,” Alina responded as she started the truck and placed the map in her lap.

She reversed the truck out of the car park and headed in the direction of where the map shown the city lay.

She thought she would have enough money to make a gas stop on the way but she might not have enough to eat anything for a while. Although for the moment that wasn’t her biggest concern. She was far too worried about other things. The thought that kept crossing her mind was what would she do when she made it to the city?