The Extraction List Read online

  “Look, I just think I’d better—”

  “Touch me like that again and I’ll rip your fuckin’ arm off, got it?”

  Bo ignored him and crawled under the truck right where Cain had been. Cain glanced up at me and Jordyn with a perplexed look on his face. I guessed that most of the time when he threatened to rip someone’s arm off they usually listened to him.

  “Something’s dripping out down here. Hand me some tape? It’ll have to hold ‘til we can fix it properly.”

  Cain started lunging for Bo’s feet but Mom grabbed his shoulder. “Let’s just get this done and get back on the road, okay?”

  Cain sighed but seemed to agree with Mom’s logic. He let Bo keep going.

  Bo slid back out from under the truck after he patched it up. He was about to hop back into the truck when Cain stopped him. “What’s that in your pocket, Bo? You didn’t have anything in your pockets before you went under the truck.”

  “Don’t be stupid, of course I did.”

  “No. You didn’t.”

  Jordyn hopped down from the truck then reached up to help me down afterward. She walked toward them, with me right behind her. “We get paid to notice these things. If he says you didn’t have anything before, then you didn’t have anything before.” She lunged for Bo’s pocket but he backed up. She pointed her gun at him. “Stay.” She reached her hand inside his pocket and pulled out a small silver circular object, wires spewing out of it on one side.

  I had no idea what it was, but apparently Cain did. He lunged toward Bo and thrust both knives toward the sides of Bo’s throat. Mom screamed and grabbed his arms. “NO! Cain, NO!”

  “You bastard! You put that there! You’re having us TRACKED!”

  Even in the low light of the moon and stars, I saw Mom go white. “No…no, I’m sure he just found it under the truck. He might not even know what that is.” She looked at Bo. “Right?”

  Bo’s color matched Mom’s. “Yeah. I didn’t know.”

  Cain wasn’t convinced. Honestly, neither was I. “Jordyn, search him. Riley, go into the truck and grab his pack.” I looked at Mom for approval, and she didn’t stop me. I crawled into the truck and emerged with the bag that Bo had been responsible for carrying throughout the trip.

  “Nothing.” Jordyn stepped away from Bo, but kept her gun on him.

  I handed Cain the bag.

  He threw everything out of the bag and onto the ground: shirt, pants, socks, food, water bottle…then he found it. A cellphone sat buried at the very bottom.

  Jordyn cocked her gun.

  “A goddamn CELLPHONE! Who you been calling, Bo, huh?” Cain returned his knives to Bo’s throat, pressing them into his skin ever so slightly. The skin folded around the blade, and if Cain pushed down any harder, blood would have seeped out. “ANSWER ME.”

  Mom threw her arms around Cain’s waist, trying desperately to drag him away from Bo. “Cain, please! Please!”

  He stepped back and whirled around to face my mom. “Don’t you get it, Claire? Bo knew that Riley was on the list for some time. The reason she was on the list is because HE put her there! So he could learn our route! Learn who helps us! Get us killed!”

  Mom took deep, fast breaths, shaking her head, but still gently pushed his blades down with her hand.

  “Here she is, Bo. Tell the woman you so obviously love that you’re a traitor. That you set her up from the beginning. That it’s YOUR FAULT Riley is in danger. That it’s YOUR FAULT we had to bury Hannah and Charlie. Go ahead. Tell her.”

  I ran to Mom’s side. Hannah and Charlie falling, their lives leaving them, the sound of two bullets being fired kept replaying over and over in my mind, and I braced myself for the possibility that I was about to hate Bo forever.

  His voice shook as he spoke. “Claire, I swear to you. Riley was never in any danger. But you were. They were going to kill you, Claire.”

  Suddenly, Bo became a stranger. The man that had cooked us dinner and treated me like his own daughter was gone and an unfamiliar man took his place.

  “Oh my God, you did do this. You DID do this,” Mom whispered. She ran toward him and started hitting him hard and fast, like her hands were little projectile missiles. “I TRUSTED you! With my DAUGHTER! I’m so stupid!”

  “Claire, please! Listen to me, you have to listen to me! They were going to kill you. They thought you were asking too many questions. You were starting to figure out that they were destroying everything we tried to build. The phone calls about Riley’s classmates. They knew it was only a matter of time before you figured it out. All of it. And they knew if you talked, people would listen. They knew you could bring down the whole damn thing if you wanted to. They wanted ME to do it. They wanted me to come into your home and wait ‘til Riley was asleep in her room. They wanted me to slip something into your drink so it would be clean and easy to erase you. To make you just go away. They wanted me to tell your daughter that you disappeared in the middle of the night and left her alone.” Bo’s face reddened and his eyes grew wide. “I refused. Then they told me if I didn’t, they’d find someone who would. So I made a deal. I made a deal with them to get you and Riley out of the country. And keep you alive.”

  Mom stopped hitting him. “What kind of deal?” She moved her head back as she asked the question, as if she was sure the answer would sting.

  She was right.

  Bo pointed at Cain, then Jordyn. “For them. And the rest. All of them.”

  “Oh God, Bo, you didn’t.”

  Bo sighed. “I told them I would trade the entire safe house system for you and Riley. I would go with you on your journey out of the country, and once you were safely out of the United States I would give them everything. Every single missing piece.” He put his hands on her shoulders but she shook them off. “They took the offer. But I never wanted to go through with it, Claire, I swear I didn’t. I was going to leave with you. But they started demanding ‘shows of favor,’ proof that I was loyal. That’s why they had me pick up a cellphone on the way to the car that first night. They had it hidden at the bar and told me exactly where to find it. I swiped it on our way out. That was why I had to put the tracking device on the car. I figured out how to contact George and told him to warn Cain that they were onto us so that we would be gone by the time they got there. So you wouldn’t have to see it. I didn’t want to give them Hannah and Charlie. I swear I didn’t. I did it for you.”

  Mom slapped him across the face.

  “Don’t you DARE say that to me! I never asked you to do this. I never asked you to get two people killed. Don’t you put this on me!” Mom fell to the ground.

  I hugged her and told her it was going to be okay, but I don’t think she believed me. I didn’t really believe it either, and as I embraced her I glared at Bo over her shoulder so she couldn’t see.

  “Claire, please, you have to believe me. I thought I could just lie to them and by the time they figured it out we would be long gone. Then we almost got caught. Only Gray, me, and Taskforce Head Keegan knew about the plan. Nobody wanted to risk you finding out. And they definitely didn’t want us to get captured. But the mercenaries told the police where we were headed.” As Keegan’s name escaped Bo’s lips, I could almost feel Cain’s muscles tense. “I didn’t find out what happened until Cain had already killed those first three policemen. Same thing almost happened that first night. I didn’t expect one of the Taskforce Officers to already be in your living room when I got there.” I pictured the dead man in our entryway. And the blood. “I knew I had to keep them going for as long as possible. But they kept wanting me to give them more and more information. I only gave them enough to throw suspicion off, but they just kept asking for more. Then they demanded one safe house.”

  Mom shook her head, looking like she was trying to shake the reality out of her mind.

  Bo threw his hands up in the air, and his voice roared. “You know what? I AM sorry! But you know what? I’d do it again. Because when it comes down to picking betwee
n you and somebody else, ANYONE else, I’m going to pick you every single time!”

  Cain stepped between the three of us. “That’s enough.” He called for Jordyn to come closer. Once she was beside him, he told Bo to get into the bed of the truck and had Xander come out with us. After Jordyn pointed her gun at him once again, he obeyed. Jordyn shut the tailgate behind him. Cain locked the truck.

  Cain told us to follow him farther down the road, so that we could keep an eye on Bo but he couldn’t hear what we were saying. Jordyn kept her gun on Bo as we walked. He couldn’t go anywhere, but she didn’t seem to care. “What do we do?” I asked.

  Jordyn smiled. “Well, you know my vote.” She expertly twirled her gun around in her fingers.

  “We can’t.” Not the response I was expecting from Cain. “If we kill Bo and destroy the tracker, they’re going to know that something’s up, that Bo’s been found out, and they’ll be on us in a second.” He stared out in the distance. “We’re going to need to keep them thinking that Bo’s loyal for as long as we can if we have even a prayer of getting to the compound alive.”

  Jordyn’s eyes widened. “What do you mean WE? Xander’s here now. I need to go find my parents.”

  Cain grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her square in the face. “I’m sorry, Jordyn, but you can’t go find your parents just yet. It’s too dangerous. As soon as they figure out we know their plan, they’re going to come after us in full force. We have to leave too.”

  Jordyn wrestled away. “No! I’m not going. I’m going to get you to the boat then I’m going to go find them!”

  Xander looked at his sister. “We can’t! We can’t! I wanna go home!”

  Jordyn and Xander started to march back to the truck, but Cain took both their hands.

  “I’m sorry. Jordyn, I know you know I’m right. We have to leave. We’ll figure out a way to get word to your parents to cross the border and meet us, but right now we have to leave.” He looked her right in the eyes. “I promise you we’ll find them.”

  When I first met Jordyn, I never imagined her crying in a million years. But the last few days had proven me wrong.

  Mom just stared blankly at nothing in particular.

  “Mom, what do you think?”

  “I’m sure Cain’s right, but how do we get to the port so we can sail to the compound if we know they’re going to be following us? If they meet Bo there as planned, he’s going to have to tell them about the safe houses. And that CANNOT happen. I won’t let any more children get shipped off to God knows where because of me.”

  “Mom, Bo did this, not you.”

  “He did it, yes, and I am FURIOUS. But he did it because he loves me. Loves us. And he wouldn’t have had to make that call if I hadn’t started this whole mess.”

  Cain stepped away from Jordyn and turned toward my mother. He embraced her, squeezing her tight. “It’s not your fault. You lost a child and you wanted to make sure no one else did. Did it get out of hand? Yes. But that’s not on you.” He hugged her and she smiled a tearful, grateful smile.

  Suddenly I had an idea.

  “What if we found a different car? Took off to the port in a different one?”

  Cain looked at me. “You may have just saved the day.”

  Even though it was a completely inappropriate time, I giggled. I’m sure my cheeks glowed red too.

  We marched back to the truck.

  Opening the tailgate, Cain smiled at Bo. “Hello there! Guess what? You and I are going for a little ride. There’s a town up the road where a buddy of mine owes me a favor. We can get a new car there.” He pointed to the rest of us. “The girls and Xander are going to keep driving to the port in that new car. You and I are going to drive in a different direction and lead your friends away from them. And if your friends shoot you in the process, all the better. After I handle your friends, we’ll meet them back at the port. Well, that is if Claire still wants you to come. I could just leave you there and let whoever comes to pick up the bodies kill you where you stand. Claire?”

  I held my breath as mom walked up to Bo. For what seemed like a long time she just looked at him, maybe searching for an answer. I hoped if she could make sense of what he did she would share it with me because all I heard in my ears were Hannah and Charlie’s bodies hitting the ground. Finally, she spoke. “I hate what you did. I mean I HATE it. But you’ve never steered me wrong before and I know you did it because you thought you were protecting me. So yes, I do still want you to come with us.”

  Bo smiled and reached out to hug her, but she pushed him back.

  “That said, don’t touch me.”

  Like a kicked dog, Bo cowered backward, keeping his eyes on the ground. “Okay.”

  We started to all climb in the back of the truck when Cain grabbed Bo’s arms. “Oh no, I want you up where I can see you.” He pushed Bo into the passenger seat. Jordyn didn’t seem to mind being sent to the back of the truck.

  After about forty minutes of straight, flat roads, we reached the town that Cain was talking about and parked in the back lot of a fire station. Cain went inside, and when he emerged again he had keys dangling from his fingertips.

  The car was small, white, and smelled of antiques and old socks. But Cain’s friend assured him that it had a stellar motor and would get us where we needed to go in one piece.

  Cain gave the keys to Jordyn and gave her a peck on the cheek. I bit my lip and turned away. I’d never even bothered with guys before, but Cain was different. Cain made me different. Maybe he was a few years older, but I couldn’t help reasoning with myself that what I had been through the last few days added at least a couple years to my age.

  Next he hugged Mom. “Be safe, okay? Jordyn knows the way. It’s only about sixty miles or so. We’ll lead them off your trail and then meet you.”

  “But what about you guys?” Mom said. “They’ll attack you the minute they find out you tricked them.”

  Holding up one of his knives, Cain replied, “I’m counting on it.”

  Mom relaxed. We all knew Cain could handle himself in a confrontation, and none of us would lose any sleep over the idea of another few dead Taskforce Officers.

  Next Cain came over to me. He knelt down so he could look me right in the eyes, like always. I never wanted him to look away. “Do you remember what I’ve taught you?”

  I nodded.

  “Look out for your mom, okay? Remember, don’t just use your eyes to see.” He leaned over and whispered in my ear, “If anyone is going to be okay in this world, it’s you. Stay strong, okay?”

  “I will.” I threw my arms around him. It was only when I reached up to wipe my cheek that I realized I was crying.

  Mom sat in the passenger seat, Jordyn in the driver’s seat. Xander and I stayed in the back. I watched Bo get into the passenger seat of the truck. He looked back at us and gave us a slight wave. I looked at my mom’s face. She was looking away from him. I couldn’t say that I blamed her.

  Bo’s face fell as he shut his door.

  None of us had slept, so the first thing all us passengers did was fall asleep. I wondered how Jordyn was able to be herself on so little sleep. Maybe sleep deprivation made her strong. Sleep deprivation just made me, well, sleepy.

  When I woke up awhile later, I didn’t open my eyes. Jordyn and Mom were talking, so I kept my eyes shut and my breathing steady. And listened.

  “Do you know what you’re going to do? About Bo, I mean?”

  Mom laughed. “I have never had less of a clue about anything than that.” Mom glanced at Jordyn’s gun, which was lying innocently on Jordyn’s lap. “I imagine your vote hasn’t changed?”

  “Well, yeah, but I do get where you’re coming from. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I still hate the guy. I mean REALLY hate the guy, but if I were in your shoes, I’d be having trouble too.”

  Mom smiled. “Thank you. Care to tell me how to handle it?”

  “Ha! That one’s up to you.”

  Mom sighed. “I woul
d be so much easier if I could just hate him like you. But after all he’s done, I still don’t. Is that weird?”

  “Nope. I’m not saying that you don’t have absolutely terrible taste in men, but no, it’s not weird.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh under my breath. Leave it to Jordyn to wrap comfort in insult.

  Once their conversation stopped, I revealed myself. I sat up in the back of the car and noticed we were nearing the ocean. There was no one else around, and it seemed like God made it just for us. I could hear the faint crashing of the waves over the rumble of the car, and for just a moment I forgot we were about to leave the country forever.

  I looked around the beach and all I saw was a small shed next to the water and a dock even older than our musty-smelling car. Rotten wood barely held together by rusty nails formed the shape of a pier, and I wondered how we expected it to hold a boat, let alone us, as we walked out to the boat when it docked. “Well, we’re here,” Jordyn announced, leaving her gun on her seat as she got out of the car.

  Amazing how one bad decision can change everything.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The rest of us threw open our doors and got out of the car. I ran straight out to the ocean and dipped one cautiously excited finger into the crystal clear water. I’d never seen the ocean before, except in pictures and magazines. But in those you couldn’t smell the salt or feel the sand between your toes. The real thing was much better.

  Xander was right behind me, coaxing Jordyn to join him. “Come on, sis!”

  Jordyn obeyed, and soon Mom jogged up next to her. When she knelt down to touch the water, Jordyn playfully splashed her, and before we knew it, we were all soaking wet and happy. When we got out, our clothes sloshed heavily with each step as the ocean water glided into the beach behind us.

  Like Cain told me, I started to see without my eyes. I barely heard the sound of a car coming from down the road. I wouldn’t have heard it at all if I hadn’t been paying attention. “Cain and Bo must be here!”