Chapter 35 Move

Chapter 35 Move
Nyla POV 

"The driver isn’t coming back," I said as I placed the phone down on the kitchen counter and Dr. Voss did not look up, her hands folded in front of her on the table and she said, "I expected as much," and I froze for a second and whispered, "You expected this?" and she finally looked at me and said, "The man was a contact I trusted but I have not used him in four years and four years is long enough for loyalties to change, especially when someone like Owen has unlimited resources and a strong interest in discovering who helped four people disappear overnight," and I swallowed hard and said, "So the house is not safe?" and she said, "The house is only as safe as the people who know to prepare it and the people who are paying attention, right now we need to assume that someone is watching everything outside the walls."

I moved through the house quickly, checking every room, every window, every sight line to the road and whispered to myself, "Nothing is missed, nothing is overlooked, every step counts, every second counts, keep moving, stay aware," and in the second bedroom I found it, the baseboard loose beneath the window and behind it a waterproof case and I opened it and found a prepaid phone, a folded map with three locations marked in red ink, a USB drive, and an envelope with cash and I whispered, "Someone prepared this, someone expected we might need to move in a hurry, this is not just a safe house, it is a launch point," and I carried it to the kitchen table and opened it in front of Dr. Voss and she looked at the contents and picked up the USB drive and said, "I know what is on this, eleven years of documentation I have been building inside Helix, records of every subject, every procedure, every transaction with Owen and his outside buyers, I mailed a copy here eight months ago when I first believed I might need it, this is the only thing that can dismantle Helix from the outside, without it we are fugitives, with it we have a weapon," and I whispered, "A weapon against Owen, against everything he built, we hold it in our hands, we have a chance."

Zane appeared in the kitchen doorway, upright and moving under his own power, and I whispered, "How are you standing? You should not be able to do that yet," and he looked at us with a sharp intensity and said, "There is a vehicle parked on the road beyond the tree line, it has been there twenty minutes, two people inside, engine idling," and I looked at the map and found the nearest marked location, eleven miles away and I whispered, "We do not have time, we have to move, the plan is clear, stay calm, stay close," and Dr. Voss went to prepare my mother for movement while I picked up the USB drive and put it in my pocket and then picked up the prepaid phone and turned it on and saw one number already saved and I whispered, "Whoever this is, they have been waiting for us, we have twelve minutes, do not waste time," and I called it and it rang twice before a woman answered and said, "I have been waiting for this call for six months," and before I could speak she said, "My name is Agent Reyes, do not go to any of the three marked locations, all of them are being watched, go out the back of the house into the woods and walk north for fifteen minutes, look for a grey car on a dirt track with hazard lights blinking once every thirty seconds, you have twelve minutes before the vehicle on the road moves," and then she hung up and I whispered, "Twelve minutes, do not falter, we have to move now."

I looked at Dr. Voss and Zane and said, "We have to go, move, do not stop, every second counts, the vehicle outside is real, the driver is not coming back, we have twelve minutes," and Dr. Voss nodded and said, "Prepare her mother, we move fast and quiet, every step exact, every motion precise, stay together," and I whispered to my mother, "We are moving, stay with us, hold on, every second counts, do not panic, do not look back, we survive together."

Zane moved to the side of the kitchen, eyes scanning the trees and the road and he whispered, "I can hear them, the engine idling, the vehicle has not moved yet, stay calm, stay steady, move exactly when I say," and I nodded and whispered, "We are ready, we move together, every second counts, do not falter."

I whispered to Dr. Voss, "USB is with me, prepaid phone is on, mother is prepared, we move on my mark, stay close," and she whispered back, "Ready, stay calm, every motion exact, keep her steady, every step counts," and I whispered to Zane, "Lead, watch, guide, we follow exactly, do not let them see us before we move," and he said, "Follow the path, stay low, stick to the woods, move north, timing is everything, move fast when I give the word."

I looked at my mother and whispered, "Stay with me, breathe, we are moving, we are alive, every step counts, hold on, stay calm, we survive together," and she squeezed my hand and I whispered, "Yes, stay alive, we are moving, do not falter, we move together, almost free."

I turned back to Dr. Voss and whispered, "Everything ready, every motion precise, timing is exact, we have twelve minutes, the road vehicle is a threat, stay close, move together," and she whispered, "Yes, we are ready, every second counts, every step counts, keep her steady, stay with us."

Zane whispered, "We have four minutes until the road vehicle moves, fifteen minutes to the grey car, do not make a sound, do not draw attention, move on my mark," and I whispered back, "We are ready, every motion exact, every step counts, stay calm, move when you say, do not falter."

I held the phone in one hand and the USB drive in my pocket and whispered, "We go now, every second counts, every step, every motion, stay together, move through the back, into the woods, follow exactly, timing is everything," and Dr. Voss whispered, "We are ready, stay steady, keep her mother secure, every motion exact, almost free, stay with us."

Zane whispered again, "Go now, quietly, follow the back path, move north, every step, every motion counts, stay low, do not falter," and I nodded, gripping my mother’s hand, holding the USB drive tight and whispered, "Yes, move, move, move, do not look back, stay together, survive, every second counts, timing is everything."

I looked at my mother and whispered, "We are moving, stay with us, every step counts, almost free, do not panic, hold on," and she nodded faintly and whispered back, "I am with you, I am with you, stay alive, keep moving."

Dr. Voss whispered, "Step carefully, every motion precise, every second counts, stay close, do not make noise, follow exactly," and I whispered back, "Yes, we are moving, almost free, every step counts, stay with us, survive, stay alive, do not falter."

Zane whispered one last time, "Grey car is ahead, hazard lights blinking, move fast, move exact, every second counts, follow precisely, stay together," and I whispered back, "We are moving, almost there, stay alive, every motion counts, survive together, hold on."

I called out quietly, "Move, now, every second counts, do not falter, follow north, grey car ahead, hazard lights blinking, stay together, survive," and Dr. Voss said, "We are moving, stay steady, every step exact, almost free," and my mother whispered, "I am with you, stay alive, keep moving," and Zane whispered, "Step fast, step precise, do not falter, almost there, stay together, survive."