AllFreeNovel
Share Us
While we have the more important details of the heist figured out and solidified, I still haven’t determined how I’m going to take the USB from her.
Will she put up a fight? Most definitely.
Do I have it in my heart to hurt her? Absolutely not.
I tell myself it’s simply a matter of strength. I can easily overpower her if I have to and take the USB right from her hands without harming her. I also have the element of surprise. Hopefully by the time she realizes what I’ve done, I’ll already be out the door and on my way back to France to save my daughter.
My heart pounds just thinking about it. I try not to dwell on what her reaction will be, but I can’t stop picturing the devastation in her pretty eyes. I can envision her fury, her heartbreak. This is going to be rough, but I’ve known that since the very beginning. Still, it doesn’t make things easier.
“Yes!” Raquel exclaims from the living room.
I look up from the notes Klaus and Anders sent us with regards to our escape route. They have a car waiting for us in the woods, its exact location marked on a map with the keys hidden in the driver’s sun visor.
“What’s up?” I ask her.
She turns, her smile so brilliant and bright it’s almost blinding. “I did it!” she exclaims, gesturing to her practice door. “I cracked it fifty times in a row without a single mistake in under forty-five seconds.”
Pride blooms in my chest. “That’s amazing. You’ll be out of there with fifteen seconds to spare.”
Raquel stands up, stretching her arms above her head with a satisfied smirk. “Dare I say it, but I think this is going to be a cakewalk. I wish Dad could see me now.”
Guilt sits heavily in my chest, a giant, sticky lump that makes it difficult to breathe. She’s been working around the clock, perfecting her skills in preparation for the big day. Her work ethic is unlike any I’ve seen. I’ll sometimes wake in the middle of the night to the sound of those combination locks spinning. Recently, she’s been waking up extra early and going to bed super late just so she can try again and again and again.
Raquel skips over and climbs onto my lap, giving me a big hug and a kiss. “We’re going to do it,” she says. “We’re going to pull this off.”
I smile warmly at her. “I never had any doubt.”
“Okay, back to the grind.”
She tries to pull away to return to her work, but I loop my arm around her waist to keep her from leaving. “Back to the grind? You’ve been at it non-stop. Why don’t you take a break?”
“Can’t. Gotta practice.”
“How many different combinations have you cracked in the past twenty-four hours?”
Raquel chews on the inside of her cheek, looking up at the ceiling like she’s doing mental math. “Over five hundred,” she concludes. “I can probably crack another five hundred by tomorrow if I start now.”
“You’ll do no such thing.”
“But Gabriel—”
“You’re obsessing.”
“Because Ihaveto.” She looks me in the eye, weariness dragging down the features of her otherwise beautiful face.
She desperately needs a good night’s sleep. Her eyes are red around the edges, tangles warp her hair, and her lips are dry from constant licking. Throughout it all, she remains chipper and upbeat, but I know her better than that. I can feel her tension in the rigidity of her shoulders, in the anxious bounce of her knee, in the way she keeps chewing her nails.
“You need a break,” I tell her firmly. “Why don’t we take a walk?”
“Some fresh air might be nice,” she admits. “I feel like I’m about to go stir-crazy.”
“About to?” I reply with a chuckle. “Come on, little bird. Grab your coat.”
* * *
It may be late into the evening, but plenty of people are still out and about. The sidewalks are covered in piled up snow, and the decorative trees lining the streets twinkle with warm white string lights. People pass by with big shopping bags full of gifts, talking merrily amongst themselves about Christmas dinner plans with their families.
When we pass a Christmas market, Raquel gasps. She doesn’t even bother asking me if I want to go; she’s dragging me in by the hand with an excited skip in her step. We’re surrounded on all sides by wooden stalls, local vendors selling their homemade goods. Numerous displays full of specialty fudge, delicate tree ornaments, expertly crafted toys, and knitted scarves and gloves fill the space in a bright collage of colors and sweet scents. Christmas carols are playing over the market’s speaker system.
