Chapter Eight

"In six hours, we'll be in New Orleans." Hayes says as he drives.

When I woke up, Hayes was still asleep and I allow him to rest for a little bit longer because he needed it after what he's been through. He wounds are fully healed and he's brand new. He's back to himself and that's great  because when we get into New Orleans, I will need his strength to face Dante.

"Perfect." I reply. "Do you have any ideas on how we're going to about this?"

He shrugs. "Find Dante, attack Dante and question Dante."

Well, that's one way to do it. The voice says after being silent since that final night in the big apple.

"Sounds so simple." I say with a smile.

And I wish it were that simple but wishing couldn't get us far. We need a strong plan that won't fail us.

He smiles back. "With your powers, it will be. Dante will be alone and that's our perfect opportunity to attack him and make him completely weak it'll be easy to compel him into telling us where Ramadi is."

I nod. "Okay. Okay, I think that might actually work."

He cocks an eyebrow. "Might?"

Talking out plan A, is sounds like a good idea but having a back up couldn't hurt, right?

"We have to prepare for anything out the ordinary. The past week everything hasn't exactly been working in our favor ever since New York."

I got the information I need from Patrick only to find out it was a brunch of warehouses to search. I confronted Patrick about it and he fixed it. Only when I got to his apartment, it was too late. Someone got there before we did and killed him. My guess it was Ramadi. The government showed up and now they're on our trail as well because of Patrick's unexplainable death.

Hayes got capture in Tennessee and so did I because of him. Granted, I would've been captured a few days before then if Hayes hadn't taken care of the guardians for me in Illinois. I saved his ass in Montana and got us to Oregon. My plan was to go hit up every warehouse on the list that I could remember until Hayes come up with something better—visiting Nito.

It took us two days to get to Atlanta and once we've got there, Hayes failed to mentioned he had to risk his entire life to get Dante's location. Nito betrayed Hayes and me when he worked against us. Hayes won against Jason and that apparently wasn't supposed to happen. Hayes was supposed to die instead of Jason.

But because Hayes didn't die, Nito wanted us both dead. Hayes and I had to fight our way out after Nito told us Dante's location and now we are finally getting somewhere. Yet, it's only a matter of time before a new challenge comes into our path. Our luck seems to be horrible.

"We will find Ramadi." Hayes tells me. "Don't worry about that."

"Oh, I'm not worried. I know we will find him."

I don't care if it takes me years to hunt him down, I'm not resting until Ramadi's dead. He's taken so much from me and I'm tired him taking from me. No one else I loved and cared for is going to die because of him. No innocent lives are going to be taken for his vision of a new and better world.

He knows I'm coming for him and that's exactly what I want. I want him to know I'm hunting him down. I want him to know he won't break me. I want him to know I'm the only thing in the world that is powerful enough to ruin his vision. I want him to fear for his life.

Halfway to Louisiana, Hayes switches vehicles and now we're in a Buick. I eat my food as I hum along with the radio watching as we pass by the city into open fields.

"You know, it almost feels like we're on a road trip." I speak. "Like we're back in the summer."

"Technically, we are on a road trip without all the enjoyment."

There's not much to enjoy when everyone wants us dead and we have to duck and dodge them. It's been an unstable rollercoaster ride with too many downs. Almost a year ago, the one problems I was dealing with was the death of my family and a broken heart. How I wish that was the only pain and trouble I could have now.

That summer was supposed to help me learn to live with my losses and move forward yet it seemed to bring only more problems—one of them was Hayes.

"I'll admit, summer wasn't what I would've hoped for." Hayes says. "I could've done a few things differently."

I arch an eyebrow. "Like what? Telling me about my father? Me being a princess? Your secret?" I suggest.

He nods. "Those are on the list but not what I'm referring to. I would've shown you more than what I did. I would've been there for you more than I was and not because of Abe or Ramadi forcing me to. I would've been more open to you and given you the summer you deserved as nothing more than the ordinary girl you believed you were."

That's sweet of him to say and if it isn't for the darkness clouding my judgment and majority of my heart, I think I might've been crying just a bit. Yet, it is and I don't shed one tear.

"I'm glad you can't change anything." I reply back, turning my body to face his. "I liked how it was. It felt more real, more believable. Everything wasn't a fairytale as much as you wanted it to be. Even if you were there because you wanted to be there for yourself, it wouldn't have changed anything."

Yes, Ramadi and Abe ordered him to come into my life for different reasons but I still believe that if Hayes willingly walked into my life for his own desires, he still would've made me do his four steps and force me to sing. He would've wanted me to be myself again just like he's wanting me to go back to my normal self.

"Everything would've still came to the light eventually. So I don't regret anything. I like that summer more than you could ever known. One reason is because it brought me you. I love you."

I was trying to have a moment with him and be more expressive like the old Millie and Hayes is completely ignoring me. His grey eyes that were once on me are looking somewhere else. I would've understood if he was about to cry and didn't want me to see him but I can clearly see he isn't even close to crying.

Maybe I didn't sound as genuine as I thought I did.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I turn to look out the window. "Okay, then. Ignore me. Don't expect other heartfelt moment from me anytime soon." I mutter.

After I finish speaking, the devil finally finds his voice.

"I heard you, Boo." He reaches for my arm and uncrossed one of them to press a soft kiss on the back of my hand. "I love you more."

I scoff. "Doesn't seem like it. What are you're looking at?" I ask, glancing back to look through the back window.

"I can't be too sure but I think we're being followed. The white SUV has been trailing behind us for some time now."

I narrow my eyes. "Let's find out who our friend is then." I point to an exit up head. "Exit and head to the rest stop."

Hayes does as I ordered and pulls into the rest stop with a few other cars. The white car doesn't exit but that doesn't mean anything. They'll most likely circle back around as to not seem so obvious.

"They'll come back." Hayes says, getting out the car.

"What are we going to do?"

"Wait for them to come and see who it is."

It could be the Morches that were at Nito's place. I compelled Nito to forget Hayes and I were there but I didn't compel anyone else. They could've overheard our conversation and followed us to Dante. If it is them, Dante must know we're coming for him and our element of surprise is ruined.

On the other hand, it could be Abe's men. They had no problem finding me in Illinois and New York. Abe wouldn't just give up on me when he thinks I can't handle this mission. He fears he might lose another person he loves. He already lost my mother and sister. I won't do that to him but I need him to stop trying to track me. I know what I'm doing.

Or maybe it's because I'm with a criminal and since I'm running away with Hayes it'll be easier to bring us both back to Montana.

"They're coming." Hayes warns me. "We need to hide."

I follow him the back of the building and he helps me to get on top of the roof. Even though it isn't completely dark just yet, we still have cover in the twilight.

The white SUV pulls into the rest stop and parks a couple of cars down from ours. Three men and one woman cautiously walk over to our vehicle, hands ready to pull out their weapons at any given second.

"It's the government." Hayes informs me as they surround the car, peering inside.

They drop their arms when they realize we aren't inside.

"Check the area." One of the men orders. "They couldn't have gotten far. Gideon and Smith check the restroom. Walsh, come with me."

"Shouldn't we be making our move now?" I ask.

Hayes shakes his head. "Not yet. Wait until they're separated." He says. "And don't hurt them or use your weapons. They're still humans."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Aim for pressure points."

"You never taught me that."

"Here's your lesson; go for the neck or shoulders."

Gideon and Smith walks into their gender restroom as the other two walk around the building heading to the outskirts of the small area of wildlife.

"Remember aim for the neck or shoulders." Hayes says as Gideon and Smith returns from the restroom jumping off the roof.

I follow his lead and he attacks Gideon. I go for Smith before she can reach for her gun.

"Princess Millian, I do not want to hurt." She says as she ducks from my punch. "But I will if I have to."

"Why are you following us?" I question.

"Why is Agent Cooper dead?" She shoots back.

I throw another punch. "We didn't kill him."

"Smith, Gideon." The leader of the group calls as he rounds the corner. "Did you locate—" He stops when he notices Hayes and me.

"I'll deal with them." Hayes tells me as he rushes by me.

"If you didn't, then why were you at his apartment?" Smith asks.

"I needed information and he was willingly to give it to me."

"What information?"

"You don't need to know."

During our whole conversation, she never attempted to fight back when I'm pretty positive she can hold her own. I've gotten close to hitting her a few times but she was just a split second quickly than me.

She glances back at her team and sees them on the floor and turns back to me.

"I believe what you say is true but they're not going to stop until you two are brought in." She informs me. "Whenever you need to do, get it done before it's too late."

I frown, relaxing my stance. "What? You're letting us go?"

"If I wanted you in hand cuffs, you would've been in cuffs by now. You're a decent fighter but you still have a lot more to learn. Go before I change my mind." She heads to Gideon, checking on him.

"What is she doing?" Hayes asks, coming to stand beside me.

"She's letting us go." I reply. "So, let's leave." I walk to the car as well does Hayes. We get back on the road and I hope we don't have anymore problems on the way to New Orleans.

"What did she tell you?"

"The government thinks we killed Patrick but she isn't convinced." I shrug. "They're not going to stop hunting us until they bring us in."

Hayes sighs and I know what he's thinking. He still blames me for Patrick's death and I know I should feel bad for it but I don't. Patrick made his choice and that choice led him to his death. I know I sound like a total heartless bitch because that's exactly what I am and I don't care.

"If I'm going to go soft on certain people, I think you, as my trainer, should better inform me on the art of pressure points."

It might come in handle in certain situations and if I even decide to come out of the darkness, I don't want any more deaths on my hands. I don't want to have that feeling of guilt following me around like a dark cloud.

"Okay." He says. "It's simple. If you don't want to kill anyone, go for the neck or shoulders."

I nod. "Okay, I got that. What else?"

"Or, the front of the head. It'll give them a concussion but they'll live. The throat, depending on how hard you strike them, under the jaw, hands and feet are also harmless. As well as the forearm."

"Don't you need to demonstrate how I should strike them?"

Raising his left hand, he points to each area of pressure points on my body.

"Here, here, here and here." He says. "Are the spots you need to aim for. Precisely is what you need to be effective. But remember, it's a moving target so it might just be better for you to use another technique until you get experienced with it."

"I'll get it down." I reply. "If those are the safe ones, what are the deadly ones?"

"I shouldn't tell you but I fear if I don't, you will accidentally do it—not that you'll care if you did."

"I might."

He gives me a look. "You wouldn't."

I roll my eyes. "What are they?"

"The temples can give them a concussion, headache, hemorrhages, make them unconscious, or kill them. It's all about how hard you hit them and where you hit them. The sternum, depending on the force used, can be split in two, right in the middle and puncture the lungs." He informs me. "Obviously the ribs."

I listen closely to what he says and I already can't until I see Dante. I smile to myself and Hayes catches me.

"What are you thinking?"

I lean back in my seat, happily. "How I can't wait to kick Dante's ass."

"You do know, Dante's a big ass guy, right?"

"Yeah. What's the point?"

"The point is, you never dealt with a person his size."

"That kinda sounds dirty, Hayes."

He rolls his eyes. "Get your mind out the gutter."

"You said it, not me." I point out. "But continue."

He shakes his head. "Nope. I'm good."

I laugh. "I get it. You don't think I'm capable of taking him down but you fail to realize, I have you by my side. I'm not facing him own."

"That's a good thing. It'll be a little tougher to bring him down."

In a couple of hours, we are finally in New Orleans. Nito might've told us what city Dante is in but he didn't tell us where exactly we can find him. What did he expect us to do? Drive around in hopes my necklace could track him down?

"Where are we supposed to find him?" I ask, looking out the window.

"He's in New Orleans." Hayes says as if it's that sort everything. "He can only be in one place."

"And where's that?"

"Where the fun is at." He looks at me. "Bourbon Street."

He drives downtown and parks on the side of the road. We get out the car as a crowd of pedestrians takes over the area.

"Which bar do you think he's in?"

"Your necklace will tell us."

I glance down and it's slightly glowing a bright blue. We turn to our right and begin to walk down the sidewalk. Keeping an eye on my necklace, I notice it glows brighter.

"He's in this one." I say, pointing to the bar on the right.

Hayes opens the door for me and I walk in, scanning the room but failing to see Dante.

"He's not in here." I speak loud enough so Hayes can hear me.

"No, but there are Morches here." He informs me. "Let's go before they catch your scent."

Walking out the bar, I look at Hayes. "So much for using my necklace."

If they are Morches here, my necklace is useless in finding Dante. There's only one way to find him and that's check every building on this street. It didn't occur to me that Morches would be in this city when they have the perfect opportunity to feast on the tourists without causing chaos.

"What do we do now?" I ask as Hayes stands still as a statue. It's not like standing on the sidewalk is helping our case."

"I'm trying to get a feel of where Dante is." He says. "But there's too many Morches and it's making it complicated to sense him."

I move out the way after a group of people pushed past me to get to their location. I lean against a building, waiting for Hayes to sense Dante.

"We have to check every building." I tell him, crossing my arms. "Or we'll miss him."

Nito never said how long Dante would be here. For all we know, Dante could've been long gone.

"There's no need." He replies, eyes locked on one particular spot.

"What? What is it?" I move to stand beside him, looking at to where he's staring.

"I found him."

Seeing what Hayes is looking at, my eyes zones in on Dante's tall and muscular figure, walking with the crowd. I would've easily overlooked him if Hayes hasn't said anything.

He's getting further away and before he takes another step, I summon a good amount of water, forming it into a frozen ball of ice, and throw it at his head before running straight to him.