PART 15
The old mill was an abandoned textile factory on the edge of town,
a decaying monument of brick and broken glass.
It sat by the river,
surrounded by overgrown woods and rusted fences.
I didn't drive there immediately,
that would be suicide.
I pulled into the parking lot of a crowded grocery store,
hiding my car between two large delivery trucks.
I sat there,
the engine turning off,
the rain drumming fiercely against the roof.
"Noah,"
I turned around,
looking at my sweet boy,
"I need you to do something very important for Mommy."
"Okay,"
he blinked,
holding his stuffed bear tightly.
"We are playing hide and seek."
"I need you to stay in the car,
under this big blanket,"
"and count to a very big number."
"Don't make a sound,
no matter what."
"Can you do that for me?"
He nodded,
his eyes wide,
sensing the shift in my tone.
I covered him with the heavy wool blanket,
kissing his forehead through the fabric.
I locked the car doors using the key fob,
slipping it into my pocket.
I didn't have the drive,
I didn't even know what it looked like.
But I knew where my father kept his most sacred things.
His old workshop in the basement of his house.
If he had hidden a backup,
it would be there.
I left the grocery store on foot,
slipping through the shadows of the trees,
walking the two miles to my dad’s property.
Every sound made me jump,
every snapping twig felt like a gunshot.
The rain soaked through my jacket,
chilling me to the bone,
but the anger inside me was burning hot.
They had taken my money,
my sister,
my husband,
and now my father.
They wanted a war,
May you like
and I was going to give them one,
even if I had to burn everything down to win it.
