Shattered Girls (Broken Dolls Book 2) (17 page)

And there it is. Sianne is officially working with Lisa for money. From what I can vaguely recall, working with Lisa never ends well.

ianne is hilariously awkward on the bus. She sits upright and tenses her entire body. Darting her eyes side to side, she grips her handbag so tightly until her knuckles go white. Leaning over to the man next to her, she sniffs his ear, snapping back when he frowns at her.

“You’re doing pretty well, Gabby,” I say, nestled in her lap.

“What do you mean?”

“You usually get motion sickness. You’re really boring on rollercoasters. And a nightmare on car trips. Did you take the anti-nausea pills?”

Gabby sweeps her hair behind her ear and stares out the window. “Something like that.” She cuddles me. “Ella, I haven’t had a drink all day. I haven’t needed to. I feel kind of numb… I’m worried.”

I glance at Sianne. Gabby’s got to be feeling strange because of whatever Sianne and Lisa did to her, but I can’t even bring it up while one of the culprits is around.

“Maybe it’s because we’re at the back of the bus?” I propose casually. “Maybe you don’t get sick back here?”

She doesn’t respond. Our fellow riders cough and listlessly rummage through their belongings.

Sianne scrambles through her pockets when her phone vibrates against her purse. She answers it, shifting her eyes guiltily. “Yeah. Yeah, they’re on their way. Yes, ma’am. No, ma’am. We’ve got this.” She hangs up and clicks her tongue at me.

“Who was that?” I ask.

“Who is anybody? Gosh, you’re skinny.”

Ugh. Well, that went nowhere fast. I bet it’s Lisa. I kick my heels together, struggling to see through the window. I’d sit on Gabby’s shoulder, but she seems comfortable with her hand resting on my legs. Instead, I whistle and long for the day the professor creates earbuds small enough to fit my ears.

It’s not long before Sianne passes out. Her jaw hangs open, a line of drool dangling from her lips. Her snores are loud, and her body jolts when the man beside her pushes her off his shoulder.

Gabby doesn’t sleep. She barely blinks. Her responses are mumbled “mmm’s” and “oh’s”. Not only is it annoying, it’s disheartening. The hours are a lot longer when you haven’t got anything to do.

The bus makes its first stop, and the man beside Sianne grumbles and gets off, leaving her to slam into the seat. She doesn’t wake; she only snores louder.

“Two more hours.” Gabby’s mouth is covered by her hand as she leans onto the window pane.

“Do you think my plan will work?” I plait my hair, undo it, and attempt to braid it.

Gabby shrugs.

“I’m really scared, you know. Not just because we’ll be in New York City. I’ve never been to such a big place. But I’m scared it won’t work.”

Gabby doesn’t answer. She only concentrates on the sunset. It’s not long before the blurred countryside is encompassed by darkness.

The bus rolls to a stop.

I glance up through the window, stunned by the city’s size. The buildings are squeezed together and people trot along shoulder to shoulder, unwittingly trapped in their cement prison. How can anyone live in a world so sterile and rushed? There’s always traffic, always lights, always something to distract you from your thoughts. No one is ever alone, and yet, everybody seems remarkably lonely.

I feel agoraphobic, and we haven’t even left the bus yet. I guess I’m a small-town girl at heart.

Gabby taps Sianne, who sits upright and wipes the drool from her face. “We’re here?”

“We’re here.” She reluctantly sidesteps Sianne to get to the front of the bus and shoves me into her jeans pocket. Seriously, these pants must be painted on. That it’s tight and awkward doesn’t even need to be said.

Sianne follows close behind, tripping over the eight bags she packed and smacking her purse in the back of the driver’s head. She brought a kettle for some reason, and a swimsuit. “Pack for every occasion!” she said. Maybe that’s why she brought skis.

“So, do you know what you’re doing?” she asks once on the solid ground. She stretches, her neck cracking as she gapes at the starless night.

“Yes,” Gabby says. “Stay in the shadows. Find my family. When we get Grandpa back, we’ll find a way to wipe the company data, free the abductees, and stop the madness.”

“It’s easy on paper,” I add, wriggling in her pocket. “So, a cab. Let’s catch one. Isn’t it what you do around here?”

“We need to put Sianne’s stuff somewhere.”

“Central Park,” Sianne blurts. “Yeah! Under the bridge! If something goes wrong, I’ll be waiting there with Lisa’s back-up.”

“Isn’t Central Park dangerous?” Gabby rubs the back of her neck. “Or Lisa?”

“Only to those who think they’re safe.” Sianne winks and signals for Gabby to move. “Come now, come now. I’ll meet you under the bridge when you’re finished.”

Maybe it’s the passing headlights shining on Gabby’s face that make her look so ghostly, or maybe it’s our suicide mission. Cracking her knuckles, she lets a small whine escape her throat. “That’s if we see you again.”

“Bah! Of course you will! We’ve got strong blood in us, missy! Well, for those of us who have blood.” Dropping her bags, Sianne stretches her arms, hinting at a cuddle.

Gabby doesn’t hesitate. She dives towards Sianne and buries her head in her chest, even though she’s now considerably taller than Sianne. I hadn’t noticed that before. One minute she’s a child, and now, she’s a woman embarking on a world-changing mission.

“You know the plan.” Sianne wipes a stray tear off Gabby’s cheek. “You know how to contact me; you
both
do. If anything goes wrong, I’ll power on. We
will
do this for Daniel. And your parents.” Sianne glances at me. “And for
you
.”

Fumbling with a frayed chord dangling from her coat, I bring it closer, just so I have something of Sianne’s to cuddle.

“No matter what happens, know you are loved.” She squeezes Gabby tightly. “For everybody who hates you, there is somebody who loves you one hundred times more. For everybody who doubts you, there is somebody who believes in you one thousand times more. And for everybody who wants you to fail, tell them to get stuffed, because you have millions relying on and rooting for you!”

Gabby grins. “It was a lovely speech until it lost its eloquence.”

“Our situation doesn’t require eloquence. It requires timing. Don’t forget this.” Sianne reaches for her back pocket and hands Gabby a large remote with six knobs. “This will interfere with electronic equipment. It will be your best friend. Now, run!”

Nodding once, Gabby turns on her heel and bolts down the unfamiliar streets.

“Don’t look back, girls!” Sianne echoes. “Accept everything and expect nothing!”

For some bizarre reason, in a world full of madness, Sianne sounds extraordinarily sane.

t’s a lot bigger than I thought.” I crane my neck, but I can’t fit the whole tower in my line of sight.

“That’s what she said.”

“What? What did I say?”

“Nothing, Ella. It was a joke.” Dressed in black to complement my ninja suit, Gabby creeps to the side of the building. It’s magnificent, with the way its front-facing walls seemingly reflect the entirety of the city.

“Where are the surveillance cameras?” My neck squeaks as I scope the building.

Gabby points to the stairs leading to a closed revolving door. Keeping to the shadows, she takes us to the side of the building and creeps into the empty parking lot. We can’t pick out more cameras, but surely they’re nearby.