Hard Wired Trilogy DeAnna Pearce (if you give a mouse a cookie read aloud txt) 📖

Ari stood there, struck dumb for a moment, trying to think back to all her interactions with Niomi. Was she training her for the VLEX or for this? Move, idiot. Think later.

Not sure of how long it had been, Ari placed a hand on the door, a manual door which she hadn’t seen since she left home. With one more deep breath, she pushed through, heading towards the unknown.

Chapter 40

The pain of loss hung with Ari through her voyage. She ended up sharing a room with two other women, but early on turned off her translator. The sway of the small boat brought on a new wave of sickness and Ari welcomed it.

Even though Niomi’s advice was logical, Ari couldn’t help the aching in her chest. Thoughts of Reed, of what he was going through plagued her. Even her own family seemed worlds away. The hope of a normal life had been shattered. Isolation was the only way to keep her family safe. Though the idea brought upon a new wave of darkness and despair.

The journey took three days. She never left her room except to go to the bathroom. The women would bring back food for her, which was probably for the best. By the morning of the last day, the fact she hadn’t showered for three days didn’t even bother her. Niomi’s voice haunted her, shouting that Ari couldn’t give up. Keep running, keep fighting, until there was nothing left to give.

She realized she couldn’t check out of this life. Not yet. Not until those she loved were safe, and she made amends for those she hurt, if that was even possible. Then after that… well, her life would be hers to do with what she might. Until then, she needed to get off her butt.

Exiting the boat in a small port in Acadian, Ari rubbed her arms as she maneuvered off the docks. The temperature had dropped considerably as they made their way north. She’d need to find some warm clothes.

Walking into town, she rehearsed her identity one more time. I’m Tara Phillips, running away from my abusive husband, Dan. At least Ari didn’t have to act to much. She was a runaway with a new identity, a new skin, a new life. Pushing away the past, she focused on the task ahead of her.

While the town was large, it held a quaint fairytale feeling with fresh paint, smiling faces, and flowers dotting the storefronts. A night and day difference than where she left Reed. Her heart ached at the thought of him. He would have loved this place.

She found a clothing shop and searched for a warm jacket. Niomi had given her plenty of money, so she also picked up gloves, a hat, and a couple of extras that fit in her bag. The shopkeeper, an older woman, was happy to help Ari check out. Her accent was thick, but they communicated fine through Ari’s translator.

As Ari packed her bag, she wondered how much she could trust this woman. With few choices and even less time, she hoped she was making the right decision. “I’m meeting a friend.” Ari then repeated the address of the restaurant where she was meeting Antoine.

“It’s a day’s ride to the north. You’ll have to take the tram.”

A day. It took a minute to remember what day of the week it was and realized that Antoine was expecting Kari tomorrow. She’d need to move fast.

“How can I get there?”

“The station is two miles down the road. Is he someone special?” The woman smiled and winked at her.

Lowering her eyes as if embarrassed, Ari nodded and thanked the woman before leaving. The station was loud and crowded but offered a lot of different ride times. She ended up purchasing an overnight ticket which would save her from renting a room.

Once bought, she wandered aimlessly, waiting to board. Her movements became robotic and without feeling. If she started thinking about what she left behind, she couldn’t do what she was about to do.

The growling of her stomach awakened her for her need to eat. She grabbed a small meal and boarded the tram. The countryside flew by as the sun set behind mountains of glistening snow. Exhaustion set in and she slept sitting up.

She woke to the sun rising on similar mountains yet now more grandiose. The morning flew by as she stared out the window, only getting up to take care of her body’s needs. She fell into numb trance as the tram raced towards what came next: Antoine. The idea filled her stomach with ice cold dread.

In the afternoon, the overhead speaker announced her stop. She freshened up in the small bathroom, trying not to look as ragged as she felt. Her brown eyes looked lifeless accompanied by dark circles hanging underneath. The red hair still bothered her, like a stranger staring back at her. She finished brushing her teeth, spat in the sink and left the room.

Back in her seat, tall heavy trees flashed by, growing in number. The view opened, and the tram slowed. A mountain resort sat nestled in a small valley.

Zipping up her coat, she exited the tram and headed to the wood fashioned building. It looked like it was constructed from the nearby trees. Ari had never seen anything like it before.

A pretty woman greeted her at the door. “How can I help you?”

“I’m meeting a friend, Antoine, for dinner.” She bit her lip as she scanned the room.

“Of course, let me take your coat.” The attendant helped her out of her coat and led her into the dining area.

Ari spotted the table first, the one with a large bouquet of lilacs. A bottle of wine with two glasses also waited for her. No, not for her, for Kari.

As they approached, Antoine pushed up from the table, dressed in black pants and a nice button-up blue shirt. He looked similar to his VLEX profile. An extra ten pounds