Chapter 145
Ella’s point of view
A day later,
“This fucking piece of shit is losing signal!” Max said frustratedly as he impatiently tapped the screen
of the built-in satnav of the stolen car.
“Why does that surprise you? We are in the middle of now where Maxybaby,” I replied.
We’d been travelling for a day and he was beginning to get grouchy. Very grouchy.
“Jesus fucking Christ! Could you drive any slower?!” he asked me.
For the entire journey, we had been alternating drivers every few hours. It was currently my turn
and, unlike him, I was driving cautiously on the icy road.
“I’d rather get home a day later than in a wooden box,” I replied looking down the sheer steep drop
of the mountain that was only separated from us by about half a metre. “I’m not taking any
chances.”
“There’s cautious and then there’s cautious. You’re like an old woman on her way back from bingo,”
he grumbled.
“I have the Praesidium Deae Astra in my bag and I will not hesitate to use it on you,” I snapped.
After that, he was quiet for a bit. Something told me he didn’t doubt my threat. Not even for a
second.
“At least we haven’t run into the owner of this car yet,” Max said after about an hour.
“That’s probably because they aren’t insane enough to come up here,” I said looking at the ever
steepening drop on the side of the ever-narrowing road.
“Do you want me to drive?” he offered.
“No fucking way. I have only been driving for three years but I trust my self behind this wheel more
than you. No offence but you drive like a lunatic, Max,” I replied.
“Rude,” he muttered under his breath.
“What?” I said bringing the car to a gradual halt.
“Ella, this is a new level of slow. I don’t even feel like we are moving,” he grumbled.
“That’s because we’re not, Moron,” I replied getting out the car. “The road has stopped. How can it
just stop?”
The outside air was sharp and icy in comparison to the engine heated temperature in the car. It took
a few breaths for my lungs to adjust to it as I stared in dismay at the sudden end of the road.
“Looks like we are walking,” he chirped joining me on the snowy road.
I continued to stare at the steep, pathless mountain ahead of us.
“Oh, look on the bright side, Ells. It’s only just gone dawn and it looks like its going to be a lovely
day,” Max said optimistically as he thrust my rucksack into my arms. “The Mafia den is just behind
that peak there,” he added pointing to a point in the distance that was barely in view even on a day
as clear as this.
Our surroundings were beautiful and our journey gave me plenty of time to appreciate that. The sun
glistened perfectly on the pristine snow which crunched underneath our feet as we walked and
mountains stretched for as far as the eye could wander. Each stood in its individual massiveness on
the landscape like a crowd of giants with snow-covered slopes and daggering peaks.
It reminded me of a poem I once read: “the prelude’ by William Wordsworth. You never know the
power and intimidation of nature until you are amongst it. Swallowed by it. Overcome by it.
“Must you walk so fast, Maximus?” I asked at around 3 pm that afternoon.
We’d hardly stopped for a break at all and I was exhausted and struggling to keep up.
“Do you see that cloud up there?” he questioned pointing to a charcoal grey mist forming on the
next mountain. “That is a storm and we are going to get caught up in it if we don’t pick up the
pace.”
“Well can you at least try to consider the length of your company’s legs compared to yours?” I
asked. “I can’t keep up.”
“Stop complaining.”
“How much farther?”
“We’ll be there before 5,” he replied.
I sighed. Two more gruelling hours to go.