Fugitives

by Jes Drew

  Christopher turns to me. “Run!” he says. “They’re coming.”

  Rudolf Masters scowls. Then he whips a pistol out of a hidden holster and aims it at Christopher. “Criminal am I? Well, I can shoot you dead before you have a chance to pull the trigger.”

  I squeeze my eyes shut and try to force away the flashbacks in the back of my mind; the snake-like sibling of my constant fear.

  The knowledge that I don't know how much longer I'll have what's left of my innocence.

  Chapter Two

  I wake up late and take my good, sweet time getting ready. Even Grandmother is up by the time I get downstairs.

  Mom, Dad, Uncle Gerald, and Aunt Dona are all wearing business suits and are sitting at the breakfast nook; though, they’re done eating. From the looks on their faces, one would think they were preparing for battle, not a business meeting.

  Chase and Mary-Ann are both long gone. They never stay sitting down for longer than they need to. Ata and Oto aren’t around either, though I don’t know their habits well enough to know the reason.

  After getting my breakfast together, I sit down on the stool next to Grandmother. She looks up from her laptop and smiles at me.

  I smile back before nibbling on my toast.

  Ding. Dong.

  “I’ll get it!” Chase calls from the playroom.

  “Wait!” I yell, jumping off of my stool. Then I run over to the foyer. “It could be a reporter or a Master!” I’m not sure which is worse.

  Chase rolls his eyes and swings open the door. “Or it could be Christopher.”

  On the other side, Christopher cocks his head. “What about me?”

  I jerk to an awkward stop and then even more awkwardly smooth down my hair, trying to ignore the way my heart leaps to see him. “Uh, nothing.”

  Christopher raises his eyebrows at me, like he's not convinced, and steps in. “Sorry I’m so early. My dad had a business meeting, but he said I didn’t have to go if I didn’t want to, so I made a run for it before he changed his mind.”

  I smile as prettily as possible and quickly shut the door behind him.

  Nice going, Emily. Smooth.

  The back door seems to echo it and both Oto and Ata hurry towards us.

  Oto reaches us first, grinning at me before turning a colder expression to Christopher. “There you are. Are you actually going to stay a while or are you just here for Emma again?”

  Christopher folds his arms and glowers down at him. “Well, I was planning on staying a while, but now that I see you, I think I’ll take Emily and go.”

  The two boys glare at each other for a moment before grinning and slapping each other on the backs.

  I shake my head. I just don't understand boys at all.

  Ata joins us and gives Christopher a tentative smile. And I remember just how exotically beautiful she is compared to bland me.

  “Christopher!” Mom greets warmly as she and the other adults minus Grandmother make their way into the foyer. “Sorry we can’t stay, but we have an important business meeting to attend.”

  Nodding understandingly, Christopher shakes Dad's hand as he passes him. “My father does too, so I think I’ll keep everyone here company.”

  “You do that,” Mom says, smiling like the perfect hostess while her eyes dart from me to him too obviously to be anything other than a neon sign trying to message me to not let this one slip away.

  Inwardly groaning, I stuff my hands into my pockets and roll my eyes. Really, Mom. Like I couldn't figure that out by myself. The faith she has in me.

  “Bye, kids!” Uncle Gerald calls, already making his way out the door- he's always the first to go.

  “I’ll miss you too, sweetie,” Aunt Donna says, trying to pull away from Mary-Ann, who has a death grip on her. “But I’m only going to be gone for less than a day. We’ll see each other again tonight.”

  Dad stands to the side, oblivious to the rest of us. He’s deep in thought. Again.

  “Honey, we need to go now,” Mom calls from the doorway, snapping Dad out of his concentration.

  I roll my eyes at my crazy family as I watch them leave. Then I swing the door shut behind them.

  Just as doubt pierces my heart. Last time they all left us, we didn't see them for weeks- and barely survived at that. What if that happens again this time?

  Pushing such gloomy thoughts away, I hope for the best and follow the others into the kitchen.

  Grandmother sits royally on the island, a touch of weariness to her movements. “You kids go play a game or something. I’ll join you when I’m finished.”

  Chase grins and jumps up and down, waving a hand in the air. “Ooh, ooh- let’s play Castle Risk!”

  “I claim France!” Mary-Ann cries, rushing downstairs.

  Oto frowns. “What is Castle Risk? And France?”

  “Come on,” Chase says, putting his hand on the much taller shoulder with all the seriousness of a true mentor. “We’ll show you.”

  I smile as I watch them as they make their way downstairs.

  Christopher comes up beside me. “They’re very excited, aren’t they?”

  His nearness sends tingles down my spine and I nod lamely.

  For a moment, he just watches them. And stands close to me. Did I mention that part? Then he nods himself. “Well, I claim Great Britain.”

  ~~~

  “Who’s winning?” Grandmother asks when she joins us in the playroom.

  “Ata is,” Chase answers grouchily.

  “Apparently, she has an uncanny knack for world domination,” Christopher adds, his lips twitching like they always do when he’s amused.

  “Yeah,” I agree, shuddering. “Scarily so.”

  “No,” Ata says evenly in her quiet voice as she conquers the last free Asian country. “I’m just a good planner.” She tucks her hair behind her ears for the first time ever, revealing a silver tag attached to one of her ear lobes.

  Suddenly, Oto jumps up, knocking his chair backwards. “Ata! You still have the tracker on your ear!”

  She whirls around to face him, eyes wide. “What?!”

  Oto pulls his pocket knife out of his pocket. “Hold still.”

  Ata freezes, which is not at all what I would do if my brother were to pull a knife out of his pocket.

  Not hesitating even a second- also not like me- Oto slices off the metal tag in one swipe and it falls onto the table.

  Several gasps sound around the table- most especially from the youngest and oldest members of our parties. Mary-Ann pales so much I think she's going to faint.

  But, despite it all, Ata’s ear remains intact.

  I release a racking sigh of relief.

  Oto doesn't look up as he bashes the handle of his knife against the tag several times until it shatters.

  And that's the moment Grandmother loses it. “What in the name of decency is going on here?!”

  Only now does Oto look up, wiping his hands off on his shirt. “The Masters put a tracker on all the villagers’ ears when we were infants. I cut off mine when I ran away, but I forget that Ata would have one.”

  Ata lowers her head so that her hair shields her face from view. “I’m so, so sorry. It was there for so long that I forgot.”

  “Is it possible that they know our location?” Christopher asks calmly- much more calmly than I would be if I had thought to ask and in a much gentler tone than if he were asking Oto, not that I notice or anything.

  Oto shrugs, turning his gaze back to the pieces.

  Mine falls to them as well. “So they know where we are?” Panic begins to well up in me. “They know where I live?!”

  Christopher turns his baby blues to me in an attempt to calm me, as if the serenity he always seems to feel could radiate from him to me. “Maybe its signal doesn’t reach this far.”

  I chew my bottom lip and lean back. “Yeah, maybe.” Maybe we’re safe. Maybe.

  But for how long? Between trackers and reporters, how on earth will we be able stay anonym
ous?

  ~~~

  “You can’t shoot both of us.”

  Something lands in my lap and I jump up and backwards, a chair falling to my feet.

  And the defender's die falling to the ground.

  I stare down at them mutely before looking up at the shocked gazes of my family and the twins.

  And Christopher's face twisted in concern. “Emily, are you-”

  “I thought I heard something,” I say, ducking my gaze. Maybe I'll tell Christopher about things later. When the others aren't around.

  Or maybe it'll just go away on its own.

  I glance up again to find Chase cocking his head at me, both brotherly concern and boyish curiosity in his eyes. “The sound of defeat?”

  “No- it came from upstairs.” I turn to Christopher, begging him to do something with my eyes.

  He gives me what I assume was meant to be a comforting look, but it just comes off half-amused. At me.

  Chase groans and slumps back in his chair. “You’ve been saying that for the last half hour.”

  I slump likewise. “Sorry, it’s just that I keep thinking that I hear something.” I half-heartedly roll my die.

  “You’ll get over it,” Grandmother assures, though she looks a little concerned herself. Currently, she’s looking up trackers on her laptop.

  Suddenly, our house alarm goes off.

  I jump up again. “Tell me I’m the only one who hears that!”

  Christopher gets up too. “Start unlatching that window. I’ll go check it out.”

  My heart jumps to my throat so my words are only a whisper as they push past it. “Be careful,”

  His gaze catches mine for a moment. Then he's walking away and my heart's beating like a machine working at its highest frequency even though it's in the wrong spot.

  But I have my own work to do. I hurry to the window and begin unlatching it. My palms are sweaty, but I fight to open it. To provide a way to escape-

  The window finally slides open just as a shadow falls over the room.

  I startle and just barely bite back a squeal before turning to see Christopher standing at the bottom of the stairs, his expression dark.

  “Who is it?” Oto asks, getting up.

  “About half a dozen men with guns. We need to go now.” In two strides, he's beside me and gesturing for everyone to join us.

  Oto's out in a moment, and I reach shaking arms for Mary-Ann.

  “Is this some kind of a practical joke?” Grandmother asks, her face pale as she watches me hoist my cousin out with so much adrenaline I don't even feel her.

  “I don’t kid,” Christopher says, giving her a look that no one would doubt.

  She clutches her laptop close and joins us by the window.

  Pursing my lips, I start to hoist Chase out, Christopher bends down to help.

  “Your arm!” I whisper-cry.

  “I'm fine,” he grunts, hoisting Chase upwards.

  Ata dives out next, before any of us have a chance to move. Then I turn to Grandmother.

  “Here,” Christopher says, bending down and offering his hands as a stool.

  Grandmother glances down at his hands reluctantly.

  “Please, ma'am,” he urges.

  I stare at her with pleading eyes. “Grandmother.”

  Taking a deep breath, she steps onto his hands and he hoists her up to where she can pull herself up. He doesn't make a noise, but I can see the strain in his face. My own arm aches for him.

  But then Grandmother's out.

  I turn to the window myself. The window that's a bit on the tall side, but that's okay, I've been climbing trees since I could walk… But there's no foot holes and why I'm so stinking short?

  A crashing sound echoes upstairs and I about jump out of my skin.

  They're going to kill us. Or, or-

  “You can’t shoot both of us.”

  “Here,” Christopher whispers, nodding toward his hands again.

  “But-”

  Anger flashes across his face. For my reluctance? Before I have time to register, he's standing again, wrapping his arms around my waist, and pushing me upwards.

  “Sorry!” I grab hold of the ledge desperately, cursing every bite of my breakfast. Then Oto grabs my wrists and tugs me up. The next moment, I'm out and whirling around to help Christopher.

  But he's already crawling out, his face pained again. I purse my lips. So much for his arm being on the path to recovery. I try to see if there's any blood seeping through his shirt or something, but he turns away from me.

  “Are you-” I begin.

  “Against the house,” Christopher orders, trying to re-latch the window.

  Just as a deep voice reverberates from below it. “They’re around here somewhere.”

  “Leave it,” I hiss, grabbing his good arm and tugging him back. “We have to go now.”

  Christopher obediently stumbles after me.

  Meanwhile, Oto looks over the corner of the house. “There’s another armed man guarding the driveway.”

  “I parked my car further down the street to elude the reporters,” Christopher whispers, pulling away from me and taking point. “If we can get to it undetected, we should be fine.”

  We all glance at each other and nod. Then the next thing I know, we're all running across the neighbor's yard.

  Christopher points ahead, as if we could miss his red sports car. “There it is.”

  I frown. “How are we all going to fit?”

  Christopher waves his hand dismissively. “Technicalities.”

  “Hey, you- halt!”

  My back arches back at the suddenness of the strange voice from behind.

  “Keep going,” Oto says, for some reason himself obeying the man’s order (which is scary since I don’t believe I’ve ever seen Oto obey anything).

  I keep running with the others, but I look back while I do.

  Oto pulls a slingshot out of his pocket and pings a pebble at a large man who is barreling towards us. The pebble hits the man in the forehead, just like Goliath, and the man staggers backwards, dazed.

  I turn back around and watch as Christopher unlocks his doors and jumps into the driver’s seat. Grandmother hurriedly climbs into the passenger’s seat.

  “Hurry!” I tell my cousins as I swing open the door behind the passenger seat. Inside, there are only three more seats.

  I practically toss Mary-Ann inside as Ata climbs in the other side. After Chase climbs in, I jump in. Oto gets in behind me.

  “Drive!” I yell as Oto swings the door shut.

  Christopher doesn’t hesitate and we speed away.

  As my cousins try to get adjusted, I peer out the back window. A black car pulls out of my driveway and speeds down the street after us.

  “They’re following us!” I cry. “Go faster!”

  A mental list of all the possibly illegal actions I’ve done:

  (1) One time (and one time only) I returned a library book late;

  (2) I was a passenger in a car being driven by Aunt Donna, who was raised in a city (need I say more?);

  (3) I broke into one of the Masters’ mansions and stole a few guns which I then used to threaten said Masters;

  (4) Practically ordering Christopher to break the speed limit;

  Christopher pushes the car faster.

  I pull a seat belt over Mary-Ann, who is now sitting on my lap, and click it into the socket. Ata does the same, including Chase, who is squeezed in next to her. Then she turns and glares at Oto until Oto also buckles up.

  Fumbling for my phone, I look back at the car that’s following us. And drop my phone again. “The passenger is aiming a gun at us!”

  “The shot gun seat guy has a shot gun!” Chase agrees before nodding. “Classic move, actually.”

  I grab him and Mary-Ann and push us both as low as possible despite our seat belts.

  Christopher swerves the car just as the sound of a gun going off reverberates behind us. But nothing seems to hit us. Chri
stopher makes a sharp turn down another street. Our pursuers follow.

  “We need to double back,” I gasp. “They won’t expect that.”

  Wordlessly, Christopher makes a doughnut sending us backseaters into each other, and then speeds back out of the street and towards the black car, passing them. Then he makes another sharp turn, leaving the street. He makes two more sharp turns and keeps driving.

  Pursing my lips, I scan all the windows. “I don’t see them...”

  “Maybe we lost it,” Chase adds.

  I whirl around to glower at him. “Don’t say that. Whenever someone says that in the movies, the car comes out of nowhere.”

  We all turn back to the windows, watching and waiting. However, no car appears.

  It would appear I stand corrected. “Huh, maybe we have lost them.”

  A black car turns down the street.

  “I shall never use that phrase,” Oto vows.

  “Wait!” Ata cries. “It’s not them. It’s a different black car.”

  I study it. Sure enough, instead of two burly men, the car holds a family of four.

  “Huh,” Chase says. “Maybe-”

  “Don’t,” Christopher interrupts, holding up a hand.. “Don’t even think it.”

  ~~~

  Half an hour of cautious driving later, I begin to relax. “I think we’re safe.”

  Christopher nods and turns on his turn signal for the first time since we started. “I’ll turn around and head home.”

  “But-”

  “My home.”

  Sighing in relief, my slightly trembling hands reach for my phone again. Then I dial 911.

  “What's your emergency?” the operator asks on the other side.

  “Armed men broke into my house,” I gasp. “And then they chased us down in their car and shot at us-”

  “Do you have the license plate number?” The woman's tone is flat, like us being shot at is no concern of hers.

  I frown and glance around, covering the mouthpiece of the phone. “Did anyone catch the license plate number?”

  Christopher mutters under his breath and shakes his head. Oto and Ata stare at me blankly and Grandmother sighs deeply.

  I uncover the receiver. “No. We were a bit too busy being shot at. But they were driving in a black SUV and are in the...” Stupid directions. “Leeds area.”