The car boot slams shut, my luggage inside along with Justine's and Mark's. Justine's parents wait patiently by their grey BMW as Mark opens the door, gesturing for me to get in first. I wave goodbye to my mum a final time before sliding into the far side of the backseat.

So as to continue along with the sham in front of Mum, we had decided that Justine's parents will pick me up, then they'll drive us down a few streets to meet Erik, who will be awaiting us in a fairly empty street only a few short minutes away from my house.

Justine follows shortly along with Mark. Justine's father, Howard, turns the key in the ignition and the car revs to life. Justine's mum, Jenna, turns to smile at me from the passenger seat.

"Hey, Audrey, we haven't seen you in a while." She beams, her dark, short, brown hair cascading around her face.

"Hi Mrs Contée." I give a slight smile.

It's so weird knowing that all this time they've been thieves. My smile is soon replaced by a scowl. Everything around me seems to be revolved around one, big lie.

Howard begins driving out of the driveway, and soon enough, we're on the main road, which is busy as usual.

Jenna, noticing my faltering smile, frowns, correctly guessing what is on my mind.

"You know, Audrey, we may not have the jobs you expected us to, but we're still the same people, " she states gently. "We've cared for you since you were a child. You've been friends with Justine nearly your whole childhood. Doesn't that count for anything?"

My stomach churns and I immediately feel guilty. I glance quickly at Justine under lowered eyelids but she's staring out Mark's window, seemingly intent on staying out of the conversation.

"I know," I respond quietly.

Jenna nods and turns back to face the front.

"So, a trip to the mountains! You kids have fun, okay?" Howard swiftly turns, flashing us a huge smile, his white teeth sparkling against his dark skin.

Justine is a mixture of both her parents. She gets her figure from her mother, her eyes from her father and her tanned complex from both parents.

Justine laughs. "I'm sure we will. I mean, it's not every day we get to go into hiding from a bunch of hitmen."

I look out the window. The sun is slowly creeping higher and higher into the sky. We are now driving against the traffic, so there aren't as many traffic jams. I watch a truck whiz past, smog exhaling out into the clear blue atmosphere. A few more minutes passed, until subsequently, Howard parks the car in an empty street. Well, almost empty. Erik gives a little wave from where he leans on his black, slick car. After taking our luggage, the five of us walk out to meet him.

"Are you all ready?" Erik winks and opens his car boot.

Mark hauls his baggage into the awaiting boot in response. He holds out his hands to me and I pass him my suitcase. Howard grips Justine's.

"Be careful," he says kissing Justine's forehead. All of you." He glances at each of us in turn, his eyes coming to rest on Erik.

"I'll take good care of them," Erik assures him.

Howard nods and without another moment's delay, throws Justine's suitcase into the car boot along with mine and Mark's. Jenna wraps Justine in a big bear hug before letting her go.

This time, Justine hastily 'shot-guns' the front seat, and so I find myself sitting at the back on the far side of the window seat, a gap between Mark and I. Erik closes the door and starts the car.

"I was thinking we could stop somewhere for lunch in about forty-five minutes or so?" Erik suggests. "The trip shouldn't be longer than an hour and a half, but I suppose we should stop somewhere for some food. It's already half-past eleven."

Justine nods eagerly. "Sounds great!"

For a good ten to fifteen minutes Mark and Justine engage in some small talk. I can't help feel a little annoyed that I'm included in their conversation, but at the same time, I wouldn't know what to say anyway.

"Justine," I interpose after a while.

She looks back at me with a surprised expression. I realise that this is the first time I have shown actual interest in talking to her since our argument.

"Why are you coming along?" I ask curiously. "You didn't have to. I know you've encountered this organisation before, but there's no reason for you to be involved now. Why come?"

"Because," she says, regaining from her surprise. "Whether you see it or not Audrey you're my best friend, and if you're involved then so am I. Plus I can help, Erik's taught me a few tricks and so have my parents."

She looks at me as if waiting for a response, but I simply nod in return. She cares, I think to myself. But what am I supposed to say to her? "It's okay you lied to me for years about my dad's true identity? " Right.

Realising I'm acting a tad overdramatically, I resolve to think about the matter later. There is something else I've been meaning to ask anyway...

"Erik, you said this organisation is after the pile of gold my dad hid, right?"

"Mm," Erik replies.

"Well, I just don't get it. All this for gold? They're assassins, they could just kill someone and rob a bank or something."

"You're forgetting that this is a massive amount of gold and that this is also about vengeance. They started this mission a while ago and your father got in the way."

"All this for gold and vengeance, though? All this time?" I shake my head sceptically. Something about it just seems wrong.

"What are you getting at?" I see Erik raise his, thin, grey eyebrows in the rear view mirror.

"I don't know, I guess it just seems a little... off," I finish uncertainly.

Erik shrugs. "Perhaps. Though this whole situation is a little off if you ask me."

"True," I reply, deciding to let go of the matter. I lean back against the plush car seat once more.

A few minutes pass, my head against the warmth of the window. I shield my eyes from the hot sun and suddenly notice Mark staring at me with a bit of an odd expression.

"What?" I ask, unsettled.

Mark shakes his head as if in a daze. "You've got really green eyes in the sunlight."

"Thanks," I reply, not certain as to whether it was a compliment or not.

"Gets them from her father, she does," Erik responds with a smile.

At the mention of my dad, I turn my attention back to the bustling outside world. All my conversations just have to lead right back to my dead father, don't they?

Sensing the awkward silence, Erik turns on the radio.

***

Fifty minutes later, we're all seated outside a quaint little pie parlour with four huge pies placed in front of us on the glass table. The bakery is situated near a supermarket, so Erik had parked the car in the half-empty parking lot and we walked the rest of the way to the bakery.

"Wow, these are huge!" Justine's eyes widen. She holds up her potato pie and takes a huge bite.

The first time I saw Justine eat a burger in primary school, I couldn't help but stare. I remember wondering in awe: How does she open her mouth that wide?

The mouth-watering smell wafts through the air, drawing me back to reality, and I hold up my knife and fork. I begin to cut through the pie and pop a bit of it into my mouth. Mark and Erik cut through theirs, doing the same.

"You know," Erik says to Justine, after swallowing a piece. "You really could learn some manners from this one." He nods my way. "Seeing as you never listen to neither Mark nor me."

"Why waste time? I'm not that messy of an eater, even if I don't use cutlery on a pie." Justine wipes her mouth with a napkin. I can't help but silently agree with her. Somehow, even without the help of silverware, she manages to keep quite clean. A small smile creeps up along my face. Typical Justine.

Noticing my slight but sudden change of attitude towards her lately, Justine continues. "Plus, who uses a knife and fork on a pie." Justine pronounces the last word as if she is utterly bewildered by the very fact of cutlery being used on such a thing. I can't help but laugh at that. Justine grins at me, and for a split second, our argument is forgotten.

Erik checks his watch. "We'd best be going. I don't want us staying too long out on the road or it'll leave us vulnerable. I should think we have at least another good forty minutes or so until we arrive."

Finishing the pies, we head back towards the car, stomachs satisfied.

***

"How long has it been?" yawns Justine.

"I reckon we've got about 15 minutes left," Erik answers.

I observe the tall dark trees alongside the edge of the road as the car gradually proceeds uphill. They stand big and strong, almost looming over the road, the sun covered by their arching, leaf-filled branches. The road is wide, and our car is the only one in sight as we make our way up.

Despite the weather becoming increasingly warmer, the further uphill we go, the cooler it becomes. A cool breeze blows onto me from Erik's open window. I'm about to ask him to wind up his window, when the car sputters.

Erik shakes his head as if just emerging from some deep thought and checks the fuel meter. The car comes to a shuddering stop.

"That's strange," Erik mutters quizzically.

He turns to look at Mark who shrugs in return. "I thought you had filled it before we left."

"I did," Erik responds, suspicion evident in his voice. He fingers the little pocket knife that I know he stashes in his jacket pocket at all times. "In the case of emergencies," he had said.

"Wait here," Erik steps outside, examining the hood of the car. After about a minute, he closes it and walks towards the back of the car instead.

The three of us exchange bemused expressions. Then I shriek as I hear a loud thump.

"Get out of the car!" Erik yells, his voice muffled.

We scramble to unbuckle our seatbelts and dive out of the car. I look just in time to see Erik struggling against a man dressed in black. A shiver runs down my spine.

"An assassin," I whisper, looking at Mark, but his attention is caught elsewhere. I follow his gaze and see another assassin further down the road, next to a grey vehicle. He holds up a lighter. I look down and find a trail of petrol leading from Erik's car. Fear courses through my veins as I make the connection. Before I can even find the words, however, Mark has already figured it out.

"Erik!" Mark exclaims, as we hurry to get to the side of the road, away from Erik's car.

The man bends forward, and the small flame from the lighter immediately catches onto the trail of petrol. Sudden huge flames speedily begin to head towards the car and the two men.

Swiftly, Erik draws his pocket knife from the pocket of his jacket, stabbing the bulk of a man in the stomach and then drawing the blade back out. I stifle a gasp at Erik's sudden, swift brutality. The hooded assassin screams out in agony and Erik uses that moment to hurl himself out of the way just in time. The flames reach the car and not a moment sooner, explodes along with the anguished assassin. This time I don't bother to stifle my gasp.

Mark grips my shoulder reassuringly and we crouch down. I cover my head almost on instinct, even though we are at a fairly safe distance. I watch Justine breathe in sharply next to me, and before thinking twice about it, I squeeze her hand reassuringly. She gives me a grateful smile but I can see her eyes are full of worry, as are Mark's. He lets go of me and hurries towards Erik, helping him up.

"Are you okay?" Mark asks.

Erik nods a little stiffly. "Just a little bruised."

It's only now that I realise I have been holding my breath. I exhale slowly.

"Are you sure?" I say, my voice quavering slightly.

It all happened so fast, my mind doesn't know what to focus on first. A man getting stabbed by Erik himself, then blown up, or the fact that the assassins really will stop at nothing.

"What do we do now?" Justine mumbles, staring at the flames enveloping Erik's car.

Erik smiles, already recovering and returning to his natural self. "This is why you always bring a backpack. Just in case. You know, supplies and what not." He picks up the black haversack that lay dumped on the ground, simultaneously slipping his knife back into his pocket. I notice the blood on the blade and suddenly feel sick.

"I noticed the petrol leak almost as soon as I made it around the back," Erik explains. "I'll admit, they know how to tail a car well. They kept behind at just the right distance." He shakes his head. "I should've checked behind us more often. It was stupidly careless of me. Anyhow," He indicates with a nod to the rucksack, "I was able to grab my bag in the trunk and throw it to the side before getting pinned by that dratted son of a..." Erik stops. "Where did the other one go?"

Suddenly remembering the man who had started the fire in the first place, we all swivel to face the spot he had been only moments ago but he is nowhere in sight, and neither is his car.

"Come on," Erik waves a hand, signalling for us to follow, and he walks into the glooming woods. We quickly follow along, matching his brisk pace.

"We can still make it to the safe house, it'll just take a bit longer. I don't think they know where it is, otherwise, they would have planned an attack there." Erik says curtly, sliding both arms through the bag straps. "I wouldn't be surprised if he ran off to call for more reinforcements. They're either already here, or will be soon enough."

Well, we better get there soon. I don't want to get lost and have us wandering around for hours and hours until night falls. I glance miserably at the gloomy trees. I hate the dark.

"I can't believe they tried to kill us," I say aloud after a moment, the exploding car replaying in my head once again. It seems as if it is only sinking in now what the word 'assassin' really means.

"Yeah, well, they're getting desperate. Hence why we had to leave," Erik says grimly. "But if it makes you feel any better, I'm quite certain they weren't trying to kill you. Only me at most, but I'm starting to think that was more of a warning."

"What do you mean?" I ask, walking around the trunk of a huge tree.

"They want me out of the way, but they want you alive. If they wanted to kill you, they would've been smarter about it. Attach a bomb to the car perhaps, or killed you at school when they had the chance."

I struggle to find the words to even reply to this notion. Seeing my reaction, Erik gives me a small smile.

"Don't worry about that now," he reassures me. "Right now, our goal is to get away from here as quickly as possible without being seen."

"That might be a problem," a deep voice cuts in.

The four of us look sideways to find a tall, hooded man, leaning against the trunk of an old tree, almost blending into the shadows cast by the leaves high above. A shiver runs down my spine as he speaks, his words slicing through the air like a knife.

"You see, you've already been found. And you're not going anywhere."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

| Dedicated to I_am_Amnesia |

A really sweet supporter <3

And a really special thanks to all my readers in general. I've been getting so many inspiring comments by everyone lately, and I can't thank you all enough!

What would you guys say if Mark suddenly had some... competition? Totally not implying anything there... *cough. wait till Chapter 21, cough* Remember to vote/comment!

EDITED ✔