Khaye was silent throughout the drive. She had blindly given Marco her trust. It may sound stupid, considering she couldn't even trust her own brother. Despite that, she couldn't do it herself. She had to have someone or she'd be a total wreck.

Her desperation to go back to her old life was eating her inside. But that had to wait. She had to wait until this mess was cleared. Jamaica's death should be solved one way or the other. And Petroff should be taken care of once and for all. Her brother though was a different matter and that was the biggest struggle for her right now.

"Gian is the key to all this," Marco said, breaking the deafening silence. A light drizzle was washing the windshield of his car and he turned on the wiper. She concentrated on the sound it made and lost herself following its movement with her eyes. "If we can talk to him, put some sense into him, we can solve everything."

Khaye blinked and swallowed her fears. "He might have been working for Petroff for a long time." She scoffed and added, "Looks like we have been working for the same man after all."

"What do you mean?"

"Petroff was our boss, remember? When I was still walking down the runway—before I started running for my own fucking life."

He didn't answer and she was grateful for that. The life she had left behind was too precious that any word from him might only cause her to totally lose it.

"Where are we going?"

"Do you want to know?"

She hesitated. She wanted to know. But what good would it do? She decided to let it pass for now. "What are your plans next?"

Marco lifted his shoulders and dropped it with a frown. "I am still trying to figure that out. I still need to get in touch with the HQ if I want this thing to be over with. But I cannot compromise your safety at the same time."

"If you take me to a well-hidden place, then you can just leave to do your job if you want to."

"They might follow me on my way back," he contradicted.

"Then we run away again. We'll lose them again until we can solve this thing."

"We?" He shook his head. "No, you are not getting yourself deeper into this mess."

"We don't even know where I belong in this mess, Marco. All we know is that they think I know who killed Jamaica. They think I know something. Which is not true! I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time and now I am hunted!"

"We'll talk about this once we get to where we're going. For now, I suggest you try getting some decent sleep."

She didn't answer. Sleep was out of the question. Instead, she turned her head to the side and watched the passing darkness outside the window.

*****

Three days later, Berkeley approached her again.

"Well?" he asked under his breath.

"Well what?"

"Are we good? Do you have the pills?"

"Of course, I have the pills. I have one question though," she said, looking over her shoulder to see if Theo was around. He wasn't. He was probably in their cabin reading a book.

"What is it?"

"Have you talked to him?"

"Who?"

"My husband."

Berkeley shook his head. "We are not due to have contact until we dock. And that is in...let's see...about five hours?"

Her heart started to hammer again. Was she mad for doing this?

"Why are you asking?"

"Because I want to know if he's being suspicious. Who knows, right?" she asked, her voice nervous.

Berkeley smiled at her. "Don't lose your nerves, darling. If you just do what you have to do, we can all escape. You can escape him. And we will have all the money that comes with the packages. Just give him the drink with the pills and he'll be eliminated."

"And it will kill him?" she asked.

Berkeley just smiled and answered, "With a good amount, yes."

Desiree swallowed and nodded. "Okay."

"Be outside your cabin thirty minutes before we dock."

She nodded and he walked away without another word.

*****

"Where have you been?" Theo asked with a frown.

"Out for a walk. I met up with the twins. We've been playing some mission games, remember?"

"I thought you already ended those stupid games?"

Her eyes landed on him before she blinked and walked to the bed. "I'm too tired to explain."

"Have they found out something else?"

"Nothing. I don't want to push them too hard. Those kids are too perceptive. They will know something is wrong. I gave them some random mission like sending that stupid letter to one of the crew. They bought it and it had been keeping them busy for days."

He just nodded.

"Are you okay?" he asked when she laid on her back, her eyes on the ceiling.

"I am just freaking afraid for the kids." There was hesitation in her answer and he knew she was lying about something.

He decided to ignore it. "Has Berkeley approached you yet?"

He waited for her answer but none came. Instead, she jumped out of bed and briskly walked to the bathroom. "I'll tell you about it later," she said before she closed the door behind her.

*****

Desiree couldn't stay still. She had been pacing the room for some time now. They were due to dock in two hours. She had taken her time thinking about the things she was about to do inside the bathroom. While Theo was back on his phone inside the cabin earlier, making plans with Richard on the phone, she couldn't help but wonder whether or not she was doing the right thing.

Now, Theo was in the bathroom, taking a shower. He was getting ready.

She wasn't ready though but she knew she had to do this—for her and the twins.

Desiree jumped on her feet when a knock came on the cabin door.

"Room service," a man's voice said.

Clearing her throat, "It's open," she called out.

The door swung open and a man in red and blue uniform walked in with a smile. He was wheeling a cart inside the room. "Your coffee," he said.

She looked at the nametag on his shirt and said, "Thank you, Jed."

"No problem."

She handed him the tip and he walked out of the room without a word.

"Who was that?" Theo asked from inside the bathroom.

"Room service," she said. "Lunch is here." She stared down at the chilled bottle of wine and the stainless cover of their supposed lunch.

"I'll be out in a minute."

She checked the bathroom door before she walked to her suitcase and fished out the pills. Her hands started shaking but she willed herself to do it.

One part of her mind told her not to do it. Another said it was only right. Before she changed her mind, Desiree dropped two pills on one empty glass and opened the wine. She immediately poured some to both glasses and waited.

Theo walked out of the bathroom fully clothed, ready to leave the ship. He fixed the cart with hungry eyes and said, "Good. I am starving."

"I'm not, but I already helped myself with some wine if you don't mind," she said from the couch not far from the cart. She watched as Theo curiously looked at the glass of wine she had poured for him. Her heart was already pumping against her chest with anticipation. Theo shrugged and picked up the glass.

"Well, here's to our last day," he said, lifting the glass to his lips.

Desiree swallowed as she watched Theo take a big gulp.

It was now or never.

*****

"They're angry as hell, but they understand," Marco shared over lunch.

"How about Gian?" she asked.

He shrugged. "He's the angriest of all."

"How about the case?"

Marco's eyes wavered. They hadn't had any progress in locating Desiree or the man she was with before she fled to Peru. But they were monitoring every entry and exit back in the country just in case. Apart from Gian, he had appointed a trusted member of their team to give him a full report on the investigation. As for him, he had become quite useless being remote and hidden five cities away with Jamaica.

"It has been days since we arrived here, Marco. We should do something other than wake up, eat and get to sleep."

"Isn't this what you wanted? To be far away and safe?"

"To be safe, yes. But to do nothing, no it's not. I want us to do something."

"In case you don't know how these things go yet, Khaye," he started, his voice losing its patience. "To do something means to risk your life. Again. We can't do anything hiding in this fucking place."

"Can't we do our own investigation?"

He looked at her with disbelief. "You are one fucking messed up lady. One moment you want to pack up and leave and now you want to do a fucking investigation?"

Instead of stabbing him with her plastic knife, she remained calm and composed. "My wound is okay now. And I have dealt with my fucking messed up mind. I want to do something other than...this."

Marco was partly relieved to hear that. He had been itching to get out and do something but Khaye was stopping him.

"Let me get this straight. So now you want to go out there and solve this thing on your own?"

She just stared at him for a while before she uttered, "Sort of."

"What the hell do you mean, Khaye?"

She just shrugged. "I told you before I want to fight. I want to learn how to defend myself and you will have to teach me."

"Once your wound is healed. But where are we getting at?"

"And once I am capable of protecting myself, you can go out and do your thing. That way, you'll know that I can take care of myself. It is time for us to be prepared, Marco. It is not all the time that you will always be at my side, right?" There was something in her eyes when she asked that question and his gaze wavered for a second.

He blinked and nodded. "You want me to teach you a few tricks."

"And some plan A, B and C in case someone attacks or follows me around. Some secret code or place I can do or go to if I find myself alone and in danger."

He would be lying if he didn't find that exciting. She had presented the idea and he wasn't about to go all heroic by saying he wouldn't leave her side. He was needed out there where he could do what he was best at—catching people and throwing them behind bars. "Okay," he finally told Khaye with a nod.

She smiled and even looked excited. "When do we start?"

He looked at her with amusement. She sure did manage to sort out her messed up mind. "This very afternoon."

*****

Desiree almost regretted what she did as she kept herself from pacing in front of the closed cabin door. She had the urge to run back inside and call for help.

Berkeley arrived on time with a contented smile on his face. "You look like you've been through hell and back," he said.

Desiree blinked and swallowed. "I did it. God, I can't believe I just did it," she uttered before she could stop herself.

Berkeley walked past her and opened the cabin door. Desiree didn't dare look. "He's there, okay? You don't have to check," she said.

"I have to make sure," Berkeley answered before stepping inside the room. Left with no choice, Desiree followed him inside and her eyes landed on Theo's motionless body on the floor. He had dropped right there, on the floor earlier. He didn't even make it to the bed and she had not thought of touching him. The empty wine glass was on the cart a few feet away from him. Berkeley walked closer and nudged Theo's shoulder with one foot. His chuckle rang around the cabin, sending a chill all over Desiree. "I honestly thought you wouldn't be able to do it, sweetheart," Berkeley said, facing her.

"Well, I did," she snapped. "Can we go now? I don't want anyone to see me here."

"I am considering finishing him off, actually," Berkeley said, looking down at Theo.

She swallowed. "You know the Liaisons are powerful people. If they find out that there has been a foul play, they will haunt us down. I don't ever want them on my tail."

"I don't actually care if—" his words were cut off by the sudden sound of the fire alarm. "Fuck!" he cried out.

"What is it?" she asked in panic.

"They've set off the alarm too soon," he said, walking to the door.

"Who?"

"The twins. Let's go."

Desiree didn't know what to do. Should she go through with this? She looked down at Theo on the floor. She had no other choice.

She chose this.

*****

There was some sort of controlled panic among the passengers, but it was not for long before someone started shouting and others followed suit.

The ship had not fully docked yet, but because of the urgency of the situation there was no other choice but to start evacuation.

Desiree knew, of course, that there was no fire but was still carried by the flow of people eager to get out of the ship, leaving all their belongings behind. The crew managed to make everyone follow their orders by letting the women, children and elderly get off the ship first.

Berkeley was obviously pissed off. He planned on being at the exit before the twins rang off the alarm. He had to drag Desiree along with him to find the twins.

One of them was about to open his mouth to say something when they finally found them but Berkeley was in a hurry to pay attention to them. They didn't look worried like the other guests, but they were anxious about what would happen. Desiree took each of their hands in hers and said, "It's okay, boys, we're going to be alright."

"Mothers and children first!" someone was shouting.

"Go," Berkeley said to them. "I'll be right behind you. Take them to the café right across the street outside the pier. Someone will be waiting for you there."

A sound of police cars and ambulance could now be heard outside. Desiree thought of Theo for a second. She mentally shook her head and focused on what was happening. She couldn't worry about him now, of all time.

She did this and she had to face it. Her grip tightened around the hands of the children and she carried them through the pool of people, fighting their way to the exit. Berkeley tried to tag along but a uniformed man stopped him, telling him to calmly wait because they would all eventually be able to get off the ship unharmed. "Mothers, children and elderly first!" he shouted. Some younger ladies shouted back angrily, talking about suing the shipping company the moment they get off.

"Don't let go of my hand, okay?" she told the twins as they walked to the dock and off the ship.

"Where are we going? Are we going to the chopper?" asked one of them.

She didn't answer. She was busy looking around. People were crowded everywhere, asking questions about their luggage and other important things left behind. Three fire trucks were at the ready but the confusion on the firefighters' faces were apparent. They couldn't find a smoke, much more a fire.

A passing thought crossed Desiree's mind. She could run away with the twins now. Fuck off Berkeley, the Chinese, Theo and the Liaisons. Fuck off the CIA. Fuck everyone off.

"Well? Do you know where we are going?" one of the twins asked.

"Of course," she told them with confidence as she guided them out of the pier.

Her heart started to hammer when a black van blocked their view of the café across the street. Its door opened and a voice said from inside, "Get in."

Desiree hesitated. The twins seemed lost. She looked over her shoulder and she could see Berkeley looking over at them. She took a deep breath and walked closer to the van. "Get inside, kids."

*****

"Let's go, go, go!" the voice shouted at someone and the van started moving. Along with it was Desiree's heartbeat hammering against her chest, too loud she could hear it in her ears. She had to remind herself that she had to stay calm for the children.

The windows were covered and the kids were gripping at Desiree's hands. The two of them were seated side by side with Desiree was facing them on the seat right across from theirs. The darkness was making them anxious.

No one talked after that and Desiree's mind ran through a lot of possibilities during their short and fast ride.

"Shh..." she whispered to them when one of them asked if they were driving to where the chopper was. It was safer to not talk, she wanted to tell them.

The van finally came to a halt and Desiree took a deep breath.

There was complete silence for about five minutes. No one moved or made a sound, even the twins. It seemed as if they were all holding their breath.

And then the door opened and light burst inside.

"Fuck. You did not kill him," Richard's voice said from the passenger seat of the van.

Theo quickly jumped inside and sat beside Desiree. An ambulance was parked right beside their van and Jed the service boy from the ship was smiling at them from outside. Richard threw Theo a fat envelop which Theo threw to Jed in return before closing the door again.

"She didn't kill me but she made it damn sure I almost was," Theo whispered beside Desiree as the van started to drive away once again. "You did a great job," he added for her to hear.