the necklace.
“Okay, can we go now?” I asked as Olena slipped the necklace over her head.
“Wait,” Olena replied, before putting the grate and each screw back in place. “In case they look in your room we do not want to leave proof we were here.”
Turning around I headed towards the door and back down the hallway. I moved much faster than on the way in, now more worried about getting caught so close to freedom. As we stepped onto the back porch I replaced the key before following after Olena, who had taken off at a jog. Clearly I was not the only one with frayed nerves after sneaking through my house. We moved in silence all the way back to our vehicle, climbing in before anyone had the nerve to speak.
“You got it?” Steven asked when we reached the car. I nodded, too out of breath for a real answer. In response Steven wrapped his arms around me and planted a kiss on my forehead. “Good job.”
“Alright,” Olena turned to us with a serious look on her face. “Time to head to the airport.”
“What?” I asked, my mouth actually hanging open in shock.
“You guys are not safe here. You have to come with me,” Olena explained, starting the car and driving slowly through my neighborhood.
“But,” I paused, trying to figure out what was going on. “You have the necklace now, why can’t we go?”
“That guy that shot at us back there has lots of friends that are going to be looking for all three of us now,” Olena quickly summarized our situation. “If I leave you here then they will find you and kill you too.”
Not sure what else to do, I turned to face Steven for backup. His jaw was set firmly, both his teeth and fists clenched.
“So that’s it?” he asked, finally breaking his silence. “We just keep going, and hope it’s safer than staying here?”
“Yes,” she said simply. Thinking better of it, she pulled the car over and turned to face me. “Claire, I know you do not want to be involved in this, and I am sorry for dragging you into it all. But right now, the only way I can keep you safe is by keeping you with me.”
Taking a moment to breathe, I considered her words. It was true, she had saved me twice now. First in Perkins by leading that Alexi guy to the bathroom, and then again at the gas station by shooting yet another would be killer. If the men after her knew we were at my house or even back at school they could come after us. Or worse, come after my parents. With a sigh, I knew what decision I needed to make.
“Okay, but can I at least drive?” I asked, unbuckling my seatbelt. “I’m the only one who has gotten any sleep, so it might help us make better time to have a fresh driver.”
When Olena nodded in agreement, I hopped out of the car and traded seats with her. Sliding behind the wheel, I adjusted the mirrors and moved the seat forward. Steven used the time to also exit the car and move to sit with me up front. Apparently sitting next to Olena was not in his plan for this road trip.
“We have to go to New York,” Olena commented as I pulled back onto the road.
“Why not Cleveland?” I asked, glancing at her in my rear view mirror.
“If they know we are going to Russia they will check there first,” she explained. “By flying out of JFK we will avoid them completely.”
“Wait, did you just say Russia?” I asked, slowing the car as I turned to face Olena.
“Yeah, where else would we go?” she asked, snuggling into
“Okay, can we go now?” I asked as Olena slipped the necklace over her head.
“Wait,” Olena replied, before putting the grate and each screw back in place. “In case they look in your room we do not want to leave proof we were here.”
Turning around I headed towards the door and back down the hallway. I moved much faster than on the way in, now more worried about getting caught so close to freedom. As we stepped onto the back porch I replaced the key before following after Olena, who had taken off at a jog. Clearly I was not the only one with frayed nerves after sneaking through my house. We moved in silence all the way back to our vehicle, climbing in before anyone had the nerve to speak.
“You got it?” Steven asked when we reached the car. I nodded, too out of breath for a real answer. In response Steven wrapped his arms around me and planted a kiss on my forehead. “Good job.”
“Alright,” Olena turned to us with a serious look on her face. “Time to head to the airport.”
“What?” I asked, my mouth actually hanging open in shock.
“You guys are not safe here. You have to come with me,” Olena explained, starting the car and driving slowly through my neighborhood.
“But,” I paused, trying to figure out what was going on. “You have the necklace now, why can’t we go?”
“That guy that shot at us back there has lots of friends that are going to be looking for all three of us now,” Olena quickly summarized our situation. “If I leave you here then they will find you and kill you too.”
Not sure what else to do, I turned to face Steven for backup. His jaw was set firmly, both his teeth and fists clenched.
“So that’s it?” he asked, finally breaking his silence. “We just keep going, and hope it’s safer than staying here?”
“Yes,” she said simply. Thinking better of it, she pulled the car over and turned to face me. “Claire, I know you do not want to be involved in this, and I am sorry for dragging you into it all. But right now, the only way I can keep you safe is by keeping you with me.”
Taking a moment to breathe, I considered her words. It was true, she had saved me twice now. First in Perkins by leading that Alexi guy to the bathroom, and then again at the gas station by shooting yet another would be killer. If the men after her knew we were at my house or even back at school they could come after us. Or worse, come after my parents. With a sigh, I knew what decision I needed to make.
“Okay, but can I at least drive?” I asked, unbuckling my seatbelt. “I’m the only one who has gotten any sleep, so it might help us make better time to have a fresh driver.”
When Olena nodded in agreement, I hopped out of the car and traded seats with her. Sliding behind the wheel, I adjusted the mirrors and moved the seat forward. Steven used the time to also exit the car and move to sit with me up front. Apparently sitting next to Olena was not in his plan for this road trip.
“We have to go to New York,” Olena commented as I pulled back onto the road.
“Why not Cleveland?” I asked, glancing at her in my rear view mirror.
“If they know we are going to Russia they will check there first,” she explained. “By flying out of JFK we will avoid them completely.”
“Wait, did you just say Russia?” I asked, slowing the car as I turned to face Olena.
“Yeah, where else would we go?” she asked, snuggling into
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