"Ida-Beth we need to leave. Now," Dick asserted from behind the shadows of the moon that gleamed through the window.

"Dick I can't leave Ben behind. God knows how long we'll be gone. That's my baby. I can't leave him here to grow up without his mother." Dick's masculine expression drooped to a somber appearance. He slowly walked towards Ida-Beth as if not to scare her. He reached both arms towards her and gently grabbed her weak forearms.

"Sweetie, I know this is hard. I cannot bear the fact that we have to leave everything behind. That child is what keeps me going. Every morning I wake up and know that I will have a great day playing ball with him or teaching him about the Bay. At night I rest assured that Ben will grow and become the man I never was. I hate myself for doing this to our family. To you and my boy. But we have to leave for him." He paused and stared into her eyes. Her pupils were dilated and her gaze was intent. She was processing every word he was saying, hoping that this would not be their last conversation. "I have done some things that I am not proud of and in the process I've pissed off a lot of men. The men have become fed up with my games and decided the proper solution is to kill me." Her jaw dropped and a loud gasp followed. "These men will not stop until they find me and my corpse becomes their trophy. They will take out anything and anyone in their way to get to me."

"That includes Ben and I," she whimpered and closed her eyes. Tears began to run down her blushed checks drop by drop.

"Yes. That includes you and Ben." As he repeated her words a wave of emotion fell upon him. Anger for preforming his previous actions. Fear for his family. Fear for himself. Adrenaline to get the hell out of town and protect the ones he loves. Despair for leaving his pride and joy, his only child, home to grow up without a father. "Ellis and I have a plan and I need you to follow it. We are going to save Ben."

"I'll do anything to save my baby."

"We are going to leave town. Word will spread fast that we have left and the men won't bother Ben. Ellis is going to watch over him and make sure that none of those bastards lay so much as a hand on him."

"You better be sure that nothing and I mean nothing happens to that boy."

"Isa, nothing will happen. Ellis is deadly with a weapon. I am positive that we have left him in good hands." Silence fell as they both took a deep breath. "As for us, we are going to be on the run. These men are going to chase me until the day they die. They will come for you too because to them you are the key to my whereabouts. I need you to pack a bag of whatever you think we'll need. Clothes, money, food, blankets, anything important. Once that bag is packed we are leaving. You have ten minutes."

"I want you to pack that bag. I am going to spend my last ten minutes in this house with my son. If that means that I sit by the side of his bed while he sleeps than that's what I'm going to do. You got us into this mess so you are going to give me the time I need. I will see you in ten minutes." She threw his arms off of her. With a brisk turn she climbed the narrow stairs that would lead her straight to Ben.