"Are you okay?" A middle aged black woman asked her.
Allie tore her eyes away from her arm. "Hmm? Oh…yeah just…I'm fine." She faked a smile then returned to dabbing the bloody scrapes all over her arm.
"You don't look fine. You should go to the hospital."
"I can't…I can handle this."
"Did your boyfriend do that?"
She looked at the woman seriously, coming up with an idea. "Yeah…I was leaving him. He doesn't like to be told 'no'."
"You should go to the cops."
"I would but I can't…see he's FBI…he'll likely have a phoney charge made up or something so I'll be the one getting arrested."
"That's how it works doesn't it? Ya know I've heard of that happening before."
She smiled softly. "Me too."
"Are you sure there's nothing I can do?"
"Actually…could you help me here? I can't reach the back."
"Sure." The woman started to dab the back of Allie's arm. "Good god…you might have scars."
"They're not deep. I don't think I'll have more than one or two minor scars…thank you."
She smiled. "I'm Rona."
"Allie."
"So what are you going to do?"
"Leave town." She didn't want to but Kyle had been clear that if this particular situation should occur, then she was to get out of town and get to safety. Normally she wouldn't listen but the pregnancy kit she bought at the same pharmacy where she got the first aide kit, proved that she was in fact pregnant. That and the fact that the Centre seemed to want her was too much. She wasn't going to let anyone hurt her baby.
"Where to?"
"Houston…my bus leaves in any minute. Where are you going?"
"Knoxville. My bus was delayed so I have to wait another hour." She dropped the alcohol swabs into the trash then opened up the gauze and began wrapping her arm.
"Can you do me a huge favour?"
"Sure. I'll help if I can."
"My ex-husband might come looking for me. Could you give him a message?"
"Of course, but how will I know who he is?" She finished wrapping her arm and taped the gauze shut.
Allie turned to her and took out her wallet. She took a picture of her and Kyle out. "Do you have a pen?"
She nodded and took one out, handing it to her.
Allie then wrote on the back. She handed Rona the picture and the pen. "Please…he has to get this."
Rona nodded. "I'll give it to him. Don't you worry."
Allie smiled gratefully despite the bruise on her cheek and the split lip. She had no idea when the injuries to her face happened but knew it was somewhere in the big scuffle with the sweeper. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Just get on that bus and don't even think about seeing that jerk again."
"That's all?" She smiled and hugged the woman. "Thank you Rona." Allie then grabbed her violin and camera then hurried off. She jumped on the bus and waited anxiously until the bus pulled out of the lot. Then she waited for them to pass the city limits.
Rona paced by the gate for the bus to Houston and let out a breath when the bus started driving off. She started over to her own gate and waited. She really hoped the young woman would be alright. Her and the child she was carrying.
It was only a couple minutes later that the sweepers, led by Lyle, came into the station in a rush. They went up the ticket window, where an old man was working. They butted the line and flashed some FBI badges. "We're looking for a woman in her twenties. Dark hair, green eyes…have you seen her? She would have the earliest bus, probably here in the last ten minutes."
"Lots of women fit that description…but she might not have come to the window. We just got an automated machine."
Lyle turned around, annoyed, seeing the new machine and glared at it for a second before turning back around. "What are the buses leaving right now? Have any left in the last fifteen minutes?"
"Yeah. The bus to Houston just left. The next one is to-"
Lyle ignored him and hurried towards the exit, taking out his cell phone.
Jarod and Kyle got out of the car. Kyle started towards the bus station but his brother grabbed his arm. "Wait." He motioned to the lone black car out front. "They're here."
Kyle took out his gun.
"No!" Jarod hissed.
"They have my wife!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down." Jarod sighed. "Look, you can't go in there shooting because innocent people can get hurt."
"Then what the hell are we going to do? Allie's in there and if they-"
"There's only one car. They had two black cars out front of the legal offices. I think this one is meant for us…you go inside, I'll take care of these guys."
Kyle didn't wait for another word. He hurried into the building.
Jarod crouched down and ran up to the Centre car, keeping out of sight. He took out his pocket knife then jammed it into the back right tire. He pulled it out then did the same thing to the other back tire. He knew that no matter what happened now, that in the very least this was a big nuisance to the sweepers.
He put his pocket knife away then snuck around to the side of the car, coming up behind the sweeper who was just standing by the car, waiting. Jarod stood up quickly, slipping his arm around the sweeper's neck and put him in a sleeper hold.
The sweeper gasped but couldn't do much else. He passed out. Jarod eased him to the ground.
He went around to the other side of the car and tried to sneak up on the driver, but he had glanced in the side mirror in time to see Jarod. He swung open the door and got out.
Jarod grabbed him and slammed him against the door. The sweeper hit his head, knocking him out.
The pretender looked around and was relieved that everyone was too busy with their own lives that they didn't see the scuffle.
Kyle pushed open the door to the women's washroom. "Allie?!"
"Not quite the pretender I was hoping, but you'll do."
Kyle turned around and came face to face with Lyle. A gun was aimed at his chest. "Where is she?" He asked hoarsely, his eyes burning into the thumbless man.
"Probably with Brigitte on her way back home." He had called her and told her to hop on the Centre chopper and get to Houston. Lyle sent the other car to follow the bus just in case Allie got off first. "The Centre will be very interested to know she's going to have a baby."
"You son of a bitch!" Kyle reached for his gun.
Lyle tisked, "try to keep up. I have the gun…I'll shoot you first."
"Not this time." Kyle glanced slightly to the left of Lyle.
Jarod snuck up behind Lyle and the sweeper next to him. He shooved Lyle to the side then threw a punch in the sweeper's face. Kyle tackled Lyle and punched him a few times while his brother subdued the sweeper. He hit Lyle in the face for a fourth time then when he was about to punch him for a fifth time when Jarod grabbed his arm. "Kyle! We don't have time for that."
Kyle reluctantly got to his feet and followed Jarod to check out the bus schedule.
Rona approached them wearily. "Excuse me? You're Kyle…"
Kyle turned around and looked at the woman suspiciously. She wasn't dressed like a sweeper.
"I spoke to your wife."
He flinched. "My wife?"
"Sorry, 'ex-wife'." Rona took the picture from her purse and handed it to him. "She told me to give you this."
Kyle's mouth dropped open slightly. It was a picture of the two of them in Rome. Kyle was wearing an olive green t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Allie wore a pastel pink feminine dress. She was on a stone bench and he had his arm around her and Allie held his other hand. They were sitting in a garden, with red and white flowers in the background. They were smiling happily, genuinely, and warmly.
Jarod asked the woman. "What did she say?"
"Allie said her boyfriend hit her and he worked for the FBI…that's why I didn't say anything to them when they came in here. She said to give this to him though…she wrote something on the back."
Kyle flipped the picture over and read the back. It was written in her neat writing, tightly together to make sure it would all fit on the back:
Kyle,
I'm sorry about this but I had to leave. I couldn't risk staying. I just found out…we're going to have a baby. I took one of those home tests just a few minutes ago. I wanted to tell you in person but I just had to tell you. Our timing isn't the greatest but i'm already picturing what he or she will look like.
I'm taking the bus to Houston and I'll wait for you at the station there. Don't worry about me. Everything's going to be fine. I'll see you soon.
I love you, always,
Allie.
"She's in Houston." Kyle let out a breath.
"I hope the poor girl's alright. She was pretty shaken up and her arm will hurt for days most likely."
"What do you mean?"
"Well she had a bruise on her cheek, a split lip, and lot of scrapes all over her arm. That bastard boyfriend must have been a scary muther."
Jarod scrunched up his face in confusion. "Muther? Why-"
"Jarod!" Kyle yelled as he ran for the door.
He glanced at Kyle then Rona. "Thank you." He hurried after his brother.