Chapter 5

As they drove on the freeway, Mackenzie kept a constant eye on the twins. Not a mile went by nor a sound made without her checking to make sure everyone was ok. She could feel her anxiety rising with each passing minute. Not even Jarod placing a hand on her knee helped. She looked over at her handsome husband and faked a smile, trying to remember this wasn't his fault. He had done everything he could to keep them safe. But she was a woman of facts and stability. The fact was they were in danger and they had left any sense of stability behind in Manhattan. She couldn't relax until she knew they were out of harm's way. The further they got from their home, the more she felt her world crumble around her. Jarod could sense this and pulled the car off the freeway and into the nearest gas station.

"Jarod, why are we stopping?" she asked, her heart rate quickening as she checked to make sure they weren't followed.

"Because I want to make sure you're alright. You and our children matter more to me than anything."

Mackenzie sighed, placing her head in her hands, and let the tears flow. She had been so focused on their current predicament that she had forgotten how much her husband loved her. He was the kind of man who would drop everything for her. Suddenly, his strong hand moved from her knee and she felt him wrap his arms around her as he pulled her close and planted a kiss on her head.

"What did I do to deserve you?" she whispered through the tears.

He hugged her tightly and tilted her head up to give her a kiss on the lips. The two of them had been through so much in just a couple days, it was understandable that she would be overwhelmed. Jarod resolved then and there that he would do whatever he had to to make her feel safe again.

"I love you so much." he said.

"I love you, too."

"Remember our first date?"

"Yeah. We went to get shawarma and you kept looking over your shoulder every few minutes."

"I didn't want to risk anything happening to you. Back then, I felt like my every move was watched. I never knew when the Centre would come for me. This last year and a half has been like a dream for me. I'm so sorry that I dragged you and our children into this."

The pain in his voice was clear. She looked up into his eyes and willed hers to show him that she trusted him and didn't blame him.

"I don't blame you, honey," she said quietly. "I'm just so worried about our family. They found us and we had done everything right. Laid as low as possible, switched cars, everything. What's to keep that from happening again?"

"Laying even lower. I can't be connected to any major stories in the news. When we find somewhere new to live, we'll get a new license plate and change last names. I've done this before and we should be safe. Feel better?"

"A little. I'll be ok, though. Just give me a little time."

Jarod nodded, kissed her again, and turned the car key. The engine sprang to life and Jarod looked around before driving off. They quickly reached the freeway again and by nightfall had reached Columbus, Ohio. They had grabbed dinner on the road and quickly cleaned out their car of trash before checking into a hotel. With the twins sound asleep, Jarod and Mackenzie decided to try and unwind by watching television. Before they knew it they had fallen asleep, snuggled as close as possible.

They awoke early the next morning, the twins crying of hunger. While Mackenzie fed the twins, Jarod went to the lobby where a continental breakfast awaited him. He gathered up some fruit, a bagel, cream cheese, yogurt, and orange juice for him and Mackenzie and returned to the room.

"Right on time!" Mackenzie said, a tired smile on her face. "I'm starving."

"Thought you would be. That's why I picked up a little bit of everything."

Jarod set the plate within her reach as she was finishing feeding Andrew and sat down on the floor where Marie was lying down on a blanket.

"Hi, sweetheart." he said softly, picking up a toy nearby and holding it in her view.

The baby girl reached up and took a soft hold on the toy. Jarod planted a kiss on her forehead, his heart swelling with pride. He sat next to his daughter for a few minutes, playing with her and talking to her. Then he got up and sat at the table where his breakfast awaited, turned to where he could keep an eye on Marie. Mackenzie finished feeding Andrew and set him down next to Marie. Jarod took a minute to find a toy for his son and played with him. After finishing breakfast, they quickly dressed the twins and made sure that all of their things were together. Checking out the window to make sure no one had found them, they quickly loaded their things into the car and checked out of the hotel. The plan for the day was they were going to go to Lima, Ohio, about an hour and a half away. Jarod figured it was small enough that it would be the last place anyone would look for them. Once they got there, they would change their last name, look for a house to rent (staying in a hotel until one came up) and settle there. As they drove, Jarod and Mackenzie took turns talking to a realtor who would help them find either a condo or a townhouse. They discussed preferences such as bed and bathroom numbers, locations, square footage, and price range. The realtor promised to call them back with any possibilities and they promised to call back once they settled into the hotel.

As they drove, they talked more about how life would be in the suburbs. They'd have to be very careful not to get involved in anything noteworthy. However, it would be easier to go off the radar in a suburb versus a big city. When they got to the hotel an hour later, they quickly got checked in and put their things into the hotel room before going to get some lunch. When they finished lunch and got back to the hotel, they went and started the name change process. Their last names would now be Kingman. About an hour later, they got a call from their realtor saying that she had found a few possibilities for them to look at. The first one was a two-story condo with two bedrooms and two bathrooms located near the middle of town. The second one was a one-story three bedroom two bathroom townhouse about a mile away from the hotel. The third and final one was a two-story three bedroom two bathroom condo located on the outskirts of Lima. All of them were fully furnished. After meeting with the realtor and touring all three houses, they decided to try for the townhouse. A few hours later, the realtor called back and told them their offer had been accepted. It would take about a month, but then the townhouse would be theirs. Jarod set up a payment plan with the hotel for them to stay until they were able to move in and it felt like everything was falling into place.

Over the course of the next four weeks, Jarod and Mackenzie were always on their toes. Jarod felt like his every move was being watched again, and hated that Mackenzie now felt the same way. They both felt they couldn't go outside without checking to make sure there were no limos or other Centre-type cars in the parking lot. Jarod and Mackenzie knew this was unhealthy, but they also knew that it was what was keeping them alive. They would always have to be on their toes, but eventually, they should be able to relax at least a little bit and find a balance between worrying obsessively and being able to enjoy life. They bought a few things for the townhome that they could squeeze into the back of the car.

"Jarod," Mackenzie asked on their last day in the hotel. "Let's celebrate. After a month on the run, we deserve it."

"You're right," Jarod replied after thinking for a minute. "But let's go somewhere out of the ordinary while still somewhat close to the hotel."

Mackenzie nodded and smiled as she picked up Andrew. Jarod knelt down and picked up Marie. They got into the car and drove down the street to a nearby diner. After their celebratory lunch, they returned to the hotel and checked out after making sure all of their things were together. Then they drove the mile to their new home and got the key from the realtor.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Kingman." Jarod said with a smile, putting his arm around his wife.

"You, too, Mr. Kingman." Mackenzie replied, planting a kiss on his lips.

They walked in and set the twins down in their carriers. A short time later, they were all moved in and putting everything in place. The cribs were set up in the twins' rooms along with baby monitors. They planned to eventually buy bookshelves and a rocking chair, but for now had moved one of the chairs from the living room into Andrew's room and a chair from the dining room into Marie's. It would have to do until they could get to the furniture store in the next few days. By now, it was the twins' naptime, so they got them down for their naps and sat down on the couch in the living room.

"I don't think it's been this quiet in a long time." Mackenzie chuckled.

"Me either. It's kinda nice having it be just the two of us for a bit." Jarod replied.

"Yeah. What do you say we make the most of the time we have?"

Jarod raised an eyebrow and then realized what she was saying. He smiled and took her hand, leading her down the hall to where their bedroom waited, pushing the door closed behind them.