Clara remained stood against the wall while Alex sat on the bed. He was nervously tapping his foot against the floor, his hands resting on his thighs as he nodded to himself. He was trying to gather the courage to tell her what was happening, but he knew that once he did this then there would be no going back. And what if she decided to go to the police and tell them? What would happen then? He didn't know and he didn't want to find out.

"I'm being blackmailed," he finally admitted, flapping his hands by his side as he looked to Clara and she nodded, urging him to continue with his tale. "There are these people…way higher than me…I don't know who they are, but I…they're blackmailing me."

"Okay," Clara said, unable to believe how suspicious it sounded, but she had to believe him. She had to believe him as she looked to him and saw the fear in his gaze. "So why are they blackmailing you? Because they know about Shales?"

"They know everything about Shales," he confirmed. "They know what we did and that's why they want you dead, Clara. They want you dead so that you don't go and blab…because if you do that then they can't blackmail me anymore."

Clara moved slowly over to the bed, perching on the edge of it as Alex moved his head to look over to her. "They…"

He was struggling to speak and Clara could see just what this was doing to him. It was ruining him. She knew the signs of someone in despair. She had seen it on her face plenty of times, but Alex went to another level. He looked unhinged, everything about him seeming to be on edge.

"What they want is wrong," Alex said. "But I have to do it…they threatened Pam and Cameron. They will hurt them if I don't do it and I can't do that to Pam. I ruined my marriage and pushed her away. I destroyed everything and now I'm trying to save her."

"I get it," Clara promised him. "But what are they getting you to do, Alex?"

Moving with haste, he slid closer to her, grabbing hold of her forearms tightly. He held them in his grip and she searched his stare. His eyes seemed larger than usual and his forehead was dripping with sweat as Clara moved her own hands to his shoulders, knowing full well that she had to calm him down somehow.

"You need to promise me that what I am about to tell you will stay in this room…because if you threaten to go to the police…my son…" he choked again and Clara nodded, knowing just how important family was.

"I know," she said. "Okay, I get it. You would do anything to protect them, just as I would have done."

"Then you need to know that I don't want to do it," Alex said. "I don't want to do it, Clara."

"It's fine," she promised him and he nodded before releasing her, sitting back and looking her dead in the eye as he spoke, his voice shaky.

"They want me to kill the escaped convicts."

His words danced around in her ears as he moved to his feet, some form of panic taking over him. He didn't want to tell her and now a part of him felt even more worried after having done so. No one was supposed to know and he knew that, but he had still spoken the words. He still said them out loud and told her.

"What?" Clara whispered, her mouth dry as Alex tugged a hand through his hair. "Why the hell would anyone want you to do that?"

"I don't know," Alex admitted. "All I know is that they're called The Company and they have Pam and Cameron being watched…"

"Okay, this is even weirder than the previous tale you spun me." She spoke in a low voice before letting her eyes dart across the floor and Alex moved then, bending down in front of her. He took hold of her wrists in his grip and moved his face closer to hers.

"This is the truth," he said and she did believe him. "I am telling you the truth, Clara…and that man in the parking lot was the same one who came to visit you in your office."

"What?" she snapped then, pushing herself to her feet as Mahone also stood up straight and watched her flail her arms by her side as she glowered to him. "What the hell does he want?"

"To kill you," Alex said. "He wants to kill you, Clara and get you out of the picture before you become a threat. We neutralise threats and that is what we do."

Clara felt sick at hearing that, bending down as she let the feeling sweep over her. Alex watched her and felt some form of pity well up inside of him at what he had just told her. She was doubled over, her hands holding her thighs and bracing her as her hair fell in front of her face.

"Clara," Alex whispered her name and she shook her head, sniffing loudly and running a hand under her nose.

"No," she said. "This can't be happening."

"It is," he said.

"So what do we do?" she demanded from him. "Alex…you cannot do this."

"Did you miss out the part where I said they have my ex and kid?"

"No," she said. "But I know that there has to be someone we can go to. Look, the police could put them into protective custody, right? If we went to tell them then-"

"-They would shoot them as soon as they got wind," Alex spoke and she couldn't quite believe what was happening. "They would never let me get that far before disposing of me and you. Clara, do you think I haven't threatened them with everything I have? I have…I've thought of everything and there is nothing. There is nothing to escape from this."

His words filled her with dread and she sat back down at the seat at the desk, her arm dangling over the back of the chair as Alex sunk down on the bed, tugging his tie further down his shirt and unbuttoning his top button of the white shirt. He looked to her as she processed everything he had just said.

"Why did the man not kill me then?" she asked him.

"He's buying his time. He's the same man who keeps meeting me and demanding updates," Alex said. "I'm sorry, Clara, okay? I never meant to drag you into this, but letting him kill you…it just wasn't fair."

"It would have saved you a lot of hassle," she responded. "And…the convicts…killing them…"

"I don't relish the idea of doing it," Alex said, his brows arching. "But between them and my family?"

"Family always win," Clara confirmed and Alex glanced over to her as she peered into the distance, no doubt thinking about Theresa and what she could have done. She met Alex's eye again. "Alex, I don't get it, but I believe you, okay? I…I know you would never lie about your family being in danger. I might not know anything else about you, but I know that after what happened."

"Thank you," Alex said to her.

"But killing these convicts…"

"I know," Alex said, silently agreeing to her horror. "I know. I keep trying to find a way out, but everything I try fails miserably."

"I can tell," she said. "So what happens now? If that man is out there then how long before he comes in?"

Nodding, Alex stood up and moved with haste, motioning the door on the wall that led to her room. Pulling it open after unlocking it, he ushered her inside the room, motioning to all of her belongings she had strewn around.

"Pack it all," he told her. "I'll be back in a minute. You're right. We need to change rooms…make sure he can't find out where we are."

"On it," Clara said.

She began to grab her stuff, bagging it with haste into her holdall as Alex left the room and she continued to pack. She made sure the room was empty before waiting for Alex to return, her mind a whirl after what she had just said to him. She couldn't believe it. It all seemed so far fetched. But then a part of her knew that it was real. She could see when someone was worried.

Pulling her holdall onto her shoulder, she moved back into Alex's room and grabbed the satchel she had deposited on his bed when they had first entered the room. She went back into her room in time to see Alex open the door, slightly out of breath as he beckoned her towards him.

"The room across the hall?" she snapped at him as he put the key card into the lock and it opened.

"We're under a fake alias," Alex told her. "But this still lets me keep a lookout on the hall through the spyhole."

"And you just got one room?" she asked, seeing how there was just a double bed in the room with a sofa at the end of the bed. She dumped her stuff on that as Alex locked the door and Clara glanced to the watch on her wrist. It was now eight p.m. Eight p.m. and she was drained of energy.

"There weren't many other options," Alex told her. "But don't worry, I hardly sleep so you take the bed."

"Did you sleep last night?"

"No," Alex said, remaining stood by the door and peering through the small hole in the wood.

"Then how do you function?" she asked of him.

"Not very well," he admitted and spun to look to her as she crossed her legs beneath her, her arms resting in her lap as he saw her begin to pull at her dress, moving it and covering her legs further. "Clara, can you promise me-"

"-Promise," Clara interrupted him, nodding sternly. "I promise that I won't do anything…go to the police…I get it, Alex. If I were you and Theresa was in danger…"

"I will keep trying," Alex promised, his voice now full of determination. "I will keep trying to find a way out of this. I promise you, Clara. And…and keep you safe."

"Do you think that you can?" Clara wondered. "I mean, they can get to me at work. They've shown that. What more can I do? Where else can I hide?"

"I know," Alex spoke. "The only other option is for you to take leave from work and come with me. Come with me into the office and stay there."

"Won't that look suspicious?" she asked, scoffing. "I mean, people will talk. You know that…and what if the convicts go beyond Illinois? You'll have to leave the state. Alex, I won't go to the police, I promise you…now I know…but…but if they get me then-"

"-Stop it," he urged her. "Clara, stop it."

"No," she said, "because I can go. I can flee…get out the U.S."

"They would never let you," he replied. "Clara, I feel enough guilt over this already, okay? Just stay here…come with me…and I will do everything I can to keep you alive."

Saying nothing, Clara turned to glance out the window, wondering what the best option would be. She suspected she knew the safest option. Alex was probably right when he said that she would not survive on her own, but that didn't mean that she didn't want to try. She wanted to get out and do whatever she could on her own.

"Believe me," Alex whispered to her.

"I do," she said. "I just-"

"-There is enough blood on my hands…innocent blood…I don't want to add you to that list," Alex said, his voice honest and his tone determined.

"Okay," was all that she managed to say to him, nodding her head slowly before Alex nodded and went back to looking through the hole in the door.

Clara went about the rest of the evening in silence, using the bathroom to shower and change into her pyjamas once more, slipping them over her body and tossing her dress to the side of the room, not caring to fold it up. She was too exhausted for that. It was only nearly nine p.m. and already she could see Alex begin to sag.

He had dragged the chair from the desk to the door, holding onto the brown files he had brought up with him as he read them over. He listened intently for any noise outside as he studied the folders. Clara sat down on the sofa once more, reaching into her satchel for her cell.

"I'll text the head of department," she spoke. "I'll just say I have an emergency…involving my sister's case."

"Yeah," Alex responded in a mumble.

"So what do we do then?" she asked of him. "Because you cannot stay awake all night again. You'll either collapse or make yourself ill."

Chuckling, Alex closed a file and glanced in her direction. "I'll manage. Get some sleep, Clara."

"No," Clara said and Alex arched a brow at hearing her before he dared to move from the chair, standing up as Clara did the same, observing his face for a moment. It took a second before Clara moved with haste, slipping past Alex and settling down on the chair he had just vacated. "You're either going to collapse from exhaustion or end up sitting awake in that chair and getting insomnia."

"You do know that I am an FBI agent, Clara?" he asked of her. "This is kind of my job…staying awake and waiting to catch suspects."

"Yeah, well, my job is to lecture rowdy young adults," she replied. "That doesn't make me invincible and able to stay awake all hours of the day."

Leaning her head against the door, Clara watched him expectantly before he nodded and pushed his jacket from his shoulders, tossing it onto the desk as he noticed her discarded dress on the floor. Clara pulled her legs to her chin, curling into a ball as she remained seated.

"I'll take over in a couple of hours," Alex muttered and she saw him collapse onto the bed, resting on his side. She rolled her eyes, knowing that he would give in eventually.

He pushed his shoes from his feet, dropping them on the floor. Clara went back to looking at the door, keeping her eyes open as she heard Alex continue to breath quietly until his breaths turned to light snores and she looked back to him. So she was stuck with a snorer. Saying nothing and managing not to chuckle, Clara kept her attention on any noise coming from the corridor outside.

She checked her watch often, wondering if time had always passed by so slowly. She did her best not to look at the time, but she was so bored. She had nothing to do after finishing off her marking and lecture plans for the rest of the week. Not that she needed them now. What Alex was proposing was madness and Clara knew that. She could hardly stay by his side all of the time. It was impossible.

But then she believed him when he said that she would struggle to get away. She just didn't know what to do. She had no idea what would be the best thing to do. As her thoughts consumed her, she almost fell asleep, but then a sudden creaking noise took her off guard. Flailing in her chair, she dropped her feet to the floor before looking up, her hands resting either side of the peephole. Her eyes widened at the sight she saw.

It was the man who had been in her office that evening. Alex was right. He had slipped a key card into the door and was pushing it open wide. Shaking her head back and forth, Clara could hardly believe it. He was carrying a gun by his side. He was there to kill her.

As the door closed behind him, Clara moved with haste into the room, pushing Alex in the shoulder hastily, waking him for the sleep her had found. He looked concerned for a moment before Clara hissed to him.

"He's here…in the room…" she said before taking off back to the door.

Alex took a moment to gather himself before collecting his gun from the bedside table, holding it by his side as he moved to the door. Placing a hand to Clara's elbow, he moved her aside so that he could look through the hole in the door.

"What-"

Alex silenced her, pressing a hand over her mouth as he saw the door across the corridor open. He held his gun by his side while Clara rested her back against the door, her shoulder pressed against Alex's as he kept a hand over her mouth, watching as the suited man looked up and down the corridor before stretching his neck and walking down the corridor.

Slowly, Alex dared to move his hand from her mouth and she slumped against the wood, taking deep breaths as Alex kept his eye to the door, not entirely convinced the threat had gone.

"If he goes downstairs and checks the CCTV footage then he will know we haven't gone," Alex informed her. "We need to get out of here, Clara…now…"

"Why would he check the footage? Surely it just looks like we took off if the room is vacant?"

"I don't know," Alex said to her. "He might check it and he might not. All I know is that I would rather not take the risk. Besides, my car is still down there."

Alex placed his gun back into his holster before gathering his files and pushing his shoes back on. Clara packed her belongings once more, not bothering to fold them neatly, instead shoving them into the bag and crumpling them. It was only once she was packed did she realise she was wearing her pyjamas.

"I need to change."

"No time," Alex shook his head. "Come here."

Grabbing her holdall from her, she slipped her ankle boots onto her feet before Alex handed her the jacket that had been resting on the desk. She placed her arms into it before following Alex, picking up her satchel on the way. He opened the door and peered out, ushering her out as he kept her bag in his grip and she clung to his suit jacket.

"Down the fire escape," Alex said.

They moved down the corridor to the emergency exit, Alex opening it as the alarm sounded through the building. Clara kept up with his fast pace as he took two steps at a time, travelling down the winding staircase. Tucking her hair behind her ear so she could see her feet, Clara was more than glad to come to the exit at the bottom. Alex looked around the car park, searching for his car in the dark before finding it. Unlocking it, Alex held open the passenger door and Clara slid in, letting him chuck her bag on her lap.

He dove into the driver's side and started the ignition.

"Just get down," Alex mumbled and Clara did as instructed as he took off quickly.

She could hear the people evacuating the hotel into the car park and only once they were on the streets did Alex speak again.

"You can come up," he told her. "I didn't spot him in the crowd as we went past."

"So where do we go now?" Clara wondered. "It's midnight…we have someone who wants to kill me…Christ…"

"I don't know," Alex admitted to her. "There's only one place I can think of where security is tight enough for nothing to happen to us."

"Where?"

"Headquarters."

"Won't that be the first place they look? It is where you work after all," Clara said and Alex shrugged.

"They might look, but even in the middle of the night there are still agents around," Alex informed her. "It's not just me who pulls all night sessions."

"I'm in pyjamas," Clara complained to him and Alex looked over to her, noticing the black silk pyjamas she was still wearing underneath his jacket and he chuckled, unable to stop himself as she wondered what could be so funny.

"Well, it will certainly give the office something to talk about," he mused and Clara rolled her eyes.

"Great."

…

Alex showed Clara the direction of the bathroom and let her change. She came out in some dark blue jeans, a white blouse tucked into them. She had tied her hair back from her face, showing the gauntness of her cheeks as Alex did his best not to notice the bags under her eyes and the wrinkles on her forehead. He couldn't remember how old she was, but he wagered she was in her mid-thirties now.

"So what's the plan?" Clara asked of him, stepping into sync beside him as they walked through the familiar corridors. Alex was slightly quicker than she was, but she kept up, looking up to him as he entered the large room they used as the control centre.

"We lay low," Alex said. "We see if they make contact."

It was the middle of the night and no one was around, making it pretty easy for Alex to sneak in without having to speak to anyone. He went to his office, opening the door for Clara and letting her in. She stepped inside and dropped her bags into the corner of the room before looking around, her arms folded.

"What now?" she asked before she spotted it on his desk.

Alex wondered what she was looking at as she handed him his jacket back that she had borrowed, knowing full well what he had hidden in the inside pocket. She leant over the desk, her hands pushing at the file and Alex moved behind her, leaning his hand around hers to try and shut the folder. But Clara was quick, her hand was in his in an instant to stop him from moving.

"I read his file," Alex whispered, his mouth close to her ear as he spoke so that no one could listen to him in his bugged office. "I read his file…all those things he did…and it makes me feel better…better that he is in the ground."

Nodding, Clara released her fingers from his and let him pick the folder up, tucking it under his arm before filing it away and out of sight. Looking down to the desk, Clara took a shaky breath before peering up and looking over to where a shadow had formed on the ground. As her eyes lifted upwards, she saw him.

It was the man who had been at the hotel. The man who wanted her dead.

…

A/N: Not sure if anyone is reading this, but if you are then do just leave me a quick review, it would mean the world!