Disclaimer: I don't own any of Jak2 or 3, and I don't own any of the characters other than Trista. Naughty dog owns everything else.

Chapter Eight

Errol stood there smiling at me. I glared at him as he plainly ignored me for a minute, then he took a slow, deliberate step into the room. For some reason, even though I had known this guy since I was just a little girl, he scared me for no reason that I can think of. He walked over to the window and looked down at the city, then motioned for me to take a look.

"Look at them. People who are weak, who don't even have the power to do anything for themselves. They scurry through the streets like rats. Too afraid to protect themselves." He looked at me and for a moment, his eyes were shadowed with darkness and I took a step back.

"They try their best Errol. They make a living the best they can." I turned from him and wondered why I was in the palace. They didn't just bring everyone who did something wrong to come live in the palace.

"I'm one of them remember? I'm one of those dirty little rats that you hate so much. I scurry through those streets on a daily basis. So why am I here?" I could hear him walk over to me again. He grabbed my arm and made me face him. I wanted more than anything to just hit him, but I restrained. Here wasn't the place to start something. I wasn't even armed with anything that could help me get away. Errol touched my cheek and smirked at me.

"No, you, you are something more. Something special, or at least the baron thinks so. He wants you to stay here for a while. So here you are, oh, and speaking of the baron, he has requested that you come to see him. Let's go." So that's the game. There were rumors on the streets about this. If a girl was pretty enough, the baron took her in. Soon enough he sent her on her way though. That wouldn't happen to me. That dirty disgusting man was not going to treat me like a little bubble head that he could use to his wishes.

I followed Errol down the hall, hating each step that I had to make. Wishing more than anything that someone would show up and save me, but Torn didn't know where I was, and there was a good chance there wouldn't be time even if he did. We passed by a window and I snuck another glance outside. The sun was setting, and it had started to rain. If I found a way out of here, the rain might make a good cover.

Errol stopped in front of two huge double doors. I swear, those are the biggest doors I have ever seen in my life. He typed his password into a box on the wall and the doors opened, and he pushed me inside.

"So your awake. Good, I've been anxious to talk with you." Wow, the baron in the flesh, isn't this a surprise. He looks, well, really scary actually, but I'm not going to let him know that he's got to me already. Errol nudged me forward, a little less than gently and I took a few cautious steps. The baron chuckled and walked to me and cupped my chin in his hand.

"My my my, you are a pretty one aren't you?" He said, and I tried to keep myself from hurling. To think that this, this thing, was touching me made me want to hurl and then hurl again. I suppressed a shudder and chose to glare at him defiantly.

"Hmm, but your eyes hold stubbornness, almost as if you blame me for you being here. You know, I've met girls like you before. Headstrong, willful." He ran his fingers through my hair and smiled at me.

"They soon found out how harmful it is to be like that to their baron." He smirked as I pulled away, but he made sure to keep a good grip on my arm. To my relief, he broke his gaze when a red guard came into the room and said something to Errol.

"Sir! We've received word that the meeting is to commence now." Errol said. The baron swore and then recomposed himself. I glanced at the door, they had left it open. If I could just slip out unnoticed, I had a pretty good chance of getting out of the palace. Errol walked over and pulled me over by him near the door.

"Aren't you lucky? You get to observe the baron in a meeting. Maybe now you'll understand now how hard he works to keep you people safe." I shrugged and watched as the baron booted up his transmitter.

I almost cried out in alarm as I saw the metal head face appear over the transmitter. There was no way. I covered up my shock by looking up to the glass ceiling, only to receive a bigger shock. Was that, it was! Jak was watching from the ceiling up there. And he was looking right at me. I couldn't do anything to draw attention to him so I quickly looked around me. Errol had left my side, along with the guard, to talk to the baron.

Now was the best chance I had. I was supposed to be watching the meeting, but Jak would tell Torn about this. I was about to slip out the open door when another guard ran into the room.

"Sir! We've detected an intruder on the roof!" He said, saluting as he skidded to a stop. I cursed the luck, Jak must have accidentally set off an alarm. The baron rushed past me and to my disadvantage, Errol came back over and grabbed my arm.

"Thought you could leave, huh? Not likely." I looked at him and decided to try and reach the kind cousin I knew was still in there somewhere. I bit my lip lightly and looked at him. I guess I startled him by summoning up the fake tears that were now quickly filling up my emerald eyes.

"Errol, I just want to go home. At least now I've met the baron. He really is trying to make the city safe for us. I see that I should let the guards be. Can't I please go home?" I looked up at him with my puppy dog eyes and I saw him soften.

All of the sudden, he was yanking me through the door. I had no idea what was going on, but I had a feeling that what I just tried didn't work too well. I couldn't even see half the hallways I was being dragged through, until he stopped in front of a large door. Errol typed in his password again, and the doors opened. He dragged me outside, into the rain, and I realized he was taking me out to freedom. After walking through a few alleys, he stopped and turned to me.

"I'm letting you go only because you're my family, but Trista, please I beg you. Be careful. I know you're helping the underground, and I also know the punishment you'll face if the baron catches you. You're bag is probably at the underground, I told one of the guards to drop it nearby. Now go!" He released my arm and I stood there, shocked for a moment. I turned to run, but on a second thought I turned back and ran to him.

Throwing my arms around him, I hugged him close and once I stepped back, he was staring at me, baffled.

"Thanks Errol. I knew you were still a good person." I turned and ran down an alley and grabbed a vehicle. I knew that I should be getting back to the hideout. Wait until I told Torn about everything that had happened.

Me: Ok, read and review please, thanks to those that have.