Hayley follows him, trying to catch up to him so she can explain what's really going on when she feels a tug on her wrist. She feels herself spinning around, her head tapping against something, and soon, she finds herself pinned up against the wall.
"Let go of me!" She breathes, trying to find an opening.
All he does is hold her tighter. She can feel his breath against her cheek; it's warm and reeks of smoke and alcohol, a fatal combination. His hand easily encircles both of hers, trapping them together, leaving her little room to escape.
Using his free hand, he pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket. "Where is he?" His gruff voice asks, hand gripping her wrists tighter until she's almost sure they're going to leave a bruise.
"Who?" She asks, even though she knows for sure who the boy in the picture is. She can't let him know though, she can't let him find him. The Prince asked for her help, and she won't let him down. She's not going to let his uncle, or anyone else, kill him.
"The Prince." He demands. "I know you know where he is." He looks her in the eye, but she doesn't back down. "Tell me where he is." He shoves the picture back into his pocket.
Using his moment of distraction, she wrenches her wrists free from his grasp and makes it a few feet away, only to freeze as she catches sight of the barrel of a gun aimed at right at her forehead.
Her throat seizes, only a name slipping through in her moment of panic. "Leo!"
"I'll give you one last chance to tell me where he is." He threatens her, clicking off the safety on the gun. "Or I'll kill you where you're standing."
"Let her go!" Leo clutches the rifle tightly, keeping his hold firm as he aims it at the girl's attacker.
The man turns around, seizing her, the cold barrel of the gun now in direct contact with her skin. "Tell me where the boy is, or I'll blow her brains out." He presses the barrel harder to her skull. She can almost feel the bullet peeking through the handgun, it's high velocity creating a tunnel through her head, her life seeping out of her as blood oozes out.
"It's ok, Leo." She shakes her head. "Don't tell him anything. Save him."
"You know I can't do that Woods." He aims for his heart, ready to shoot at a moment's notice. "He's-"
"Leo, no!" Her protests fall on deaf ears.
"He's in a hidden room in the headmaster's apartment." Leo rushes out, waiting for the man to release her, but he doesn't.
Instead, he urges her forward, practically dragging her as he navigates the halls of the Greenhouse. It's a few moments later when he finds the door and bursts it open, coming face to face with the Prince, himself.
"Come with me, and I'll let her go." The assailant demands, tightening his hold on her as if to prove a point.
"Don't do it, Avi." Hayley tells him. "I'll be fine." She tries to wriggle out of his arms, only to be hit by the butt of the gun.
"Be quiet, girl." He turns back to the Prince. "Come with me, now!"
"Let her go, first." Avi orders him.
"As you wish, your highness." The man bows mockingly as he lets her go, not wasting another second before capturing the Prince and leading him outside.
"Hayley, you ok?" Jackie turns to her friend, concerned. She had been all but pushed into her arms, and she can't help but worry as the girl has yet to say a word.
As if a spark had been lit, she rushes out the door. She ignores her friends calling her to come back, she pays no mind to the fingers brushing against her hand as they try to pull her back, all she can think about is saving the Prince.
She runs through the hallways, following the same path she had taken earlier as a hostage. She brushes off Leo's shouts to lay low and leaves the building, letting out a yelp as she finds herself tackled onto the floor.
"Let go of me!" She screams, wrestling herself out of his grasp. "I need to help him. Let go!" She flails around but his grip on her never loosens. Her arms are stuck by her sides as he places a firm but gentle hand on her back, keeping her in place.
"Hayley, shh..." Daniel tries calming her down, stroking her cheek as he holds her close. "Shh, it's ok. My dad's got him." He whispers gently, breathing slowly to encourage her breaths to match his own. "Everything will be fine."
A gunshot punctuates the air and she shoots up from her position on the ground to see the Prince walking back towards her.
Without a second thought, she runs into his arms, giving him a tight hug.
"Hey, you ok?" He sits beside her at one of the booths just as the Prince leaves to go back to the clubhouse. "What a crazy day. I can't believe you had to go through that again."
"I'm fine." She shakes her head, lifting it up from the table to face him. "And actually..." She sighs. "I was so caught up in protecting Avi, I didn't even realise I was in danger."
"Even with a gun pressed up to your head?" Daniel asks incredulously, taking the moment to remove the ice pack to check on the swelling. It takes all his restraint not to do more, not to kiss the freshly-forming bruise in an attempt to make it better.
"I never thought that he would actually shoot." She looks up at him sheepishly, smiling with thanks as he takes over holding the ice pack. "Leaving that for a moment, are you going to tell me how your dad magically appeared? I know you said you were going to go live with him, but you never even told me how you found him in the first place."
"I found a letter." He begins to explain. "It was in a box of my mom's stuff someone sent to me."
He pulls out the crumpled letter, unfolding it as he shows it to the girl. "Turns out, it was from my dad. His phone number and address were blacked out so I got Max to help me."
"You asked Max?" She tries to grasp the absurdity of it all.
He nods. "Luckily, he managed to clear the ink so I contacted my father a few days ago and here we are."
"Wow." Hayley tries to process everything. "That's insane..."
"Hey Woods, Daniel, would you like a drink?" He turns mostly to Hayley. "Juice or a chocolate milkshake?"
"No, thank you." She refuses to look at him. "I'm fine."
"I've got to go soon." Daniel waves the boy off. "Maybe some other time. Great thinking on your part though to put on the vest, even though you didn't end up needing it."
"Would've been cool to use the gun though." He jokes. "Just never found the right moment."
"You'll get a chance next time, then." Hayley deadpans, still refusing to look his way.
With a sigh, Daniel pats his shoulder, sending him a small smile as he walks back to his barstool.
"Don't be so hard on Leo, ok?" He gently coos.
"He betrayed Avi." Hayley turns to him, sharply. "He almost got him killed."
"He did it to save you." He reminds her. "If I were him, I would've done exactly the same thing. We just don't want to see you hurt, Hayley. We don't want to lose you."
Seeing Alex approaching, he decides it's time for him to leave. "Stay safe, ok? I'll just be a few miles away at my dad's boathouse if you need me." He gives her a quick hug before leaving her with her brother. "Don't get into any trouble."
Hayley just watches as he leaves, her mind in a whirlwind, and she barely registers her brother sitting across from her, telling her something she can't seem to and doesn't bother to make sense of.
She offers him her bed, choosing to take the couch in the clubhouse. He tells her she doesn't have to, but she insists. Begrudgingly, he accepts, wishing her goodnight as she walks out of the room with the spare blanket.
After making her nest, she lies in it, staring at the ceiling as she tries to fall asleep. She counts the tiles, memorises the patterns, all in an attempt to prevent her mind from wandering. It is inevitable however, as it is in this silence that the day's events finally catch up to her.
She now realises a new face is imprinted on her mind, a new touch engraved into her skin, the fresh marks reminding her that it wasn't just a bad dream.
Her skin crawls with goosebumps and she shivers. The feeling of the gun was all too real now. The fact that she could have lost her life a mere twelve hours ago, a shocking reality she has to face. It's not the first time, and deep down she knows it won't be the last, but it doesn't take away the gravity of everything.
She's so lost in her thoughts; she barely registers the blanket moving back onto her shoulders.
Blinking, she looks up to see Leo, his pale face barely illuminated by the minimal moonlight let in through the glass windows. "Hey." He sends her a small smile.
Sitting up, she gives him a hug, the "Thank you" on her lips not needing to be said in the silence.
He returns the hug. "I would do it again if I have to." He whispers. "I would do anything to save you, Hayley."
"Hey, everyone." Brooke announces, walking into the clubhouse. "My dad just talked to the president. He's invited you to stay with him for a few days until he can sort out a way for you to get home safely."
"Wow, really?" Avi pauses the game, setting down the controller.
"Yea, you're his guest of honour and everything." Brooke moves towards him. "I got you some fresh clothes because with all due respect to the Greenhouse uniform, it's a uniform, and he's the president."
Chuckling, he accepts the clothes and goes to take a shower.
"Does anyone think this is suspicious at all?" Hayley asks as soon as she hears the water running. "I mean, less than two days ago he was hiding and on the run. Now, he's going to stay with the president? Something just doesn't add up."
"Woods." Leo places a careful arm over the girl. "You're stressing out over nothing. I'm sure he'll be fine. The president has thousands of security personnel so if someone were trying to kill him, at least one of them would be able to stop them."
"But-" Hayley tries again only to be cut off by Brooke.
"He'll be fine, Hayley." Brooke assures her. "The president even assigned him the head of security as his escort."
"But why would a simple trip require the head of sec-"
"Woods, enough!" Leo cuts her off. "Let's not get involved in anything that doesn't involve us, alright? The professionals are here for a reason, and they'll know how to handle things."
Resigned, Hayley lets herself fall back onto the couch, her mind going through possible scenarios as she feigned a relaxed look. She needs to form a plan, even if everyone says it's going to be ok, she knows it's not. And she'd rather be prepared.
She waits until Avi's ready and is following him to the nondescript black sedan when she has an idea. After giving him a quick hug, she asks Brooke to stall just for five minutes, before racing up to Max and taking him to the Old Biology Lab, his laptop in hand.
"I need you to find any information regarding the president's order to take Prince Avi to the Whitehouse." Hayley tells him, already turning on the laptop.
"Why?" He asks, even as he begins the encryption process. "Never mind. I need you to time me. As soon as I'm in, I have exactly one minute before the authorities lock me out."
Hayley nods, setting up her Louie for a countdown. "Ready?"
He nods affirmatively. "Sixty seconds."
His fingers fly over the keys, typing words she's unable to catch as the computer 'ping's with each new page opened. She watches as he mutters to himself, his eyes shooting left and right as he skilfully inspects each word displayed on the screen.
"Fifteen seconds." She reminds him as he opens yet another page.
"Almost got it." He scrolls through the page, hastily clicking on a link right at the bottom.
"Five."
"Four."
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
He slams his computer shut, effectively terminating his search and history. The printer comes to life as he heaves a sigh of relief, a piece of paper slipping out into her waiting hands.
"I don't believe it." Hayley breathes out, reading the freshly printed words. "Max, I need you to stall them. Close the gates so they have to open them manually. And call Jackie, tell her to meet me in the locker room."
She rushes out of the room and Max follows her orders without a second thought. Hayley isn't playing around with this. From the quick glance he saw before closing his laptop, whatever they are about to get themselves involved in is serious.
She runs up to the stalled car, holding a random memorabilia she picked up along the way. "I just wanted to give him a souvenir." She announces to the head of security before ducking her head into the car.
"You need to find a reason to get back into the Greenhouse. You can't go with him to the president." She whispers quickly before glancing back at the men trying to get the gate open. "He's offered you in exchange for the bombs from your uncle."
"Shoot." He huffs.
"Good luck." She gives him a quick hug, pretending to say "goodbye", before rushing back into the Greenhouse. She has to be quick in order to make this work.
"You got this?" Jackie turns to Manny as he pulls the hood over his head.
He nods. "I got this."
"Just gives us as much time as you can." Hayley reminds him. "The most important thing is that we make it out of the Greenhouse. Once we're out, there are too many possibilities as to where we can be. When the coast is clear, we'll return."
"Where will you go?" Jackie looks at her best friend worriedly. The minute they go through with this, they're fugitives and their lives will never be the same again. She's been through this before, and it won't be easy. There are cameras virtually on every street and it would take a lot of skill to avoid them. Even if they could, running out in broad daylight had its own set of risks.
"I'm not sure yet." Hayley admits. "But I'll think of something once we get out. Here's my Louie, I can't take it with me, because they can track it."
Jackie accepts it, pocketing it with hers. "Stay safe, all of you." She looks each one of them in the eye and they nod.
Manny leaves the room first, and they wait until the car rolls out of view before Hayley and Avi sneak out. They use the lesser known pathways and creep around the cliffs. It is as she hears the gentle sounds of the waves overlapping, that she knows where to go.
Holding tightly onto his hand, she doesn't say anything but leads the way. It isn't too far from them, but only one other person would know of this place.
They make it to the docks, panting as they see the boy lounging on the deck.
"Daniel!" Hayley calls out to him, startling him from his nap. "Daniel. We need your help."
"Hayley?" He jumps off, landing beside them. "What are you doing here?"
"The president offered Avi to his uncle in exchange for bombs." Hayley explains. "We just escaped from the cops and we need a place to hide. Can we stay here for a few days?"
"Of course-"
"Absolutely not." Daniel's father comes between them, looking at the pair sternly. "I will not let myself get into criminal activity."
He turns to the Prince. "Saving you from an assassin is one thing, but hiding fugitives are another. I'm sorry kids, but the answer is no."
"Dad!" Daniel begs, but Hayley holds him back, shaking her head.
"It's ok, Daniel. We understand." She turns to walk away, the Prince obediently following behind her, keeping his head down to prevent anyone from accidentally recognising him.
"Hayley, wait." Daniel slips his shoes on, running up to them. "I'm going with you."
His thoughts turn back to their conversation the previous day, her confession about forgetting her own safety whilst protecting someone else striking terror into his heart. It's not that she needs someone to protect her or save her, but he'd feel better if she had someone watching her back. He knew that the Prince would be with her, but could he trust him to not give her up to save his own life?
As Abel watches his son walk away, he feels as if he's losing him all over again; that whatever brief connection they had is being torn apart, all because of his unwillingness to help his friends. Was it really worth it to lose his son over the possibility of being sent to jail?
He's a grown man while they are children, it would be easy for someone to twist the truth and say he kidnapped them rather than provide them a sanctuary. That itself could put him in prison for life, not to mention the additional charges for having the Prince in his custody.
The kids don't understand it yet, their world is still black and white. They don't know the justice system like he does. They don't know of the world's cruelty to those they deem below them. They have been sheltered all their life from unsightly things.
So will he be the one to explain it to them?
He doesn't know. What he does know, however, is that he doesn't want to lose his son.
"Kids." He beckons them. "Hurry up and get inside."
The smile on his son's face is more than enough for him, and he can only hope that he's doing the right thing. He watches as the Prince and his son step on-board, the latter helping the girl with a tender look in his eyes.
He's seen that look before, he saw it as he gazed into his lover's eyes and saw his own reflection staring back at him. "My little boy's in love." He muses to himself, ushering the kids deeper inside the vessel. "I hope she won't break his precious heart."
He knocks on the door, waiting for one of the Ravens, hopefully his sister, to answer. She agreed to meet up with him for tea a couple of hours ago, and they were supposed to have a picnic just like they used to when they were younger.
He had waited for hours, thinking that she may have gotten distracted by something and lost track of time. But by dinner time, he had the feeling something was off. The feeling only grew when she didn't show up to dinner, and he didn't seem to be able to reach her Louie.
"Alex." Brooke says surprised, looking behind the boy to see if anyone else was following him before pulling him in. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm looking for Hayley." He scans the Ravens gathered on the couch, hoping to find his sister. "I've been trying to contact her for a while now. Do you know where she is?"
"Well..." Brooke starts, unsure as to how to explain the day's events. The Woods siblings were extremely protective of each other, and she's sure the younger boy wouldn't approve of what his sister has done. Luckily, the opening tune of the news momentarily distracts him.
"Here is the latest update regarding the daring escape of the Belzian Prince, Octavius Jacopo Edward the fifth." Michelle Wallace begins, and Manny claps his hands, staring at the screen intently.
"Everybody, shh!" Manny says excitedly. "She's going to talk about us." Hearing his words, Alex can only turn to Brooke with confusion, said girl looking down, refusing to meet his eyes.
"During his journey to the Whitehouse, the heir apparent to the Belzian throne was replaced by one of the Greenhouse students. Said student travelled in his place, which allowed the Prince to escape. It was only as they neared the airport that the deception was discovered." The reporter continues.
Getting up from his seat, Manny jokingly bows as the rest of the Ravens applaud him. "Thank you, thank you. I am Manny Blake and I'll be here all year." Alex continues looking at Brooke, hoping for some form of an explanation.
"It is still unclear whether a complaint will be filed against him." At that, Manny's face turns into one of shock. His mouth forming what could possibly be an "Oops!"
"The police have confirmed that the girl who helped the regent escape is none other than Hayley Woods."
Hearing his sister's name, Alex immediately jumps off the couch, outraged. "What?!"
"Shhh..." Brooke pulls him back down onto couch, urging him to continue watching the broadcast for a moment.
"The Greenhouse Academy student, Hayley Woods." Her picture appears above that of the Prince's on the screen. "Is the student we remember from her heartfelt plead for peace between our beloved country and Ozmainia just over a week ago."
"No!" Alex turns sharply to Brooke. "You mean to tell me my sister is on the run with someone who has a target on their back, and could be killed at any minute?!" He runs a hand through his hair. "Do you even know where she is right now?!"
Brooke shakes her head solemnly, the entire clubhouse turning silent at Alex's outburst.
"Alex, hold up." Max calls out to him, bringing his attention back to the screen.
"We now turn to Ryan Woods, famous astronaut and Hayley's mother." Hayley's picture fades away and his mother appears on a split screen. "Good evening, Mrs. Woods."
"Hey, turn it up for a minute." Hayley interrupts, effectively stopping all conversation going on around her. "That's my mom."
Taking the remote, Daniel unmutes the small television.
"Ryan, what is your take on this situation your daughter is currently involved in?" Michelle asks professionally, sitting with her back ramrod straight, as she tries not to let her personal opinions show.
"Unfortunately, Michelle, the people assigned to guard the Prince did just the opposite, making him feel unsafe and forcing him to flee." Ryan stares straight at the camera, her hand clutching onto her husband's beside her.
She knows saying the wrong words could get the both of them into a lot of trouble, but she's taught her kids to always speak their mind and the truth. So that's exactly what she'll do now.
"So you are confirming that your daughter is in fact actively aiding in a crime?" Michelle presses, trying to get as much out of the American hero as possible.
"I believe that saving a life is not a crime." Ryan states firmly, her voice unwavering. She knows the reporter's tricks, having been accustomed to them from a young age, and she will not allow herself to fall into their traps. "And that's how I raised my daughter."
Nodding her head, Michelle continues. "At the moment, neither you nor we have any idea where she could be."
Ryan's heart beats a little faster at that. She knew it from the moment the police knocked on their door that afternoon, demanding to search the house for their daughter and possibly the Prince, but hearing it come out of the reporter's mouth just makes it all the more real.
Her mind flashes with images of where he daughter, her little baby girl, could be. For all she knows, an assailant sent to kill the Prince could've struck her daughter too, and she might be bleeding out in an alley not too far from her. Or she could be lost somewhere in another state, trying to find her way home. Or maybe she's...
She shakes herself free from her thoughts, bringing herself back to the present and to the interview. All it takes is one look at her husband to assure her that everything will be ok, and that they raised their daughter right. They can trust her to do the right thing. They can trust her to protect herself. They can trust her to come back to them.
"If she's watching you now," the reporter stresses. "What would you like to say to her?"
Ryan sighs. "I would tell her that her father and I are proud of her, and that we love her very much. We'll always love her and be proud of her no matter where she is or what she does. Stay strong Hayley. We love you."
"Ryan Woods, thank you." Her mom's face disappears and she turns the television off.
"Everything's just messed up." Hayley huffs, staring at the blank screen longingly. "I can't even tell her that I'm fine or anything. She and dad are probably worrying their heads off. And Alex too."
Daniel turns to her, wiping away the lone tear with the pad of his thumb before placing his hand on her knee, encouragingly. "Everything will be ok." He assures her. "We'll get through this." The word 'together' goes unspoken.
He watches as she climbs onto one of the bunk beds, ready to turn in for the night. After a gentle squeeze of her hand, he turns off the light and heads back out where the Prince still sits, staring out the window at the port.
"So you love her." He simply states, not turning around to face him. "And Leo loves her."
Chuckling, he continues. "And I thought Belzia was complicated. Though I've always wondered what it was like to be involved in a love triangle. Is it really like it is on TV?" The Prince jokes, now turning around to look at him.
"Well," Daniel starts. "It's not easy, but it's worth it. For her."
"So it's all up to her?" The Prince asks.
"Whatever makes her happy." Daniel affirms, not saying anymore as he turns to look out the window too, watching the skyline as the stars slowly move across the sky.
"Hey." Abel shakes his son awake. "Daniel, tell your friends we need to leave soon."
"What?" He sits up on the bed, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "Why? What's going on?"
"Someone sighted them yesterday, and apparently thought to report it to the police after seeing them on the news." His father explains. "I heard on the radio that they'll be inspecting every ship and port in the area."
"Shoot." He runs his hand over his face, getting off the bed. "Ok."
Soon, the four of them are gathered around the table, trying to decide on their next course of action.
"I think it's time I return to Belzia." Avi announces, turning to the other three.
"Avi, no." Hayley protests. "We should wait until everything has settled down for a bit, when there isn't such a huge target over your head."
"This has gone on for too long, Hayley, and there will always be a target over my head." He argues his point. "I need to return to my country. I am the rightful heir, and I will not let my uncle take away my birth right."
"I agree with Avi." Abel adds in. "We'll take the boat to Belzia, and I'll find you a way in. Meanwhile, you and Hayley," He turns to his son. "will stay here."
"What? But..." Hayley disagrees, but nods from the table's occupants immediately overrules her. "Fine."
Getting behind the wheel, he steers the boat north, leaving behind a squadron, ready to enter the boat.
"This is it." Abel stops the boat just outside the fence. "I'll go with Avi to make sure he gets into the palace safely. You stay with Hayley, and wait here till I get back."
Daniel nods, and soon, his father and the monarch have disappeared behind the barbed fence.
"So, what do you want to do while waiting?" He turns to the girl, only to find her staring at something in the distance. "Hayley?"
"Look." She points at the fence. "There's someone there."
He's about to tell her there isn't, when he catches sight of a man dressed in camo, with an assault rifle slung over his back. The man straightens up, seeming to stare in the direction they're almost sure his father and the Prince had gone in.
"Shoot." He whispers, just as he sees the man pulling out a walkie talkie.
He moves towards the fence, Hayley following close behind him. They slip through the hole in the barbed wire and creep up to him. When the guy is close enough, he decks him in the jaw, knocking him out.
Grabbing hold of the communication device, she smashes it against a rock, disrupting whatever signal and transmission it received.
"We should go find my father." He tells her, shaking his hand to rid it off the sting from the punch. "Stay close."
Grabbing his free hand, she follows him, periodically crouching below the tall grass to make sure they weren't being followed. When they finally catch up to them, they notice a group trailing close behind.
Unholstering the gun, Abel prepares to shoot one of them, just as planes start flying over their heads. "Bomber planes." Avi whispers, pulling them down.
Laying low, the four of them wait until the planes are out of earshot. By then, the group behind them has dispersed, so they slowly creep out of the grass.
"Excuse me." Abel calls out as a truck passes by, holding out some bills in exchange for a ride to the city. Accepting the cash, the driver ushers the man in, pleasantly surprised at the large sum now in his hand. Unbeknownst to the driver, three teenagers stow away on the back of the truck.
They admire the view as they travel across the plains, the high noon sun glinting off the patches of grass surrounded by sand, and the outlines of sandy mountains barely peaking over the horizon. As they travel, they count the number of cactuses they pass by, laughing as the tumbleweed rolls around them. They use this as a break, a chance to allow themselves to be teenagers, even if just for a moment, before they have to face the frightening reality that is their lives once again.
By the time they finally come to a stop on the outskirts of the city, dawn is almost breaking. Quickly getting off, they hide by the side as they wait for Abel to get off as well.
"So, what's the plan now?" Hayley asks, turning to look at the three before everything's shrouded in black.