"No, Lily!" Amber shrieked and everyone took a step away from her. "No don't ruin it; everything was going so good!" She looked at Lily with such disappointment the other girl almost apologised, before she realised she had no idea what Amber was talking about.

"Amber, wha-"

"There's no time." Alex took a step into the lamp light and Lily cursed herself; the unknowing voice in her head was reminding her of Alex. Damn.

"Alex," she began again but was silenced by a look from him.

"Let her go." He addressed Pedro and Lily looked around, her bright eyes held confusion.

"Let me go?" Lily almost laughed but her face fell as Pedro looked away from her in shame. "What…what's happening?" She put a hand on his shoulder and he looked at her again; not wanting to tell her.

"Tell her then." Alex said and everyone could hear the hidden anger in his voice. "Tell her what you are, who you work for." Lily glanced back at Alex who was determined not to look at her, he stared ahead at Pedro. Lily's eyes narrowed.

"What's he talking about?" There was a plea in her voice that made everyone aware of how heartbroken she was; in the past few hours her world was being torn apart. For a brief moment Alex wanted to tell Pedro to stop, not to tell Lily, not to destroy absolutely everything she had left.

"I work for your father," Lily took a step away from Pedro as he said this and shook her head. "I," he searched for the right word, "remove those who are detrimental to his business."

"That's just a fancy way of saying you kill people who argue with him. Isn't it?" He didn't look at her, "ISN'T IT?" He nodded. "So three years ago, when you disappeared, you didn't go anywhere, you were here all along, training to become a…killer." She hit his chest with a fist but he didn't flinch. "You were fourteen-" But she stopped as he shook his head and smiled at her.

"You're so naïve." He sighed, "to your father I wasn't fourteen, I wasn't a boy; I was just another poor street kid." He spat at her. "You were fine in London Lily and when you came back for summer it was like…" Lily's eyes softened as he looked at her, "it was like living in a dream for a while. But when you went I was stuck in some God forsaken reality." He turned away and looked out of her bedroom window, "your dad offered me things my own parents couldn't; a safe place to sleep at night, protection, food. Money." Lily looked down and blinked away angry tears.

"But you didn't have to…you know how many lives are ruined, or even ended, because of the trade my father is in? And you're helping him." She looked back up, "I don't know you." She whispered and took a step back.

"Lily, please-"

"You disgust me." She said finally. As she walked back she bumped into Alex, neither said a word to the other but Alex took an instinctive step around Lily so he was stood between her and Pedro. Pedro calmly appraised Alex's actions and his hands moved to the waistband of his trousers from which he removed a gun. Everyone held their breath.

"I take it you're the ones Hector is after?" Pedro said and pointed the gun to Alex who, although trying desperately to get his legs to move, found he could not. Pedro ran a hand through his dark hair wearily; everyone could tell he'd been through this before.

"Pedro," Lily said and stepped in line with Alex. "Don't. Please don't." They could all see the conflict that Pedro was going through.

"What makes him so special?" Pedro said suddenly and Lily blushed.

"They're all special to me," she said, "you owe me something Pedro; you can't deny that I deserve a favour from you. After how you lied to me." He cursed softly and lowered the gun.

"Name it." He said in defeat.

"Let them go." He laughed.

"Seriously, Lily? You think the world's that simple? That life is that easy?"

"No." She said firmly, "I think you love me enough not to do it." She doubted what she said but went along with it anyway, Alex shifted uncomfortably beside her. Pedro stared at her a moment longer.

"Will you stay?" He asked. She looked back at Amber and Hex; both had no idea what was best. Everyone was suddenly aware that they were just kids, caught up in some crazy adult game that no one should be a part of. Alex glanced Pedro up and down; he had to be at least seventeen, sucked into this by poverty. Lily looked at Alex; he didn't even acknowledge her stare and Lily sighed.

"I will."

"Well then you better say quick goodbyes before I change my mind." Pedro said and Lily turned to Hex and Amber, they walked towards her. Everyone stood in awkward silence for a moment before Amber embraced Lily.

"Thanks." Amber whispered, "I'm sorry."

"It's OK." Lily whispered back, she lowered her voice, "get out of here as quickly as you can." Amber let go of Lily and Hex took a step forwards.

"Here," he held out a small key ring, "I bought this for you yesterday." He said rather sheepishly and lily had to fight down the desire to laugh but when she saw the earnest in his eyes she sighed and hugged him. "Ah!" She heard him gasp from such affection and she laughed. She let go of him faster than she had Amber, knowing he was uncomfortable. Lily turned to Alex, his grey eyes flicked up to her brown ones quickly.

"Catch you later, Lily." He said quietly and walked away. Amber looked like she was going to say something-

"Don't." Hex said simply and the three of them left the room.

Li couldn't understand how Paulo could sleep at a time like this; the road they were travelling on was bumpy and swerved dangerously. It was like all the roads in Peru! How could anyone find this a comfortable place and a good situation to sleep in? She watched him for a while, still marvelling at his resilience. She thought of Alex, Amber, Hex and Lily at the mansion, she hoped they were OK and on their way. She pushed her dark hair away from her face and smiled; wondering if Alex managed to get anywhere with Lily. It was nice for Alex to have someone for once, even though none of them admitted it, the other four of their group had formed their own chemistries. There was herself and Paulo, a weird mischievous relationship had formed there, and Hex and Amber…she grinned; that was a problem all in itself. Her thoughts were interrupted as the van began to slow down; she crawled over to Paulo and hit him.

" Ow…" he said but woke up instantly. He blinked up to the figure of Li before remembering what was going on. "Where are we?" He whispered and she hit him again to make him shut up as they heard the doors to the van open; they ducked down behind boxes so they were obscured from view. They heard some men, at least two, talking rapidly in Spanish. The men took a box each from the van and walked away.

"We have to go now," Li said and went to stand up but Paulo grabbed her arm, "we don't know where we are or when their coming back." Paulo thought for a moment.

"They're going to be unloading these boxes to wherever they need to go, I say wait and see how long it takes them to come back, that way we know how much time we've got." Li smiled at his thinking and sat back. After, Li had counted, 7 minutes and 14 seconds, the men returned, still their conversation flowed and this made it easier for Paulo and Li to breathe at a normal rate.

"Ok," Li stood and began to make her way through the boxes, Paulo followed in her wake. They looked out and when they were sure no one was around they jumped out of the van. In the darkness they could make out the huge building in front of them, there were a few lamps lit around the area and it took them a moment to realise where they were.

"There's something seriously wrong here," Paulo whispered and Li nodded, both smiled in confusion.

"That girl totally played all of us! Alex I wouldn't worry about her; she's such a little…" Amber searched for the right word but seeing Alex's face she was immediately silenced.

"Sorry, mate." Hex said quietly. They were stood in the darkness of the hall outside of Lily's room; they had taken a moment of silence to get over the events that had just happened. Alex was thankful for the dim lit hall; no one could see his face darken.

"She got us out of there." He said and began to walk away, "we should be grateful for that." The other two began to follow him.

"Alex," Amber began; knowing that Alex was one of those people who never talked about how they felt but there was something in the way he spoke that told her this was a time when it was needed. "it's ok to be angry with her-"

"We need to get to Li and Paulo." Alex whispered, completely ignoring Amber's comment.

"Alex-" Amber tried again but Hex shot her a warning look and she was silenced.

"Hex," Alex turned back to them and they realised that in Alex's anger he had merely walked on, as far away from Lily as possible, he had no intention of taking them anywhere and it showed in his eyes. "Where're we going?" He said in defeat. Hex realised what his grey eyed friend was talking about and took out his palmtop from its casing in his bag.

"It looks like they're…no way." He said and peered closer at the screen.

"What?" Amber and Alex leant forwards and hex looked up at them; a bemused smile on his face.

"They're at the museum."

Lily stood at her window, looking down onto her garden, watching the gate, waiting to see her friends leave. The sun was beginning to rise and pink streaks were scattered across a starry sky. It was cold in the mornings and she shivered slightly, but when Pedro put an arm around her she shrugged it off. He sighed and turned her to face him.

"Would you like me to apologise again?" He asked and she looked at him blankly.

"Are you still here?" She asked and his handsome face fell, he flicked hair out of his eyes in a vain manner and Lily scoffed. Pedro noticed this and his eyes flared up immediately.

"You know your father will find them, no matter where they're headed," he spat at her. "He might kill them." She wiped her eyes suddenly.

"Get out of my room." She said it but it felt as if this place was not hers anymore; this world she inhabited was no strange to her. He held her hands and was hopeful as he found she did not shy away from him. "I had no one," she whispered and Pedro's guilt filled him again, "and now you come back, telling me how you could kill my friends if you wanted to." She seemed to be thinking things over.

"Who was that boy?" Pedro asked suddenly, Lily thought of playing dumb but it wasn't worth it.

"He was someone…" her voice trailed away, "but he won't want to know me anymore." Pedro tilted her chin up so he could look her in the eyes.

"Why not?" He whispered and she hit his hand away.

"Because of you!" She shouted and was suddenly angry, "just get out." She said loudly, hoping in vain someone would hear her and rescue her from this prison. She looked at him and seemed to realise something, her eyes softened and she ran to her cupboard.

"What're you doing?" Pedro looked at her sternly as she sifted through her wardrobe to find a backpack.

"I'm leaving." She said to a dumbfounded Pedro.

"you think I'm going to let you?" She looked at him and he tried to look defiant in front of her but he found it difficult to say much.

"Yeah," She stuffed random items into her bag. "You are going to let me." She walked towards him, "you're not going to tell anyone and you're not going to follow me." She walked past him and threw some more things into her bag from the top of her dressing table.

"You sound like your father-" He stopped as she turned to him but what shocked him was that she wasn't angry, but upset.

"Never liken me to that man." She shook herself from her melancholy and went to the window.

"Will you think for a minute!?" Pedro grabbed her and shoved her against the wall, he pinned her there and was not even moved by the frightened look in her eyes. "Where are you going to go? What are you going to tell your mother? You have nothing Lily! Nothing!" He realised he'd gone to far and took a step back from her.

"I felt like I had everything." She whispered, "a few hours ago…and you know what?" She went back to the window and raised herself so she crouched on the ledge, "I'm going to get it all back."

That was really awful- sorry! But I thought I better update soon- there will be much action next time :D