Amber looked to Hex who in turn looked to Alex for some sort of plan of action. His grey eyes focused on a point behind Hex and Amber could see him working things out. His ran a hand through his hair and he nodded as he rechecked his plan.

"OK." He looked back at them book and lowered his voice, "we're gonna get out of the house the same way I got in." He walked into another room and opened the window, Amber and Hex followed.

"We're going to shimmy down a rope?" Amber looked dubious but then smiled, "alright, it's beginning to feel like what I'm used to!" She smiled and began to take rope out of her bag.

"So we're just going to leave Lily?" Hex said uncertainly, he hovered at the doorway and Amber felt a guilty pang in her stomach, both Amber and Alex ignored his comment and went about their preparation. "Guys," he said quietly, "no one deserves to just be left in this place." He gained a little confidence as he spoke and Amber stopped what she was doing to look at him. "Especially someone like lily; she was kind to us, she let us into her home…" Hex spoke louder to address Alex. "I'm sorry about what she did to you Alex-"

"What're you talking about?" Alex mumbled, but Hex's usual quite manner left him for a moment.

"This isn't the time to be embarrassed or immature about things." He said loudly, now Alex was shocked by Hex's sudden change in character and looked him in the eye. Hex faltered his old self coming back. Amber too cocked an eyebrow; what had gotten into Hex recently? He'd been acting strange for a while now. "What I mean is," Hex lowered his voice, "he has a gun-"

"He loves her," Alex turned back to the window. "He won't touch her." Alex tested his weight on the rope. "It's about a half an hour walk to the museum, someone text Li and Paulo, tell them we're on our way." Alex crouched on the window ledge; he secured his backpack and glanced back at Hex and Amber. "She'll be fine." He said in answer to their worried looks and perhaps even to reassure himself. "C'mon guys." He jumped from the window ledge.

Paulo grabbed Li around the middle and dragged her away to hide behind the side of the building; the men were walking back to the van. Li and Paulo watched as the men took another box from the van and walked away. The two teenagers relaxed.

"What do we do now?" Li whispered and Paulo thought for a minute. As his face screwed up in thought Li felt a vibration against her leg; she went to a trouser pocket and retrieved her mobile phone. "It's Hex," she scanned the message as quickly as possible and put her phone back in case its light attracted anyone. "Him, Alex and Amber are on their way; they'll be here in half an hour." She looked over to Paulo, "he didn't mention Lily." Paulo shrugged.

"He might've just forgot or maybe she wants to stay in her home." He put a reassuring arm around her as she still looked upset by this. "We may as well wait for the others to get here." He said and she nodded, they made themselves comfortable against the wall and waited.

Pedro went to pull her from the window but Lily moved fast; she stood, as she did she swung her leg into Pedro's stomach. He was so shocked by her action he didn't even register her hand move towards his gun; he finally became aware of what was happening when he realised Lily had the gun aimed straight between his eyes.

"How did you…?" He whispered and she smiled, there was something in her eyes that told him she wasn't too unfamiliar to this situation.

"What do you think they teach me at school-?"

"What- do you go to some school formed by MI6?" Pedro relaxed slightly; although lily faced him with a gun she was not the kind of person to harm unnecessarily. She laughed quietly.

"The traditions of my school include shooting." She cocked the gun and Pedro took a step back. "While my friends enjoyed the pleasantries of rifle shooting I found more comfort with an automatic." The boy almost laughed at how their situation had changed so fast. Lily took a quick glance out of the window.

"As soon as you leave I'm calling your father." Pedro slowly took his mobile phone out of his pocket and held it up.

"Go ahead." She said quietly, "I've been able to escape from this house in less than five minutes, since I was able to run." He nodded, remembering running through the house with her. They stood for a few moments, both longing to be the people they used to be, but time had moved on, they'd grown up and gone their different ways. It was sad, but a friendship they figured would last forever, was over. Pedro seemed to give up and turned away, as if not wanting to see it when she walked out of his life. Lily raised the gun, her hand shook slightly but she took aim anyway, she pulled the trigger and closed her eyes.

Apologies for the shortness!