5 Days Ago - Tahiti

I didn't stop running until I ran I was down on the beach, by our boat. Collapsing down onto the warm sand, I wiped the tears off of my cheeks.

"Mom, Dad," I whispered, as I crawled under the pier, "Oh god, Mom and Dad. Please."

Staring up at the house, I crouched down lower as I watched the two people leave. Shaking, I clung to the pier as I saw them make their way down toward me.

"No," I whispered, as I crawled toward the boat. Scrambling on board, I rummaged through the emergency kit, until I found what I was looking for, "You killed my parents."

Crouching lower on the boat, I could see them coming closer.

"You can't hide, little girl," Alana called out, "We know that you're here."

"We can do this two ways. Quickly, or we can make it so slow that you'll be begging us to kill you in the end."

What would Mom and Dad do? How did they do this for so long? Oh god, they're dead . . . I want them! I closed my eyes, and tried not to picture Mom shoving me away, and then falling to the ground after Alana shot her.

"You bitch," I hissed, as I watched them board our boat, "They were my parents."

"Too bad they couldn't watch her die," Francisco commented, "I suppose I could take advantage of her before . . ."

Alana smiled, "She is a ripe little thing. So fresh."

I don't think so, I thought, as crouched down. Come over here and say that, you assholes.

"What do we have here?" Alana called, as stopped by my hiding place, "Not very smart, little girl. What did your parents call you? Julia? It won't matter very soon."

"Let go of me!" I screamed, as I pressed the flare gun to her chest.

Present - Rome, WI

"Julia, it'll be okay," Jill said soothingly, as her heart broke for the young girl sitting on the couch.

"They killed my parents!" I sobbed, "They were going to kill me too! It'll never be okay again!"

"We won't ever let them get near you," Jimmy promised, "You're safe here."

"I thought I was safe with Mom and Dad! I just left them there to die! I could have helped them!"

"They would have wanted you to be safe, to get away," Jill said softly, "From what you said, that was what mattered to them most in the world. Keeping you safe."

"I want them back," I whimpered, as I wrapped my arms around myself.

"I know you do," Jill said, as she wrapped her arm around me, "I'm so sorry that you had to see them die."

"There is more, so much more," I whispered.

5 Days Ago - Tahiti

I squeezed the trigger, and watched Alana's body explode in front of me. Recoiling in horror, I stumbled back from the flaming flesh that crashed into Francisco.

"You little whore!" he screamed, as his clothes caught on fire.

Raising my gun again, "Get away from me!"

He raised his gun, "Die, little girl!"

"You first!" I yelled, as I squeezed the trigger and jumped overboard.

Swimming back toward the beach, I could smell the burning flesh before the boat exploded into the darkening sky. Stumbling back to the sand, I turned my gaze toward the house.

"Mom, Dad," I whispered, praying that some way they were still alive, "Please, God."

Half running and half falling, I made my way back to the house. I smell blood, please be alive, I prayed, please!

"Mommy? Daddy?" I whimpered, "No! No! No!"

Throwing myself on the ground next to Mom, I choked back on my vomit. I frantically wiped my hands off on my jeans after they landed in a puddle of blood, "Mommy?

I watched her still body for any sign of movement, before shakily feeling for a pulse like I learned in first aid class, "Mommy, no. Please wake up. Mommy?"

Crawling over toward Dad, I couldn't even touch him. Not holding back my vomit this time, I threw up all over his splattered brain, "Daddy . . ."

Scrambling to my feet, I backed away to the closet where they kept the emergency suitcases. Grabbing my backpack, the passports, and the money, I found that I couldn't tear my gaze away from my parents.

"I'm so sorry!" I cried, as I collapsed to the ground, "I don't know what to do! Don't leave me! Wake up! Please wake up!"

Sobbing, I crawled back over toward them.

Present - Rome, WI

"Take a deep breath," Jill said, "That's enough for now, Julia."

"No!" I cried, "It isn't!"

"Julia," Jimmy started.

"Let me finish! I have too!"

5 Days Ago - Tahiti

I closed my eyes, as I leaned against the wall in our living room. What did they tell me, I thought, what did they say to do?

"One person knows we're alive," Dad said, "Only one. If anything ever happens to your Mom and me, you go to them. They'll help you."

"What is going to happen?" I asked.

"Nothing," Mom insisted, "But it's always better to be prepared."

"Like with the suitcases?"

"Exactly," Dad said, "Jimmy Brock. Rome, Wisconsin, USA. Promise us, Julia."

"I promise."

"Brock," I said, opening my eyes at the sounds of approaching sirens, "The States."

I turned to look at my parents one more time before I fled into the night.

Present - Rome, WI

"They told me not to go to the police because it would be more dangerous that way. They said that the police couldn't help," I whispered, "That there would be too many questions."

"You're a child," Jill stated, "How did you manage to travel from Tahiti to here all alone?"

I shrugged, "I had identification and money. Mom and Dad . . . they did it. So I could too."

"How?" Jimmy asked.

"I . . . I took Dad's truck, and drove to the airport," I started, "And then I went on the computer and bought an electronic ticket to Los Angeles. I've never been to the States before."

4 Days Ago - Los Angeles

"I don't even know where Wisconsin is," I said under my breath, as I walked through the terminal, "I don't even know where the exit of this airport is."

Pausing in front of the the departures, I read through the list of cities that were foreign to me. Eyeing the computer terminal, I slid in and inserted the credit card.

"Come on," I whispered, as I typed in Rome, Wisconsin, "Give me something here. There! Greenbay, Milwaukee . . ."

"Excuse me," a voice said behind me, "May we see some identification, please?"

"Who are you?" I asked, as I eyed the airport cops.

"We've been watching you since you came to this terminal. This isn't a place for runaways," the cop continued, "We've told all of you kids that time and time again."

"I'm not a runaway," I retorted, "I'm meeting my grandparents!"

"Then could I see your id, please?"

"Fine," I snapped, as I pulled my passport out of my backpack, "Shit!"

He scooped up the two fallen passports, "Are you stealing too? Why don't you come with me?"

"No! Let me go!"

Raising my knee, I kicked him in crotch. Grabbing my passports, I ran.

Present - Rome, WI

"You kicked a cop?" Jimmy asked.

"I'm very emotional," I said flatly.

Jill smiled, "I see a lot of your parents in you. I know your mother had no qualms about fighting for what she believed in."

I shrugged, "I just ran out of that airport, but it wasn't like home. I couldn't just run down the roads, there were so many cars . . . So I got a taxi. I'd never ridden in one before."

"Where did you go?" Jill asked.

"The beach," I said, "I always went to the beach to think before, and I needed to figure out how to get here. I couldn't go back to the airport, not after I kicked the cop."

"What did you decided?" Jimmy asked.

"Dad taught me to drive, but that was on back roads," I said, "I went to the bus station, studied the map, and took a bus to Chicago."

2 Days Ago - Chicago

"Dad's family was from here," I said, as I looked around the bus terminal, "Lacos. I guess that is my real name. Julia Lacos. Sounds strange . . ."

Settling down on the bench, I studied the phone book in the booth.

"John and Karen Lacos," I said under my breath, "My grandparents."

It would be so much easier to go to them, I thought, they're so close.

"No. They said to go to the Brocks. Dad wanted to leave his family out of it. I can do that for him."

Stowing the book, I sat in wait for my bus to Greenbay.

Present - Rome, WI

"That's it," I said, "I took a bus to Greenbay, and then one to Rome."

"I'm so sorry for everything that you went through," Jill said, as she shot her husband a worried look.

"There are going to be a lot of questions," Jimmy started.

"The FBI thinks that they're dead, Jimmy," Jill said, "The only two mobsters that know about Julia are dead. Why drag it all up?"

"What happens when the authorities in Tahiti figure out who Kenny and Max are? And where Julia is? Not to mention the two burned bodies on the boat. There will be questions Jill."

"Mom and Dad said that no one would know who they were," I whispered, "Everything was buried too deep. The people on the boat . . . wouldn't they have just burned up?"

"There are ways of identifying people," Jimmy stated, "And contrary to what your parents thought, the FBI was never fully convinced that they died in the explosion at Zihuatanejo."

"Why not?"

"The diamonds. Did they ever mention anything about diamonds?" Jimmy asked.

3 Years Ago -Tahiti

"Dad?" I asked, "Are you waiting up for me?"

"My little girl had her first date tonight," Kenny said, "I wanted to know how it went."

"It was fun. Terry is nice."

"That's it?"

"We went to a movie. Nothing happened. It's not like we ran away to a foreign country or anything."

"Not funny, Julia" he said.

"What does the mob want?" I asked hesitantly, "I mean besides . . . Is that all?"

He sighed, "You're smart, kiddo. Okay."

I listened intently, as he filled me in on the diamonds, "They just want the diamonds? Why don't you just give them what they want?"

"It's not that simple," he said, "They'll kill us either way, and this way we have some insurance if they do show up. The FBI, the American police, want them too."

"Where are they?"

"We hid them, your Mom and me. Tom hid them the first time, we found them, and decided if anyone else wanted them they would have to go on their own world wide scavenger hunt."

"Really?"

"Can I look? Or at least have a clue?"

Kenny regarded his daughter thoughtfully, "Your mother is going to kill me for this, but okay. If you bank it, you'll be in the water."

"I don't get it."

"Good luck."

Present - Rome, WI

"If you bank it, you'll be in the water?" Jimmy asked, "What the hell does that mean?"

I shrugged, "Dad said Tom left a lot of clues like that, that he and Mom figured out. I guess it's someone else turn now. I think they just wanted to leave them hidden."

"It's getting late," Jill said, "Julia, we have plenty of room."

"Thank you," I whispered, "What's going to happen to me? I mean, I killed two people . . ."

"We'll figure it out in the morning," Jimmy promised.