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Chapter 8: Legality

"What the hell are we doing? What the hell are we doing?" Sam yanked frantically on Riella's arm. "We're running from the government!"

"Yes, I noticed," Riella snapped quietly, pulling away from Sam and gesturing sharply at Mikaela. "Keep up! I'll have enough trouble recovering his parents. I do not need to chase you down too."

"Okay, seriously…" Sam skidded to a halt, panting. "They have cars! And flashlights! And they found us that fast and knew about you guys and we're just going to run through the neighborhood and hope they lose us? When you've got friends who turn into cars and we could just get out of here that way? Look, I don't know what you're trying to do here, but there's no freakin' way this is going to end well –"

"Sam, enough." Riella interrupted his tirade sternly, crouching down behind a vehicle in the nearest driveway and gesturing for the two humans to do the same. "Be quiet. We are not using Prowl or Bumblebee's vehicle modes, because that would be easy to track. I suspect Sector Seven has a way to detect us." Speaking of which… She opened a comm line, glancing back over her shoulder and using an anti-trace algorithm. As far as she knew, they were tracking spark signatures, not comm signals, but better safe than sorry. ::Jazz, do you copy?::

::Jazz here, Ri. What's up? Everything cool?::

::No.:: Riella rolled her eyes, glancing sternly at Sam when he started to move out from behind the car. "Stay put. We move when I say so." In the distance, she could see headlights – Sector Seven was looking for them. ::As long as you are researching Sector Seven, could you look into an Agent Simmons involved in the group?.::

::What, the one who tried arrestin' ya?:: Jazz sounded like he might have been laughing. ::Copy that. Back in a minute.::

::Thank you.:: With a faint sigh, Riella sent him the scan she'd taken of Simmons' badge before returning her attention to the humans and the area. Mikaela was staring at her, wide-eyed and fidgeting.

"Look, I…" The girl paused and looked around before finishing her sentence rapidly. "I really think this is a bad idea, okay? I mean, I don't know how it works with you guys, but this is gonna get us into so much trouble."

Riella straightened up, looked around, and motioned for the two to follow her. "We will worry about that later. My priority is keeping the glasses out of hostile hands."

"Yeah, I know, but – " Mikaela had to run to keep up with Riella's long strides. "I – I really can't get into trouble like this, not right now, okay? Can we please just not – I mean, there's gotta be another way…"

The girl sounded so upset that Riella slowed down and turned to look at her in confusion. "What is so specific about right now?"

"Other than the part where my car is a giant alien robot and we're trying to hide a whole crowd of giant alien robots?" Sam almost ran into her back, and tripped on his own feet trying to avoid her. "There's kinda a lot going on here!"

"Yes, so I'm aware," Riella snapped. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted headlights, and changed direction rapidly. "Off the sidewalk. There – between those cars. Get down. Now!"

The two humans obeyed immediately, so clearly they were not that invested in turning themselves in. Still, that was an issue that needed to be dealt with, before it caused a problem. "Mikaela." Riella waited for the girl to look at her before continuing. "What, exactly, is your problem with this happening right now? Is there something I need to know?"

"No! I just – it's nothing." Mikaela looked away from both Riella and Sam. "It's just that my dad…his parole's coming up, and this is gonna cause so much trouble with that, and – "

"Parole?" Sam interrupted, too loudly. Riella shot him a glare.

"Quiet! What are you talking about, Mikaela?"

"You know, parole?" It was too dark to see, but Riella thought the girl might have been tearing up. "When you get out of jail, but if you put one foot out of line you're going back?"

"I know what parole is," Riella responded, trying to keep from snapping. "What I don't understand is how that is relevant to this situation. You are not the one with the legal record, correct? This would be a first offense?"

She was met with uncomfortable, and very telling, silence.

"This is not a first offense? You have a record?"

Sam broke the silence with a shaky, "Wait, what?"

The headlights in the distance had vanished again. Riella stood up and gestured sharply. "Never mind. We do not have an option at this point. Our rendezvous point is less than five minutes away. Let's go."

"No, seriously, what?" Sam followed almost automatically, still staring at Mikaela. "What are you talking about? What record?"

"It does not matter," Riella interrupted pointedly. In the back of her processor, a comm line pinged. ::Yes, Jazz?::

::Update for ya. All I'm gettin' on Sector Seven is that it's classified. Really classified. Like 'doesn't exist' classified.::

::Doesn't exist? Odd.:: Riella frowned at the images flickering in the corner of her heads-up display. ::They seem to have more authority than one would expect from a strictly black-ops group. Agent Simmons used the name as if it should mean something.::

::Habit? I got nothin'.:: Jazz sounded like he was probably shrugging. ::ETA to rendezvous is two minutes. What's your location?::

::Stand by.:: Riella turned to gesture at the humans, trying to keep her voice low. "Sam! Mikaela! We need to move."

"I know, I know, just – hang on a second…" Sam shook his head, eyes wide. "You stole cars? You and your dad?"

Riella sighed and grabbed his arm, yanking him after her. "Now, Sam! This is not the time to deal with this." She shot a warning glance at Mikaela. "Whatever you have to work out, do it later. I cannot leave you here, for your own safety. I am sorry if this causes you legal trouble, but there's nothing I can do now."

Mikaela nodded, sniffling, and followed, once again having to jog to keep up with Riella. "Look, Sam…"

Riella rolled her eyes, yet again. "What did I just say? Keep it down and follow me." Staying out of the dim streetlight, she checked both ways before turning onto a slightly busier street. So far, no sign of Sector Seven, but there was no guarantee about how long it would last. Grimacing, she tried to ignore the argument happening behind her.

"…you stole cars? I mean, I just can't…"

Mikaela almost ran into Riella's back, voice rising sharply. "No. You do not get to make that call, okay? Not you of all people! I have a record because I didn't turn my dad in! When have you ever had to sacrifice anything in your perfect little life? Either of you?"

"Frequently and painfully. Don't drag me into this," Riella snapped. "I'm not going to ask again. Shut up." Prowl, where are you? We have a minor legal situation that you are not going to enjoy handling.

Contrary to popular opinion, I never do. What happened?

Teenager with a juvenile record who is now technically on the run from the government, thanks to us. Riella stifled a grimace. Just in case this mission needed another complication. She rounded the corner onto the last street before the rendezvous point, and froze.

Speaking of complications…

"Miss me?" Agent Simmons folded his arms across his chest and glared at them from behind the safety of half a dozen Sector Seven agents with guns.