Author's Notes: Okay guys, I meant to get this out a few days ago but I just got a new laptop (hooray!) and I had to transfer all my writing over before I could edit and whatnot, well enough rambling, enjoy the chapter! Thanks for all the lovely reviews!

Chapter 12: Come Back to You

I'm conflicted
I inhale now I'm addicted
To this place, To you babe
I can't stay away

"I Can't Stay Away" – The Veronicas

Leon was lounging against the side of the truck when his phone started to buzz. He fished it out of his pocket and checked the number. It was unfamiliar but he snapped it open anyway and put it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Leon?" Syd's voice came breathlessly through the tinny speakers, though it was difficult to hear her over the sound of wind whipping around her.

"Syd?" He stood up straighter and Dom turned to look at him. "Where are you? How did you get a hold of a phone?"

"We're just outside the city now and uh...." She paused a moment. "We kind of stole a car from the guards and dumped them out at high speeds..."

Leon's jaw dropped open in mild shock and then he let out a laugh. "Shit, Letty doesn't change does she?"

Beside him Dom gave him an impatient look and Leon held up a finger and turned his attention to the phone. "Okay, Syd are you guys still being followed?"

There was a pause before she replied. "Uh... yeah. It's a good thing this car is bullet proof," she said lightly, still sounding a little nervous.

"You need to bring them here. Dom and I have a plan and hopefully we can get rid of them."

"Okay, where are you?" she asked.

"At the very northern outskirts of town, you know where all the abandoned lots and overgrown farms are?"

"Yeah."

"There's a place called Alonzo's Junkyard in the old Auto District. Think you can get here?"

"Yeah, I have some idea. You can call me back on this number for now." Before she hung up she added, "I love you."

"I love you too Baby." Leon ended the call and looked over at his friend. "They're okay and they're headed here. Now, we're going to have to make a few changes..."

0000

Mia sat at the table across from Vince, playing with her empty glass. They sat in silence, as they had since he'd finished telling her everything. He told her about how Brian had come to him in prison with a deal, and that he had accepted. Mia realized that the danger associated with running drugs for this man Braga was very real.

Her fingers were tense on the glass and she stared at it, watching the condensation gather together and drip down the side of it to form a ring on the wooden table. She pursed her lips, looking as if she might speak, before letting out a sigh and dropping her hands to her lap.

Vince felt unnerved by her silence and he dragged a hand through his hair, his leg bouncing beneath the table. His second beer bottle was long since drained and he twirled it idly, waiting for Mia to speak, to say something, anything.

"I don't know what to say," she finally said, lifting her gaze to meet his. "I want to tell you that I'm not comfortable with this, and that I think it's too dangerous, but at the same time I don't want you to go back to prison." She looked at him for a long moment, her eyes serious. "Do you trust Brian enough to work with him on this?"

Vince considered the question. "I do," he replied after a moment. "I know after he got involved things got messed up before Mi... but I also think what we were into was a train wreck waiting to happen. He just got there when the shit hit the fan. He saved my life... and he let Dom go."

She nodded, her fingertips tracing over the scarred surface of the table. "You're right... it's just harder for me to let go because..."

"Cause he lied to you, and he played with your feelings. I know Mia, and... I don't forgive him for that either."

"I don't think I want to see him," she said, leaning back in her chair. "It would be uncomfortable for me." She pushed a hand through her long straight hair. "When do you make your first delivery?"

"We don't know yet. But we're supposed to get a call from this Eddie guy any day now. It will be short notice, but I'll let you know when I'm going."

She looked up again, their eyes meeting and then hesitantly reached across the table to close her hand over his. "Just be careful, Vince."

0000

Letty took the first turn into the city at close to 100 miles per hour and the Jeep's wheels squealed in protest, the rubber gripping for purchase against the pavement as it slid wide, careening around oncoming traffic. Cars swerved and honked, horns blaring and people cursing out their windows. She ignored them, her dark eyes narrowed as she steered her way through traffic.

The other vehicle was still in pursuit and nearly collided with other cars in effort to catch up with her. Beside her Syd was calling out directions now and again, raising her voice to be heard over the noises of the city. The sun had come out in full force and was blaring down from above with a vicious heat that would have bothered more were they paying it any mind. Letty's wrists were red and rubbed raw where the rope had been, but that too was ignored as they swerved wildly into another turn.

Thankfully the road up ahead was deserted, as they raced towards the abandoned lots where business was never done anymore.

Letty gripped at the wheel as the Jeep whizzed over a road riddled with pot-holes and bumps, kicking up dust and gravel behind them. Up ahead a faded sign read "Alonzo's Junkyard" in weathered red lettering over a peeling white board. The lot that stretched out beside it was sun-bleached cement encircled by a collapsing rusty fence. They could easily the see the hulking white shape of the medical supply truck parked in the center of the lot.

Syd spared a glance back to see that the other car was still tailing them as the Jeep flew into the lot. She heard a sound and turned to see Leon waving from near the truck.

"Stop the car!" he shouted.

Letty spared him an incredulous look but slammed on the brakes, the Jeep squealing to a stop beside him. He rushed up, his eyes flickering over them both worriedly.

"Keep the engine running and don't get out," he ordered, and then turned away as the other vehicle approached.

Leon tucked his hands in his pockets, hiding his nerves behind an expression of confidence. Three armed men and a harried looking woman dressed to go clubbing were climbing out of the car. They pointed their guns at him and Leon raised his hands slowly, a smirk flitting over his face.

"Now now... don't go doin' anything rash here."

The woman's gaze snapped to him and she frowned. "You're the one I spoke with on the phone."

"That's right," he said. "And if you want to see your shipment again you'll tell your men to lower your weapons."

She hesitated, her eyes flickering towards where Letty and Syd still waited in the car, tension in their bodies as they watched the exchange.

"I don't know that I can hold to our... agreement any longer. Your women are responsible for the death of at least one of my men, possibly more."

"Look, Lady..." Leon eyed the gunmen for a moment then turned his attention back to her. "Let's not play around. We both know you were never going to keep your end of the bargain. We know too much about your operation."

"Well then, it seems we are at an impasse." She smiled grimly. "I'm going to guess that my product is not in that truck?"

"Well, that would be rather convenient wouldn't it?" Leon asked, dipping his hands in his pockets. He backed away as one of the men motioned with his gun.

The woman ordered two of them to the back of the truck, and they moved to open the door at the rear. Boxes were scattered around inside and they boosted up to take a better luck. The remaining guard kept his gaze on Leon as he moved towards the cab of the truck. He turned to the woman, a questioning look on his face.

"O que é isso cheire?"

Faster than he knew he could, Leon catapulted into the rear seat of the Jeep the girls were in.

"Drive!!" he yelled and Letty slammed on the gas, peeling away from the parked truck.

There was a soft clicking sound and Gisele's eyes went wide. "Fugir!" she shouted, turning to flee just as the truck ignited in a powerful explosion.

The gas tanks went up in flames, bursting outwards with a force that ripped through metal and the fire lit dozens of smaller explosions in the cab, causing it to tear apart as if it were made out of paper. The force of it sent Gisele flying, as well as the two men in the back of the truck. One of them was on fire, and screamed as he rolled about on the floor. The man who had been standing near the cab was most definitely dead.

Letty made a wide turn around the lot, all of them ducking to avoid flying wreckage as the tires squealed loudly on the cement. The Jeep barreled onto the street and swung to avoid collision with an on-coming truck as Leon clung onto the door to hold himself into the backseat. As they straightened out Letty let out a long breath and narrowed her eyes.

"Leon where the fuck is Dom?"

It took him a moment to reply, and he leaned forward to point ahead of them, where the black Buick was idling on a narrow side-street. "We thought it would be best if they didn't realize there were two of us."

As the Jeep sped past Dom steered his car onto the street behind him. The three people in the vehicle were silent for a moment, before Syd glanced back at her husband.

"What are we going to do now?" she asked. "They know what I look like and that I bought supplies from that front of theirs. It's not going to be hard to track us down."

Leon let out a sigh and rubbed a hand over his face. "I know, we should probably get out of town, start up somewhere else."

"Hell no!" She glared at him. "We worked our asses off to get started with the shop and the clinic. We didn't do anything wrong. Maybe we should call the police."

"Well technically we should not have gotten this involved in the first place. We could get in trouble for the way we handled things. Plus, I think this drug thing goes way beyond Brazil baby."

"What did you find out?" Letty asked, glancing at him through the rearview mirror.

"That woman isn't the head honcho and, according to the driver, the guy who runs everything is running it from the US. That means that the FBI is definitely watching him. You know what that means girl?"

"That means we can't get involved. They're still looking for Dom."

"Well it's a little too late to not get involved. But if you and Dom leave, Syd and I can try and go to the authorities."

"And if the police do shit as usual, you both end up dead and we just left you here to it?" Letty scowled. "You know he won't go for that. Neither will I."

"Letty," Syd began, "It's not your fault. I'm the one that got us into this mess."

"But we agreed we were going to help you guys," Letty countered. "Neither one of us will feel comfortable taking off with things this hairy."

"Look," Leon interrupted, leaning forward from the back seat to look at both of them. "Let's not make any decisions now. We got you two back and that was the biggest thing on our minds. So let's head back to the house and decide what to do. They won't be following us anytime soon."

Both girls fell silent for a moment, and then agreed, and Letty guided the Jeep towards the hotel where Leon said they had stashed the Audi.

Translations from online sources

O que é isso cheire = What's that smell

Fugir = Run