Author's Note: Yeah so… I haven't updated this fic in a long long time. I actually got stuck on it and then busy and neglected to go back and work through the problem. Anyway, I definitely owe you guys an ending, so I'm going to try and wrap this up. I already have this chapter written out so hopefully I'll be back to regularly posting again. Thanks for all those who are still interested in the story and the lovely reviews that remind me!

Chapter 15: The Breakout

Spent the night in an L.A. jail
And listened to the sirens wail
They ain't got a thing on me
I'm running wild, I'm running free, yeah

I'm running free, yeah, come on, I'm running free

"Running Free" – Iron Maiden

Under the concealment of nightfall Brian and Vince slipped out of the Villa and into the dark. Here and there lights shone from above, casting circles of illumination across the ground. The guards milled the area, or stood watch near the walls.

Keeping their backs pressed against the side of the house they inched their way towards the garage. A quick glance showed them several all-terrain vehicles and a small, sleek black sports car, probably Braga's personal auto. The garage also house a small guard shack, and two other armed men sat in kicked back chairs near the door, feet up and cigarettes curling smoke up past their faces.

Brian made a slicing motion across his neck and shook his head, saying that route was too risky. Skirting around the side of the large building they scanned the darkness. A Jeep lumbered by, light washing over the lone driver's grimacing face as he passed under a lamp, before falling into darkness once more. The vehicle slowed, and he climbed out of the seat, leaving it idling as he stumbled towards the tree-line, fumbling with his zipper.

Silently Vince and Brian ducked down and ran for the Jeep. Brian climbed into the passenger seat and Vince got in after him, jerking the car out of park and slamming on the gas. The tires kicked up dirt as the car sped towards the front gate. The driver who had gone to relieve himself began chasing after them, yelling, his pants still undone.

Others were alerted and the sounds of gunfire filled the air, followed by the piercing whine of an alarm. Keeping his head low Vince picked up speed. The guards were firing, but the bullets simply bounced off the car thanks to whatever modifications had been made on it. The gate loomed ahead of them, closed bars of metal, and he wondered if the car would make it through, or if they would end up a smear against them instead.

Thanks to the Jeep's reinforced exterior and bullet-proofing it barreled into the gate, knocking it off its hinges and buckling it. The vehicle dragged the twisted piece of metal several feet before it dropped free. The Jeep swerved once before Vince steadied it and sped away down the bumpy dirt and gravel road.

Brian dared to turn and check behind them. He saw the headlights of several pursuers through the dark and scrambled in his pocket for the address Vince had written earlier. Pulling up the GPS on his phone he plugged it in.

"Okay Vince," he said, raising his voice to be heard over the wind rushing over the open top of the Jeep. "This road will take us straight to the highway. But we want to lose these guys before we get to Leon's place. So push it as fast as you can."

A smile, half grim, half excited, flicked across the other man's face. "You got it."

0000

Letty sat on the back porch, beer held loosely in her hand, Syd sitting Indian-style to her right. It was quiet, the only sound the chirping of the crickets and leaves rustling in the faint breeze.

Letty's bottle was nearly empty when the sounds of tires squealing filled the night air. Both girls pushed to their feet at the sight of rapidly approaching headlights and the porch door swung open. Syd looked over her shoulder to see Dom's imposing figure filling the doorway.

"Get inside," the command was a low rumble.

He stepped aside so that they could move past him into the house. With an order to lock the door he stepped out onto the worn wooden planks of the porch, hands tucked casually into his pockets. Letty cast a dark glare at his back before pushing the door closed. Leon stood at the window looking out, gun tucked into the waist of his jeans, half empty bottle of beer dangling from his fingertips.

The girls joined him, peering out into the darkness. The car approaching had slowed and was pulling up in front of the house. The doors opened and two men stepped out. Dom slowly descended the porch steps. Then the driver shouted something that had him pausing. He laughed and turned to look at them through the window.

"Let, Leon, get your asses out here! The cavalry has arrived!"

Letty was already opening the door as Leon drained the last of his beer and slid his arm around Syd's waist.

They heard Letty's laugh as she was scooped into a hug by a man with a shadowed jaw and a scar winding down the length of one arm.

Leon let out a howl. "Well, well I didn't know this was coyote country. What the hell are you doing here sweet cheeks?"

The man released Letty with a chuckle, then said, "Actually I'm here to get your ass out of trouble, as usual." His gaze flickered curiously over Syd. "Aren't you gonna introduce me, Lee?"

"Oh yeah, right. This is my wife, Sydney. Syd, this is Vince."

She smiled at the shocked look on Vince's face and reached out to shake his hand. "Leon's told me a lot about you."

"All lies," he insisted with a grin, shaking his head in mild disbelief.

It was then that they realized that Dom was staring silently at the man still standing by the car. Tension was thick in the air.

"Why's he with you?" Dom asked Vince, never taking his eyes off the other man.

Syd tried to place him but didn't recognize him from any of Leon's old photos.

"Who is that?" she asked her husband in a hushed voice.

"Brian O'Connor," Leon answered. "The cop that was on our tail back in LA."

Brian stepped forward, holding up his hands in surrender. "I know you're all angry with me. And you have a right to be. But now isn't the time. You're all in serious danger. How about we all step inside and Vince and I can explain."

"That's a good idea," Syd said, laying a hand against Leon's back. "Come in. I'll make us some coffee."

0000

Mia stood looking up at the house that she had lived in all her life and wondered if she would ever see it again. Turning away she closed the trunk of her car and circled around towards the driver's side. Checking her printed ticket receipt once more she slipped it into her purse and turned the key in the ignition. With one last look at the darkened house Mia backed out of the drive and followed the road towards the nearest highway entrance.

Turning the radio up she steered into sparse traffic and reflected on her conversation with Vince earlier that day. He was in Brazil, for God knew what reason, and now somehow Letty was there too? And if Letty was there, then Dom might be as well. But Brian was with Vince and he was still a cop, hell he was FBI. Could they trust him?

All Mia knew, as she followed the signs for LAX, was that she was tired of being left behind. She wasn't going to sit at home waiting any more.

0000

Hours after explanations and accusations had filled the sunny kitchen with tension Sydney silently cleaned. The rest of the house was quiet now; Brian and Vince settled into the second spare room in sleeping bags Leon had recovered from a linen closet, Dom and Leon outside with the dog, their occasional conversation no more than a murmur.

Syd crouched down to gather broken shards from a beer bottle that someone had dropped or thrown. She couldn't recall. The history here was something she was not a part of. Her hands trembled and she pressed the back of one against her forehead, taking a moment to steady herself.

She looked up at the sound of footsteps and over her shoulder at Letty.

"Hey, I thought you went to sleep."

"Nah," the other woman replied. "Too restless. You should go though. You look like shit. All pale."

Syd cracked a brief smile. "Thanks. It will pass. Just nausea." She sighed and shifted her weight to sit, dropping the glass into the dust pan at her feet."

"Eat something bad?" Letty asked.

"Huh?" Syd blinked, then smiled. "No, just nervous I think. It's like all the sudden all of this is hitting home. I guess I'm a bit freaked out."

"Not so strange when an international drug dealer has you on his hit list," Letty replied.

"Thanks for the reassurance," Syd said dryly.

"I'm right there with you, girl. I've been closer to death. Everything will be fine."

"You mean like when you were jacking trucks?" Syd asked. "I guess you guys are used to being in danger, huh?"

"Yup. Though if anyone is, it's Dom more than the rest of us."

"Why's that? Because he did most of the racing?" Syd sat with her cup of water, joining Letty at the table.

"No, cause he's dumb enough to hit on skanks in front of me," Letty dead-panned.

Syd looked at her and they shared a laugh.