Baltimore, Elizabeth, 2014

I'm speeding through backroads on my way deep into the Appalachians, it didn't take me long to lose Juliet. Headed towards Charleston, West Virginia. Its five and a half hours away on the main highway. Eight hours the way I'm going. I want the cover of the Mountains and their forests. I chose Charleston as my cover, because, honestly no one cares about West Virginia. Coal mining is almost dead and it doesn't bring in a lot of money anymore. There is very little federal government presence in the state overall. It's also only three hours from Pittsburgh and 8 from DC. We've been driving for thirty-five minutes, when Isabel finally speaks.

"What's going on, Bess?" She sounds resolute in the situation she has found herself in.

"Can you do something for me? Grab my burner out of my pocket." I'm driving too fast to take my hands off of the wheel on the winding road. She reaches over and takes the old flip phone out of my coat pocket.

"Dial the last number I texted. And tell him we're okay. Don't tell him where we're going, just in case someone is listening in"

"I don't even know where we're going." I hear her say under her breath as she reaches into my pocket.

Pittsburg, Henry, 2014

It's been the longest half hour of my life. We finished Monopoly, Allison won. I used my nervous energy to pack up the game into its box. Organizing the property cards in the order they appear on the board. I just put it back onto the game self when my phone rings. Jessica jumps to grab it.

"Why are you getting a call from an unknown number?" A valid question on her part really. But her voice is cold and her face hard.

"I don't know." I tell her. I can feel the energy shift in the room.

"Are you having an affair?" The accusation comes out of nowhere. I wonder if I've been doing a bad job of just acting normal.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Give me my phone." I need it. I have to make sure Elizabeth's okay. I take my phone from her hand and answer walking outside. I ignore the look of absolute devastation on her face.

"Elizabeth?"

Maryland, Isabel, 2014

"Henry?" I ask into the phone. I look over to Bess and she nods.

"It's Isabel, Bess and I are okay. We are on our way to a safe place."

"Prove it." He says and I smile. Always the smart one.

"I'm here, everything's okay. But, our timeline has accelerated. Please get Stevie out of DC." Bess yells over.

"Tell her okay. I'm on it." He replies. I end the call and throw the phone out of the window. I take my own phone and throw it as well. Bess looks over to me confused.

"We'll get new ones. GPS." She nods. She's being less than forthcoming with information, but then again we were just almost murdered by a friend.

"Where are we going?" I ask her. I can see her thinking, trying to measure how much she can trust me.

"Okay. So you don't want to freely offer information so, I'll give you some." Her brow raises.

"George told me a few days before he died, that he was in trouble with POTUS. He said he was going to send me something, just in case."

Maryland, Elizabeth, 2014

I can't take my eyes off the road to look at her, I'm driving too fast. I don't know who to trust. There was a time when I trusted Conrad. And I couldn't have been more wrong about that. I trusted Juliet and I was wrong about that too. There's a reason why spies trust no one. As soon as you trust someone, you fly blind where they're concerned.

"Bess, I almost died today too. I'm on your side, but you got to fill in the blanks." She's right, she did almost die.

"Conrad is a war criminal." It's such a simple statement. But it has world altering consequences. God, world shattering consequences. I see Isabel nodding on my periphery, trying to comprehend the gravity of the situation we find ourselves in this afternoon.

"What happened to you?" She asks me quietly.

"In the broader scheme of things, I was nothing but collateral damage." It's the honest truth. I was nothing but a thing to be sold, buying him father freedom from his past. The car falls into silence as we cross into Virginia.

Pittsburgh, Henry, 2014

I walk back inside and rush to grab my keys. I have to get to Stevie. Elizabeth didn't sound scared, but the seriousness in her voice was clear. I need to get to her. Conrad had no problem taking out Elizabeth, he will certainly come after Stevie to get to her.

"Where are you going?" She's upset. And I don't care. I'm in Papa bear mode and I have to go get my baby.

"I have to go get Stevie." I tell her.

"Why?" I ignore her trying to walk out of the door.

"HENRY!" She yells this time. And I look back at her.

"What. The. Hell. Is. Going. On?" She says it through her teeth. I shake my head.

"I have to go get Stevie. Right now." I sound desperate. I am desperate. I need to keep Stevie safe. I need to keep them all safe. Elizabeth is doing this on her own. I will give her all the help she asks for.

"Oh my God, Henry. Stevie will be fine." She sounds exasperated.

"Jess. You don't know what's going on. I have to get her." I open the storm door and take one step.

"Do you really think I would let her be put in danger?" I stop in my tracks. My heart is pounding now. What the fuck is she talking about? How could she possibly know anything about what's going on? I turn to look at her again.

"Dalton will catch up to Bess, but Stevie won't be hurt." I'm nauseous. My vision goes red. My fist shaking in rage.

"Who are you?" I ask her.