Ivy

Marsh and Les managed to find some hideout in the middle of nowhere. Not that I was paying attention. I was brain dead. I couldn't process anything past what just happened.

I'd seen Don. Don was trying to kill me. Nope, brain's still not working. Let's try this again. My boyfriend is trying to kill me. Still doesn't sound right. The father of my unborn child is trying to murder me. No, no, no! I don't believe it. I can't believe it. There has to be an explanation. Maybe he has an evil twin he forgot to mention. An evil twin who decided to show up four months after he disappeared. Why was this happening?

Les walks over to me. She seems a little pissed.

"Ivy, while I'm grateful you saved my life, what happened must never happen. Ever again. Do you hear me? He could have killed you!" She says.

"But he didn't. He wouldn't." I point out.

"Ivy, I know what's going through your head right now but right now he's not our friend. Not anymore. When you get the opportunity you have to promise me you'll take it. You have to promise me you'll kill him before he kills you." She says.

"No, no! How can you even ask that of me?" I ask in horror.

"Ivy... She begins but I stop her before she finishes.

"Just stop, okay? I won't do it. I'm not going to give up on him!" I scream.

I'm crying. When did I start crying? I'm a big pile of raging hormones and my pregnancy isn't helping. At all. Les sees this and she hesitates for a moment. I don't want her pity. The more she pities me the more I'll cry. I wipe my eyes quickly.

"You knew this had happened, didn't you? That's why you two didn't want to tell me he was alive?" I ask.

"That doesn't matter anymore, Ivy. You need to rest. You've been through a lot today. It can't be good for the baby." She says.

"Oh for crying out loud! Stop treating me like a child!" I snap.

Wow, I've gone from weeping willow to red hot rage in 2 seconds flat. Talk about emotional drama.

"I want you to tell me the truth now. No more lying. No more games. I want the truth." I demand.

She takes a deep breath before she divulges the whole story. I don't say anything. I can't because what do you say to the most appalling story you've ever heard? However hearing it now strengths my resolve.

"He needs our help. He doesn't need us killing him." I say.

"I know you have good intentions, Ivy, but what happens if you can't get through to him? Can you promise me you can get through to him before he kills you?" She asks.

Darn it, I can't make promises about that.

"Its no longer simply about you. You have to think about the baby." She points out. "Do you think he'll ever forgive himself or you for that matter if anything happened to the baby?"

Man I hate it when she's right but it doesn't matter. If I don't save him, he'll never know about our child. Plus he will kill me, obviously.

"I promise I'll think about my baby first, but you have to let me try." I plead.

"And if in any moment you're in danger of getting yourself killed?" She asks.

"Then you can take him out." I say.

She gives me a disapproving look.

"I can't do it, Les. I know I sound ridiculous but I just can't. You're asking too much of me. I've told you just how far I'm willing to go." I say.

She regards me for a moment before she lets out a heavy sigh.

"Okay then."  She says.

Marsh chooses that moment to waltz into the room. He's carrying 3 walkie-talkies and he gives us each one.

"What's this? Back to the dark ages?" I ask as I stare at the thing.

He'd said we had to dump our phones on our way here. I hadn't known he'd planned on replacing them with this junk.

"These are manually operated hence the signal's tougher to hack." He says.

"Wait. You're actually saying he can track us?" I ask.

I believed he was a cold blooded killer but tracking? That's top class.

"Believe me, Ivy, you have no idea what he's capable of." Les says.

Obviously if he's making both a CIA and an FBI agent pull out all the stops. Gosh, even my plan was getting more ridiculous by the second. If you can even call it a plan.

"I've managed to map out a route to our next rendezvous point. Two actually. Both are cryptic but they should do the trick." She says to him.

"They should do. How soon can we leave?" He asks.

"I'd need about five minutes to finish setting up traps." She says. "We need to think on guises."

"No, that won't work on him. He'll see right through it." He says as he scratches his head. "Best we concentrate on staying off the grid. I know someone who can get us across the border very quickly. Problem is, how are we going to get to him without being spotted?"

"We're leaving? I thought we were safe here." I say.

"We didn't see him follow us but it doesn't mean he didn't." Les says.

She's scared. She's hiding it well but she's really scared. I want to reassure her but I can't. I don't know what to say to her.

"Okay then. What should I do?" I ask.

"I need you to grab whatever you can. Only take what you need. You'll be trekking through a sewer trail together with Marsh." She says.

She turns to face him.

"A guise might not work but a decoy might." She says as she pulls out a wig from the duffel bag she's holding.

A wig with an absolute match in color to my hair.

"Les?" I say.

I don't like her idea. It gives me a chill.

"Don't worry. I'm good with decoys." She says with a sad smile.

I don't have a suggestion. She turns to Marsh.

"You guys had better get moving." She says to him.

"You got it." He says.

He hesitates for a moment before he leans in to kiss her.

"I'll see you at the rendezvous point." He tells her.

"Sure." She replies.

She doesn't sound convinced so he gives her hand a squeeze. I've finished packing by the time Marsh and I head out.