Elke didn't know that her Swift could go so fast. She only ever drove through the city or to it's outskirts. There were never the long strips of road that would allow her to put her foot down. Even if there were, Elke had never pushed more then five kilometres over the speed limit.

'What about Donnie?!' she cried as Joost ripped the steering wheel around a corner.

'He'll be fine. I'm getting you out of here.'

'Joost, you've got four cars heading your way,' Alanis' said into both of their earpieces. 'Turn down the next street and you'll just miss them.'

At her instruction, Joost skidded down the next road. Elke's hand flew to the door to her right to prevent herself from flying into it. She dared to look in her mirror and true to Alanis' words, four police cars with flashing lights passed. She continued to stare at the street between the two corners, dreading to see the red and blue lights begin to reflect off the brick. But as Joost made another deadly turn, Elke's puffy eyes dragged to be staring out the windscreen once more.

As soon as they had made it through the mansion, Joost made Elke run in front down the driveway. The electric gate was now wide open. No one guarded the gap besides the cool-toned lights that illuminated the entrance and the outside street.

It was difficult for Elke to sprint with tears in her eyes, the night dark and Joost's thundering steps behind her. The adrenaline made it feel as if her feet were going to run off without her. The gate got closer and closer until the garden was gone and her Suzuki Swift was sat where they had left it.

Throwing open the door, Elke fell into the passenger's seat. Her hands shook as she grabbed her seatbelt and she felt the car rock as Joost threw himself into the driver's seat. Before Elke knew it, the wheels were squeaking against tar and they were shooting off down the street.

'Elke?'

She didn't answer. She swallowed but couldn't shift the ball in her throat. The fleshed lining of her throat felt raw, scratched and torn. Elke leaned forward in her seat and tugged at her seatbelt, hoping to free up some space to breathe easier. But what she didn't see was Joost looking away from the road in frantic bursts.

With his gloved hands on the wheel, Joost tried to peer around Elke to see her face. Her ignorance to the call of her name worried him. He knew he should be focusing on the road and his rearview mirror, but Joost hadn't had a moment to check if Elke was unharmed.

Elke went to sit back when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Pushing back the hair that hung in front of her face, Joost steered the wheel with one arm and looked away from the windshield. Elke was breathing in and out deeply as she turned to meet his gaze. She met the creased brows and concerned eyes that fell to her forming bruises.

Red stripes bruised Elke's neck and a purple shadow sat around her jaw. Her wet cheeks were enough for Joost's heart to ache, but at the marks that would only darken by the morning, Joost's concern turned to anger.

'Did he fucking-' Joost couldn't finish. He returned his hand back to the steering wheel and sucked in a breath.

Joost was furious. As soon as Apson made it known that Elke was talking to Ski Aggu, Joost had demanded Stuntje hack into the electric gate's circuits. No one at the workshop had relayed the events that were happening inside the house. If they did, when he made it to the sliding doors of the back garden, Joost would have made sure to aim for Aggu's heart.

'J-Joost...' Elke's voice came out in a croaky stutter. His eyes were burning holes through the windshield before he turned his head. Instead of being met with Elke's watery eyes and seeing the root of his fury, Joost's attention, much like Elke's, was drawn to the headlights in her wing mirror.

'Fuck,' he cursed. Joost only needed to glance into the rearview mirror to know who was behind them. He recognised the Mitsubishi Lancer, but instead of seeing a nameless associate, Joost saw Ski Aggu behind the wheel.

From the tailgating of the Lancer, the silver ski mask was hard to miss. The red taillights of the Swift reflected off the goggles and Joost felt the nervous tickle at his neck from how close the Lancer was. Tailgating was an unnerving sensation for the most responsible of drivers and the feeling didn't differ for the experienced blonde. If Joost slowed down, the boot of the Swift would be rammed. If he sped up, he risked chaos among the built-up, suburbian area.

'Can you talk to Alanis?' Joost asked as he changed lanes. He watched the Lancer behind him do the same without dropping back.

'M-Me?'

'Yes, Elke, I need to concentrate.'

'What's going on, Elke?' Alanis asked as calmly as she could manage.

Elke was just beginning to soothe her breathing when the Lancer appeared behind them. At Joost's plea, she flattened her back against her seat and put one finger to her ear. The invisible tech was still functioning and Alanis was still on the other end. While Joost stared out the windshield with two hands on the wheel and his expression hard, Elke did her best to gather herself.

'U-Um they're behind us,' she started, noticing a street sign come and go at quick speed. 'We just passed Blad Street.'

'Enzo and Daan are on their way to meet you. Don't worry, Enzo's going to help you lose them off your tail.'

'We're heading out of the city-'

'I know. I can see your car on my screens'

'O-Okay...'

'Just breathe, Elke,' Alanis said encouragingly. 'Joost is the best driver out of all of us. You're safe with him.'

Joost drove his best when he tuned out everything. But from his earpiece, he acknowledged and appreciated Alanis' words. He didn't want Elke to sit in agony while he struggled to communicate. He trusted Alanis to keep Elke calm and could take out his earpiece in confidence. But if the situation turned desperate, he needed to be able to have immediate contact with everyone back at the shop.

The houses began to stagger and the stretches of flat land widened. Joost's sneaker lowered onto the accelerator as overhead streetlights became the only light against the car. They were entering country fields, making it easier for Joost plan losing the car behind them. Taking one hand off the wheel, Joost's fingers skimmed the handbrake by his side.

As Joost's foot ghosted the brake, making the brakelights flash, Enzo's Porsche appeared from the street on their left. The Lancer was distracted by the Swift's sudden slow and was forced to drop back several metres to avoid the new arrival. The Porsche swung out and inserted itself into the chase.

Enzo could be seen in the driver's seat with his back now exposed to the Lancer's headlights. Joost met his eyes in the rearview as well as Daan's, who sat in the passenger's seat. Fields of farm land stretched alongside the road and from what Joost could see through the dark, Daan was fiddling with something he couldn't see.

'Enzo's behind us,' Elke informed Alanis. 'I-I can't see if the other car is still-'

Gunshots made Elke jump in her seat. She instinctively ducked her head at the fear of bullets flying through the back windshield. But as Joost glanced back to the rearview mirror, he saw Daan leaning out the window to shoot behind them.

Approaching a tight bend, Joost met eyes with Enzo and accelerated. The Porsche did the same as Daan retreated back into the car. The Lancer dawned new bullet holes and had swerved to avoid any shattered windows. The German driver went to speed up, attempting to catch the Porsche at the last minute.

Skimming the back bumper, Ski Aggu thought he had it. He had taken charge of the wheel at the desire to accomplish where everyone else had failed. Joost Klein was in a base model Suzuki Swift. There was no way that he would be able to outrun Aggu, even if the black Porsche had turned up unexpectedly.

But suddenly, smoke bellowed from the tires as the Swift and Porsche disappeared around the bend. Without the time to turn fully, Aggu pulled the handbrake up and skidded to a complete stop amongst the tall grass of the field.

Disturbed dust and sand danced in front of the headlights that watched the Porsche and Swift continue onwards. The Lancer rumbled, idle, the driver frowning alongside the lightheaded companion in the passenger's seat.

For the second time, Joost Klein had outrun them. There was no failure from Nathan or interference from some amateur wannabes. Ski Aggu had been behind the wheel and had been outsmarted by the last remaining name in The Netherlands.

---

'Enzo says you're all clear.'

Apson had been the one to throw the blanket of relief. Alanis' encouragement had gotten Elke through the rush and her boyfriend's voice was a god send. The girl didn't wait to hear the jumble of innuendos as she pulled the earpiece out and threw it into the cupholder. Leaning back, Elke was silent as Joost finally spoke.

'We're laying low for a while. We can't go home,' he mumbled.

'Where will you go?'

'Somewhere safe. I'll call you tomorrow.'

With that, the car went quiet. There was no radio or small talk. The fields flew by with the moon breaking between it's tall strands. Elke couldn't bring herself to move her gaze from the biege masses. She waited for the cluster to break for another road or a farm house, not for any particular reason, but just for something different to focus on.

She didn't ask where 'safe' was or if Enzo was still behind them. All Elke wanted to do was to lie down and close her eyes that were red and stinging. Her constant tears had made her tired and she hated that she still felt like she could go on crying. After all that had happened today, Elke was finished, exhausted and ready to switch off completely.

When canals started to pass and houses built up around them, the car pulled to a stop. In a driveway that she didn't recognise, Elke reached down to unclick her seatbelt.

'Wait here,' Joost said. She paused, looked up just as the door closed and watched him walk up to a house.

Elke took the time to look over her shoulder to see Enzo and Daan. They had stepped out of the Porsche and were smoking, leaning against the bonnet with slouched postures. She thought about getting out and joining them, maybe even asking to have a cigarette for the first time. But Elke couldn't be bothered hearing the inevitable or seeing the pitiful looks from the two men.

By the time she looked back to the porch of the unknown house, Joost was walking back. Still in his suit and tie, it was strange to have him open her door and wait for her to step out. Elke powered her remaining strength to her legs and felt the gravel crunch underneath her feet. Joost closed the door for her, his body close and Elke didn't move when he straightened up. She craned her neck upwards to see the bags under his eyes and the straight, almost downward expression on his face.

'Where are we?' she mumbled, glancing to the house. The front door was open but no one was there. Lights were on in the living room window but the upstairs two had their curtains drawn.

'Leeuwarden.'

In surprise, Elke followed Joost towards the porch. She smelt the cigarettes from Daan and Enzo behind them and their footsteps against the gravel joined their's. Her eyes flickered down to Joost hand which hung by his side. She wanted to take it, hold it in hers and feel his large fingers hug her palm. But at Joost's slow, heavy steps, Elke refrained at the sensing of his dull mood.

'Joost?' she called as they stepped onto the porch. 'Whose house is this?'

He turned just before the doorway. He looked as if he was contemplating telling the truth or prolonging the inevitable. A contorted haze overcame his features as someone stepped into the hallway, two pillows in their arms and wearing medical scrubs, they said,

'Two nights, Joost. That's all I'm giving you.'