My ears were ringing so loudly the glass shattering around us was barely a whisper. I pulled my hands over my face to protect myself. A thousand tiny shards sliced through my false-skin and clattered around me. The suit's weight rolled off my waist and a muffled siren put me into a dizzy stupor. I watched Dravon and the suit wrestle for dominance like a audience in a theatre. What happened between them did not affect me. I could go home and snuggle down in my bed and thank God I didn't have that type of lifestyle. Never knowing who'd win.

But I wasn't in the movies, and I couldn't go home to my own bed.

Gathering my strength, I brushed the glass off, resulting in more cuts through my skin graft, and stood up. Dravon and the suit were at each other's throats, trying with all their might to exhausts the other's air supply. Adrenalin began pumping through as I thought out a game plan. My body informed me that we were no longer in the safety of a glass egg. The bullet had shattered half of the glass shell, leaving us exposed to a sudden drizzle.

The obvious attack would be to push the suit out and hope he lands in the river Thames. But the way he was holding onto Dravon would mean they'd both fall. I could push them apart with my nonexistent strength. Or...I eyed the suits gun, carelessly discarded under the bench.

"Let go, both of you." I commanded taking out my gun out of my purse and aiming it at Dravon, while the suit's gun aimed at him. Both men looked at me and slowly released their grasp. Their breaths were raspy and sounded like each intake hurt, but of course they wouldn't show it. "Now, you, suit guy, tell me who told you who we are."

He shook his head, "I'm no snitch."

Dravon walked up to me and slowly lowered the gun I aimed at him. He then peeled it from my fingers and aimed it at the suits leg. "Tell us or you're going to get 2000 volts partying through your body."

The suits brave façade faltered slightly, "Come on guys. I have nothing against you personally. I got a call from some electronic voice telling me to be at the London Eye when two kids that looked like you got on. I was told to eliminate her and capture you."

I struggled to catch my breath, "El-el-eliminate me? Bu-bu-but why?!"

Dravon shot me a disbelieving look, "You're a good-guy, why wouldn't they want you dead?"

Just as I was about to tell him that I might as well be a rebel spy, I remembered that he wasn't supposed to know why I was. Hard to earn someone's trust when they know you're going to kill them.

"Look lady, I don't know the facts. I just know that someone wants you dead and your boyfriend here a prisoner. Please, don't kill me. I have a pregnant wife at home, and a daughter."

"Why should we show you mercy when you couldn't spare us any? You almost broke Miranda's face a few minutes ago." Dravon's eyes were cold and heartless. He wore an expression that scared me, and I wasn't on the other side of his gun.

"Dravon..." I whispered in what I hoped was a tender tone.

He snapped his head at me and hissed, "You don't know spies like I do. Every last rebel has some family at home that needs them. They all have some sob story about how times are tough and they just needed the money. What about my parents? Do you think they ever thought about me when they killed my mother?"

Foot meets mouth.

"Look, I'm not saying we let him off scotch free-"

Dravon gave me the meanest glare I'd even seen. I mean he was just sending so much hate my way I stopped midsentence.

"What?" I asked.

"You just let him go scotch free."

I turned and noticed that my gun was pointing an angry British cloud. We both cautiously ran to the edge and sure enough saw the suits body dropping into the river.

"Damn it Randa, would it kill you to just shut up sometimes. I swear you always talk us into bad luck." Dravon said taking off his over coat.

"Oh bugger off Eddy. It's not like I knew he was going to jump." I retaliated snatching my gun from him.

"Well some common sense would do you good. He had the perfect escape and you were just jabbering away."

A moaning sound broke into our conversation. I turned around and saw the two other occupants slumped against the standing glass. The two men rubbed their heads and blinked away sleep.

"Shit, we need to get out of here." Dravon walked to the pod edge and looked out.

"And just leave these poor guys here, defenseless?"

"What's going to hurt them? Wind? The suit is gone; we're the only danger left."

He has a point.

"The police are already on their way, if we get caught we're screwed. Let's just jump out into the river, swim across to that boat dock, and catch the first train to Cornwall."

I gulped, "Dravon, I can't swim that well. In my hometown, swimming isn't even a sport offered in school."

Always the smart one Dravon replied immediately, "Okay well I'll breast stroke over, you hold on to my legs and kick. Keep your head down and come up for breath as seldom as you can."

He grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards the edge. A good 400 feet of nothing but air loomed below me.

"Ready?" he asked the only stupid question in the world.

"Not at all."

"Okay good."

And the next thing I knew I was skydiving without a parachute.

...§...

"I, A, M, A, S, P, Y"

"Okay, now, what does that spell?"

"Iamaspy?" OH! "He's a spy?!"

"I'm a spy. Jacob was my alias." Dravon said haughtily

...§...

What? The memory hit me like a brick. Out of nowhere I remembered being on a plane with Dravon. I had just read a note Jacob had given me and Dravon told me there was a code within it. It can't be that Dravon was Jacob... Jacob was so sweet...but it is possible. At the time I refused to believe that a grumpy person like Dravon could be a considerate person like Jacob, but after taking "Disguises 101" I know how easy it is to become someone else.

But how could I forget something like that?!

Just as we hit the water, the thought hit me.

Memory Veil.

......§§......

My hair dripped water constantly as the Virgin train rumbled past an agriculture wasteland. A table was the only thing that kept me from strangling Dravon. How could he not tell me he was Jacob? What kind of person keeps a secret like that from someone? After we climbed up onto the wooden docks, I pushed him back in and marched towards the nearest train station. Dravon caught up with me easily, but he got the message I wasn't happy. Unlike most guys, he didn't pester me about it. He just let it be.

When we got on the train we had to fix our disguises. I had cuts in my skin grafts all over my arms and face from the London Eye incident. And the bruises from getting punched were starting to form under the grafts. I attempted to use the cream the disguise/make-up artist gave me but I couldn't get it right. So I grudgingly had to ask Dravon for his assistance. While he tenderly applied the chilly cream I stared at the chrome toilet, trying to avoid the steely glare Dravon was giving me. Somehow, even though I was mad at Dravon, he was giving me the cold shoulder. Which Dravon's cold shoulders include glaring at you until your heart freezes over. Thankfully he applied the cream fast and I went to our seats before I could make eye contact.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Our clothes had been fairly dry when we caught our train, but my hair was soaked. I was sure I'd find a fish in there. Dravon's short wispy hair dried easily. The same couldn't be said for his jeans. He had a nice wet spot right on his crotch. Can you say teasing-fodder for the next forever? If of course I was talking to him...*cough*.

Finally the tension between us was unbearable. "Where are our clothes?" I asked the first thing that popped in my head.

"The plane will drop them off at our B&B." he stated, never lightening up his glare.

"Oh." And the award for best conversationalist goes to...not me.

An awkward silence settled back between us.

Ten minutes later I tried to start a conversation again, only to end it with 'oh' again. I just don't understand why I'm the one trying to make amends. Why should I feel the urge to apologize when he kept a part of my life hidden from me? Why am I the one getting glared at?!

I turned my head and mustered up the meanest glare I could. Only to face the saddest look Dravon's ever given me. Damn him! Damn him and his bi-polar-ness! How can I get angry at a puppy face like that?

"Treakle, I just don't understand." He whispered, tossing his head into his hands.

"Understand what." I leaned forward but thought better than to touch him.

"Why you're mad at me. I thought it was because we left the people up there, but you didn't even put up much of an argument. Then I assumed it was because I tricked you and you almost got on the train to Liverpool. But really, I saw you smiling about that."

"Why didn't you tell me you were Jacob?" I asked behind my hair. A cow stared at me as the train slowly drove past him. I noticed our momentum had decreased.

Instead of answering me, Dravon stood up and walked away.

Typical. I give him what he wants and he acts unsatisfied.

Ass-fucking-hole.

A conductor walked by and when he reached the end of the train, he pulled out a microphone and said, "We've arrived in Truro, if this is your destination, I hope you enjoyed your voyage with Virgin Trains, and enjoy your trip."

"Let's go." Dravon said enthusiastically, suddenly beside me. "Randa, I'm so excited!"

Oh yeah...me too.

...............................................................

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