Two hours later, and over a full day since they left Rob's garage, Kit and Emily left London for what they hoped would be the last time. The large brick buildings and constantly busy roads gave way to lush green fields and tall trees. Kit breathed in the fresh air. For the first time in his life, there was no heavy smog, no smoke, and the stench of the Thames was gone.

He could breathe freely for the first time in his life and he knew that Emily could too. She cheered when they drove out of the city, her arms raised above her head, her eyes closed, and her head tilted back. Kit thought she looked at peace, relaxed, and more than ready to take on whatever the next adventure might be. They just weren't too sure what that would be just yet.

With the plan to get out of London taking priority, they had only touched on their journey down to the seaside. Their meeting the police and rerouting their journey to go to Matthew's meant they didn't exit the city where they wanted to. It wasn't ideal, but with the city behind them they had a little more time to be cautious than they would have before.

Kit slowed down a little when they were free of the city. He could enjoy driving the Royce for the first time, feel the wind on his face, and relax against the leather seat. The chaos of being in the city and having the police on their back was over.

"Reckon we should pull over. The Royce might start throwing a fit if we ain't careful," Kit said. He'd been wary of driving such a car a long distance.

"Alright. I need to stretch my legs a little too. I think I might be getting cramp." Emily laughed. "How are the bruises?"

"Not too bad. They're starting to clear up now. At least, they ain't as dark as they were."

"At least you just got bruised. It could have been a lot worse."

"I'm sure your father wishes it was."

"And I am grateful it wasn't."

She looked at him and smiled. Kit tried to ignore the swooping sensation in his stomach and focused on finding a decent place to pull over so they could stretch their legs.

He stopped the car on a small patch of dried mud just off of one of the many sprawling fields that surrounded them. Emily jumped out of the car, stretching her arms behind her back and resting herself against the car door. She faced the fields and tilted her head back a little. Kit limped his way around the car to join her.

After so long in the car, his leg was stiff and sore, but he did his best to ignore it and just admired the beauty of a space without brick buildings blocking the sky. The sun burned brightly, the sky a brilliant blue, and the air fresher than he had ever smelt it before. For the first time since they fled Mr Masters' house, just over a week before, he could take the time to stop and just enjoy the fresh air. And the company.

Kit turned to look at Emily, smiling at the way the sunlight reflected off her red hair and how calm she looked in the afternoon light. She was more relaxed than he had ever seen her, more free. The tight thread of anxiety that had been wrapped around her since they first set off had melted away and not a shred of it remained.

They were finally free.

"Do you think the seaside will look as beautiful as this when we finally arrive?" Emily asked, opening her eyes and dropping her chin to her chest.

"I reckon so. It might look even better with the sea, though I've only ever seen paintings of the seaside."

"You'll love it! We can go paddling in the water, watch a puppet show on the sand and spend all day on the beach. Father was always so protective of what I could or couldn't do when we visited that he wouldn't let me put so much as a toe in the water. He said it was something a common tart would do, but I was just nine."

"Well, with any luck, you won't have to see him again in the near future, or ever."

"I hope it is ever. If I ever set eyes on that man again, it will be ten years too soon."

"Now that I can agree with."

Free of the city, Kit hoped they would never be able to find them so long as Rob kept his mouth shut, not that he knew their final destination. Still, the lingering fear that they could still wind up caught weighed heavy on Kit's mind. He knew that the chance of them getting caught had lessened, but it hadn't vanished entirely. It would always be lurking in the shadows.

He eyed the gun, wondering if he would have to use it again. Kit was surprised to find himself almost wishing that he would be given the chance to at least hold it. The thrill he received from squeezing that trigger was the biggest thrill he had ever had, even bigger than stealing the Royce. He'd stepped over a line he put in front of himself and came to find he enjoyed it more than he thought.

A new itch had replaced the old, a desire to use the weapon for its intended purpose. With it, he and Emily could go anywhere, get anything they wanted, and live like kings in a world that, for all his life, had been working against him. The gun gave them the upper-hand, the ultimate freedom from the confines of life they'd been trapped in.

It was all part of their new adventure.

"Shall we go?" Emily asked, pushing herself off the car. "We should find somewhere to stay before it gets dark."

"Yes, I don't like the idea of sleeping in the motorcar."

The two of them climbed back into the Royce, Emily glancing at Kit. "What are we going to do when it runs out of fuel?"

Kit shrugged. It was a thought he hadn't considered, especially as the dark green Rolls Royce had additional fuel in it.

"We might have to steal another car."

"Maybe, but it will lead a trail down to us."

"It might be the only option we have."

He nodded, knowing her to be right. Although it would add to the danger of them being caught, the idea of stealing another car was certain to scratch that itch. What was the added danger when they already had a price on their heads?

~~~

First Published - February 9th, 2024