Daisy glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's quarter past two. School must be over now. I should probably get going to pick up Art--Aaria." She sighed and rose up from the sofa.

Marie nodded. "My son said he would be back by now too so–"

There was a knock at the door.

"Oh, it must be him," Marie said, opening the door. Zack stood glaring up at her. And there was a girl in a straw hat standing behind him. Marie was puzzled but before she could say anything, Daisy gasped behind her.

Marie turned to the woman who had gone parchment pale. Daisy's terrified eyes were dead set on the girl behind Zack. Marie didn't need an explanation after that. She soon recognized the child whom she'd met at the shoe store a week ago. The child who'd lied about being a boy all along.

Zack stepped into the room, still glaring at his mother. Aaria followed him in. "Why wouldn't you tell me the truth?" He said, his fists clenching.

Marie frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"You know damn well!"

"Zack, calm down." Aaria put a hand on his shoulder.

Now Marie was shocked at the name by which girl called him. What the hell had these kids been up to?!

"What did you two do?!" Daisy cried out.

"Shut up!" Zack yelled. "I'm sick and tired by the games you've been playing with us!"

Aaria put both her hands on his shoulders now. "Zack, calm down, please!" He shrugged her off and glared at his mother again. "What have you and dad been up to? Hasn't it got something to do with that man Eli Hodges? You are involved with the people who tried to kill him, aren't you?"

Daisy and Aaria both froze at the last statement. "Gloria, what is the boy saying?" Daisy said.

"Zack, what are you even talking about?" Aaria said.

Marie was now flabbergasted. Zack kept telling at her.

"Isn't that why we were allowed to come here?! Because you and dad agreed do whatever dangerous thing they asked you to. Isn't that–"

Marie shut him up with a smack across the face. Zack stumbled backwards, gripping his cheek. He stared at his mother, stunned. She stared back at him, bewildered.

This was the first time Marie hit him. But Marie was still too appalled from all the statements the boy had made, still too blinded by the rage at his recklessness.

Zack's initial shock wore off. He scoffed and rubbed his sore cheek. Then he started to laugh. As if they weren't already confused enough, Daisy and Aaria were rattled even further by the boy's reaction.

Zack jabbed a finger at his mother. "This is all you can do. You are so afraid of the truth, you won't even let me speak it. And when I try to do it, you just shut me up."

"Yes!" Marie snapped. "Because you don't understand the gravity of the situation!"

"Then make me understand!" Zack's face was flushed with anger but Marie saw another swirling within his eyes--disappointment "You never tell me anything! You are always risking yourself doing god knows what. And you just expect me to run with it. As if I'm a baby!" Now the disappointment in Zack's eyes turned to sadness. Tears burst forth.

Marie stopped breathing in that instance. She finally seemed to realize what she had just done. What she'd always been doing.

Zack didn't say anything more to her. He just buried his face in his hands and tried to suppress his sobs.

Aaria was already comforting him. "Please, don't cry, Zack."

Before either Marie or Daisy could say anything, the apartment door slammed open. Four steel heads stood outside, their batons in hand and old lady Rueben from next door was glaring at both the women and kids. "Yes, them!" she waved a wrinkled finger in their direction. "I heard all that her son yelled! He said they both are involved in hurting our dear Mr. Hodges! Arrest them!"

The men in black uniforms stepped in.

Sweat broke out on Marie's forehead. The steel heads were just four feet away from her. Daisy's pale face somehow paled further. Aaria shivered, clutching the skirt of her own dress, Zack was still crying.

She had to do something. And she had to do it now.

Survival instinct kicked her body into motion. In the blink of an eye, Marie lifted the coffee table and hurled it at the steel heads. The glass top shattered in a million pieces as it struck one of the men in uniforms.

"Daisy, grab the girl and run for the kitchen!" Marie yelled as she lifted Zack and ran down the hallway herself.

Daisy and Aaria entered the kitchen just a second after Marie. The steel heads almost made it in but Marie slammed the kitchen door in their faces and locked the bolt. Daisy slide the dining table over and blocked the door with it. Marie stacked the chairs on top of it while the steel heads kept slamming from the other side.

Marie opened the balcony door and looked outside. About five feet away was Rueben's balcony. Daisy was tall enough to make the jump. But it was too dangerous for the kids. Also, they'd have to step out on the veranda to escape, where the steel heads could easily get them. Bad idea. However about six feet below there was the balcony to the apartment on the lower floor.

She remembered there was a space clothesline in the overhead cabinet. She took it out and gave it to Daisy. "Take this and tie it to the banister. We are gonna go to the lower balcony."

"But what about the kids?"

"This is the least dangerous alternative, Daisy. Just do it!"

Daisy didn't question further. She got down to business.

The steel heads were still slamming at the door but having no luck. Soon they will call for backup with a battering ram, Marie thought to herself. She had to get away with Daisy and the kids before that happened.

"Done!" Daisy called out from the balcony.

Perfect, Marie thought as she grabbed a kitchen knife and then led the kids out to the balcony. "Daisy, you go first," she said. "You are the tallest and you'll be able to help the kids land on the balcony below when they come down."

Daisy nodded and went down the rope. However the rope seemed useless to her descent–thanks to her long legs–she made it down without much effort. Aaria went next with a hint of fear in her eyes but got down just fine with Daisy's assistance.

Zack hesitated and looked at his mom when it was his turn. Marie noticed his expression and understood the emotion behind it. It wasn't all entirely coming from his fear at the steel heads slamming at the door or at the act of hopping balconies to escape. Some of that expression also seemed to come from a sense of guilt. But now wasn't the time to sit and comfort each other. They had to get the hell out of there first. So she just nodded at him and nudged him towards the banister. He disappeared below the balcony in a moment.

"Mrs. Gloria you can open the door now or we'll have to force our entry," one of the steel heads called out from the hallway inside.

"I'd love to see you try." Marie scoffed as she climbed over the rail and grabbed at the rope.

Bang! Bang!

Marie shrieked at the sound of gunshots. They were firing through the door. It was time to go now. She climbed to the balcony below and entered the downstairs apartment. A family was having lunch in the dining room as the two women and their kids made their way in and down the hallway. "Don't let us interrupt!" Daisy called out. "Just passing through."

Aaria and Zack waved at them as they exited the apartment. The steel heads had caught up to their trick by then because Marie spotted two of them coming downstairs from the far end of the veranda. "There they are!" one of the uniformed men yelled. The other opened fire.

"Oh shit." Marie ducked and grabbed Zack by his wrist. They took off running with Daisy and Aaria trailing close behind. Soon, the steel heads were running too.

"Do you have a car?" Marie called out Daisy as they ran downstairs.

"No!"

"Great, we'll have to steal one."

They ran down the apartment complex and out into the street. Without wasting another instant, Marie ran towards the first car she saw parked outside the opposite building--a cheap sedan with cheap windows that shattered with a single kick. Marie stuck her hand through the broken window, unlocked the door, cleared the glass from the seat and got behind the wheel. Daisy got in the shotgun seat. Zack and Aaria hopped in the back.

Marie reached for the wires under the dash. This was almost second nature to her. She found the right ones in a few seconds and–

"Gloria, they are coming for us!" Daisy yelled.

Marie was done attaching the wires and shoved the knife into the ignition. The engine roared to life. Marie put the car in gear and floored the gas pedal.

"Mom, they are still following!" Zack cried out.

"Get back in your seat and put on your seat belt, Zack!" Marie snapped. "You're blocking the rearview mirror!"

Zack did as he was told. While Daisy was putting on her own seat belt, Marie said, "Daisy, you have your phone?"

"Yes, why?"

"Dial the number I'm gonna tell you now."

#

It had been about fifteen minutes since Clint was done with the paperwork for Eli Hodges. They'd discharged the old man. The director came to the hospital to see him off himself. And also to kiss the spoke-person's ass. Clint received a brief congratulations from the director and the promise of a pay raise for handling the v.i.p patient as deftly as he did.

Clint came to the common room to fold his apron, pack his belongings and go home. Nothing had gone according to plan in the past twenty four hours since Hodges came to the hospital. And now Clint was probably responsible for changing the main direction of their revolution. He really was not the right person for the job.

He thought of the pay raise the director had promised. He probably won't need it. Technically speaking, even if things had gone a lot differently than their initial plan, Clint still didn't have much left to do in the mission. He remembered the "special gift" Harry the bartender had told him about.

Clint sighed.

He could go to the Moon's Edge to pick up the so-called gift. But he would probably give it a pass for today. He really wanted to be away from all the spy-nonsense and political intrigue. He just wanted to go back to Marie and Zack and talk to them about everything that was wrong. He wanted to apologize to Zack for keeping him in the dark. Comfort Marie for leaving her to handle everything on her own. He just wanted to go and give them a big hug and stay that way for a while.

But before he could paint a more romantica picture of him and his family, his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was an unknown number. Clint frowned but answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Is this Dr. Chambers?!" A woman yelled from the other end. Oddly familiar voices of children screamed in the background. And there was a din of traffic over that ruckus, making the woman scream louder to talk to Clint.

"Yes, this is Dr. Chambers." Clint winced at the loud noises.

"I'm Daisy!" the woman screamed again.

"Daisy?"

"Give the phone here, Daisy!" another woman yelled. The voice was very familiar.

"Mom, don't drive while on the phone!"

"Shut up, Zack!"

"Marie?" Clint frowned. "What's all that noise?"

"No time to explain, Clint," Marie was still yelling on top of all the other noise, making Clint wince even more. "We are being chased by the steel heads."

"What?!"

"Again, no time to explain. Just listen to me!"

"I'm listening."

"Zack and I are on our way to the Moon's Edge. Get there as quickly as you can. The steel heads might come to the hospital, looking for you too. Just get out of–"

"Gloria, there's a fire hydrant!"

"Mom, no!"

Crash!

Clint gripped the phone tighter. "Marie, what happened? Are you okay? Marie? Marie!"

The line was dead.

Clint shoved the phone into his pocket and grabbed his coat. Marie said she was headed for the Moon's Edge. It was just a couple blocks from here. He might get to them if he borrowed a car and really slammed down on the gas.

He rushed out of the doctor's common room and took off running down the hallway. The steel heads who had yet to clear out of the hospital gave him a few weird looks. Then Clint was struck with a thought. He stopped. He was being stupid if he believed he could get to Marie and Zack and rescue them while the steel heads were still hot on their trail.

No. He had a better idea. He pulled out his cellphone. With trembling fingers, he dialed a number.

#

Marie was bleeding from her head. And the smoke was rising out of the front grill of the car that had smashed into the fire hydrant. Through the cracked windshield and her hazy vision, she made out silhouettes of people stepping out to look at the wreckage. Her stomach churned and she could hear the distant noises of crying children. Also, a woman kept yelling at her about something. Something to do with not wearing seat belts. She kept calling her by a different name.

"Gloria...weren't wearing...seat belts!"

Marie was out of it. She leaned back in her seat as she felt the blood trickle down her forehead and into her right eye, making it sting. With her left eye she made out a black suv coming to a halt in the rear view mirror. Men in black overcoats and black caps stepped out. They wore black gloves and carried black guns. And they were converging on the car.

The woman kept yelling at her, still calling her by a different name. "Gloria...Gloria...!"

"Mom! What happened?!" Zack sobbed in the back seat.

The black clad men were surrounding the car then.

Bang!

The shot rang out on the street. The sound of it seemed to bring Marie's fading consciousness back to the real world.

Through the cracked windshield, she saw another man in black clothes and dark sunglasses holding the gun to the sky. The other black clad men halted.

The man in sunglasses walked towards the car and spoke to the men surrounding the car. After his quick baritone commands, the other men scattered away like ants.

The man in sunglasses leaned down to look in the driver's side. He regarded Marie's bloody face with an emotionless look. And he spoke in the same impersonal tone he'd used on the other men. "I'm from the special forces for the security of Ardvenian officials. My name is Larson." He waved an id at her and took it away before she could read anything. "You are lucky, ma'am. Your husband has a powerful friend looking out for him."