Chapter 4: Chased

From the back seat, it seemed as if something was bothering Rome, and Ella could only assume that it was the fact that he thought someone was following them.

She couldn’t see the mirrors as well as he could and didn’t want to turn around and stare out the back of the car the way that he was, but she was nervous. What would happen if they got out of the car at the train station and Rome’s father’s men were there waiting for them? She could see herself throwing elbows and screaming, doing her best to get away from them, her red wig coming off. People might see her face and recognize her. If that was the case, her dad would figure out that she was still alive, and then he’d be after her, too.

“We’re about two blocks from the train station now,” the driver said. “I see that car back there. I am hoping we are just headed to the same place, but just in case, I’m going to go around the block and see if he follows, okay?”

“Thank you,” Rome said, but his shoulders were still up, indicating he wasn’t relaxing due to the man’s offer to do his best to lose the other car.

Ella couldn’t help but look out the back now as they went past the main entrance to the train station. She saw the car now. It was a black sedan, which probably made it look more ominous than, say, a light colored minivan. The driver headed past their intended target, and the sedan stayed with them.

“Great. Now what?” Mary asked, having observed the same thing.

“Now, we lose them.” The driver had a bit of a glimmer in his eye as he spoke, as if he had always wanted to be in this sort of a situation.

He hit the gas and changed lanes quickly before darting over into the turning lane and hanging a left on a yellow light. The sedan must’ve run a red because it followed.

“They’re definitely following us. Damn,” Rome muttered. “How do they know where we are?”

“They did a lot of asking at the hotel,” the driver said with a shrug. “Maybe someone said more than they should’ve.”

“You said my guy paid more,” Rome reminded him.

“Paid me more. By the way, I’m Octavius, but my friends call me Gus.”

“So what should we call you?” Mary asked, leaning up to look at him through the space in the seats.

“Gus, of course,” he said with that twinkle in his eye again. “Don’t worry. I won’t let them get you, pretty lady.”

Mary’s cheeks turned a little pink as she sat back, and Ella almost smiled, but the serious expression on Rome’s face wouldn’t let her.

“We need to come up with a plan,” Rome said. “Eventually, we are going to have to get on a train.”

“I can drive you to a different station, once I lose these assholes,” Gus suggested. “If they heard that was the one you were leaving from, they might not figure out that you’re actually going to another one.”

“Where?” Ella asked.

“I don’t know. I can drive you to Grenoble.”

“But that will take you hours,” Mary reminded him.

“Yes, but they will not expect it. Besides, I made plenty of money today. Who wants to go back to work? It’s boring there. This is an adventure.”

“First, you’ve got to lose them,” Rome reminded him.

“I’m working on that.” He checked his mirrors, and then Gus said, “Hold on!” He cut across three lanes of traffic and caught an exit just before he passed it. The sedan didn’t have the chance to do the same and had to continue on to the next exit.

Ella kept her eye on the sedan for as long as she could. “Now what?”

“Now, we do the thing they’d least expect,” he said. “We get back on.”

“Won’t they take the next exit?” Mary asked him.

“Yes. They will be in a hurry to get there, to come back this way, so we will go slowly at first until I am certain they have had the chance to double back, and then I will get on and drive like lightning to Grenoble.”

“Are you sure you haven’t done this before?” Ella asked with a smirk on her face.

Gus laughed. “Only in my dreams.” He crawled through the intersection and then sped up, getting back on the speedway they’d just exited. Ella held on, praying she didn’t die--again.