The Price of Protection

Epilogue

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     My eyes burn but I try to force away any tears building up. Right now my only focus can be getting us away. Thankfully, the fake passports and IDs that were made for us were able to be delivered ASAP. It makes me wonder if he had been waiting for me to call in the favor all this time. My mind has one track right now- escape, freedom.

    I sniff slightly warding away the tears again; trying to keep my mind on our reason for leaving is difficult with it being such a fresh wound. Just add it to the list of them. Physically, mentally, and emotionally I've sustained more wounds in the past few months than many endure in a lifetime. 

     I'm sure he's found the letter by now and I wonder what he's feeling. It was a major risk to our escape to leave the note on the bed, but I felt like I had to say something as a goodbye, and trading the fake identification for the park letter with the courier was an extended courtesy I hadn't expected his boss to be okay with. Perhaps I will owe the one who saved us one day. But I think it makes us even.

      Marius is probably angry, he's always angry. Anger is how he expresses pretty much everything he feels strong enough to show outwardly. At least if he's angry at me maybe he won't care to come after me, maybe he'll hate me. Surprisingly, that thought brings me some slight comfort and another wave of sorrow. At least don't feel like I broke us up but more like we weren't right for each other. I disagreed with his entire world, right? 

     My thoughts are cut off when Quinn's muffled sobs grow louder. She's been on the phone with her brothers for the last several minutes trying to explain that she's not coming home and I can tell that it's devastating her.

     "Ty, listen..." She releases a sob and takes a deep shaking breath of air, her tears falling freely. "Tyler, no. I love you both so much and I'm so sorry! I thought I could get home if I..."

     I wince at the sound of yelling on the other end of the phone. She is actually leaving family behind and that's not a pain I can even understand. Not anymore. My family was stolen from me. 

     "I can't help you understand, Tom!" She pauses as intermingling loud voices come from the other side once again, "I told you, it's bigger than the police! I can't..." Another pause and her head drops hopelessly into the hand that isn't holding the phone. "I don't know, boys, tell them what I'm telling you, I guess. They aren't going to get the answers they want even if you told them everything. I'll be safe this way." She glances down at her bandaged arms, "Tell them that."

     She lifts her tear-stained face to meet my glossy gaze as she continues speaking, "I wish I could come home, but I can't." She looks away from me, dropping her head once again. "I don't know. I said, I don't know!" she screams taking me by surprise. Her tears grow heavier, "I'm sorry. I am scared and I'm going to miss you crazy boys so much. If trouble dies down, you'll hear from me. Until then..." She bites her lip to steady herself, "I love you, okay? I love you. I love you so much." Her voice is a jagged whisper as loud begging and pleading from her brothers comes over the line. They are begging her not to hang up, not to go, but she shakily reaches to end the call and then pulls herself into a ball on her seat to cry.

     I don't blame her. If I had someone to leave, I'd be in the same shape, but I have no one anymore--not really. Just the idea of someone that I fell in love with. This is why I have to be strong. I have to be strong for both of us. I have to get us somewhere safe so we can have a better life. When things are safe and stable she will be able to start teaching it to them, but for now... For now it's just us against the world.

     My hand glides over her pulled up knees for a small comforting squeeze as the warmth of the morning sun is just breaking over the tall observation tower at the airport. I'm not sure what tomorrow looks like or the day after, but I will figure it out. For Quinn, for Thomas and Tyler who are probably beside themselves after that call. Her poor parents, my own extended family who don't know what happened. 

     Maybe, one day, I'll take the time to grieve everything. My father, my home, even the boy I thought Marius was, but today is about one thing. Freedom. Today, we achieve freedom and tomorrow...who knows. 

     "Will I see them again?" Quinn's anguished voice rasps from where she's curled up. Before I can answer she's speaking again, "What did I do?" She's not asking me, she's grieving. "What did I do?" She starts repeating it over and over, her red hair stuck to her face from her continuous tears. 

     After parking the car, we jump out swiftly, Quinn swiping at her face with the back of her arm and each throwing a packed bag over our shoulders. My hands are tightly clutching our important forms of identification but I slam into a mental brick wall just before rushing into the airport entrance. Slowly, I turn and face the direction of home, "Goodbye," I whisper and the tears I'd been saving up on the drive over begin to fall steady and silent as we make our way to freedom.