Generation 2, Chapter 29 Part 2

 

By the time Robert made it home it was dark. He found Patricia scrambling around packing things she thought they would need. Looking up as he entered the room she ran to him throwing herself into his arms. "He called ... the man .... he said it was time. No excuses or we'd pay the consequences.

Clutching her tight Robert felt is heart constrict. Nodding Robert figured the man would expect them in the morning. "Is everything packed?" She nodded "good we leave tonight." Framing her face with his hands he kissed her "everything is going to be alright. We'll carry the suitcases out first then the girls." Pulling her close "we need to appear calm and presume we're being watched.  Do you think you can do that?" he asked cupping her face in his hands looking deep into her tear filled eyes.

Turning she kissed his hands nodding "I'll try," she murmured.

***

Robert kept checking the rear view mirror hoping he'd spot if someone was following them or not. Would he know it if they were? It's not like he had any idea what to do if someone was following them. Should he shake them off? Would it be wise even to do so? The worry and fear gnawed at his stomach making him feel nauseous.

They had been on the road for a couple of hours when Patricia stirred beside him. "Where are we going?" she asked as they passed the city limit sign for Aurora Skies. He could hear the fear in her voice and the tension in the van increased.

Looking over at her "we need to appear to be complying with the man's demands. I'm working on the assumption that we're being followed. I'm not sure if I'd recognize a tail or not. I'm hoping that if we are they'll report to their boss that we're here, giving us the opportunity to switch vans."

He felt her eyes poring into him "you planned this."

Nodding Robert stared at the road ahead then glanced into the rear view mirror before answering "yes".

"But you promised ..."

"I did," he admitted taking his eyes from the road to look over at her. "I also hoped I'd be able to convince you to run if I had a well thought out plan. I never imagined that circumstances would make it the only option we'd have."

"Next you'll be telling me we'll have to change our identities ..." her voice trailed off as she noticed Robert's hands gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white.

"I'm sorry," he said as he turned off the road into a park. "If there was another way I'd do it." Coming to a stop beside another van he started to get out. "We need to hurry."

After transferring everything from one van to the other Robert turned to Patricia "I need everything we have with our names and identity on it." Pausing at her look of confusion he explained "from here on out we're Mr. and Mrs. Parrot our existence ends here." Robert bagged up their licenses , credit cards, library cards, checks anything that had their names on it. Last of all he threw in their smart phones. Tossing the bag and keys into the van he locked the doors.

Driving out of the park he sighed in relief as he turned in the direction of Hidden Springs. The sky was just beginning to lighten as the night turned to dawn. "So why Parrot," Patricia asked intruding upon his thoughts.

Smiling he reached out his hand which she took in hers. "Dad's friend from Appaloosa Plains bought my grandparents house in Hidden Springs as a favor. The story is he bought the house for his daughter and her family." Pointing towards the glove compartment "our new identity, keys, phones are in there."

Opening it she pulled out the bundle looking through it she murmured "you seem to have thought of everything."

"I hope so," Robert acknowledged "our lives may depend upon it." He was grateful he had decided to take this course of action and for the help he received from Shon and his dad. It was Shon who had arranged the new identities for them and Shon was still trying to identify the mystery man. Once the man had an identity it would be easier to  know how to stop him, in theory at least. He hoped that one day Shon would contact him to tell him the coast was clear and they could go home. His one concern  was that Shon would put himself out on a limb and bring himself into the line of fire. 

Driving on for another hour in silence when Patricia spoke "so the family won't be looking for us, will they?"

Shaking his head he looked sideways at her "hopefully not. Only Shon and Dad know where we are and how to contact us." Sighing loudly "it has to be this way at least until we figure out who this man is and how to stop him. We won't be safe otherwise."

Looking out the window watching the scenery whiz by, she wiped a tear from her eye. "I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to my dad or brother. They won't know what happened."

"Honey I'm sorry," Robert said as he slowed down to turn. "The fewer people I involved in this the better. If I was sure your mother wouldn't have found out I would have told him."

"I know," she leaned back in the seat closing her eyes "I just wish things could have been different."

After several more hours of driving nonstop Robert was fighting exhaustion as he turned onto the driveway of their new home. Coming to a stop outside a small house he yawned as he rested his head on the steering wheel. He forced himself to move before he fell asleep, shaking Patricia's shoulder "honey we're here." Blinking she yawned as she scrambled out of the van. Taking the keys from him "I'll bring in our things and let the girls run around while you get some sleep." Nodding to exhausted to argue Robert tried to smile only to find he was too tired to expend the energy. Eyes drooping as he waited for Patricia to unlock the door, it barely registered how small and rundown the house was as he made his way to a musty old couch. Flopping down onto he was asleep before his head hit the armrest.

***

 



Robert woke up to the sounds of high pitched giggles and Patricia's voice "girls what did I tell you?"

"Let daddy sleep," Diana answered.

"That's right," Patricia came closer "you need to play quietly."

A small hand patted his arm "daddy wake up." He couldn't help but smile at the pitiful sounding plea.

"Jennifer what did I just tell you?" Robert cracked an eye open wide enough to see Patricia standing over him, arms on hips as she tried to coax their daughter to be quiet.

"Daddy not sleeping," Jennifer pointed at him.

Groaning "not any more," he yawned sitting up stretching "some little girls I know woke me up."

At the sound of his voice the girls came tumbling over to him. "We go home now?" Jennifer asked followed by Diana who mimicked everything her older sister said and did.

"This is home," he told them.

"We want to go to the other home," Jennifer told him sticking her lip out pouting.

"Don't like it here," Diana chimed in backing up her sister.

"Listen girls I know it's different here," he looked towards Patricia for help.

She shrugged "they've been like this all afternoon."

He looked down at his little girls and tried to explain "this is our new home now. You'll learn to like it." His attempt was drowned out by Jennifer screaming "no, no, no I want to go home." Soon Diana was screaming in chorus with her sister. Stomping their feet in protest, Robert watched in horror as they launched themselves in to a full blown tantrum. Watching them for a moment he said firmly "Girls that's enough. I know you don't like it here but this is home." His raised voice got through to them as they fell silent, stunned as their father had never raised his voice to them before.

"Sorry daddy," Diana was the first one to give in while Jennifer just stared defiantly at them. Locked between getting her way or giving in. She watched Diana go to Robert for a hug, she tugged on her sister's hand "no Di," she protested. Crossing her arms she announced once more "I want to go home." She sat on the bottom step of the staircase sulking.

Patricia moved to comfort her as Robert said "leave her be. She'll come around. She needs time to adjust to the change." Looking over at his daughter he added "her world has fallen apart."

Patricia nodded her head murmuring "I know the feeling."

"So do I," Robert admitted with a sigh. He decided to inspect the house they were to live in and as he roamed through the small one bedroom house he grew more and more depressed. He couldn't imagine leaving there, it was just ugly. The wall paper was garish and hurt the eyes, no wonder his little angel wanted to go home.

Coming down the stairs he sat beside his sulking daughter. "It's not very pretty is it?"

Jennifer shook her head "daddy it's ugly."

Chucking a little he had to agree. Leaning down he whispered in her ear "do you want help mommy and me make it pretty?"

She stared at him with her dark blue eyes nodding. She wrapped her arms around him whispering "ok". Hugging her, Robert picked her up to join Patricia who was playing with Diana. "Honey why don't you tell mommy what we're going to do to the house."

"We make ugly house pretty," she announced. Kissing her cheek Robert put down beside Diana.

"Can we afford to renovate the house?" Patricia asked in concern.

Shrugging "we have to do something. It's not big enough as it is and let's face it the place is ugly."

"But can we afford it?" Patricia insisted.

Smiling Robert handed her the envelope and watched as she opened it. Her eyes bulged as she withdrew the large wad of cash "where did you get this?" she gasped.

"From dad," he smiled at her "he thought we might need it. Now I know why."

Patricia looked down at the girls playing quietly together then up at her husband. She pulled him tight whispering "I'm glad we're here and we're together."

"So am I," he kissed her as the girls played by their feet.