5 making a run for it

"Sean! Sean! Get up!"

His head was spinning. He could hear Ella but her voice sounded like it was coming from far away.

"Sean! Damn it! We have to go! Get up! I can't carry both of you!"

"Ella? What happened?"

"Just get up!" She shouted at him as she tried to yank him to his feet while trying to keep Zmayah from falling off her shoulder.

Sean managed to get to his feet. His mind was foggy but he began to remember what was going on. He stumbled down the stairs after Ella, she turned right at the bottom of the stairs, ran through the kitchen, stopped at the stove, turned on all the knobs, put a pan on the burner, then took a hand full of bullets out of a drawer next to the stove and threw them into the pan. Then opened a door that led to the garage.

"Keep your head down!" She shouted over her shoulder as Sean ran past the back window and bullets began to fly over his head.

Ella opened the door of a black SUV, laid Zmayah on the back seat and used two of seat belts to strap her in. Then she jumped into the driver's seat. Sean had already gotten into the passenger seat.

"Seat belts. No need to die from something stupid." She said as she started the car and slammed on the gas pedal.

They smashed straight through the garage door took a sharp right onto the road. They heard gun shots and sirens but kept driving. once they were through the neighborhood and on the main road, Ella slowed down.

"We will get off at the next exit. We need to change cars and clothes. I have another safe house, thats where we will go."

"I don't know what just happened back there but you need to tell me everything! I nearly just died! I think I deserve answers!"

Ella sighed.

"Fine. My name is Lyla Philips I'm 19, my real hair color is red, well ginger, anyways, I have blue eyes not brown though I haven't used my real identity since I was 14. I work with a group called the Free Men. My family started it three generations ago when they got sick of the government. It's a long story that I will tell you another time. Those people who just tried to kill us are child traffickers. I was undercover working for them as a recruiter. Basically I was suppose to get kids to trust me then kidnap them. I was undercover as a girl named Tammy Moore for almost a year. Obviously, I wasn't very good at my job because I never seemed to get kids to trust me. Anyways, I was learning where they held the kids and who they sold them to so my people could go in and break things up. Everything was going great till Susan took over. She got suspicious of me and I knew it was time to get out. So I faked leaving the country, moved here and changed my ID to Eliana Shultz. I thought I had lost her. I tried to keep my head down and made sure not to befriend anyone, till you. Once I met you, I knew it was best if I disappeared again just in case she was looking for me. That's why I never met with you that day and why I never went back to the cafe. She probably knew I was registered at the university through public records, I don't know why she didn't make a move till today. Does that answer your questions?" She said quickly, as they drove through back roads to a small neighborhood by a lake.

"Wow, I guess. So what do we do now?"

Lyla pulled into a driveway of a lake front villa. She opened the garage door with a garage door opener. There were three different cars inside the garage. A gray Corvette, a red Tesla X and a blue mini van.

Lyla turned the car off and looked at Sean.

"There are two things we can do. Either I can change both of your identities and put you and your families in safe houses till we bring Susan and her group down. Or we can fake both of your deaths and you can come with me. Either way you have to change your identity and most likely leave the country for awhile."

At this moment, Zmayah began to wake up.

"Zmayah! Are you o-"

Slap!

"What the hell Sean!" Zmayah said as she unbuckled herself and slapped Sean across the face.

"Where are we! What the hell just happened!" She started breathing heavily again.

"Zmayah, calm down, I will tell you everything."

"Let's go inside, we need to get supplies and I need to make a phone call." Lyla said as she opened her door and got out.

Once inside Sean explained everything to Zmayah while Lyla made a phone call. When Sean was done talking, Zmayah stared at him.

"So what now? I'm just supposed to make a decision, wether I want to go with some mystery woman or go into hiding?" She said throwing her hands in the air and pacing back and forth.

"Yes."

"Wow, what are you going to do?"

"I think I'm going to go with her. I want to see how this plays out and I want to help if I can."

"But what about your family? They will think you're dead."

" I thought about that too. If things work out and we get this lady and her group then I will come back and explain everything to them and if I die, then they won't know anything ever happened."

"Wow. That's sick, you do know that right?"

Sean ignored her.

"So what do you think Zmayah?"

"Well, of course I'm going to go with you. You're my best friend and frankly, I think it's best if my family thinks I'm dead, they pretend I am half the time anyways."

" Yay!" Said Sean clapping his hands like a little kid.

"Stop it, you goof you know I hate it when you act like that."

"Okay, then let's tell Lyla what we've decided." He said smiling.

Lyla came out of a bedroom a few moments later.

"So I have arranged for your new IDs. My brother will be coming over in an hour to take your photos. Did you decided wether you are coming with me or staying?"

"We are coming." said Sean.

"Great. It's a lot easier to fake deaths then relocate families."

Zmayah looked at her in shock.

" Zmayah, you can come me. Sean, I think there is some food and drinks in the fridge if you are interested. This shouldn't take too long."

She took Zmayah by the arm and led her down the hallway.

The villa they were in was huge. It looked as if a millionaire lived there. Sean walked into the sparkling white kitchen and opened the fridge. he pulled out a Dr. Pepper and sat down at the island. He sipped his drink and rubbed the spot on his head where it had hit the floor. He sat for about a half hour waiting for the girls and enjoying the quiet.

"Let me introduce you to the new Zmayah Williams!"

Zmayah walked out from behind Lyla. She was wearing the same black army boots but now she was also wearing black skinny jeans with and army green v neck t shirt and a black leather jacket. But all of this was nothing compared to how her face looked. Her hair was now cut into a short pixie cut and dyed deep red, she was wearing makeup that made her face look more narrow and her freckles pop. She was also wearing deep blue contacts. She looked stunning. Sean found his heart racing.

"Well, how do I look?" She asked nervously.

"You look great." Sean said with a slight grin.

Zmayah blushed and looked away from him.

Sean looked at Lyla, she too had changed. Her hair was now dirty blond and her eyes were light blue. She wore a white t shirt and blue jeans with the same kind of army boots as Zmayah. She too looked beautiful.

"My brother should be here soon." Lyla said walking over to the fridge. " Zmayah, would you like something to drink?"

"Sure, I'll take a Dr. Pepper as well if there are anymore?"

"Sorry, it looks like Sean got the last one." Lyla said as she rifled through the fridge.

"Here, you can share mine." said Sean passing his half drunk Dr. Pepper to Zmayah.

"Oh, okay thanks." she said taking it from him.

"You guys are a cute couple."

Zmayah spit out a mouth full of soda in surprise and started coughing. Sean thumped her on the back.

"We're not a couple. Just friends." he said flatly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I just assumed. I mean, you both seem so close so..." she trailed off.

There was a knock at the door. Lyla took out a gun from a side table by the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Ty."

"Verify."

"07 31 93. I brought burgers, now open up."

Lyla opened the door, in walked a man who was most certainly her brother. He too had dirty blond hair though his was curly while Lyla's was straight. His eyes were a startling bright green, he was handsome with the same face shape and nose as Lyla. He wore a dark blue t shirt that brought out the color in his eyes even more and black jeans. He looked like a model with his perfect muscular but not over pronounced body shape. Zmayah's face began to turn very pink as she looked at him.

"Ty, meet Sean and Zmayah, our two new recruits."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you."

"Sean and Zmayah, this is my younger brother Tyton though we just call him Ty. His real name is Justin but he is currently undercover in the model industry so it's best if you call him Ty."

"I brought burgers and fries, y'all hungry?"

They sat down in the living room and began to eat. Sean and Zmayah ate like hungry wolves having not eaten since lunch.

"So Sean, after you are done eating, you and I can go back to the make over room and get you fixed up. I got some clothes that should fit you given the details Lyla gave me about you. After we are done with your look, we will take pictures for your new IDs and passports. Then all that is left is picking your new names."

"We get to pick our new names?" said Zmayah

"Well, yeah, unless you want us to pick them for you." Ty said as he stood up.

"Ready Sean?"

"I guess." said Sean, standing up and following Ty down the hall.

"We'll be back in a bit!" Ty yelled over his shoulder.

Forty minutes later, they walked back into the living room.

Sean now had bleach blond hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a black t shirt and blue jeans with his favorite all green sneakers. He looked handsome and slightly more mature.

"What do you think? Do I look okay?" he asked Zmayah.

She smiled.

"You look great, very handsome. Nothing like you did before."

"Oh good, thanks. Hey wait, what do you mean nothing like I did before?"

Zmayah laughed.

"It's nothing, nevermind."

"Okay, now that you are changed its time for pictures and name changing. We will do fingerprint removal and teeth filing when we get to the base tomorrow." Lyla explained.

Ty began to take photos of them standing in front of a plane wall for their IDs.

"Did she say teeth filing?" Zmayah whispered into Sean ear.

"So have you thought of any names?" Ty asked.

"Well I thought maybe I could go be Landon or Lance? What do you think Zmayah?"

"Why not both? Use Lance for you first name then Landon as you middle."

"That's a good idea. Okay so I'm Lance Landon, but what about a last name?"

"Just take mine. Lance Landon Williams. Williams is such a common name that I'm sure it won't get traced back to me."

"That's a good name. Great job Zmayah. Now it's your turn." said Ty.

"I don't really have any ideas. Sean, do you have anything?"

"Hmmm, how about Sasha?"

"Yuck, no."

"Okay, um, Sage?"

"Oh, I like that, Sage. But Sage what? I need a middle and a last name."

"Sage Michelle Maxwell?"

"Ooo, I like that! Okay, it looks like I am now Sage Michelle Maxwell."

"Great, we will have the new IDs and Passports finished tomorrow. Let's get some sleep. I'll show y'all to your rooms. Then tomorrow we will be off to Ireland." Lyla said standing up.

"Ireland!" said Sage and Lance at the a same time.

"Yes, Ireland. That is where one of our bases is and where you will begin your training."

"But what about faking our deaths and everything?"

"It's already been done." said Ty.

"What? How?" asked Lance.

"We took some of your hair and skin flakes while doing your makeovers. We had in agent pick the samples up out of the mailbox and staged an accident. To the police and your families, you will have both died in a car accident when your car Lance, lost control and drove into a river. From the looks of the accident, you both tried to escape the vehicle to freedom but were swept away in the current and taken down river and out to sea. Your bodies were never recovered, only DNA left in the car. Oh, and I need to destroy your phones." explained Ty.

"Oh my god! So we are considered dead?" asked Sage in shock.

"Yes." said Lyla. "This is what you wanted. I told you what we would have to do. Process this however you need to, but as of now, your old lives are over and we will get you new phones tomorrow. Now please follow me, it really is late and you both need sleep."

She led them both down the hall to two doors right next to each other.

"Lance, your's is the room on the left, Sage your's is the room on the right. Get some sleep, I'll see you both tomorrow." she said as she walked back up the hall toward the kitchen.

"Sean, I mean, Lance. I..I don't know how to feel right now." Sage said as her body began to shack and her breathing became rapid.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. Everything will be alright." Lance said pulling her into a hug and gently rubbing her back.

"We are still together. We have each other and that's what matters right now."

"But our families-" she sobbed.

"We will see them again when this is all over. Just try to remember that."

"Okay." she sniffed into his shoulder.

He kissed her on the forehead.

"It will be okay, I promise. I won't let anything happen to you. Now let's get some sleep, okay?"

She nodded and they broke apart.

"Goodnight Lance."

"Goodnight Sage."