Episode One: Players&Pawns:An Introduction To Fate

[citizenmike]

Veronica pressed her palm over the lips the moment she heard the order to empty up the house. Whoever was leading them knew enough that they were inside. He was so close, she could just reach out and touch him.

Veronica took deep breaths as her mind flooded with all sorts of awful scenarios. She could sneeze, he could take a seat and suddenly, his legs would brush up against her body.

The only thing Veronica could do was listen and pray for the moment when it'd be clear for her to sneak out through the window.

<***>

In the other room, Emma emptied the contents of Veronica's purse into her's. She figured, while she was there, she better grab whatever she could and take it back with her.

Hoisting the bag on her shoulders, Emma gently opened the door, hit the watch, stopped time and made a run for it. She closed the door, darted down the stairs, and tripped on the last couple steps as the time had reverted back to reality.

[Trace]

They heard it, even from where they were up in the library. The faint sound of a fall, as if someone had tripped. Usually it wouldn't have been paid attention to, but they were meant to be alone in the house, and if there was someone else there, then that meant trouble. Jacob made the signal for two of the armed men to go check out the sound. Turning to one of the ones that had stayed he spoke, quickly and efficiently, showing a strategic edge that he hadn't shown to the men before, proving why he was in charge of this motley group.

"How long until we're all packed to leave."

"A matter of minutes sir, we've emptied the house of books, everything we wants in the bags ready to transport to the trucks."

"Good. Well when your done," Jacob spoke, thinking while he did so. "Bring me the extra petrol containers we brought with us. We're going to burn this place to the ground."

[citizenmike]

Veronica bit her lip as she heard the orders sent out. If anything, it meant that she'd have a clear shot of making a run for it within time.

<***>

Emma let out a faint gasp as she tended to her ankle. She could have sprained it for all she knew. Her eyes squinted as she looked up and saw two men motion out the room. Quickly, pushing herself up, Emma hit the watch and made a run for it once again.

Skipping her way through the frozen state of time, Emma knew that she was cutting things short. But she figured it a necessary evil. Closing the front door behind her, Emma made a run for her car just as time veered back to reality.

Hit with a sudden case of nausea, Emma dropped to the ground, just a mere two feet away from her car. On the verge of vomiting, she crawled her way to the car, opened the door, threw in her purse and pushed herself inside.

[Trace]

"It's empty down here!" one of the armed guards shouted from downstairs. Jacob nodded at his words, appeased of the situation for now. The man left with him was still slightly shocked at his words.

"We're going to burn the house down? But why? Won't that just attract more attention to us."

"If we don't burn this place down then it looks like a simple arson attack, not a break in. We can't let this be traced back to our employers, now can we?"

"No, of course not Mr. Toma."

"Good, now go get the petrol and take those books with you."

The four men each took a sack of the books, notebooks and papers out with them and down towards the truck parked across from the house. Jacob remained where he was, leaning against the desk. He picked up the picture of the old man and his daughters, grinned, and dropped it to the floor. It would be of no use to anybody now.

[citizenmike]

Veronica watched, crouched downs as the men motioned out the room, except for one. Pulling herself back, Veronica bit her lip. He knew something, and what he knew, was the sinking feeling she was only coming around to realize at that very moment.

Veronica watched as the picture drop and instantly, she wanted to reach out and take it.

But she had to wait, they both did.

<***>

Inside the car, Emma quietly drew the driver's seat back to give her some room to crouch and hide. From what she could see, it appeared that they were leaving.

Come on Veronica, any minute now.

[childofthehunt]

"$4000 is a lot of money..." Veruca told Tristan quietly.

"Arizona's quite far from Michigan." He replied calmly, looking out the window. "And with $4000, you get transportation, a driver and a translator."

"I can give you 3000." She said with uncertainty in her voice. "But that's it."

Tristan crossed his arms on the table, pressed his lips together, and shook his head. Then like a little boy, he raised one hand and waved goodbye in her face while mouthing the words "Buh-bye."

Furious, Veruca stood up, grabbed her things on the table, including the map and uttered, "You know, I was wrong about you. I always see you talking and sharing a laugh with the old people in town. I've seen you handing out food to the homeless sometimes. I thought you're a really nice guy. It turns out you're not. You're an egotistical snob."

Tristan looked at her with a smirk. Before Veruca walked away she stared at his tousled blond brownish hair and added, "And go get a hairbrush, you look deranged with you hair."

Veruca marched away from the table, leaving Tristan hurt and surprised at the same time. No one has ever said those words to him and quite honestly, he was curious about the map. He figured that maybe, joining this annoying girl could give him answers about his own family, specifically about his father.

"FINE!" He said mid-shout, standing up from his chair.

Everyone inside the ice cream shop turned to look at Tristan, like he was some crazy person.

"Meet me at Carlton's in an hour." He said, not minding the other people. He was looking at Veruca directly. "We leave today."

[Trace]

Jacob's phone rang while he waited for the men. He picked it up, and while the voice on the other end couldn't be heard by anyone else there was blatantly a slight nervousness in his tone. Whoever was on the other end was intimidating enough to even intimidate someone as arrogant as Jacob.

"Yes sir, we've got them all... yes, every single last book and notebook in here is in the truck and ready to ship... yes, I've already taken the initiative... we're burning the place to the ground... alright sir, we'll be straight back within a few hours."

Jacob hung up, just as three of the men returned, carrying bottles of petrol. The other one was inside the truck, ready to make a quick getaway.

"Everything sorted?" Jacob said to the men, to which one of them nodded in agreement. "Good, spread the petrol all around the house, I don't want any trace of our presence left here."

[citizenmike]

Emma watched as the men walked back into the house with a container of sorts. Emma veered carefully as she kept her eyes on the containers.

Emma gasped. Damn it, Veronica... It's gasoline.

<***>

Veronica listened as the man spoke on the phone, he seemed distracted. With his presence, their raid, and the notion that they were on the verge of burning her home to the ground, Veronica wanted to break down and cry... This, all this was just too much.

Veronica took a deep breath. This was the plan: wait for them to leave, take the photo, and then make a run for a window. It was all she could do.

[childofthehunt]

Tristan got into his apartment, eyebrows furrowed. He was giving himself a mental kick in the head for agreeing to go with that annoying girl. Arizona's feckin' far from Michigan and it would probably take them forever to get there by car.

He slapped his forehead with his palm as he got his duffel bag inside his room and filled it with his clothes, underwear, socks, everything he could possibly need for this road trip. Suddenly he paused, remembering his father.

"The ring." He whispered to himself, as he exited the bedroom and went to the kitchen.

Kneeling down before the small rectangular dinner table, he got something out under the table's foot. He held it at eye level and examined it. It was the Star Sapphire ring he stole from his father's collection before he left home. He doesn't really know what it does, but he was certain it was something special. Tristan placed it on his right ring finger and walked back into his room.

When he came back out to the living room, he was wearing his gray double breasted pea coat jacket with his duffel bag hoisted on his shoulder. His eyes scanned the room.

"Clothes, Guitar, IPOD, ring..." Tristan uttered loudly, as if to check if he's got everything he needs. Then he snatched his car keys on top of his piano. "All set."

[Trace]

While the men worked around the house, spreading gasoline everywhere, Jacob stayed in the library, his mind racing, working through all the possibilities about what could go wrong or what they may have overlooked. Everything seemed sorted, but with a job like this he was bound to be nervous. One of the men came up to the library.

"We're all done Jacob."

Jacob nodded, and took the gasoline container out of his hand, spreading the last of the petrol in the library. As he walked out of the library door he took one last look around the library. He could feel something they were overlooking, but he wasn't sure what. Jacob shrugged it off, and walked down the stairs. Just before leaving he took out a box of matches, lighting one and throwing it into the house, setting the place alight. He ran for the truck, getting into the passenger seat as it drove off. He grinned as he watched the house go up in flames, a job well done.

[citizenmike]

Veronica waited for the man to leave the room as she quickly reached her hand out and took the photograph from the floor, and as she did, a streak of fire lit through the door and filled the rest of the room.

Crawling out from the desk, Veronica motioned towards the window and frantically opened it as the flames caught her by the arm.

<***>

Emma watched as the men sped away and felt her childhood home in a burning inferno. Screaming, Emma burst into tears.

Watching as her home disappeared in flame and smoke, she noticed a figure coming through. It couldn't be. Emma motioned out the far and approached the figure... Oh my God...

"Veronica?", Emma shouted, trembling.

Veronica motioned towards her sister, slowly. Coughing, her skin was covered in dried smoke and her clothes burnt. Tears slowly ran from her eyes and she wrapped her arms around her sister.

"How?", Emma asked dropping her head against Veronica's shoulder.

"I think it's the bracelet.", Veronica replied.

Emma took Veronica's hand and motioned towards the car, saying, "Let's go.".

<***>

It was close to daylight when Emma and Veronica pulled into the motel that stood not far from the state border. They were silent for most of the ride. They didn't know where they were headed, all they knew was that they had to leave. Outside of what their father left them, they both didn't have much really. An idea was to head back to Boston, but they figured that whoever came to their home was probably waiting for them there, so the plan was to lie low for awhile.

Inside the motel, Emma and Veronica didn't really speak, they just smoked and waited as time made way for them.

This was the plan now: Get some new clothes, maybe a gun or something to protect themselves, and let fate dictate where they were headed.

[citizenmike]

(OC: I know I'm double posting, but meh, there's a lot I left out when I posted earlier.)

Two Days Later...

It was mid-morning when Veronica and Emma sat on opposite ends of booth inside a diner somewhere on a highway rest-stop not too far the Ohio/Pennsylvania border. There wasn't time to mourn for either sister. If they weren't driving, they were sleeping. If they weren't sleeping, they were trying to claim back what they had left of a life, and for some reason, they just both couldn't go home.

Breakfast was the first decent meal the sisters had in a couple days. Veronica had an omelet while Emma stuck to simple English muffins.

"So where to now?", Veronica asked, passively, as she skimmed her fork along the omelet.

Emma wiped her lips with a napkin and replied, "Why don't we ask dad?".

"What does that mean?", Veronica asked.

Emma withdrew one of her father's old notebooks from her purse and placed it on the table. Veronica looked at the notebook in shock, asking, "I thought they burned everything?".

"Something told me to take it the moment I left the room.", Emma replied. "So I thought, what would it hurt to take it with?".

Veronica smiled, replying, "Good point taken.".

Veronica and Emma scanned through the book until settling on their next destination: Andreas de Mesa, Arizona.

[childofthehunt]

Veruca sat at the passenger seat of Tristan's white Porsche 911 gt2. Her eyebrows furrowed at her designated driver. She's been like that ever since they left Carlton's an hour and a half ago. Tristan however, had his eyes glued to the road. He wasn't completely oblivious to what his companion was doing.

"Who are you???" She couldn't help herself anymore. "Are you a member of some mafia syndicate?"

Tristan continued driving, ignoring Veruca's annoying questions. He'd rather not talk about his past and there's no use bonding with her. They both agreed to go their separate ways once they reach Arizona. Veruca unfolded a map and studied it, biting her fingers.



"We'll be taking the interstate to Indiana, then cross Illinois and Missouri." Tristan spoke finally, to Veruca's utter relief. "We could probably get a room once we get to Missouri. We'll continue from there."

"He speaks." She teased, cracking a smile.

[citizenmike]

It was late in the evening when Emma and Veronica pulled into Indiana. They found another highway rest area with a diner, a convenient store, and gas station.

"You want something to eat?", Emma asked.

"No.", Veronica replied. "I just want coffee and-", Veronica paused a moment to reach for her pack of Marlboro's and open it. "And I'm almost out cigarettes.".

Emma brought the car to a parking slot, stopped the car, and said, "Ok, how about this? I go in get the coffee and you go in and get the cigarettes.".

Veronica opened her seat belt and nodded, replying, "Sounds good.".

The first place the sisters went to was the restroom; both of them figuring that the drive enough was long and they really weren't sure when the next stop would be; close to breakfast was what Emma figured.

They went their separate ways from there. Emma motioning to the diner for the coffee and Veronica to the convenient store for the cigarettes.

[Trace]

Kyle had hitch hiked his way to Indiana with next to no trouble, other than the guy with the wandering eye and the truck driver who Kyle was sure had a few dead bodies in the back of his truck. None the less, he had made it to a diner in Indiana, and he needed to find his next ride on the way to Arizona. Kyle sat in the diner, drinking his second cup of coffee in the last hour, when he noticed a woman entering the diner. He looked outside, and saw her car. There was no harm in trying, was there? Waiting for the woman to sit down he smiled at her. He wasn't sure on what to say, but there was a voice in his head that told him this was the right person to ask.

"Hey," Kyle said with a small grin. "Don't suppose there's any chance your heading to Arizona, is there?"