Ezra shrugged a moment trying to remember if there was any place they'd be safe when Jeremiah came into his mind. He hesitated a moment wondering if it would be a good idea to involve him. He wouldn't judge, he'd just be disappointed in him. He sat up and began to nod his head a moment before deciding to speak.

"Jeremiah. He's a family friend. He's like an uncle to me, but he's a couple blocks down. Mom and Dad told me I could trust him always ever since I was a kid. He'll help," Ezra said trying to get the screams inside his head to stop. 

"You need to get me a bag, and you need one also. You can't lug around expensive suitcases. I should have a duffel in the living room and then my dad has a spare in the closet. We can pack some clothes...and hope my parents don't come home earlier than expected," he said trying to remain calm.

It was a struggle to move around the house packing things they might need. He'd made a call to Jeremiah to let him know that he would be coming over and to set up a space for him in the living room. The old man obliged without question and promised to have the house ready for him and Marta. Walking down the steps was hard, but the determination to get Marta to safety was even stronger. The buses didn't run directly to Jeremiah's area so they could only ride it half way there. Marta did her best to help keep him steady and when they finally arrived at their destination he could barley stand. Jeremiah half carried him to the sofa and set him down gently.

"Ezra, you can stay as long as you need to, but I need to know what happened. I can't go into this blind, son," Jeremiah said helping Marta with her bag and setting her down next to Ezra. He went to the kitchen and brought back some tea as he waited for one of them to explain.

Ezra hesitated a moment, "They came to our house Jeremiah. They took Atalia right in front of me and I didn't stop them. They just barged in without any reasoning. I heard her screams and I heard them hit her and I couldn't do anything. I just stood there frozen," he said as another wave of guilt washed over him.