Ross looked to Ellie, shaking his head, as he knew this wasn't good at all. "I'm so sorry.....look, this isn't how I wanted it to happen." Ross said, knowing Ellie was probably angry, scared, confused, anything, knowing that he couldn't, and wasn't able to say anything more, not in the commotion of what was going on. "Get everyone safe. Remember, I'm going to be a marked man. The rest of you won't. Just make sure you all stay safe, and out of harm's way. Keep Mia away from anything. I can deal with it, like you said Michael." ------ When the cars arrived, it was clear that shit was going to get real, and he knew what to do. As Athena passed the 9mm, Ross took it in his weakened hand, inspecting it over. "Sig Sauer P226. Nine mil. A lovely tool." Ross uttered, knowing he'd probably get a bollocking from Ellie right now, as he checked the weapon was loaded. 18 rounds would do for him. "I really hope you told Seb not to come." Ross looked at Ellie, and her guilty look said it all. "Fuck, he is here. I really hope he can drive. Just get me to the car, and you won't have to use the gun. I know this is insane. But....my daughter and my wife won't live if I can't help them. I'm sorry...fuck I'm so sorry, Ellie." Ross said, as he knew that Ellie would probably hit him later, or maybe sympathise, but in the heat of the moment, there wasn't much option. Athena picked him up, as Ross supported as much of his weight, pulling the IV out of his arm with a little pain, stumbling and moving with them, aware that it hurt like hell. They moved through the hospital corridors, through the empty halls and towards the other side, in order to better lose the tail, aware that Seb was downstairs, and parked up. They just had to take a lift down, and they'd beat all the men charging up the stairs or the lift closer to their ward, but it was still inherently risky. With some luck, they hadn't bumped into anyone, but Ross knew that could change in an instant. They made their way to a lift, making sure it was on the far side of the hospital, away from the GMCs that had parked up, Ross clambering in and leaning against the wall, Athena and Ellie, who were helping him hobble, his colour, vision and his mind still definitely not there yet. "Shit." Ross could only say, as he felt the lift go down, and the knot in his stomach tighten, knowing that all hell was going to break loose any moment. ----- Seb sat in the parking garage, behind the wheel of the Ford Ranger, waiting out in a parking bay. He didn't know what was going on, only that Ross and Kimberly were in some serious shit, and Ellie had made sure he was going to stay here, ready to leave as soon as possible. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, the way that Ellie had gone, it was like he'd never seen her go to help someone, and the stakes felt higher than ever before. And this was someone prepared to jump off a mountainside with her, literally willing to accept each other's deaths if it came to that. BASE was a deadly sport, and in his heart of hearts, knew that the possibility, despite however safe or careful they were, could occur to either of them to kill the other. And the survivor to that would have to get on with life, move on and accept that it was a part of the game, not some tragic freakshow that happened on the way. But this felt different. His heart pumped faster, the adrenaline that normalised made his hands a little shakey, as he sat there, watching. The lift doors opened, and he saw the sight of a man in a rough state, Ellie, and a woman he didn't recognise. ---- Two GMCs skidded into the underground parking lot, parking on the far side, as Ross was carried as quickly as he could be by Athena and Ellie, moving to hte car. Men were getting out and yelling, the noise of stocks being unfolded and prepared, as Ross knew shit was about to get very real indeed, using whatever strength he had to hobble quicker with the two, and get to the cover of the cars. Throwing him into the back seat, Ross lay across the back, looking to Ellie and Seb, who were now in the front, Athena covering them, as he could only roar at Seb. "Fuck, just floor it! Get us the fuck out!" Ross yelled, as the noise of gunshots rang out in the garage, hitting the rear of the Ranger, as Seb hit the ignition and slammed it into first, pushing the diesel's gut to the floor, as bullets riddled the car, smashing the driver side window as Seb dodged past, barely managing to slink past a parked pair of cars and into the off ramp, a couple of rounds smashing into the back window, luckily not shattering, or else the round would have gone into the cabin. Keeping his foot down, Seb looked behind, as Ross cocked the pistol, knowing he had to be ready to stop any pursuers. "What the fuck is going on?!" Seb yelled, as Ross shook his head, knowing Ellie was probably going to cover it. "Just fucking drive, fuck, you need to get us onto the Freeway and north, just don't stop for anything, cops, anyone!" Ross crawled to the window, seeing one of the GMCs follow out, as he sighed. "Argh..Ellie, don't use your gun, pass it over here, I'll need it if mine runs dry. Just navigate. I'm...I'll try and stop the company behind us. Don't look in your mirror, just keep going." Ross added, as he couldn't reassure her, but was keeping Ellie out of using that firearm, given she might be more of a risk using it than not. It was pure luck and chance that they hadn't used it in the hospital, and for now, Ross was damn sure keeping it that way, knowing he was not going to do that to his childhood friend, she was too innocent and not some petty crim, like him. He opened the window, and looked out, watching behind. There was a GMC popping out of the garage, and he did not like the look of it. Seb kept at the wheel, bobbing and weaving through traffic, to the noise of horns and almost zero law enforcement for the moment being, Ross peaking his head out, getting himself together and composed with a little grit, just focused on the here and now, as Ross watched the GMC come closer. He aimed with one hand, trying to keep himself as steady as possible, watching as it came closer and closer. He had to do something right here, right now. Taking a couple of shots, he managed to put a few past the GMC, before finding his spot. He focused, firing three times in a quick succession, taking shots at the window, the driver clearly panicking and skidding, as the shots cracked his windscreen. He carried on suppressing as best as he could, aware the 9mm was going to do fuck all to a tough 'Murican SUV and this was to just put him off, before he got any ideas of his own. But it had done enough, and the driver had stopped, as Sebastian took a couple of corners, slaloming through the residential neighbourhoods of Las Vegas, and burning their trail behind, giving them time to escape. "I swear to God, Ross you're gonna tell us what the hell you've dragged us into! You piece of shit, you....you're a fucking bastard!" Seb yelled, as Ross looked over, Seb shaking his head as Ross leaned back in, the GMC now in the distance as Seb took a turning, aware that only one car had followed for the time being, and Ross's half a clip had done the job to put him into the dust. It was enough for now, as Ross shut the window, sighing as they drove through the suburban streets, coming up to the freeway, following signs for Phoenix, and Lake Havasu City. Southbound, into the desert. "I'm fucking sorry, alright. There's no other way. I told Ellie not to bring you. This was going to be insane." "Well, I'm not fucking leaving my girlfriend. I fucking trusted you, and you're a fucking....Jesus, we're going to get fucking killed!" "Calm yourself, just focus on driving." Ross said, trying to keep as focussed as he could, Seb still on the throttle and doing 90 in a car like this, which felt like doing 130 in anything else, given how unstable it felt and high. But it was holding out, the wind blowing in the smashed window, as Ross breathed out, as did everyone else in the car. He felt weak as hell, but that shot of adrenaline had at least given him the chance to stop their pursuers, and if Seb was able to keep his foot to the floor, the others wouldn't be able to mobilise quick enough, given they were focused on the hospital right now. "I'd do the same for Ellie, if you wanted to know. I trust you more than anyone." Ross said, as Seb looked over, shaking his head, the scene calmer, but noisy given the smashed window. "You're fucking crazy. Gangsters, guns, we nearly died for no good reason! Shit, and I thought we're mad." Seb said, generally pissed and angry, but trying to focus on driving nonetheless, Ross inclined to agree. "Like I said, better you show me your side of things, than I show you mine. Someone fucked up and whoever they are, I'm going to sort it out. I'm going to make sure my wife, and daughter, and daughter to be are going to be safe, but I can't do it like this. I'm going to need a lot more painkillers, if you've got any. I don't care how many I'm going to have to stop so I can make sure my family is safe. I could accept my death once, but I'm a father to a beautiful girl and they just fucked with the wrong dad. Just get me out of the state, Seb. That's all I ask. If you don't trust me, I understand if you want to walk away with Ellie. This isn't your fight, you happened to be the only people that could save us and you stopped me from getting killed. Ditch the car somewhere remote, grab your gear and don't look back." Seb stared at him for a moment, looking at the state of Ellie's friend in the back seat, and then at Ellie, keeping a good eye on the road, as he kept it in the third lane, foot still to floor for the moment being. "Ellie.....I don't fucking know what to do. If we get caught up in this, we're could lose everything we've worked for. All the years of our hard work, everything. We've kept clean our entire lives, and shit, I know we've done petty crime, but this is a whole new level. We might end up dead and for no good reason to show for it. This isn't our passion. Ross is right, this is insane. This isn't our fight. Neither of us are going to live at all against assassins and....fucking whatever they are. It's up to you. We can stay with him, but you need to tell me that we're going to be able to carry on a life after this. Me and you agreed we'd accept if the other died. But we didn't agree to this." Seb said, as Ross looked over. "You agreed to....what?" "Wingsuit BASE is incredibly dangerous, Ross. There's a reason it's the most deadly extreme sport in the world. If Ellie died, I'd have to deal with the consequences. And the same the other way around, because we chose to work that way. It could be graphic, but life would have to go on, and it's a bond that exists because we live on that edge. It might be that we'll go in together, or none of us will. Ross, I can help you. I trust you, man. But you know what I'm trying to say." "I know exactly. It's your call. Like I said, I don't need a lot. You two mean more to each other than anything else, and you have all you're looking for. Don't give that up for me. You can walk away, trust me. Anyway, where are we going?" "There's an old friend of mine who said we're welcome to stay in a trailer in Phoenix while he's out in Europe. Didn't think I'd take him up on the offer, but it'll work for us. Will they be able to trace us, at all?" "No, so long as you burn this thing to the ground, take your gear with you and never use that car hire company again....well, just say it's insurance. Call it a joyrider who stole your car. Shit, I have a friend good at casing courier systems for cars who could "delete" your records with that car hire company, and make sure that your booking was like a glitch in the system. Worked for me when I had to case difficult to steal cars. He costs a pretty penny, but he owes me one, and it'll be like you never were there. Even if they had your plate, which they probably don't, it'll be like you were never there. I'll call him when we get there." Ross said, as Seb nodded, reassured a little, as Ross was coming a bit better to his senses. "Sounds fine. You seem like a good man, Ross. You want to take care of her. I understand that. But you know why I'm saying this." He said, rather Germanically and to put the point out across, as Ross nodded in response. "Just get out. Ellie, if you need to talk, later, let me know. I'm just going to need a lot of painkillers, a bed, some water and the rest I can handle when my contact arrives. I'll tell him to go to Phoenix, and he can meet with me. You won't know him, but he's a Scotsman." They carried on driving, and with a tail lost, and a window smashed, they had a very long road to Arizona, and into the baking heat even in late winter.