Chapter 23

"Turn around, Eva." I closed my eyes, hearing the dreaded click of Loraine's Glock 19.

"Nefeli?" My Aunt suddenly burst into complaints, wondering what was going on.

"Quiet her down, or I'll kill her." As quickly as I could, I tried to calm my Aunt down, unsure if anything I said could actually do that. Sal reached over my shoulder and grabbed the safe.

"Lo, it's all here!" He laughed as he showed her the contents. I grimaced, leading my whimpering Aunt back down the stairs ahead them.

"Don't worry." I whispered, making sure I was far enough ahead to be out of ear-shot. "She won't have them for long."

Downstairs Will looked agitated as Loraine tipped the contents of the safe over on the couch. A few more things came out of the safe, including a photograph. I gasped, grabbing it and staring at the lonely, beautiful face on it.

Will rushed over and stood beside me, staring at it. "Your Mother?"

I nodded, tears forming in my eyes.

"Aww."

I looked up at Loraine, my eyes red from the tears and anger.

"As much as I would love to stay and mourn with you, dearest, I must be on my way." I hated her and her patronizing tone.

"Since you have your diamonds, Will is free, isn't he." It was more of a statement then a question. She simply smiled, making me want to punch her perfect pale face.

"Will wasn't the one with the diamonds, so how is that related?" She said in a slithery tone. I gaped in disbelief at what she was saying.

The sound of gunfire suddenly rang from outside. Will's glance met with mine and a knowing look crossed our faces. My Aunt was crying uncontrollably in fear.

"It's Plymouth. He's here!"

I didn't dare to hope MI6 found us after we basically disappeared off their radar only last night. As if on que, everyone was on the floor as a window somewhere shattered. Will carefully relayed instructions to my Aunt in Greek and she replied between sharp intakes of breath.

"What is it?" I asked quickly as another gunshot rang through the air, this time accompanied by shouting from somewhere in the near distance.

"There's a back door! Follow me!" I stood and picked up my Mom's photograph. Loraine's group must have got the message because soon we were all out the door running back around the house and seeking cover behind the big Cadillac vehicles parked there.

I looked to Will for answers. Dust surrounded us from all of the movement in the gravel. Over the gunshots I heard Loraine's group calling out commands for each other.

My Aunt spoke briskly, "She says we can lose them past the Grove. There's a bunch of rocky cliffs where we can hide."

"That doesn't sound dangerous!" I replied sarcastically. Without hesitating, Will grabbed both my and my Aunt's hands and ran towards the grove, while bullets ricocheting off of the gravel around us, spitting dust everywhere.

"Will, the safe!" I stopped in time for a bullet to bounce in front of my foot.

"Eva, there's no time for that now! We'll get it later, come on!" Together we ran deep into the Grove and when we reached the other side of it, we traversed down a rocky slope and I briefly paused to catch my breath. The ocean roared over the edge of a series of deep ruts and cliffs.

"We can't go in there!" I yelled over the sound of crashing waves.

"It's our only choice!" Will helped my Aunt slip into one of the deep crevices and held out his hand for me. There must have been a cavern below.

"These will all fill up at high tide!"

"That's not for a while yet, come on!" Reluctantly, I obeyed, taking his strong arm as base as I nearly slid all the way down. I landed with a thud, hearing the gunfire come closer, the sound echoing off the walls.

I hugged my now-bloody knees to my chest. The ocean spray was coming from somewhere deeper in the crevice; It was cold and had us all drenched within the minute. Will wrapped each arm around both of us, pulling us forward as deep into the cave as we could go. I began shaking, more from fear than the cold as the gunfire stopped. They must have been checking the area. Gunfire rang out again, this time in one of the nearby crevices, causing my hands to go to my ears instantly. I heard someone yell stop.

Please leave. Please leave.I hadn't prayed in a long time, but somehow, I needed to now. We were all going to die if they found us.

"Eva!" I heard someone yell, it sounded like Plymouth. "Eva, we don't want to play anymore games! Just tell us where you are!" Will covered my mouth to make sure I didn't say anything. Plymouth was ordering the men to do something as someone jumped down in our crevice. Shit, it was hopeless now. He cautiously looked around. I held my breath even though I was desperate for oxygen— oxygen that was not filled with salty ocean spray.

The dark figure moved towards us, pausing, as he surveyed the area over us. He pulled something long and black out of his pocket. At first, I thought it was a gun, but suddenly I was blinded by a bright light. It was so bright, I reeled back, tumbling over Will's leg.

Somebody started laughing and shouting loudly.

"Found 'em!" He drawled and backed up enough for us to come out. We probably looked like cave dwellers ourselves out in the light. Most of my hair was clinging to my face and dripping saltwater. I stood stock still, watching the stranger back into the wall below the opening of the hole, where the yellowish daylight shown on his face, exposing his wide grin.

Before anyone could say anything, someone jumped down from above and stood tall before us. I didn't have to see his face to know it was Plymouth. My Aunt began whimpering and muttering something I couldn't understand.

"Well, well." He smiled, leaning his extended arm on the wet and jagged wall. "I guess you couldn't just live without me. You didn't get very far after your friends abandoned you."

"They're not our friends." I hissed. I put my arm around my Aunt, trying to comfort her.

"I see you picked up a friend along the way."

"Just let her go." I said. "She doesn't even know what's going on!"

He arched an eyebrow. "Just let her go? Oh, I don't think we can do that. Don't worry, my dear, your Auntie will be safe in the house while we get far away from here. Don't forget, your 'friends' still have my diamonds." I gave up trying to convince him that those thieves leaving us behind were notour friends. With one nod of his head, the man who discovered us took my Aunt by her arm and she began screaming and wailing.

"Tell her to shut the hell up!" He spoke to us. Quickly, Will talked to her in Greek with a calming tone. She still looked confused, but reluctantly succumbed to her captor while arms from above reached down and helped her out of the cave.

Unshed tears burned in my eyes. "They're going to catch you. You can't hide from the KGB forever."

"But that's just it." He replied poignantly. "I canhide forever, once I erase all of the data they have on me at their headquarters. Once and for all, you forget I have a lot of powerful friends in high places."

"Like my Father?" I replied, emotion driving my words. His smile made me sick.

"Yes, like your Father. But the problem with your Father was that betrayed my trust by stealing what was rightfully mine."

"But it wasn't yours!" I accused. "And those diamonds were never yours to give or take. They belonged to your Mother." His square jaw clenched. I realized I had probably said too much.

"They belonged in my family. And now everything your Father had will be destroyed. His company, his heirlooms, and- " He paused, looking me straight in my eyes. "Well, you."

Will stepped forward protectively. "You'll have to get through me first." He replied fiercely. Plymouth didn't seem surprised.

"I always knew you two had a thing going. It wouldn't have worked out with my nephew anyway."

My body tensed. "Where is he? What have you done with him?" I demanded. Before I could get an answer, something fell down into the hole, landing hard against the wet stones and pebbles. It was a man, with his back hunched and limp.

"Why don't you ask him yourself." Too shocked to answer, I gaped at the body. The man groaned and scrambled over, to where I could see him. Somewhere under the scaring and blood I saw Austin's near-lifeless blue eyes.