I realized I'd fallen asleep when Jack shook me awake.
"Hmm?" I asked.
"You've been asleep for ages." Sara said.
"Are you sure your parents are gonna be okay with you spending all this money?" Jack asked the kids.
"We have previously agreed on our financial deal. If your concern is that this is regarding your-"
"My concern is that I have two teenage kids in the back of my car with a big wad of cash and a destination that's pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Now in my book that's a little chapter called running away." Jack snapped.
"Jack, stop." I said. "You don't know, and it's none of our business."
"Jack! You better be getting desert miles on that thing. And they better be able to pay!" Dominic, Jack's boss, was obviously eating. "And you better get me an E.T.A!"
"Losing reception, Dominic." Jack replied, and he shut the thing off.
Sara looked behind, gasped, and then turned to the front. "Jack Bruno, the vehicles behind us are indicating a pattern of pursuit."
"There's no vehicles following us." Jack said, and we both looked in the rearview mirror. Sure enough, there were three black SUVs that looked like the one from earlier.
"Jack." I warned, but I was cut off by Seth.
"At your current rate of speed versus theirs, they will take over our vehicle in less than a minute." He said.
"Relax, I'm just gonna let them pass." Jack said. He unwinded the window.
"Jack!" I said, irritated. If it was the cars from earlier then we'd be in trouble.
Jack, ignoring me, yelled out the window. "Open road, people! It's all yours!" he said, making a gesture.
After a bit, one of the cars passed us.
"See what I told you, nobody's following us." Jack said, putting his arm on the back of the chairs. "I'm the king of these roads."
"Jack Bruno!" Sara shouted, pointing in front.
The black SUV tried to block the road but the taxi went speeding past it.
"I told you!" I yelled. The other SUVs were now following.
"I said I'm out and I meant it!" Jack yelled.
"Who's Mr. Wolfe, Jack Bruno?" Sara asked.
"Wait, how did you-" I began.
One of the cars behind us slammed into us, causing me to jerk forward. "Ow!"
"Get down, now!" Jack shouted.
Seth, Sara and I all put our heads down.
I could tell two SUVs were either side of us and one was behind. They were bashing into the taxi.
"Hang on." Jack said, and he sped up past the cars.
Sara spoke as I sat up.
"Jack Bruno it would appear we have not eluded them." Sara said.
"I'm so old for this. Stay down. Stay down!" Jack shouted.
We all got down again and I looked behind at Seth and Sara.
"Seth, no. It's not a good idea." Sara said.
"I have to try." He replied.
"It's too dangerous!" Sara said.
One minute Seth was there, the next he'd kinda melted through the seat. Alarmed, I looked out of the back window along with Sara.
Seth was in the middle of the road. He turned to the coming car and I managed not to scream as it hit him. Lots of bolts and stuff came out as the car went over Seth's head and landed behind him.
Sara made a motion with her hand and the car began to reverse.
"What?!" Jack said, confused. We came to a halt just in front of the SUV.
"You guys okay?" Jack asked.
Seth had reappeared.
"We are-" Sara began.
"Fine." Seth finished. He was out of breath. "We need to keep moving."
Jack got out of the car, taking a crowbar with him. I whirled around in my seat, looking between a shocked Seth and Sara.
"What the fuck just happened?!" I demanded.
"Lola." Sara began.
"You just got hit by the car and you've not got a single scratch! And you made the car go back!" I said, staring between the two.
"It's none of your business." Seth said, glaring.
"Fine. I'll tell Jack that." I said coldly.
"Wait." Seth said. "You can not speak of this to him, or anyone."
"What, are you those aliens that crash landed the other day or something?" I asked.
I was mostly joking, but they exchanged a look.
"No way!" I whispered. "That's so cool!"
Jack got back in the car and drove off.
"How are you two holding up back there?" Jack asked.
"We are fine."
"I'm sorry I dragged you three into this." Jack said.
"There's no need for you to apologize, Jack Bruno. You're not always the one to blame." Sara said.
I wondered what she could mean by that, when Seth cut me off from saying anything.
"But the urgency of our trip has not decreased." He said.
"Don't worry, I'll get you two where you need to go. You've earned it." Jack said.
As we drove, my phone rang.
I pulled it out of my bag and put it up to my ear. "Hello?"
"Has he told you?" a man's voice asked.
"Uh…who is this?" I asked, confused.
"Has Jack Bruno told you who you really are?" the voice repeated.
"I don't…told me who I really…am? What the fuck are you…?"
Jack reached over, grabbed the phone and hung up, throwing it into my bag.
"Jack?" I asked.
"It's nothing." He said.
"Tell me! What the hell was that about?!" I demanded.
Jack sighed and pulled over.
"We do not have time for this." Seth said.
"Shut it, Seth." Sara said.
"Lola…those people who died…they weren't your parents." Jack said.
"Huh?!"
"You…the thing is…you're an alien, according to the people that adopted you…they're the ones who died. I'm only your adopted godfather. You crash landed when you were a baby, in a ship. They rescued you, brought you up. But then the government figured it out and killed them. So I hid you away." Jack said.
My head was spinning. I grabbed my backpack, undid my seatbelt, put my backpack on and got out of the car. Slamming the door, I began to run, my head reeling. I was suddenly aware that I was running faster than I'd ever run before.
An alien? Why hadn't anyone said so? I was so mad I couldn't believe it. The car was on my tail but not for long. I dived down a road-path leading to an abandoned house. I got in and slammed the door, starting to cry.