Chapter 2 - Blood and Gasoline
They stole a running taxi while the driver was busy yelling at a traffic cop. The woman threw the car into reverse, the tires screaming in protest against the concrete as they peeled out of the arrival lane.
Leo sat in the passenger seat, his chest heaving, his wide eyes locked on her. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice cracking. "My dad said my aunt was coming. You're not Aunt Sarah."
The woman navigated the treacherous airport exit ramp with one hand, her eyes darting between the rearview mirror and the road ahead. A black SUV had already broken through the traffic barrier behind them, its headlights flashing aggressively.
"Your father lied to you, Leo," she said, swerving to avoid a braking shuttle bus. "Sarah isn't coming. She was never coming. My name is Evelyn."
"Why are those men chasing us?" Leo cried, gripping the dashboard as the taxi violently swerved onto the interstate.
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Evelyn’s knuckles turned white on the steering wheel. She glanced at the boy, seeing the exact same hazel eyes she saw in the mirror every morning. She had promised herself she would wait, that she would ease him into the truth, but the black SUV was gaining.
"Because ten years ago, I stole something from them to keep you safe," Evelyn said, her voice laced with a sorrow so deep it made Leo freeze. "I'm your mother, Leo. And tonight, we're going to finish what I started."
