Conflict Of Interest - Part 2 (When Your Crazy Ex-Sister-In-Law...

Rain

Sergio was curled up in the trunk of a car. He sensed that they've stopped, and Alicia got out of the vehicle, cursing. The light hurt his eyes when she opened the top of it, although it's been raining.

"Is this your deed too?!" she asked him angrily. "Did you do something so we get flat tires?!"

Sergio remained silent. 

"Of course you did! How on earth can you be this..." she was looking for the most appropriate word, but did not find it.

"Forethoughtful?" he asked, almost innocently.

"Annoying!" Alicia snapped.

"You know... I actually trusted you for a moment with all that ceasefire speech..."

"Well... that's your problem." she said firmly. "And technically, I did not even lie..."

"Do you seriously still think that you can fix everything with giving me over to your corrupt colleagues?" he insisted.

"Maybe not everything." Alicia replied coldly. "But quite a lot. And that's still better than living the rest of my life on the run."

"That's debateable. They made a scapegoat out of you. Alicia... You're making a mistake! I can be of more use to you as a free person than behind the bars. Believe me!"

"Not in this life." she made a grimace.

She couldn't admit it, not even to herself, but she knew that Sergio was right. Her colleagues did stab her in the back, and even if she does her job well and puts this guy behind the bars, her life is still fucked up, her career ruined and her reputation stained forever. It's no guarantee that her life will be back on track. Even if they would have not ended up broken down in the middle of nowhere, she couldn't be sure how this would have played out.

But I can't accept his help! Not until I haven't tried everything I am capable of from my own power to get out of this... Did I try everything?

Sergio impatiently licked his lips. "Listen to me... Let's talk like normal people, for once!" 

"We have nothing to talk about." she said coldly. No... I can't side with you... It would be against everything I stand for... 

"We do! Because no matter what you do, I am not going to jail, Alicia." he said firmly. "That's simply not an option." 

"Really? Says who?" she cocked an eyebrow as she looked at him laughing bitterly, then she slammed the top of the trunk.

The baby in the car started to cry again.

Alicia closed her eyes, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by everything she had to deal with. And none of it was working out in her favour.  

Or is it just my pride feeling threatened? 

She leaned against the trunk of the car, crossed her arms, and raised her face towards the pouring rain, trying to ignore the fact that there were not only raindrops running down her cheek. 

Or is there something else too?

"Hey!" Sergio insisted from the inside of the car. "Do you hear me?"

"Unfortunately."

"Great. Look... I almost trusted you, but that doesn't mean that I've stopped being cautious. I've called a friend. We're tracking the cars so when he gets there and realizes that we're gone, he'll know where to look for us. He can be here any minute now."

Alicia clenched her jaw. "And who did you call for backup, huh? Rome? Athens?" she asked ironically.

"Marseille."