The Nemesis Syndrome

40. Leo

Leo skidded to a stop, Eliza bumping into him. The packet of pads fell from his grasp and he quickly scooped them up.

"We're good, thanks." Leo nodded, going to turn.

"Just get in, Leo." Eliza hissed, jumping into the vehicle.

"Dammit, 'Liza." Leo muttered before jumping into the car.

Eliza slammed the door shut, and Leo sighed as he leaned back.

"If we die, it's on you." He whispered to Eliza.

The car took off and a silence settled over them before Eliza looked at him, and Leo felt the sudden overwhelming urge to laugh. Amusement bubbled in his chest and he looked away from her as he cracked a grin. Eliza snorted and coughed to cover it and Leo bit on his tongue to stop the insane laughter that was threatening to burst from his lips.

"Shoplifting?" The man seethed, he glanced in the mirror at them, his brown eyes dark and angry.

"Yeah, shoplifting." Eliza retorted, "We can't exactly walk into a restaurant and have a three course meal."

"Thank you for your help, sir," Leo spoke up, shooting a warning glare at Eliza, "if you'll just let us out, now."

"Shoplifting! If you got caught you would have been killed!"

A pit began to grow in Leo's stomach and he couldn't squish the panicked feeling. He glanced at Eliza, who shot him a panicked look. She felt it too.

"Let us out." Leo said in a measured voice.

The man glanced at them and must have noticed their panicked look for he pulled over and turned the engine off, softening his look as though he was approaching a wounded animal.

"God, they really did a number on you kids, didn't they?" He muttered. His dark eyes glanced between them, "I know you think I'm with them, that I'm going to hurt you and take you back to them, but I'm not with them - I'm here to protect you. You're just kids."

"Let us out, please." Eliza said through clenched jaws.

Leo shifted as the man turned to unlock the doors, the click visibly relaxing Eliza. Leo let her get out first, placing most of the items in his bag as he passed it her.

"Kid." The man called, stopping Leo as he went to climb out.

Leo paused, turning to look at him. Something about the man unsettled him but what made Leo the most wary was that he wasn't entirely afraid of the man.

"Look, I get you don't trust me. I understand that, but -" he dug into his pocket, pulling out a card, "- if you change your mind, come to this address. We want to help. I want to help."

Leo took it and nodded, and climbed out the car, carrying the rest of the items in his hand. The door shut and the man pulled out, driving off.

Leo glanced at the card in his hand. Eliza called his name and he looked up at her. She had slung his backpack over her shoulder and she waved at him to cross the street.

Leo looked down at the card, raising it to throw away but as he raised it, something caught his attention on it. So he placed it in his pocket, and crossed the street, putting it to the back of his mind.

____________________

"So what's the plan now?" Eliza asked as she ducked under a branch.

"I'm not sure," Leo answered truthfully.

"But you do have one, right?" Eliza asked.