II. Gods and Monsters

16. Consequence

Half an hour up, Charlotte and Oli made their way outside. They'd packed food, water, a small amount of money and clothes: the bare minimum to survive. Andrew had borrowed Oli's car, rushed home and gathered things for himself and anything Charlotte didn't have at Oli's. As he pulled back into the drive, he saw Carter amble back towards the house.

"Where have you been?" Andrew asked him.

"Nowhere fun," the old man grunted. Andrew couldn't quite place it, but something was off about him. The man seemed almost... drained?

He accompanied the old man back to the front of the house, aiming to finalise where they were travelling next.

"Do any of you have a suggestion?" Oli asked, "We need somewhere that wouldn't be easy to find and wouldn't be expected."

"There's a police safe house not far from here, it hasn't been used in years and is pretty much off record."

"How off record is 'off record'?" Oli asked.

"As in, it still hasn't been recorded on the computers yet, I only found out about it a day or two before... that thing attacked us... I was searching through some old files."

Oli pulled a face. Charlotte thought the face was both cute yet worrying. He crumpled his eyebrows into a slight frown and pressed his lips tightly together, almost forming two straight lines across his forehead and mouth. It was his thinking face when considering doing something risky or dangerous. Her dad's suggestion clearly didn't appeal to him.

Oli was suspicious alright. It seemed too good to be true. An almost off-book site designed to hide those in danger that conveniently turns up days before it's needed? Sounded like that room from Harry Potter, but with less magic. But did he really have any other choice? They needed to leave now before they got any unwanted visitors. His mind jumped to the Fifth Street visit, making his mind up almost instantly.

"Fine, we use it for now. But only temporarily, I want to find somewhere even safer," he said, finally. "Better safe than sorry," Oli added after he saw the look on Andrew's face.

"Do you know the address for this mystery house?" Carter asked, sharing Oli's scepticism.

"I can get it from my office," Andrew replied, "Plus, it means I can get a spare vehicle since that thing destroyed my actual car."

Ok ok, we get it, our problems have affected your life, no need to be a dick about it...

"I can give you a lift there if you want?" Oli offered.

But he's being a dick! Make him walk!

Andrew gave him a subtle, dirty look before grudgingly agreeing.

Oh for crying out loud...

Oli strode over to the faithful Charger, turning to Andrew for the keys. The cop threw them to him before making his way to the passenger's side. Minutes later they were on the road, driving in utter silence.

Eventually, Oli addressed the elephant in the room.

"You tried to tell her," he stated bluntly.

"She deserved to know," Andrew replied just as bluntly.

"I thought we had an understanding."

"No, you had blackmail, there's a difference."

Oli glared at the road for a moment.

"It wasn't your secret to tell. She deserved to find out from me."

"Well, you did a fine job of telling her..."

Oli slammed his foot on the brakes, Andrew jolting forward in his seat.

"I warned you," Oli told him, his voice low and menacing, as he pointed a finger at Andrew, "I told you what I'd do if you told her. You have no shame, do you? You lecture me about keeping secrets that could potentially harm her, yet you have kept this secret all her life! What happens when she finds out everything she knows about her mother is a lie?! What happens then? You think she'll thank you? You think she'll be completely unphased by it all?! Huh, Andrew?!"

The cop stared blankly back at him as if daring him to go on.

"You have until we get to this safehouse of yours to tell her. Then she finds out," Oli stated calmly, getting his breathing back under control as he sent the car moving once more.

Andrew opened his mouth to retort, but Oli cut him off.

"Be grateful I'm giving you the opportunity to tell her without causing a scene. It's more than you did for me."

Andrew had no reply, instead, he simply looked out at the road, wondering how he was going to break the news to his little girl.