Julie moved closer to Brian but pulled her arm away as he reached for her. “How was he caught?” Julie asked, there was something not right about Brian being there.

“He made a mistake. He was in the lab looking for information and he was caught.” Brian held out his hand for Julie to take.

Julie’s mind screamed at her that something was wrong. Why would Kevin be in the lab, he wouldn’t have hidden the books somewhere they would be found.  Maybe he put them there before they knew Howie would side with Jessica? The thought flew in her mind as Brian neared her.  She continued to back away knowing that this was not right.

“No,” Julie stated and turned to run.

“Not a request,” Brian shouted after her, she could tell he was only a few steps behind her.  Her footing was unsure and she did not know where to turn.  She did not want to lead Brian back to the manor where Charles would be with Nick and Steph nearby. Wouldn’t that only cement their idea that Julie and Kevin were working with the rogue agents?

Julie veered left quickly and heard stumbling behind her as Brian tried to adjust quickly in the same direction to catch her.  She continued to run at full speed but it was only a matter of minutes before Brian caught up to her and was able to grab a hold of her. 

His fingers hurt as they dug into her arm.  “There is no use running.  If you get away from me Jessica will only send others.”

Julie turned and faced him.  “How did you find us? What have you done with Kevin?” 

“I told you, he asked me to come,”

“Cut the bullshit Brian.  He doesn’t know who to trust right now, I doubt he would have talked to you.  Did they catch him?”

Brian smirked at Julie and shook his head.  “We didn’t even know he’d returned it will be an interesting tidbit to tell them when I return.” 

“Why are you doing this, to your cousin?”

Brian shrugged.

“How did you find me if you didn’t have Kevin?”  Julie had to know, did they have a new way of tracing the volunteers?

Again Brian simply shrugged.  “We are going back.” He pulled her closer and tried to adjust his device while clinging to her arm.  Julie took this opportunity and stepped on Brian’s foot and hitting the elbow of the arm that was holding her at the same time.   Before he had time to compose himself, Julie clasped her arms together and swung them both upwards to hit him across his face. 

Brian clutched his hands to his face and Julie swung her arms again, bringing them down on the back of his neck.  She saw him fall before she turned to run further away.  She managed to find a wooded area and having a brief flash to what happened last time she hid in a wooded area she took cover behind some trees.  

She watched as Brian approached, he was rubbing his nose; it was likely she broke it.  She crouched lower as she watched him approach. She hated to see blood dripping from Brian’s nose. This man had helped her when she needed it and what did she just do to thank him?  She shuddered and wondered how things were going to be between them when this was over.

“Julie, I promise you that I am not here to harm you.  Come back with me and I will make sure that you are not hurt, I will promise you that I will make sure that you are well looked after.” 

Julie could hear the compassion in his voice.  She thought back to their earlier conversation and she realized that he never mentioned believing that she was on the wrong side.  He wanted to take her back, he wanted to help her.  He had lied telling her that Kevin was there, how else would she believe him?

“How can you promise that?” She said as she came out from behind the trees, eying him cautiously.

“I already convinced Jessica to leave you in my care.  They only want to know who the rogue agent you are with, that’s it.” Brian held his hands out to show her that he wasn’t going to attack her.

“So I have to go against what I believe and turn in someone that has nothing to do with what is going on at the project.” Julie continued to eye him as he approached.

Brian nodded.

“Did they even tell you what it was me and Kevin were investigating?”

“You were accusing others of changing history to hide that you were doing it.” He said calmly.

Julie laughed and shook her head. “Of course that is what they would say.” She moved back from Brian. “Someone inside the project is changing history for money.”

She watched as Brian let the idea bounce around his head.  “They said you would say that.”

“Because it’s the truth!” Julie exclaimed.  She wondered what other lies were being told about her and Kevin by Jessica but she didn’t have time to ask now.  She turned and started to run again, stopping abruptly when she reached the edge of a small ravine.  She looked down; unable to see how far down it went. She kicked some stones from the edge to see if she could tell.  Before she could decide what the best course of action was she felt Brian collide with her from behind knocking them both into the ravine.

Julie could feel some of the rocks colliding with her as she tumbled towards the bottom.  Brian desperately trying to grab a hold of her. She knew she should let him get her, he could jump them both away, and the pain of falling would end if she let him but something in the back of her mind told her it would be better to fall to her death then let him take her back.

At first the pain she thought was from hitting rock mere seconds before but when the nausea swept through her she closed her eyes with some relief knowing that she was jumping without Brian.

She opened her eyes and saw Nick standing near her and felt hands on her as they helped her sit up. “Julie,” Kevin’s voice made her smile as she turned to face him.  “What happened?” He asked as he looked her over, if the pain she was feeling was any indication to how she looked, she knew she looked horrible.

“Brian,” She managed to mutter surprised that she was able to utter that word through clenching to fight the pain.

Kevin looked up towards Nick and Steph.  “How did they find us?”

Nick looked at Steph a silent exchange between them that Julie couldn’t decipher.  Nick eventually shrugged his shoulders and knelt next to Julie.   “You are safe.” He whispered.

She attempted to sit up, Kevin helped her finish and she looked around.  “Where are we?” Now that she was no longer falling the pain wasn’t nearly as bad but she knew that she would need someone to look her over, but who since they could no longer get Howie to help.

“Another safe house,” Steph was the one to speak up.  Julie could see Charles rushing in with a box.  He pushed Nick out of the way and opened the box pulling out all sorts of jars of ointments and cloth.

“Steph, water!” he barked at her.

Steph ran out of the room and came back moments later with a bucket that had, what Julie could only assume was, water.  When Charles dipped a cloth in and placed it on her it stung worse than water and she glared at Steph thinking the woman switched out the water for alcohol.

Charles handed the cloth to Kevin and she cringed when he started to clean some of her cuts.  She knew he was trying to be as gentle as she could but she hurt.  She felt Charles press her legs, her arms and her abdomen. 

“You have been very lucky Julie.” He sat back on his heels and looked at her.  “Nothing is broken and I cannot feel any signs of internal bleeding.”

“How can you be sure?” She managed to get the words out.

“I took a few courses in medicine for fun,” He shrugged and smiled down at her.  “I have something for the pain; it tastes horrible but will do the trick.” He held a small jar to her and she took a drink gagging when she pulled away.

“Horrible is an understatement,” She said but was already feeling the effects and the pain was subsiding.  She felt herself being lowered, something soft was now under her head and she saw Nick shirtless standing off to the side.  She was lying on his shirt.  She smiled in thanks to him and turned to look at Kevin who was looking down at her lovingly as he continued to clean her wounds.

“Why Brian?” she asked him.

Kevin shook his head. “They must have threatened his family; it is the only way I could see him betraying me.”

Julie could hear Nick speaking in hushed tones to Steph and they left the room. 

“How did he find us?” she asked again but she wasn’t sure she would be awake long enough to hear the answer, her eyes were already heavy with and it felt like she was being pulled into sleep.  She closed her eyes and let the sleep takeover, the last of the pain subsiding from whatever it was Charles gave her.