Juliet flicked the indicator and pulled into the overtaking lane. She put her foot down to zoom past the blue Volvo and then slowed again as she slipped back into the middle lane. Once she'd done so, she stole a glance at her passenger, and a smile broke onto her face.
Not gonna get us
They're not gonna get us
Not gonna get us
Not gonna get us
Somehow, after everything, after all the planning, they were really doing this. Running away. Her and Holly. Away from the LEP, away from Artemis and Butler. They were driving to the airport, to take a flight to the middle of nowhere. To escape from everyone who wanted to drag them down.
Starting from here, let's make a promise
You and me, let's just be honest
We're gonna run, nothing can stop us
Even the night that falls all around us
Juliet tried to stay calm, not to check all of the mirrors every few seconds. She was so nervous she was glad she hadn't had breakfast, or she thought she might've been sick. But she didn't want Holly to know. She didn't want to make it any harder for her.
Up ahead she could see long lines of almost stationary traffic; they must be getting close. There was always far more traffic trying to get to the airport than the roads had been designed for. Juliet sighed as they halted at the end of the queue of traffic. She pushed her hair behind her right ear and gazed out of the window at the bright sunshine. The sight of it hardly cheered her.
Soon there will be laughter and voices
Beyond the clouds, over the mountains
We'll run away on roads that are empty
Lights from the airfield shining upon you
There was an air of tension in the car. Even just to get both of them on the plane was going to be difficult. But they knew that wouldn't be the end of it. They would have to completely leave behind their old lives, their old identities, would always have to lie - to hide what Holly was. Craft themselves a new life, in a hidden corner of the world where life was hard. A new life together.
But first, that meant getting through all this traffic. At the moment they had slowed to a crawl. They still couldn't even see the airport.
Nothing can stop this, not now I love you
They're not gonna get us
They're not gonna get us
Nothing can stop this, not now I love you
They're not gonna get us
They're not gonna get us
They're not gonna get us
How had they ever started this journey? She knew how they had talked, secretly, fervently, about their plans, about what they would have to do to really get away; how they'd convinced each other to go for it, dragged each other along, all the way to the doors of the car. But that wasn't what she meant. How had they really started it?
Was it after their last adventure, when they had started keeping in contact? Was it when they had faced Spiro for the second time? When they had fought the awakened Opal clone? When they had infiltrated Spiro Needle together? Was it even when Artemis had kidnapped Holly?
She couldn't pinpoint it. Maybe that was why it worked. It had had no beginning. Always, forever.
Not gonna get us
Not gonna get us
Juliet checked the rear view mirror. It was such a hot day, she could see heat haze shimmering above a Landrover a few cars behind them. The next thing the driver knew, there'd be smoke coming from the bonnet and he'd have to pull onto the hard shoulder for half an hour. The girls couldn't afford for that to happen to them. Juliet gripped the wheel tighter and checked the engine heat gauge. No, they were fine. They were going to get away.
We'll run away, keep everything simple
Night will come down, our guardian angel
We rush ahead, the crossroads are empty
Our spirits rise, they're not gonna get us
As space opened up in front of them, Juliet moved the car forward a few inches. It was a painfully slow process. Stop, start, stop, start. Their destination seemed hardly to be coming closer at all.
“You humans haven't quite got the hang of traffic management yet, have you?” said Holly, trying to smile but ending up grimacing.
“Don't forget, you're a human now too.” Juliet winked at her.
Holly looked down at her hands, frowning a little. “I still have my magic...”
“True,” Juliet replied, “but you'll have to pretend to understand our primitive ways.” She smiled, even though she was privately thinking that it was a very good thing Holly had kept her magic. They might need it.
My love for you, always, forever
Just you and me, all else is nothing
Not going back, not going back there
They don't understand, they don't understand us
“There are some primitive ways of yours that I'll never understand,” said Holly darkly. “Like prejudice against closeness with another species. Even your brother...” She sighed, her expression lightening up a little. “Well, I'm just glad it doesn't run in your family.”
“Your LEP won't be too happy about this either, will they?” responded Juliet, trying to ignore the comment about her brother - even though she knew Holly was right. But she also knew he only had her best interests at heart. His reasons, oh, they all made sense – but this wasn't about sense, this was about feelings. He just didn't understand...
“That's a matter of national security,” mumbled Holly.
They said nothing, the bad feelings this short conversation had stirred up holding down their tongues, along with their private burdens of anxiousness and fear. But they knew each other well enough to know that they were both regretting their words. That was all the apology they required.
Not gonna get us
Not gonna get us
The turning! Juliet put on the indicator and followed the car in front into the airport. She took the signs to the car park. Short stay. Artemis would find the car soon enough and have her brother take it back to Fowl Manor, where it belonged.
“We're so close,” breathed Holly, hardly meaning to.
Juliet nodded. Once they were on that plane, they were set. Nobody could catch them in time, not even Artemis in his private jet. They would disappear into the country on the other side, nameless strangers. Once they were on that plane, they had escaped.
Nothing can stop this, not now I love you
They're not gonna get us
They're not gonna get us
Nothing can stop this, not now I love you
They're not gonna get us
They're not gonna get us
They're not gonna get us
They slid past rows upon rows of parked cars of every description: red, blue, green, black, white; coupes, people movers, vans. But no empty spaces. Holly shifted uneasily in her seat as they pulled into yet another row.
“Don't worry,” whispered Juliet. “We'll find one.” They exchanged smiles – nervous, faltering smiles. There would be a space somewhere. Holly's new passport would get her through customs. They'd arrive before Artemis had worked out their destination. The mesmer would cause the taxi driver to forget where he dropped them. It had to. It all had to.
They both breathed a sigh of relief as they spotted a space – at last! - and Juliet swung the car into it.
Not gonna get us
Not gonna get us
Juliet released her seat belt and turned to grab her bag from the back seat. Holly had held her own backpack in her sweaty grip for the whole journey. They grinned at each other, resisting the urge to break into hysterical laughter. They were shaking more now that they were here, now that they were safe, than either had done even during that long traffic jam.
“Ready?” hissed Holly.
“You bet,” said Juliet. They didn't break eye contact until their doors were open and they had to turn to step outside.
Neither of them had noticed that around their car there was a ring of improbable heat haze, shimmering more far intensely than anywhere else in the car park.