Escaping was Lucas' top priority. His mind told him there was one possibility with the highest percent of success. He was going to have to bail.

The bike rider drew closer, pulling up so that the vehicle was almost right beside him. Lucas grabbed the edge of the van. It rocked dangerously, almost throwing him off balance. He kept his grip. In a quick move he jumped, target in sight.

His landing wasn't the smoothest. However, the important part was that he made it. As soon as he was behind the biker, his arms encircled the narrow waist. In response, the rider jerked the bike off the road and into the rough terrain amongst the trees.

While the foliage forced the jeeps to cut off their pursuit, the other bikes followed without hesitation.

The roar of engines pounded into Lucas' skull. Wind tore at his helmetless head and his teeth rattled as the bike jumped over uneven ground. Every bruise and cut he had accumulated in the last day screamed in protest.

The rider before him whipped the bike to the left. They shot over a small bump and were briefly airborne. After flying over an overturned log, they landed hard. Behind, a biker missed the bump. He crashed into the log. The bike roared in one direction while the biker went in the other.

Lucas dared to shoot a glance behind.

Three to go.

He pulled out the Taser. Let's narrow it down.

The bike jerked again as the rider changed course.

Lucas turned. He watched the three bikers following in their wake. For a moment he calculated their course and the possibility of it changing. It took a second for him to pick the second biker, the most-steady of the three.

This might be painful. Lucas thought before he lifted the Taser and pulled the trigger.

There was a kick. Wires flew through the air and probes latched on to the target. Lucas immediately let go. The Taser flew through the air as the victim of its voltage crashed to the ground. The bike skidded along without it's rider before coming to a halt nearby, wheels still spinning.

The other bikers shot a glance back. When they turned around, both went for the weapons holstered at their sides.

Great. Lucas' own hand went for his gun. "Weapons!" he warned the rider before him.

The direction changed and the rider began to dodge in and out of trees, making the two as difficult a target as possible. Unfortunately, that also caused problems for Lucas as he tried to get his targets in sight.

He lifted the gun, aiming for a helmet. A tree blocked his vision.

As soon as it was gone something whizzed by dangerously close and smashed into a trunk nearby. Splinters flew through the air.

Live rounds. They're not playing. Lucas aimed again. But then again, neither am I. He pulled trigger at the same time as the bike swerved.

Dirt kicked up behind the bike belonging to the lead pursuer.

Missed. A tree blocked Lucas' view again. Bark flew nearby as another bullet slammed into place. Come on. As Lucas' view cleared, he calculated the next shot. Shoot right and you can take care of both bikes. His eyes narrowed in on the lead biker's tire. His lips twitched. Laters, he thought before his finger squeezed down.

A tire exploded. The lead biker lost control, falling to the side. The other swerved to try avoid him. In the processed he tipped too far to the side. He slid into the other biker while his bike crashed into a tree.

Mission accomplished, Lucas turned back to the front.

The two on the bike continued toward the edge of the trees before they slowed down. The bike pulled to a stop. Lucas jumped off, gun still in his hands. He turned to his rescuer.

"I told you to stay put." The rider pulled of the helmet to reveal her long silky hair. Amber glared at Lucas.

"I saw a chance. I took it," the ECHO agent replied.

The distant sound of a chopper hit their ears.

"Looks like your chance has them calling everyone in." Amber ran a hand through her hair. "You're lucky I was nearby."

"I thought you'd leave me," Lucas told her. "Guess you couldn't quite bare to see me go." He flashed her a grin.

Amber eyed him. "You look like you got run over by a train." She motioned to his head.

Lucas' hand went to where dried blood streaked down the side of his face. "Awe." His grin widened. "You're worried!"

Amber placed the helmet down before her. "We need to split up." She nodded at him. "Did you get it?"

Lucas shifted most of his weight to one foot. "You think I would leave if I didn't?"

Amber nodded. She reached out a hand. "Give it."

Lucas stepped back. "What's to guarantee you won't run off without me?"

"Trust," Amber told him.

Lucas chuckled. "You know how much trust means to people like us."

Amber dropped her hand. "Fine." She jammed the helmet back on. "Let's get these government dogs off our trail first. You got an extraction point to meet at?"

Lucas cocked his head. Does he really think I would tell her? And, yet, something made him pause.

"Either you agree to meet me or I'll bring them on your trail," Amber's voice was muffled beneath the visor, however, her threat was clear.

"Maple field," Lucas told her immediately.

Amber nodded. She turned the bike back on.

"I look forward to seeing you there." Lucas winked. "Don't get caught."

"Worry about yourself," was the reply. Amber revved the bike and then turned it. In the process she sent a spray of dirt toward Lucas. He raised an arm to cover his face. By the time he lowered it, Amber was already disappearing among the trees.

"That was uncalled for," Lucas muttered as he tucked the gun away.

Turning, he took in his location. Amber had dropped him off at the edge of the tree line. There before him, was none other than Ellison High. It made the operative groan.

Why bring us back this way? He turned toward the trees. However, the sound of barking made him freeze. "Great," he muttered as he remembered his last experience with dogs. If I go that way, I'll be caught in no time. His eyes flickered back to the buildings of Ellison. This is a bad idea, a voice warned. However, his gut urged him to go for it. His gut had never been wrong.

Not letting himself waste any more time on debating, Lucas went for it. The chopper was still far enough off that he wouldn't be spotted from above. Also, the grass in this area was pretty tall, helping with coverage from the side.

The boy sprinted through it, not caring about trying to look normal. No. If someone saw him they would know immediately that he was the one being sought. His appearance called for questions to be asked.

Luckily, there were no students around. With the sun's location, Lucas guessed it was noon. Thus, most hungry boys would be in the cafeteria. He ducked into the closest building – locker rooms. It was somewhat of a relief to Lucas, as the locker rooms didn't have cameras.

He headed toward the back, to where the lockers of the football team were. He needed a change of clothes, and to get rid of the blood that screamed attention. It would help him keep away unwnanted looks. Perhaps he could blend in with the students?

He hurried into the locker room only to freeze. The sound of showers and familiar voices hit his ears.

Shoot. He took a step back. Why is the team here? His mind ran through scenarios. Did coach change the practice time? He took another step, eyes sweeping the area. Good. They're all in the shower. He could retreat before anyone saw...the door leading to the community showers opened. Lucas immediately knew there was no escape.

His whole body tensed as his hand automatically went for the weapon. However, when familiar brown eyes stared at him from under wet black hair, he relaxed without a second thought.

With nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, Nathan stood frozen in the doorway. Lucas' eyes darted behind and he saw the shower room filled to the brim with the football team. His gaze returned to Nathan and he motioned for the door.

His roommate snapped out of it. He closed the door and hurried forward.

"Dude!" he hissed.

Lucas put a finger to his lips.

In response, Nathan shot a glance behind.

"Grab some more shampoo!" a voice called.

The door cracked open.

Nathan moved. He pushed Lucas behind the lockers. Here, he opened a door and shoved the boy inside, going with him.

A musky smell hit the boys' noses.

Lucas' eyes took a moment to adjust, but when they did, he realized they were in the large storage room at the back. Deflated footballs lay around in an unorderly fashion and a broken net from a goal was bundled up in a corner. Lucas had forgotten about this place.

A click made him turn to see that Nathan had locked the door. The boy then reached for a switch.

Light flooded the room.

A wide eyed Nathan whirled to stare at Lucas.

"Dude! Where did you go?" he asked not all too quietly.

Lucas pressed a finger to his lips again.

Nathan nodded. "You just disappeared!" he hissed a lot quieter. "They said you were called home for a family emergency but..." he trailed off, eyes going wide. He pointed at Lucas. "Is that...blood?"

Lucas' hand went to the offensive stain. "Guess I must have hit my head." He tried to brush it off as he attempted to figure out his roommate's reaction. There was no hostility from the boy. It made Lucas certain he really wasn't an agent...or just a really good actor.

Nathan groaned as he turned away. "You got involved in something big, didn't you?" His towel slipped and he quickly grabbed it before readjusting it. "Man. Did your cover get blown or something?"

There was a crackle of static. A moment later, a voice blared over the school speakers. "This is an emergency drill. All students, please proceed to your dorm rooms and check in with your dorm head," the announcement blared. "I repeat. All students. Return to your dorm rooms and report to your dorm head. Those who fail to do so will have points deducted."

"Seriously." Nathan shot a glance at the door. "Now?"

Lucas didn't move as his mind worked. This wasn't good. They were taking away his chance to mingle with the students. Empty the school grounds to make the hunt easier.

"Nathan." He looked up. Outside the sound of the chopper grew louder to signify it was above the school. "I need to get off the school grounds."

Nathan furrowed his forehead.

"I repeat..." the announcement began again.

Complaints could be heard from the direction of the showers. The boys weren't hapy at the interruption.

For a moment, Nathan and Lucas stood in silence.

Lucas watched as his friend's twinkling brown eyes were taken over by a serious look. "They're after you, aren't they?"

Lucas nodded. There was no point trying to hide it.

Nathan turned to the door. "You'll need a change of clothes." He unlocked it. "Wait here." With that, the boy disappeared.

Lucas stood by himself. His eyes darted to the dusty window at the back. It was high up and small, but he could squeeze. A stab made him clutch his stomach. The lack of adrenaline was making him excruciatingly aware of his wounds. Not to mention the mental exhaustion and strain added on by the truth serum.

Not yet. He tried to secure the lid on the box of pain.

The teen looked back to the door.

The rational part of him urged him to flee. You can't trust anyone, it argued. However, an emotional side refused to give in. Nathan won't betray you. He's helped so far. He isn't one of them. He wrestled with the two sides.

In the end, the emotional side won. Lucas knew he might regret it. This wasn't the way ECHO had trained him. But for once, he was willing to believe in someone else.

The door opened not long after. Nathan slipped in. He closed the entrance on the loud voices behind where boys rushed to get changed and follow orders of the endlessly repeating announcement.

"Here." Nathan tossed a bundle.

Lucas caught it. He eyed the uniform before looking up to note that Nathan had slipped back into his sweaty football jersey and pants.

"You might also want this." Nathan handed over a wet towel.

Lucas took it and immediately began to work on rubbing his face and head. He ignored the pain. The red stains being left on the towel didn't bother him so much, but he saw Nathan eyeing them.

"Did I get it all?" Lucas asked a moment later.

Nathan motioned to his forehead and so Lucas wiped it again. His roommate nodded.

Satisfied, the ECHO agent bunched up the towel and tossed it in a corner. His shirt followed. Next, the gun was deposited on the ground.

"Dude," he heard Nathan gasp.

Lucas ignored him. He knew that his new bruises and wounds were openly visible. However, he didn't look down or let himself think about it. Nathan had seen his old scars before, he didn't feel like he needed to hide the new stuff.

e pulled on the uniform. It fit him well. Fastening the last few buttons, Lucas scooped up the gun and stuck it into his pants.

Nathan leaned against the door as he watched, a troubled look on his face. "How bad is the situation?" he asked softly.

As he tied the tie, Lucas glanced up. "Life and death, I guess."

"You guess?" Nathan shook his head. His eyes darkened. "Don't die, man. We'd miss you."

Half done with tying the tie, Lucas froze.

"You die. No one will miss you," a harsh voice from his training days echoed in his mind.

"Sure." Lucas returned his attention to fixing the tie.

"Lucas..." Nathan paused. "You're not with the government...are you?"

Done. Lucas looked up. He evaluated his roommate's facial muscles. There was no tension, no threat. No surprise.

"How long have you known?" Lucas asked calmly.

The other teen shrugged. "A while."

Lucas nodded.

"Well." Nathan straightened. "Let's find a way to get you out of–"

The door rattled and Nathan jumped. Lucas tensed, prepared for action.

"Yo. Nathan!" Peter's familiar voice yelled. "What you doing in there?" The door shook again.

"Shoot." Panic crept into Nathan's eyes. "I thought they didn't see me."

"Nathan!" Danny, captain of the football team, joined in.

The door shook.

"Uh..." Nathan looked around. "Just checking for balls!" he yelled.

There was silence followed by roaring laughter.

"Checking for what?" someone yelled.

Nathan slapped a hand to his face.

Lucas backed toward the window. He made a motion to it. Nathan nodded.

"Look man," Peter called. "Whatever you're doing...can't you do it later?"

"We need to head to the dorms," Danny added.

"Go ahead without me!" Nathan called as he and Lucas got to the window.

Lucas made a reach for it.

There was suspicious silence on the other side of the door.

Lucas shot a glance back before turning to Nathan. The boy held out his hands, offering to give a leg up. Lucas took it. He placed one foot in and was about to jump when a loud crash stopped him.

Nathan and the ECHO agent slowly turned.

They found themselves staring at Peter, Danny, and the entire football team behind them. The door lay on the ground.

Complete silence filled the room.

"Huh?" Danny asked, pure confusion on his face.

"Lucas?" Peter stepped forward. "I thought you went home?"

"Shoot." Nathan glanced up and met Lucas' eyes. "Run," he mouthed.

Lucas didn't move. He knew he could try make a run for it. However, the confused expressions of his teammates held him there. His eyes ran over the boys as he searched for possible ways to get out of this.

I could go for the window...make a run for it. But that would leave Nathan to explain things. He felt frustration. If any of them raise the alarm... A second idea came to him. Take a hostage. He didn't like it, but it was an option. Pick one. Get off campus using them as a shield. It's risky. But might work... If they didn't shoot him from behind that was.

Finally, a last thought flittered across his mind as he met the confused and questioning gazes once more. Ask them for help, a small voice urged. Never rely on anyone else, a voice reminded him. When you're on the field, no one is on your side. His eyes darted to Nathan. Or are they?

As he let the options run through his mind he knew he needed to pick one in the next few seconds, otherwise his window would close and the game would be over.