On the Run

Chapter 2
On the Run

CHAPTER 2

6 MONTHS LATER

They were living in a rented apartment 400 miles from those looking for them, under fake names and had pulled 4 robberies netting them about $100K a, nice chunk of cash, but not enough to get away and live out their lives on a tropical island money.

Her ability to get inside places, and his to get into the safes had made them a good team. And she had warmed to him a lot, although they had separate bedrooms, he had been very confused by his feelings for her, he should be attracted, but he felt more like she was his younger sister, her seeming childlike appearance making him not feel any sexual desire towards her, and this protective feeling only made stronger when he realized she hid a lot of it, with the heels, as she was only 4”1” without them, and her breasts which he had admired so long ago, were just a stuffed bra,,,sharing a bathroom he sometimes saw her naked and she was very pre-pubescent .He learned she was actually 19 ,but it was hard to believe. He also observed that her dark hair was now showing its blonde roots, she obviously dyed it to look more mature.

She told him almost nothing about her past except hints that her childhood was very miserable , that her parents had kicked her out when she got arrested for drugs, one night after too much tequila she told him about her condition “bruchmakers symdrome” a rare condition effecting body growth, sort of stopping it before puberty, there were only 2 or 3 other cases in United States, but a laboratory in Czechoslovakia was researching it in hope of finding a cure or at least how to trigger development. Her plan was to get enough money to go there and try to get in on program, even buy her way in.

Later that week Joe got a tip about a jewelers getting a delivery of diamonds, maybe $50 million worth, part of a somewhat gray area tax scheme, they would be sitting for several nights, and this was a store they had already cased, as a possibility.

They discussed and decided that they would go for it, this was the big score!!

But once they had finalized our plans ,,Joe decided that this was the opportunity to start putting his own plan into action, his plan to change Amber from an adult to his daughter/ward .

Two nights before the job Joe made a visit alone to a hospital pharmacy, the alarm a doddle and stocked up with various drugs, in tablet and as Injectable. His previous training as a pharmacist now paying dividends.

He visited a few contacts, one of which he had already asked for some specific type of ID, something that would stand up to scrutiny. Then some shopping at Walmart and a few drugstores. He put all the items I had acquired in a suitcase and left it at the railway left luggage

He knew Amber took hormone pills she has been told may help her condition or at least hold it at bay, but one day when she was safely away from the apartment, Joe emptied all the capsules and refilled with a concoction of his own making, including lithium, a mood stabilizer to calm her down and less tense,,,He noticed almost immediately she was calmer, more placid.

The robbery went off perfectly, Amber went into the store about an hour before it closed and hid in the back office, secreted behind the sofa ,they knew from their groundwork that the staff left within 20 minutes of the store closing, she texted Joe to let him know when she had disabled the alarm, and he slipped round to the side door which she has opened at his soft tap, He entered and quickly opened the safe and took the diamonds while Amber was busy checking for any other valuables he put part of his own plan into action, her jacket was lying on the sofa she had been hiding behind, He slipped her cell from her pocket and slid it under the counter, out of view but where it would be found ,they then left the scene, getting out and to the van.

They then drove using a circuitous route, ditching the tools in the river. Then back to the apartment and over some champagne, checked their haul, more diamonds than Joe could hold in one hand, easily 30 million, maybe the 50 suggested. By the time she finally crashed into bed it was nearly 4am.Once she was asleep he slipped out and drove to the local TV news office, and with his hood up dropped a package in their mailbox. he returned back and set his alarm as he wanted to be up before her.

Joe got up a few hours later, and did his preparations, first he removed Ambers keys from her purse, he had put a second keyed both sides lock on the door, saying it was a bad area, and it was safer. When he went out later he did not want her leaving the apartment.

Next he dosed her morning orange juice, with a dose of scopolamine, this would make her very open and vulnerable to suggestion, he also put a little Halcion to keep her drowsy, and compliant.

Then he sat on the couch and turned on the TV and scanned through for news channels.

It was just as he hoped the diamond robbery was the top story, and with the “tipoff” Joe had given them, that Amber had been in the robbery, plus a nice clear picture of her, and how she was wanted by the police.

Suppressing a smile he dashed to Ambers room, and woke her telling her they were in trouble, he dragged her naked except her panties out to the TV, and she watched the report as it rolled again

“Where’s your phone you stupid girl,,,the other news station said a phone was found at the scene!!”

She checked her jacket, and obviously it was not there.

“I don’t know” she said “It was in my pocket I am sure”

“Well ,,you obviously dropped it there, and it had your fingerprints all over it, so the cops know you were there. How long do you think it will take someone from this neighbourhood to see you on the news and call it in?”

She sat weeping…and apologizing, he poured her a large glass of orange juice, and told her to go take her pills and put something on while he thought what they could do, as their original plan to stay here for few weeks then leave the country was out the window.

When she came back he said to her “Ok ,we will need a new plan, first of all we have to get the diamonds out of here, just in case it gets raided, but it’s too risky for you to go outside, so I will take them, you remember the place we stopped and there was that gnarled old tree you liked?,,,well I will bury them there, then go and see a few people, find out if I have been identified or not, and see what I can come up with to get you safely away”

She looked dubious,,”How do I know you won’t just take off, cut your losses and disappear with the diamonds”?

“Honey you know you can trust me, I would not let anything happen to you, I will be maybe a few hours, you have had a big shock, it’s important you stay here”

She looked very scared, something he had not seen on her before ,he hugged her , comforting her

He sensed it was a risk still at this stage, but it felt right as he carried in his arms into her bedroom, and lay her on the bed

“You look tired ,why not get some more sleep, and I will be back before you know it”

He tucked her up in bed ,and kissed her forehead “bye sugar, don’t worry I don’t blame you for this, anyone could have lost their phone” Just reinforcing how it is her fault in her mind, the scopolamine hopefully making it stick in her mind.

He left quietly locking the door behind him, and headed for the city Centre, the truth was he really did not have to sort anything out as he had done it all in advance. He went and spent a couple of hours killing time drinking coffee , He then sat by river, destroying all his ID making sure nothing he had linked to Joe Thornton or his current alias then headed to a storage car park where he had left the 2014 Ford focus he had bought some weeks earlier, the van had been left with keys in it a short distance away, so that will get stolen and further muddy the trail.

He went to the station and collected the suitcase he had left there earlier. Then in a quiet place he hid the diamonds in the lining of the case.

He had got new identities for both of them, a young widower and his 8 year old daughter, both fully back stoppable, He had already opened a bank account in his new name, rented a house in a smallish town 200 miles away. The photo ID even sort of looked like him, with a few changes to be made.

He also enjoyed doing some more shopping for his new daughter the last few weeks, getting everything to change her appearance, and disguise her age and real identity. Everything 8 year old girl would want or need.

Checking his watch he had been away nearly 3 hours, so he went back, parking the new car near the rear entrance.

He went up and unlocked and entered the apartment quietly, taking the suitcase and a large tote bag with him.

Hearing him, Amber came running out from the bedroom and hugged me, “I was so frightened, I kept thinking the police will come, or you would run away”

“Now you know I will never leave you baby” He told her as he hugged her

“Ok now let’s get you some dinner, then I will tell you what I have arranged, I have a plan but it will take a lot of effort, patience and acceptance on your part”

He left her on the sofa and got her dinner, heating up some spaghetti Bolognese in the microwave, and a glass of apple juice to which he added another dose of scopolamine.

She sat at the table and quickly ate her meal, Joe sat watching her thinking how childish she looked sitting at the table on a tall bar stool, when they first came here her had referred to it as her “high chair”, and she had got very annoyed, but recently he had used the term several times and got no reaction, obviously one effect of the suggestive mode she had slipped into. When she had finished he reached and wiped some spaghetti sauce from her chin with a napkin.

“Bring your juice and come sit on sofa with me honey, and I will tell you what’s going to happen”

So with her siting with his arm around her supportively he started to explain.

“Well as you know the police are looking for you, and we can’t stay here, according to some contacts I have they are not on to me, we needed some new identities, but at last minute there were few to choose from at my contacts. The best I could get was a father and daughter”

He waited to see her reaction, but she seemed to take in well so he continued “ she is a bit younger than you, but that you can get away with it and the few pictures of her are couple of years old,, so you won’t have to be 100% ,we can just change your hair to match hers, I got what we need ,I will also have to change my appearance, cut my hair and dye it”

From a folder he took some documents “So from now on I am John Sinclair, my wife died in Canada of cancer, and you are my 8 year old daughter Emily Sinclair”

She looked stunned then for the first time in weeks the anger she used to exhibit “I won’t do that!!,,,everyone thinks I am a child as it is and I am an adult, I won’t ,do it,,,I have fought to be treated like an adult the last 10 years, and you want me to give it all up??”

Joe looked at her, and even her temper now seeming more a tantrum “Well the other option is to try to get out of town, you need some disguise and this seems perfect, use what has been a curse to your advantage ,it won’t be for long just till the heat is off”

“Would you rather spit the diamonds now, I can go get them,,,I will take my half and go, after all its not me they are looking for”

The fire in her seemed to dampen at his words, she said” Oh please don’t leave me,,,but is there no other way?”

“Well not at the moment, we need to act quickly and get moving,,,we can get ourselves changed this evening and leave very early in the morning, with less people to see us”

“Ok ok I will do it” she said quietly

“No ,WE will do it, together” he said as he lifted her onto my knee for the first time

“Now let’s quickly go over our new identities, what is your name?’

“Emily Sinclair”

“Good, and who am I?

“John Sinclair “

“No ,well yes I am, but what else am I?”

“My father”

“Ok,but that’s not what a child would say is it?”

“My……daddy”

“Yes and a proud one” as he stroked her hair

“And how old are you Emily?’

“I am 8 years old”

“And where is your mummy?”

“She died “

“It may be better to say she has gone to heaven and look sad, that way they are less likely to ask more questions about her”

Emily nodded in agreement

“Ok,, now what I need you to do now ,is while I get myself changed, go pack everything you want to take into the your red suitcase,,,and be sure to leave nothing here that would give them any clue”

Joe now John went into the bathroom taking the tote bag with him and took out some electric hair clippers, and 15 minutes later his previously long shoulder length hair was reduced to an even one inch all over, and his beard was gone leaving him clean shaven for the first time in 15 years. He took off his usual t shirt and jeans, and put on a pair of tan pants and a sports shirt. The sort of thing a father would wear, not the grunge look he always sported.

When he came out Emily was finishing up her packing, and looked hot and sweaty, one effect of her condition was lack of stamina, and tired easily. He went and got her a glass of juice, and adding some lithium ,he needes her to stay on balance, he also put in some temazeapan, a strong sleep aid so she would be dopey and compliant for the next couple hours.

She sat on the sofa drinking her juice, and he ran her through the drill again, drumming into her that one mistake could cost them both.

“Yes John I know, and I promise I will remember everything”

“Well there’s a mistake already…do you think a child would call her daddy by his name??,, I think it would be good if you got into the habit don’t you?”

She looked abashed “yes Daddy”

“Ok sugar ,what I am going to do is cut your hair a little, and then lighten it a little ,so let’s go” He picked her up and carried her over to her high chair

“Ok first we need to get any make up off…” he used several cotton pads with makeup remover, and took off the little make up she wore to try to look more adult, then took out her skull ear studs, and replaced them with cute red crystal teddy bear studs.

Moving her and her chair over to the sink he wetted and washed her hair thoroughly ,a lot of the built up grease and color coming out just by this, then he combed in the lightener solution.

“Keep your eyes closed, this will sting in you get any in them” But she was almost asleep anyway.

He combed it again still wet with the solution, and with sharp scissors, cut her bangs even straight across, then cut the rest off just above her shoulders removing at least 12 inches. Her head keeps dipping as she fights to stay awake

Judging that by now the treatment had matched her roots to the rest of her hair and cute ash blonde he rinse it out thoroughly, and dried it.

Once again he brushed it, amazed how her lank hair is so fine and pretty now, he put it in two high pigtails, using several elastics to make them stand up and out.

[img align=left; footer=’’; border=0; showfooter=1;]http://www.ararchive.com/images/stories/ewriting/5668/thumb/girls-super-cute-hairstyles_cl.jpg[/img]

She is still drifting in and out as he carries her to his room, lays her on the bed, and takes off her shorts ,panties, bra and top, once again noticing how much padding her bra has, and how she only has tiny buds for breasts. As she lays there asleep he gently tries putting her thumb in her mouth, she keeps it there for about 20 seconds before removing.

As he dresses her he occasionally reinserts it, hoping to engrain it as an unconscious action.

He opens a pack of assorted Disney kids vests and panties, and as he hoped the vest is a little tight, further flattening her chest, then pull up the panties over her hairless crotch.

[img align=left; footer=’’; border=0; showfooter=1;]http://www.ararchive.com/images/stories/ewriting/5668/thumb/undies.jpg[/img]

Then he puts a nice but not too childish long sleeve T shirt, skirt and knee socks on her, let her start out slowly, before some of the cute stuff he has in the case.

he leaves the red shoes ready to put on her when he is ready.

[img align=left; footer=’’; border=0; showfooter=1;]http://www.ararchive.com/images/stories/ewriting/5668/thumb/red_skirt_set.jpg[/img][img align=left; footer=’’; border=0; showfooter=1;]http://www.ararchive.com/images/stories/ewriting/5668/thumb/red_shoes.jpg[/img]

John leaves her still sleeping on the bed, and go into her room, and open up the case he told her to pack, he goes through it, and the only things he takes and put in the tote bag is her folder relating to her condition, and the clinic details. The rest is just clothes, makeup, underwear and shoes, none of which are suitable for his little girl!!

Anything identifying he tosses in the sink to be burnt, the same with stuff from her purse, he keep her medication that he had exchanged.

Then he quietly unlocks the door and does a few trips to the garbage chute, including her case and purse.

He also on impulse grabs a few sachets of honey which Emily had taken from the diner for her French toast

Checking on her, she is still sleeping, he tries the thumb trick again, and leave her with it in her mouth, as he takes the bags down to the car. When he returns she is stirring, he can see her thumb is wet, so she must have kept in for a while

After doing a final check around the apartment, he gently wakes Emily

“Come sweetie, time to go.”

Her puts the shoes on her feet, and lift her off the bed and stand her on the floor.

“Do you want to walk or daddy to carry you?”

She is still only semi-conscious and looking at her own reflection in the full length mirror, the image of a little girl.

She does walk but unsteadily out of the apartment and along corridor, but holding his hand

“Nearly at the car sugar, and then you can go back to sleep”

She looked up and murmured.” Yes Joe”

“Remember honey I am not Joe or John, I am daddy, it’s important to remember, now I think I had better carry you down the stairs”

He carries her ,her head on his shoulder down and to the car, and put her in the car seat in the back, and strap her in securely. He had modified the ordinary safety latch with a stronger spring, and it took a right sequence to release it, he did not want her undoing it, for her to have to depend on him for everything.

With her safely on board,, he started the car and drove till they were clear of the area, he could hear her breathing sleeping deeply, he pulled over in a discreet spot, and put some honey on her thumb and guided it to her mouth, he then stopped every 20 minutes or so for the next 4 hours and repeated it. Each time it seemed to stay in her mouth longer.

He did not want to stop anywhere for any length of time till they were well clear, on one of the honey stops, he took a leak at side of the road. He had to hope Emily did not need to go, that it could wait, he had some training panties in the case, but it was too soon for those!![img align=left; footer=’’; border=0; showfooter=1;]https://www.dropbox.com/s/7tkklx31lta5axk/car%20seat.JPG?dl=0[/img]