was now moving so slowly as to barely register, while the red dot raced toward it.
It clicked into place that this was a display unit for a transceiver. No need to guess where the transceiver was. The men had been able to follow them from the start and now they were gaining on their position. What should she do?
The car behind her must have been leaning on their horn. The shrill noise set Nikia’s teeth on edge. With a sharp turn of the wheel, she parked the car at the curb, absentmindedly returning the obscene gesture given to her by the impatient driver as he rushed past.
Her hands shook, making it difficult to open the door handle. Nikia tried to distance herself from her fear and doubt by concentrating on the moment. Right now, she had to get Atar up and moving as far away from this car and as fast as possible. Up ahead, she could see the Charles Bridge, with a throng of people. It was the busiest group around and she hoped they could melt into the crowd as they escaped.
She opened the back door and bent over Atar, feeling his neck. His pulse was still slow but it seemed faster than the last time she had checked. He had slumped over and she heaved him to a sitting position so she could search for the dart. It was in his right shoulder and she pulled it out, not sure if it was continuing to release the drugging agent as long as it remained in him.
A line of blood trickled from the wound but her hunger was satisfied for the moment, so it didn’t distract her. She shook his uninjured shoulder vigorously. “Atar, you have to wake up right now.”
His head lolled and the quality of his breathing changed. When his eyelids flickered, she experienced a stir of hope. “Atar? Can you hear me?”
He mumbled something before his eyes closed again. Shaking him once more made his eyes open and a surly, “Leave me ‘lone,” issued from him.
Nikia looked at the terminal, alarmed to see the red dot was almost touching the green one. In desperation, she slapped Atar’s cheek as hard as she could, wincing at the sound. His eyes snapped open and he seemed aware. “We have to go. They’re coming. Now!”
Whether the slap or her urgency galvanized him, she didn’t know. Nikia was just grateful he was reacting. He held himself upright without her assistance and slid toward her. There, his strength appeared to leave him and he required her assistance to get out of the car and stand. Atar stumbled as if intoxicated, anchoring his arm around her waist. In other circumstances, Nikia would have savored each sensation that rushed through her but she was too distracted to do anything other than notice the response. With a combination of coaxing and demanding, she got Atar’s feet moving. He still leaned heavily on her, slowing them both down. She didn’t dare take another peek at the terminal, for fear of Atar falling. With his weakened condition and her migraine, it would take all night to get him up again and right now, they would be lucky if they had a minute or two.
Nikia kept her gaze focused ahead, although her senses constantly searched for danger. Atar walked alongside her as best he could, although his gait was shuffling at best. The hairs on her neck prickled as they made it to the bridge, pushing through a group of people standing close together. She deliberately dropped her hand to Atar’s pocket, covering his wallet and cell phone to discourage a pickpocket. That she had the presence of mind to think of that shocked her.
She didn’t linger in the crowd, hoping it would hide them from view. The men were determined and would search Charles Square and the surrounding area for them upon realizing they had abandoned the car.
Their progress was slow, as those loitering about weren’t eager to move. It was made slower by Atar, although he was clearly doing his best to stay awake and manage under his own power as much as possible. She kept her arm around his waist, as he did the same to her.
A stir in the crowd behind
It clicked into place that this was a display unit for a transceiver. No need to guess where the transceiver was. The men had been able to follow them from the start and now they were gaining on their position. What should she do?
The car behind her must have been leaning on their horn. The shrill noise set Nikia’s teeth on edge. With a sharp turn of the wheel, she parked the car at the curb, absentmindedly returning the obscene gesture given to her by the impatient driver as he rushed past.
Her hands shook, making it difficult to open the door handle. Nikia tried to distance herself from her fear and doubt by concentrating on the moment. Right now, she had to get Atar up and moving as far away from this car and as fast as possible. Up ahead, she could see the Charles Bridge, with a throng of people. It was the busiest group around and she hoped they could melt into the crowd as they escaped.
She opened the back door and bent over Atar, feeling his neck. His pulse was still slow but it seemed faster than the last time she had checked. He had slumped over and she heaved him to a sitting position so she could search for the dart. It was in his right shoulder and she pulled it out, not sure if it was continuing to release the drugging agent as long as it remained in him.
A line of blood trickled from the wound but her hunger was satisfied for the moment, so it didn’t distract her. She shook his uninjured shoulder vigorously. “Atar, you have to wake up right now.”
His head lolled and the quality of his breathing changed. When his eyelids flickered, she experienced a stir of hope. “Atar? Can you hear me?”
He mumbled something before his eyes closed again. Shaking him once more made his eyes open and a surly, “Leave me ‘lone,” issued from him.
Nikia looked at the terminal, alarmed to see the red dot was almost touching the green one. In desperation, she slapped Atar’s cheek as hard as she could, wincing at the sound. His eyes snapped open and he seemed aware. “We have to go. They’re coming. Now!”
Whether the slap or her urgency galvanized him, she didn’t know. Nikia was just grateful he was reacting. He held himself upright without her assistance and slid toward her. There, his strength appeared to leave him and he required her assistance to get out of the car and stand. Atar stumbled as if intoxicated, anchoring his arm around her waist. In other circumstances, Nikia would have savored each sensation that rushed through her but she was too distracted to do anything other than notice the response. With a combination of coaxing and demanding, she got Atar’s feet moving. He still leaned heavily on her, slowing them both down. She didn’t dare take another peek at the terminal, for fear of Atar falling. With his weakened condition and her migraine, it would take all night to get him up again and right now, they would be lucky if they had a minute or two.
Nikia kept her gaze focused ahead, although her senses constantly searched for danger. Atar walked alongside her as best he could, although his gait was shuffling at best. The hairs on her neck prickled as they made it to the bridge, pushing through a group of people standing close together. She deliberately dropped her hand to Atar’s pocket, covering his wallet and cell phone to discourage a pickpocket. That she had the presence of mind to think of that shocked her.
She didn’t linger in the crowd, hoping it would hide them from view. The men were determined and would search Charles Square and the surrounding area for them upon realizing they had abandoned the car.
Their progress was slow, as those loitering about weren’t eager to move. It was made slower by Atar, although he was clearly doing his best to stay awake and manage under his own power as much as possible. She kept her arm around his waist, as he did the same to her.
A stir in the crowd behind
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