pressed up against a
wall. Elena was thankful for the stretchy fabric of her skirt as she
inelegantly climbed out of the car. Just then she heard the sound of material
ripping and sighed. So it wasn’t that stretchy.
Her
legs felt like jelly and her knees almost buckled under her weight. Lucas
caught her about her waist and held her upright for a second while she gained
her legs before taking her hand in his. They began to move quickly away from
the scene of the accident.
“Hope
he had insurance,” Lucas added as an afterthought.
Elena
narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re making jokes at a time like this?” she
scolded. Her heart rate had yet to return to normal. The adrenaline was pumping
heavily through her veins.
He
gave her a brief look. “Would you prefer sarcasm?”
She
shook her head and told herself that she would not smile. She would not encourage
such outrageous behavior. How could he stand there and pretend the last hour
did not just happen? She had never been more scared in her entire life. She
could feel the hysteria welling up inside her and resisted the urge to hit him.
Hard.
“I
would prefer good ideas,” she said instead. “Less John Wayne antics and more
Isaac Newton revelations.”
“I’ll
try to be accommodating,” he said dryly.
The
tires of a car squealing behind them caught their attention and they both
turned around. Another SVR vehicle was coming at them. Not again, Elena
thought, she can’t take much more of this. Lucas yanked her hand and they took
off running only just avoiding being hit by the Terrain as it sped towards
them.
Elena
was grateful for the tear in her skirt as it allowed her to keep pace with
Lucas’s fast, long strides, something she was sure she wouldn’t have been able
to accomplish had it not torn. She took the lead, this time pulling on Lucas’s
hand, directing him into the throng of people congregating in nearby Red
Square, hopefully losing themselves in the crowd. She squished through the mass
of tourists across the centre of the square running past the multi-colored
domes of St Basil’s Cathedral.
They
made it to the opposite side of the square, dipping into a small obscure
alleyway. They looked out onto Red Square checking for signs of their pursuers.
There were none. They had finally lost them. Relief filled her body and made
her feel almost euphoric.
Still
catching her breath she said, “It appears they have given up – for now.”
Lucas
nodded. They stayed in the alley for a while longer. They couldn’t stay out in
the cold all day. He and Elena would need to go someplace warm. The temperature
had already dropped his body warmth and could feel the cold chilling him now.
The exertion and subsequence perspiration was not helping to keep his body heat
in.
“Are
you alright?” he asked.
Elena
looked at him, her eyes misty. She was shaking. He recognized the signs of adrenaline
crashing. Her body had had just about enough. He didn’t want to have to push
her any further. He wished he could just let her rest.
She
could feel the tears threatening to spill over her eyes and tried desperately
in vain to blink them back. She knew she couldn’t trust her voice so instead
she nodded.
“Hey,”
he said softly and moved closer to her. “It’s alright.”
He
pulled her into his chest, wrapping his strong arms around her. God she felt
wonderful. Her head rested on his shoulder.
“I’m
fine,” she said and then the floodgates opened. The tears she had gallantly
fought back now trickled down her cheeks. Her ungloved fingers scrunched up his
coat as she tightened her fist around the fabric on his arm sleeve. Her other
hand rested on his solid chest.
He
could feel the sobs rack her body, but barely any sound came out her mouth
which was currently pressed hard against his shoulder. His hands rubbed up and
down her back in unconscious movement as a way to give her comfort. He pressed
his face into her hair and inhaled the scent of her shampoo
wall. Elena was thankful for the stretchy fabric of her skirt as she
inelegantly climbed out of the car. Just then she heard the sound of material
ripping and sighed. So it wasn’t that stretchy.
Her
legs felt like jelly and her knees almost buckled under her weight. Lucas
caught her about her waist and held her upright for a second while she gained
her legs before taking her hand in his. They began to move quickly away from
the scene of the accident.
“Hope
he had insurance,” Lucas added as an afterthought.
Elena
narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re making jokes at a time like this?” she
scolded. Her heart rate had yet to return to normal. The adrenaline was pumping
heavily through her veins.
He
gave her a brief look. “Would you prefer sarcasm?”
She
shook her head and told herself that she would not smile. She would not encourage
such outrageous behavior. How could he stand there and pretend the last hour
did not just happen? She had never been more scared in her entire life. She
could feel the hysteria welling up inside her and resisted the urge to hit him.
Hard.
“I
would prefer good ideas,” she said instead. “Less John Wayne antics and more
Isaac Newton revelations.”
“I’ll
try to be accommodating,” he said dryly.
The
tires of a car squealing behind them caught their attention and they both
turned around. Another SVR vehicle was coming at them. Not again, Elena
thought, she can’t take much more of this. Lucas yanked her hand and they took
off running only just avoiding being hit by the Terrain as it sped towards
them.
Elena
was grateful for the tear in her skirt as it allowed her to keep pace with
Lucas’s fast, long strides, something she was sure she wouldn’t have been able
to accomplish had it not torn. She took the lead, this time pulling on Lucas’s
hand, directing him into the throng of people congregating in nearby Red
Square, hopefully losing themselves in the crowd. She squished through the mass
of tourists across the centre of the square running past the multi-colored
domes of St Basil’s Cathedral.
They
made it to the opposite side of the square, dipping into a small obscure
alleyway. They looked out onto Red Square checking for signs of their pursuers.
There were none. They had finally lost them. Relief filled her body and made
her feel almost euphoric.
Still
catching her breath she said, “It appears they have given up – for now.”
Lucas
nodded. They stayed in the alley for a while longer. They couldn’t stay out in
the cold all day. He and Elena would need to go someplace warm. The temperature
had already dropped his body warmth and could feel the cold chilling him now.
The exertion and subsequence perspiration was not helping to keep his body heat
in.
“Are
you alright?” he asked.
Elena
looked at him, her eyes misty. She was shaking. He recognized the signs of adrenaline
crashing. Her body had had just about enough. He didn’t want to have to push
her any further. He wished he could just let her rest.
She
could feel the tears threatening to spill over her eyes and tried desperately
in vain to blink them back. She knew she couldn’t trust her voice so instead
she nodded.
“Hey,”
he said softly and moved closer to her. “It’s alright.”
He
pulled her into his chest, wrapping his strong arms around her. God she felt
wonderful. Her head rested on his shoulder.
“I’m
fine,” she said and then the floodgates opened. The tears she had gallantly
fought back now trickled down her cheeks. Her ungloved fingers scrunched up his
coat as she tightened her fist around the fabric on his arm sleeve. Her other
hand rested on his solid chest.
He
could feel the sobs rack her body, but barely any sound came out her mouth
which was currently pressed hard against his shoulder. His hands rubbed up and
down her back in unconscious movement as a way to give her comfort. He pressed
his face into her hair and inhaled the scent of her shampoo
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