Chapter 14

Elara took a deep breath to center herself and pushed out the door of the building and into the cool, crisp morning air. They had discussed how to flee and even practiced a couple of times in the past few days, but knowing it was for real today made her nervous.

“Wear the disguise on your soul,” she muttered. It was cool enough to make her cup her hands and blow into them as she looked up and down the street. It was three blocks to the subway and two to the bus stop. She knew both routes to get up to Penn Station. She chose the subway and skipped down the stairs to the street and began walking.

The street was not crowded but was still busy. It was filled with sounds of people getting on with their lives. She felt the ebb and flow of the pedestrians moving along with their lot in life. She easily flowed between them and settled into a steady distance-eating pace like so many of the people around her.

Ahead of her, she saw two men and a woman pausing pedestrians and waving a paper in front of them. Rather than trying to avoid them and draw attention to herself, she pressed onward.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” the woman agent said as she raised her hand to force Elara to pause or move around her. “Have you seen this man or woman?”

Elara glanced at the paper. Finn was not recognizable except for his glasses. His facial features were blurred, and it appeared his cheek bones were wider than she knew them to be. His chin was more pointed as well. He had explained what his glasses did to foil the facial recognition software used by the authorities, but did not have examples for her to see. She looked more closely, fascinated by the changes in the image he was able to achieve.

Her photo was of her looking like her natural self, walking down this very same street. Her silver hair stood out. She appreciated that she looked good and understood now why Finn was always watching her.

She realized she was spending too long looking at the pictures. She shook her head. “No, I don’t recognize them,” she said.

The agent’s “thank you for your time” was lost behind her as she resumed her steady march toward the subway.

Finn watched from the entryway as Elara left. He began counting once she was out of sight. She had turned toward the subway station, so he would go a different direction. He checked his phone and saw the searchers as well as three indicators for surveillance feeds.

“Drones,” he thought. Standard searching procedures would be for three drones in the area, one up high to monitor the big picture and keep track of the other drones in case someone tried to take them out. The lower pair would be used to cordon off streets that did not have active search teams. They would also look for any suspicious activity on roofs and alleyways. It looked like the searchers were serious and had narrowed the area they were looking at.

He wondered how they had found his neighborhood.

“Worry about that later,” he thought.

He slipped his phone into his bag and went to his mailbox in the entryway. He paid extra for a larger box. His key opened it, and he reached inside to find the small package taped to the top of the box. He pulled it out.

The foil lined envelope had been secreted there three months ago. He changed it every three months, since that was how long he could depend on the charge lasting. He ripped open the package and turned on the pre-paid phone.

The number associated with it would show infrequent use but should ally any simple investigation. He slipped the phone in his pocket and hurried out the door.

“Male target with a bag,” one agent said as he watched the drone feed. “Seems to be rushing.”

Pamela tapped her keyboard to show the image. The man fit the general physical description they had for Finn but appeared to have broader shoulders. Furthermore, if he was hiding, it was strange behavior. He stepped to the curb and waved his hand down the block where a cab could be seen. If he was hiding, he would not try to draw attention to himself.

She typed once more, sending the feed link to the signals team.

Minutes dragged by as she watched a cab pull up near the man.

Her screen flashed details of his phone.

“False positive confirmed,” she said as she saw his details. “Let’s keep looking.”

Finn waved his personal phone at the payment pad on the ticketing kiosk and quickly retrieved the two tickets on the high-speed train to Washington. Elara smiled at him, still in her dark-haired disguise. He handed her the ticket without being obvious and nodded toward the tunnel leading to their platform. They had almost an hour before boarding.

Elara moved with her unconscious grace toward a small eatery inside the teeming station and got in line to order something. Finn watched her for a moment as he went across the hall to a different vendor and got in line as well. While he would like to sit with her and chat while they waited, he knew he needed to stick to the plan.

They had escaped the neighborhood and now needed to get out of the city. He collected his coffee and spotted an uncommon open seat on a bench along the wall of the busy hallway. He sat and let his gaze wander over the station.

Elara emerged from the shop she had visited with a travel cup of hot tea. Even without being able to see it, he knew the tea would be some herbal blend. She did not seem to need the jolt of caffeine Finn liked throughout his mornings. Of course, the rush to leave had boosted his adrenaline this morning already.

He watched her stroll along the hallway, crossing from store to store. None of the commuter focused kiosks or cafes had much to grab one’s attention, but she was able to act as if everything she spotted was interesting.

Finn couldn’t help but feel a twinge of admiration as he watched her. He had thought her crazy, but now knew her to be intelligent, caring, and trustworthy. He believed in her as he had few others, despite their short time together. She was a perfect damsel in distress, and he hoped he could be her white knight. He realized he couldn’t deny the feelings growing within him.

He had tried to ignore them, telling himself that they were nothing more than a fleeting infatuation, an inconvenient distraction at best. Finn watched Elara move gracefully from one window to the next, her figure bathed in the soft glow of the overhead lights. He couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to kiss those painted lips, to run his fingers through her silver, silken mane.

He felt a flush of heat rise within him as he allowed himself to entertain these thoughts. Furthermore, he knew that Elara was more than just a beautiful woman — she had the heart of a fierce warrior, the devotion of a true believer, and an unwavering ally in his quest. Finn couldn’t help but be drawn to her, body and soul.

As he watched her continue her charade of window shopping, Finn felt his heart swell within his chest. He knew that the path before them was fraught with danger. Their mission would demand every ounce of their strength and determination. But as he gazed upon Elara’s enchanting form, he felt that their bond was about to take on a whole new meaning. Ever since her magic trick of guiding him to feel the forces she attributed to her goddess, he knew they were connected on some level. He was more than committed to helping her but feared what drive would disappear from his life with their success.