Page 53 of Already Lost

Laura came back to herself as she wrenchedher hand away from Nate’s, taking in a huge gasping breath. He swung around tolook at her, and Laura realized then what was wrong – the silence. Oreyo hadgone quiet. She couldn’t hear the sound of the blade any longer.

He was coming.

“We have to get out,” she whisperedurgently, her voice ragged around the edges, and Nate must have understoodshe’d had a vision or maybe just trusted her enough to do whatever she asked,because within the space of a second he was on his feet and reaching down forher. She grabbed his arm and pulled herself up, the adrenaline taking overagain, the pressure of a vision on top of the headache she already had somehowworking in the opposite direction and giving her lightness that lifted her outof the pain and into total clarity.

They had to run.

Even now, somewhere, Oreyo was circlingaround, approaching their position, getting ready to strike. He must have seenthe light. He knew where they were.

Laura moved ahead of Nate now, gainingconfidence in each step. The headache was gone. She could see the doorway upahead, a slice of the outside world, a sky with stars more visible the closerthey got towards it. A street. They just had to get out there.

She knew she could change the future thather visions showed her. She knew she’d saved Nate’s life once by pulling himout of the place where the blade would slice in perhaps just a few moments. Butthere was still a risk. There was still the chance of a new future in whichOreyo caught up with them anyway, slashed out, caught Nate with the sword oreven her –

There was a crashing noise behind them andLaura jumped almost out of her own skin, starting to run by instinct. Nate wasright at her side. Her brain processed the noise as the clattering of the stackof crates coming down, no doubt after Oreyo had plunged his sword through themand into nothingness, not finding Nate where he had expected to find him. Helet out a shout of rage, and Laura knew then that they had to keep running asfast as they could, because Oreyo wasn’t about to let them get away.

“Come on!” she called, putting on a burstof speed and glancing aside to make sure Nate was keeping up with her. Just alittle bit further – just a short distance to the freedom of the outside – shehit the doorway and sped through it, feeling the difference in the open skyabove her almost immediately.

The cold night air hitting her hot skintold her how much exertion she had put in, how deeply the fear was hitting her.She turned her steps towards the road, racing across a wide expanse of concretethat must have once served as a loading bay for the warehouse. Nate was rightbeside her. She chanced another look over her shoulder and regretted it: Oreyowas there, framed in the doorway, the sword up in his arms as he charged atfull pelt after them.

They could beat him in raw speed over anopen space like this. They had even rested, and he hadn’t. Laura felt strongernow, clearer since her vision. They just had to stay ahead of him. They justhad to stay ahead until they reached help. Laura tumbled towards the edge ofthe loading bay, turning around the corner of a neighboring warehouse, gettinga clear view of the road –

And the sirens blasted out as the threepolice cars screeched up towards her, allowing Laura and Nate to run past theirsteaming grilles and their blazing headlights to the relative safety behindthem, officers jumping out of both sides of each car to raise guns and pointthem at Oreyo.

“Drop your weapon!” one of them shouted,and Laura recognized the voice of Captain Kinnock. “Put it on the ground andraise your hands above your head! Do itnow!”

Laura fought for breath as she watched Oreyodrop the sword with a clatter that resounded from the concrete. Nate was safebeside her, panting heavily, both his and her breath making clouds of white inthe air around them. Laura reached out to touch him, grabbing his arm and thenhis hand. Making sure he was whole. Making sure the shadow of death no longerhad hold of him. He was clean.

It was over.

They’d survived – and Artur Oreyo’s reignof terror was over.

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

The sound of hammering at the door joltedLaura awake. She opened her eyes and looked at the door in fear, instinctmaking her shrink back on the bed.

“Laura!” Nate yelled from outside. “Laura,are you alright?”

She swallowed, trying to assess herself.She didn’t even know the answer to the question. “Yes,” she hazarded, thinkingthat there were no outward signs to the contrary.

“Jesus.” There was the sound of himslumping, leaning against the motel room door. “You were screaming again.”

“Sorry.” Laura pressed a hand against herforehead. She didn’t even remember it this time, but she would have bet goodmoney on what she must have been dreaming about. Zach and Chris, again. Sheglanced at the clock. She’d only been asleep for three hours. “I’m reallysorry. Just go back to sleep.”

“I’m awake now,” Nate said. “How aboutyou?”

Laura tried to think past the confusionand the fact that she’d been asleep a minute before. “Are you asking me if weshould just head home?”

“Pretty much,” Nate said, his voice stillmuffled by the door. “We said we’d just get a few hours of sleep and then driveback, after all.”

“Sure,” Laura replied, sitting up properlyin the bed and moving her limbs to get them woken up. “You know I wanted to goout right away anyway. I only agreed to a nap because you were too tired todrive.”

Nate snorted. “Yeah, alright,” he said.“Be at the car in ten?”

“Ten it is,” Laura agreed, throwing thecovers back.

“Alright.” Nate’s footsteps moved offoutside, past her window, and then she heard the door of the neighboring roomopen and shut.

She took a breath. What a way to wake up.And for poor Nate, too. She hoped to God he wasn’t going to ask her what she’dbeen dreaming about so often.

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