Sudden
fear gave her strength. The teenager hurried to the parking lot. It
took her a moment to remember that they had arrived in a red
convertible. She went to the car and fumbled with the key in the
light rain. She glanced over her shoulder when she thought she saw a
shadow move.
Sandy
noticed the fob on the keyring and pushed the button to unlock the
car. She tossed the bags into the backseat and got into the driver's
seat. It took her a moment to figure out which key fitted in the
ignition, which was remarkable since there was only one key on the
keyring.
Once she
had done all that Selina had asked of her, Sandy sat back. She
started brushing the water off her jacket sleeves and head. That itch
was still annoying her so she undid her pants and pulled it off,
taking care not to remove her shorts too. She reached back for the
green bag and unzipped it. As she was searching through the bag for
pants, the car door beside her opened. Sandy turned in time to see a
man in a large overcoat reaching for her.
That was
definitely not Selina. And Sandy should have locked the door. And she
really, really should not let her mind wander when she was being held
around her face! His hand was wet and dripping water on her and, no,
stop thinking about unimportant things!
The man
twisted Sandy's face toward himself, possibly to have a good look at
her. His own features were hidden by a wide-brim hat.
Sandy
wanted to scream but she was too afraid.
Then the
man pulled out a knife.
Sandy's
fear shot through the roof. Instinctively, she caught the man's arm
with both hands in a desperate attempt to keep the knife away from
her. She was successful in stopping the knife. But she could not
prevent the man's other hand from closing around her neck.
Then the
man fell on one knee. He released his grip on Sandy's neck.
Selina
was there behind the man. She struck the back of his head with her
bracelet. She grabbed the man from behind before he hit the ground.
Then she dragged the man onto the corridor beside the parking lot and
propped him against the wall.
Selina
went back to the car. "Move over," she said.
Sandy
slid over into the passenger seat.
Selina
entered, kicked Sandy's discarded pants aside and started the engine.
She reversed the car. Once they were out of the hotel parking lot,
she said, "We'll stop somewhere, get a different disguise. We'll
have to switch cars again."
Sandy
yawned. "Why did we have to leave in such a hurry? You got him,
didn't you?"
"I
got the two that I know of," Selina told her, "They may've
friends, or told someone and... the security camera."
"What
about the camera?"
"The
hotel security camera. Forgot about it." Selina accelerated
down a straight road. "If the clerk isn't asleep, he might've
seen me fight that man in the parking lot. He'll call the police.
"The
police alone isn't bad - they're on our side. But others may be
monitoring the police frequency. We've to get away fast."
Sandy
held her elbows. "I wish you'd just kill them all and finish
this."
Selina
glanced at Sandy with narrowed eyes. "Dead people leave bodies
and bodies attract attention. Besides, I don't know how many of them
there are. One or two I may be able to handle. Three, I'll have to
leave you and run."
Sandy's
eyes grew wide. "You'd leave me?"
Selina
looked at her again. "Face it. If I can't save you, there's no
point dying with you. That's how it works in this business."
"But
don't you care for me?" Sandy asked.
As they
waited for the traffic lights at a junction, Selina twisted towards
Sandy. "That's why I'm trying to avoid the situation in the
first place," she snapped, "and that's why we're running."
Sandy
was tired. She wished she could sleep. But it was difficult, knowing
that there were people who wanted her dead. If she nodded off, she
might never wake again. "Can't you leave me somewhere safe and
take care of them?"
The
light changed and Selina accelerated. "You've been watching too
many action movies," she chided, "The people back at the
hotel are only one team. You've at least two other teams after you
that I know of, perhaps even more that I don't know of. They may not
be as good as Nick, that first man who was after you, but they are
many. Whoever wants you dead really wants you dead."
Sandy
sat back in her seat silently. That many people were out to kill
her!? "How're we going to handle so many people?"
"That's
why we're running and hiding," Selina told her.
***
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