please.”
After an endless second he nodded, inched his left arm up.
Her heart constricted. “Sweet heaven―”
“Not the time for—gentleness.”
Swallowing, she knelt under his arm, eased it across her shoulders. He used the rail to lever himself up. Maura supported him, cringed at every breathless gasp. They moved forward, John clutching the metal bar like a lifeline.
A hindrance before, the crowd became their ally—a shifting, panicked mass that spilled into the well behind them, a barrier against the AO cops literally crawling after them.
John slipped when they reached the marble floor leading to the terminal. Only his grip on the rail saved them from a fall Maura knew would have destroyed any possibility of escape. Just inside the entrance he released her, leaning against a flared pillar.
“No, John.”
“You have―a better chance, without me.”
She studied the pain-taut face.
“This has been your goal since you learned about your friends, hasn’t it? You planned to get us this far, then sacrifice yourself for me. Redeem yourself.” The coldness, the bitter anger now made sense. He had been trying to distance himself. Give her no reason to stay with him. “Sorry, John. It’s not going to happen.”
“Maura―”
“I owe you my life. I owe them the same.” He flinched, stared past her. “Did you think I would forget? That I would repay you, repay them, by running away, leaving you here to die?” She moved to him, twisted her fingers into the front of his uniform. “It didn’t work. I still care.”
“Damn it.” Swallowing, he laid his hand over hers, finally looked at her. “Let go of me, and get over here.”
Relief left her lightheaded as she obeyed. She was afraid she was going to lose that battle. John hooked his right arm over her shoulders, stepped past the pillar and into the main terminal.
Orderly, neverending lines shuffled through the soaring, cathedral-quiet space. Maura locked her arm around his waist as John moved between the lines and picked up speed. His harsh, uneven breathing scraped across her heart, his weight grinding deeper into her bruised shoulder with each step.
Ignore it―we’re almost there―
“Clear the terminal!” Darwin’s voice shrieked through the PA, exploding the silence. “Daniel is here! Clear the way for AO!”
The robotic humanity surrounding them erupted into a panicked mob.
John pulled Maura to the nearest pillar, used it to shelter them from the chaos. She looked up at him; blood stood out like carnival paint on his shock pale face.
“Take the corridor to the left. I will hold our pursuit.”
“I’m not―”
“Follow the corridor until you reach the lavatories. I marked your door—yours has been removed, but mine will remain untouched. Look for a black chevron in the upper right corner. No, Maura.” Shaking fingers brushed her lips when she started to protest. His touch stilled her. “It has to be this way.”
He cradled her cheek, studied her face with those vivid eyes.
Blind and in a crowded room she would know the caress of that gaze.
“John, please―”
He kissed her, gentle, heartbreaking. It tasted of goodbye.
“Go.”
Dropping his hand he stepped away, swept out of reach by the human turmoil.
“John—” She started to go after him—and got caught in the surging crowd. Someone shoved her and she lost her balance, her scream drowned by the panic around her.
Strong hands caught her, lifted her, and led her to the relative safety of the wall. When she turned her breath stuck in her throat. It was the woman she had seen outside the terminal her first day here.
“Maura―” Soft brown eyes scrutinized every inch of her face. “Oh, sweetheart, I’ve been frantic.”
“Who are you? How do you know—”
“I am Celeste.” She pushed hair off Maura’s forehead, fingers shaking. “Anthony was my son.”
Oh, God— One hand covered her mouth, tears blurring her vision. “I am so sorry—”
“You
After an endless second he nodded, inched his left arm up.
Her heart constricted. “Sweet heaven―”
“Not the time for—gentleness.”
Swallowing, she knelt under his arm, eased it across her shoulders. He used the rail to lever himself up. Maura supported him, cringed at every breathless gasp. They moved forward, John clutching the metal bar like a lifeline.
A hindrance before, the crowd became their ally—a shifting, panicked mass that spilled into the well behind them, a barrier against the AO cops literally crawling after them.
John slipped when they reached the marble floor leading to the terminal. Only his grip on the rail saved them from a fall Maura knew would have destroyed any possibility of escape. Just inside the entrance he released her, leaning against a flared pillar.
“No, John.”
“You have―a better chance, without me.”
She studied the pain-taut face.
“This has been your goal since you learned about your friends, hasn’t it? You planned to get us this far, then sacrifice yourself for me. Redeem yourself.” The coldness, the bitter anger now made sense. He had been trying to distance himself. Give her no reason to stay with him. “Sorry, John. It’s not going to happen.”
“Maura―”
“I owe you my life. I owe them the same.” He flinched, stared past her. “Did you think I would forget? That I would repay you, repay them, by running away, leaving you here to die?” She moved to him, twisted her fingers into the front of his uniform. “It didn’t work. I still care.”
“Damn it.” Swallowing, he laid his hand over hers, finally looked at her. “Let go of me, and get over here.”
Relief left her lightheaded as she obeyed. She was afraid she was going to lose that battle. John hooked his right arm over her shoulders, stepped past the pillar and into the main terminal.
Orderly, neverending lines shuffled through the soaring, cathedral-quiet space. Maura locked her arm around his waist as John moved between the lines and picked up speed. His harsh, uneven breathing scraped across her heart, his weight grinding deeper into her bruised shoulder with each step.
Ignore it―we’re almost there―
“Clear the terminal!” Darwin’s voice shrieked through the PA, exploding the silence. “Daniel is here! Clear the way for AO!”
The robotic humanity surrounding them erupted into a panicked mob.
John pulled Maura to the nearest pillar, used it to shelter them from the chaos. She looked up at him; blood stood out like carnival paint on his shock pale face.
“Take the corridor to the left. I will hold our pursuit.”
“I’m not―”
“Follow the corridor until you reach the lavatories. I marked your door—yours has been removed, but mine will remain untouched. Look for a black chevron in the upper right corner. No, Maura.” Shaking fingers brushed her lips when she started to protest. His touch stilled her. “It has to be this way.”
He cradled her cheek, studied her face with those vivid eyes.
Blind and in a crowded room she would know the caress of that gaze.
“John, please―”
He kissed her, gentle, heartbreaking. It tasted of goodbye.
“Go.”
Dropping his hand he stepped away, swept out of reach by the human turmoil.
“John—” She started to go after him—and got caught in the surging crowd. Someone shoved her and she lost her balance, her scream drowned by the panic around her.
Strong hands caught her, lifted her, and led her to the relative safety of the wall. When she turned her breath stuck in her throat. It was the woman she had seen outside the terminal her first day here.
“Maura―” Soft brown eyes scrutinized every inch of her face. “Oh, sweetheart, I’ve been frantic.”
“Who are you? How do you know—”
“I am Celeste.” She pushed hair off Maura’s forehead, fingers shaking. “Anthony was my son.”
Oh, God— One hand covered her mouth, tears blurring her vision. “I am so sorry—”
“You
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