by L K Walker
Ari refocussed on Nate's movements. He was nearly out of range again. He seemed to have taken a right turn further up the long stretch of road. Moments later, Michelle signalled in the same direction. Ari groaned. It wasn't her they were following, it was Nate, and she’d given up her head start.
twenty-six
Once her mind had caught up, Ari lurched out of McDonalds and sprinted recklessly across the road. Drivers honked their horns and people yelled as she dodged her way through the traffic. At one point, she misjudged her run, and a car nearly collected her, its brakes screeching as it pulled up. As if it might save her, Ari had stretched her hand out to halt the impact. Luckily, the car stopped short, and her hand merely scraped its bonnet.
Gasping, she reached the curb on the other side of the road. Her immediate danger was over. In the distance, she could sense the seether turning, the feeling confirmed as she watched the tail lights disappear to the right. As she ran, a continual stream of cars drove toward her and their lights grew like blooming flowers in the night. The light dazzled, and her eyes strained to see the footpath ahead of her. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead and her cheeks were warm with the exertion.
Ari ran on for another ten minutes, continually checking her watch, as if every second mattered. It seemed like an age before she could once again sense the seether. He wasn’t moving anymore. And neither was Nate. The seether must have found him. Ari balled her hands in her hair fighting off the unease.
Ahead, a motel sign glowed atop a tall post. They were there. The seether and the sentinel were together in one room. Adrenaline kept her moving, but it didn't stop her from gasping for air. No way would she be able to creep up on them sounding like a winded hyena. Unable to do anything until her breathing quietened, Ari stood behind a neighbouring fence and surveyed the area. The motel looked to be reasonably new. Low wattage lights, sparsely located along the outside of the two-storied structure, had half-circular covers that directed the brightness up and out of them like a fan. Their faint glow highlighted the building’s exterior, a rough finish plasticoat that looked dark grey and uninviting. The building itself was one long rectangle, stretching the length of the property. Out in front of the motel rooms, were a line of car-parks with only two cars occupying spaces. Ari hoped that it was an accurate reflection of each room’s occupation—just in case something went wrong. The fewer witnesses—or victims—the better. One car looked completely out of place, and she recognised it immediately. The silver BMW was parked at an awkward angle, and its doors flung wide open. The interior light glowed, giving Ari a chance to check inside. On the passenger seat was an open laptop. Ari looked closely at the screen. An overlay on Google Maps carried a tag identified as 'Arianna's cell.'
How did Nate get his hands on my phone? It didn't make sense. The seether hadn't returned her cell phone after taking it off her in Singapore.
Ari could feel Nate's presence in a room off to her left. The seether was there too. Both their emotions were heightened, drowning Ari as she opened herself to them. Now her breath was under control, it was time for action. But what was she going to do when she got in there? Give the seether a stern talking to?
She jogged around the car and sat in the driver’s seat.
Think Ari, think.
The keys dangled from the ignition, and Michelle’s smartphone sat in the centre console. Ari picked it up and studied its cover, a floral design interspersed with gold leaves. Fighting the urge to throw the phone, out of the car, as hard as she could, Ari roughly placed it back where she’d found it. She might need to use it yet.
She turned the key in the ignition, and the engine pushed out a loud hum before settling into a soft idle. She slowly, and as quietly as possible, turned the car around. The tyres gripped tightly to the tar seal, throwing the odd stone out from under them, drawing more attention to her than felt comfortable. Once the car was in position, she slid out from behind the wheel, leaving the engine running. It was orientated for a quick getaway, facing directly at the street exit.
Ari knew she couldn’t win against the seether if she took him on head to head. All she had was the element of surprise. Hopefully that would be enough and, as fast as he was, she prayed the car was faster. She crept towards the motel room, listening for familiar voices. All she could hear was traffic from the main road in the distance and a few cars as they drove past the motel entryway, otherwise, the night was quiet. She edged closer. Placing each foot carefully on the ground, she shifted her weight so as to make as little noise as possible. The grating sound of the seether’s voice came slowly into hearing. He was doing all the talking, his tone arrogant and threatening. Ari crept a little closer, and then she could make out his boasts. He was explaining how they’d found Nate. Ari was right, they had tracked her phone with an App Michelle had loaded onto it days ago.
The seether’s next words brought confusion.
“You were such a help, Nevaeh, taking the phone with you when you left.”
When she left. Had she heard him correctly? Was Neveah alive? Her body tingled with excitement, barely managing to maintain her composure.
“You’re pathetic, the both of you. And now Ari has given you the slip. You’re just worthless pieces of crap. I'll tell you where you can shove that App of yours.” It was Nevaeh, and she was as feisty as ever.
Ari stopped herself from bursting in and hugging her. She leaned her head back against the wall, and a small tear trickled down her cheek.
“Such a shame Ari doesn't have your temper,” the seether said.
Ari inched closer to the door. The dim light on the outer wall threw shadows on the walkway. Ari used the darkness to conceal herself as best she could. All the curtains in the room were closed, a glow seeping out around them framing the window. The front door was slightly ajar, and a strip of light shone over the entrance way. Now and then, the light would flicker as someone moved through its path. Ari crouched and looked through the gap. From where she was, she could see the seether and Michelle. Their backs blocked most of her line of sight, but past them, she could see part of Nate's torso. He leaned against a wall with his arms crossed tightly, biceps bulging, as if to restrain himself. All she could see of Nevaeh was a glimpse of one foot, twisted behind the leg of a chair on which she sat, right in front of Nate.
“Why am I still alive? Are you scared it might be a fair fight, now I have had all this time to recuperate,” Nate said.
“Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to knock you off. But let’s not forget your girlfriend. Who do you think she will be looking for? Those pretty little eyes of hers will be the last thing you see. But her …” Ari couldn’t quite see what he did, but Nevaeh let out a cry.
“Get your hands off her,” Nate cried out.
Ari couldn't wait much long. She turned away from the door and stared into the darkness of the car park, adjusting her eyes to the dim light. Keeping her eyes averted from the light, she reached through the door and felt for a light switch. Her hand found something better. The room had an access card. All she had to do was slide it out of the slot to turn all the power off. She placed her thumb and forefinger on either side of the card and drew it from its resting place. It made a soft click as the power disconnected.
There was a short delay before the room went dark. Ari pushed at the door. It opened without protest, and she slipped in. The startled yelling covered any sound she made. In the darkness, she followed the map in her head, hugging the wall until she got to the table, and then turning towards Nevaeh. Her fingers dragged along the wall. Even with the seether and sentinel in the room, this close, she could still sense Nevaeh. Putting her back to the wall, she headed for her, groping at the air, inching forward, until her hand rested on Nevaeh’s arm. Nevaeh shrieked.
“Hey, shush. It's just me.”
Someone was frantically flicking the light switch.
“Grab Nate,” Ari whispered, gripping tighter on Nevaeh’s arm and pulling her towards the door. There was a m
oment's resistance and Ari hoped Nevaeh was grasping for Nate. Everyone's eyes would be finding focus in the faint light and she heard Michelle's voice clearly over the rest.
“Who the hell is that? Arianna?”
As they headed for the exit, Ari could distinguish the seether standing next to the partially open door, trying to make the lights work.
They would have to get past him. Before Ari could advance further, a dark shadow streaked past her, crashing into the seether. It had to have been Nate. Together, he and the seether hit the door frame, rebounding into the door itself, throwing it open to strike the wall behind it with a crack. Ari and Nevaeh leapt over the two bodies wrestling on the ground.
In the dimness, it was impossible to tell who was who. An arm shot up at them, trying to grab Ari's leg. It retracted a fraction of a second late after a bone-breaking crunch emanated from the tangled bodies. All the while Michelle screamed, her high-pitched abuse bouncing off the walls.
Nate cried out, “Run.” This time, she did as she was told without hesitation.
Ari sprinted from the room with Nevaeh in tow, releasing her grasp only when they got to the car.
“Get in,” she called as she ran around the bonnet and jumped into the driver’s seat. Nevaeh threw herself into the passenger seat, slammed her door closed, and whacked her hand down on the lock. Ari punched the car into gear and dropped the accelerator to the floor. The wheels squealed in protest but soon found traction. The car jolted forward and out onto the road.
The seether appeared suddenly, at the side of the car, moving so quickly it seemed like he was flying. Nate followed close behind. Together, they crashed into the car, pushing the back of it sideways before sliding off the boot and tumbling onto the tar seal. Nevaeh screamed, recoiling from the danger, smacking into Ari. The sideways shift made the car snake along the road. Ari managed to correct it and they took off, the smell of burning rubber trailing along behind them. She glanced in the rear-view mirror every couple of seconds, hoping to see Nate following them, but the road behind her was dark and empty. She swerved down as many side streets as she could, weaving in and out, before finally allowing herself to relax a fraction. She pulled to the side of the road.
“You really know how to make an entrance,” Nevaeh commented, breaking the silence.
Until then, Ari had been functioning on adrenaline alone. Nevaeh’s voice brought her back to reality. Nevaeh was still alive and sitting next to her. Ari flung herself across the centre console, and awkwardly wrapped her arms around her friend, pulling her in as close as the seats would allow.
“I thought you were dead. He said you were.”
“Nope not dead, although if you don't let go of me soon I might be.”
Ari relaxed her grip.
“I'm sorry. I just took off.” Nevaeh looked ashamed. “I thought it was time to get out of there. I knew the only reason you were doing what he said was 'cause you were worried he’d hurt me. An opportunity presented itself, so I ran like a rabbit.”
“How did you get out?”
“Pure stealth.” She paused for effect. “Michelle was hungover. She fell asleep, so I snuck out.”
“You’re a regular ninja.”
“How is your hand?” Nevaeh asked.
Ari hadn't thought of the burn for a while. It had caused her physical pain, but that seemed to be the least of her worries today. She flicked on the interior light and looked at it. The bandage was falling off, exposing the wound. It looked worse than it felt. The blisters were still generally intact, which made it appear nasty, but they helped to keep the wound covered and the pain away.
The sound of police sirens in the distance cut through their reunion. Suddenly, they became aware they were sitting in a car that, in all likelihood, the seether had stolen. They leapt out, leaving everything where it was. Ari grinned as she looked down at Michelle's gadgets, scattered about the car. Ari wanted to see her talk her way out of a stolen car full of her stuff.
On foot, Ari and Nevaeh wound their way back through the streets to the motel. From the footpath, they could see the partly destroyed room was empty. A police car was already on the scene. Nate, Michelle and the seether were nowhere to be seen, or sensed. Ari kept her guard up, in case the seether was still in range. The motel facade was almost unrecognisable. It looked more like a nightclub with the walls flickering red and blue from the lights of the police car.
Nevaeh and Ari moved back out of sight. Shrubbery had been planted in lieu of a front fence, and they tucked themselves behind it.
“Wait here,” Nevaeh instructed Ari.
“Fine by me.”
Ari, hidden behind the foliage, was close enough to hear what was happening and between the leaves could see as Nevaeh walked over. The policeman had out a small flip-top, black book and was hurriedly jotting notes, the pen only having the chance to escape the paper when a new line was started. A couple in their mid-fifties stood next to him, seemingly oblivious to the look of frustration he wore. The couple continually talked over each other, their voices blending into one irritating noise, not so different from a hen-house recently disturbed. From the snippets she heard, their story diverged from facts into speculation early on. Ari was sure the couple had only heard the commotion. By their appearance, she guessed they wouldn’t have been brave enough to witness it, other than from behind a curtain. They weren’t willing to admit to that, though.
“’What's going on?” Nevaeh asked the police officer. “That's my room. What happened? Did someone break in?” The questions rolled off her tongue like a quiz show host. “Have they taken our stuff?”
The police officer stopped writing and tried to reassure Nevaeh as she seemed to be working herself into a frenzy.
“There's nothing to worry about.” The police officer spoke with conviction.
Once the police officer had answered her questions, he explained he would require a statement from her as well.
“Who were you staying here with?” the officer asked.
“My brother. The booking’s under his name.”
“We’re going to need to speak to him too.”
“Do you know if our gear’s still there?” Nevaeh pushed past the police officer and surveyed the room. “No, it’s all where we left it.”
She gathered up her bag and swung it out the door. The officer protested loudly, saying she was contaminating the crime scene. Nevaeh ignored him.
“And we won't be paying for the room, either,” she shot at the motel manager. “If you can't provide decent security, then there's no way we're spending a night here.”
“Miss,” the officer tried, “your statement?”
“Why? I didn't make this mess. When I left the room, it was fine. There’s nothing more I can tell you.”
“You will still have to give one.” She rolled her eyes as the officer pulled her back to the doorway and directed her inside. They moved out of Ari's hearing range, so she could only make out Nevaeh’s side of the conversation when she raised her voice.
Ari’s legs grew tired from crouching, so she found a soft, comfortable spot in the bushes and settled in. There was no telling how long Nevaeh would be. This was her first breathing space in what seemed like an eternity. Exhausted, she closed her eyes and let her body unwind, keeping her senses open, just in case.
Ari’s head rested on her knees, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. She looked up at the sound of footsteps to find Nevaeh standing in front of her, suitcase in tow. A taxi idled across the street, waiting. She must have drifted into sleep as she never heard it arrive.
Nevaeh stood over her with her free hand outstretched, jerking her head towards the taxi.
“That's our ride.”
Ari looked at the suitcase. “You still have all your stuff?”
“Yep, wasn't leaving it with Michelle. Sorry, I didn't manage to grab yours. Although, I did snaffle your purse. I assume it has the important stuff in it. Mind you, if I’d known they could track your mobile, I
would have left it all behind.”
Ari gave her a nod of understanding. “So where are we going?” she asked, taking Nevaeh’s outstretched hand to pull her from the ground.
“I think Nate would like to see you.” They walked to the taxi.
“You know where he is?” Ari’s voice thickened with excitement.
“Of course. This time we came up with a contingency plan for if we got separated.”
They slid into the back seat of the cab.
“Where to, ladies?”
“Ibis Airport Hotel, please.”
As they neared the hotel, Ari could feel Nate’s warmth envelop her. As soon as the car stopped, she turned to look at Nevaeh.
Nevaeh rolled her eyes. “Way you go. I'll give you a head-start,” she said as she handed over money to the taxi driver.
The concierge looked startled as Ari came barrelling towards him, a huge smile on her face. He took some convincing, but finally he told her Nate’s room number. Too impatient to wait for the elevator, she slammed through the stairwell door and scaled the stairs two at a time.
The golden numbering below the peephole indicated she had found the right room, 203. She rapped her knuckles on the door. Footsteps inside the room became louder, then stopped. The peephole changed from light to dark. The door flew open, and Ari was lifted off her feet in an embrace that blotted out all sight and sound as he spun her around. Nate returned her feet to the ground. Then, his hands cupped her face and he leaned in and kissed her, his mouth crushing against hers. Ari melted into him. Nate’s arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her hard against him. Sheer joy flooded her. Being so close to the seether had taught her to compartmentalise her extra senses. She closed that part of her mind down. What remained was love for this extraordinary man. She kissed him fervently, knowing he was what she wanted.