“I’m fine,” I mutter, my breath ragged. “The police have her, and I’m almost there.”
The van comes into view through the thinning crowd, parked like an island amidst the chaos. Koen’s leaning out of the passenger seat window, his eyes scanning the masses with laser focus. When his gaze lands on me, his face twists in relief and exasperation, the emotions battling for dominance. “I got him.”
“Koen Lane!”
My stomach sinks.
Heads swivel, and a ripple of recognition spreads.
“It’s Koen Lane! Koen Lane is in the van!”
The shouts grow louder, the crowd shifting again.
Can’t this be fucking over already?
“Fuck,” Sylus mutters while Koen pulls up the car window. “What do I do?”
“Drive,” I bark as I push off and leap to another balcony. The impact reverberates through my legs, but I keep going. “I’ll follow you. Just get moving!”
“Don’t get yourself killed, Snickers,” Koen snaps.
“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter, my eyes fixed on the van as it starts to roll forward. “Just make sure you don’t either.”
The distance between us widens, the van moving slowly, but I quicken my pace, leaping to another balcony, even as my breath starts to burn in my chest.
Keep going. Keep moving.
Sylus maneuvers through the crowd with painstaking care while people are pressing closer, cameras flashing, hands reaching out. If he brakes, they risk being trapped or worse, overrun.
The van inches its way free, the crowd thinning until Sylus can finally accelerate. One more jump. My legs coil, and I leap to a rain drain that rattles under my grip as I slide down, hitting the ground hard. My knees jolt with the impact, but I push off, sprinting after them like some other people are doing, their phones still up and recording.
We’re gonna go viral for sure.
“Slow down!” Koen demands, probably having seen me in the side mirror.
“If I go any slower, we’re done!” Sylus snaps back.
A few moments later, the van’s side door slides open, and Koen leans out, his hand outstretched toward me.
“Come on, Snickers!” he yells. “Get fucking moving!”
I push harder, my lungs burning as the pavement blurs beneath my feet, and I overtake everyone else who’s following them.
A few more steps, and I stretch my arm, my fingers grazing Koen’s. The van jolts over a bump, pulling just out of reach.
“Shit!” Koen curses, shifting forward, leaning dangerously far out the door.
Levi scrambles next to him and braces himself against the van while extending his arm toward me too.
My legs scream in protest, but I push harder, forcing one last burst of speed. My feet pound the pavement, and I leap again, every muscle straining as I throw myself forward.
Levi’s fingers clamp around my wrist at the same time Koen’s hand locks onto mine. Their combined strength is enough to haul me off the ground and into the van.
I hit the floor hard, my chest heaving as I gasp for air. The door slams shut behind me with a finality that cuts off the chaos outside, leaving only the hum of the van and the pounding in my ears.
“You good?” Koen pants, his voice rough, his eyes scanning me like he’s looking for injuries I might not even feel yet.
I nod, still too breathless to get the words out, my pulse thrumming against my ribs.
