THE BEAST ─ five hargreeves

[ 039 ] in which kenny returns

XXXIX.

i n w h i c h
k e n n y r e t u r n s

—IN HINDSIGHT, Zara probably should've blurted out her affections for Five nearer to the end of their little road trip. But, fool that she was, she had told him only ten minutes in, and they were now stuck together until they reached the Academy.

This was just awkward.

They were at least fifteen minutes away from their destination. Maybe twelve if Five kept stomping down on the gas pedal the way he was now.

At least, she thought, Five had been nice about it. He had said, quite simply, that he didn't give a damn about her. He had skirted around it a little, had bothered with platitudes and apologies, but he had been clear. Zara appreciated that. It was better to be clear about these things.

The car climbed a long slope and came out on the road over the ridge. Below them the little green leaves shivered a little in the chill of a grey Spring night.

Five was looking intently into the small rearview mirror.

He said suddenly: "I forgot Kiki back at the Academy."

"She'll be fine."

"How can you be sure?"

"She's smart. She knows to fly away if there's danger."

"That's good."

"Yeah."

Again, that fog of awkwardness began creeping over them. Zara cleared her throat. Then she cleared it again.

"Look, Five, about what I said—"

"You didn't mean it. It's fine. Don't worry about it."

Five was looking in the rearview mirror again. He put his foot down on the accelerator. The car responded. Zara glanced at the speedometer. They were going over fifty-five. Presently, the needle reached sixty . . .

Zara looked sideways at Five's profile. She knew the occasion warranted speed, but the winding road hardly justified the pace they were going. There was a grim expression hovering around his face.

He said: "Look over your shoulder, Zara. See that car way back there?"

"Yes."

"It's an Audi A1."

"Is it?" Zara was not particularly interested.

"They're useful little cars, low petroleum consumption, keep the road well, but they're not fast."

"No?"

Curious, thought Zara, how much Five knew about the most mundane things.

"As I say, they're not fast—but that car, Zara, has managed to keep its distance, even though we've been going over sixty."

Zara turned a startled face towards him. "Do you mean that—"

Five nodded. "The police, I've heard, have special engines in ordinary-looking cars."