The Star and the Ocean (Book 1 in the Starborn Series)

Chapter Forty-Six

Even from where she stood, May could feel the bite of the spray as it quickly filled the narrow passage way. The woman shrieked in agony, clawing desperately at her eyes. Before May could think too much about it, she saw an opportunity. Raising her knee, she kicked out with as much force as she could muster. Her heel caught the woman in the gut and sent her toppling backwards again.

"Holy shit!" Em gasped. She was standing, albeit hunched and frail-looking. Coughing, May secured the canister and ran out to grab her.

Together they hobbled behind the row of shops until they found a route Em recognized. Keeping a low profile, they moved carefully through town, taking alleyways and quiet roads until they finally made it back to headquarters.

Matti leaned out from the booth just as the girls stumbled inside.

"Guys?" he asked, his face flooding with concern. "Are you okay? What's going on? I thought you were at the hospital."

"Close the door, Matti... Hurry!" Em wheezed, sliding to her knees and into a coughing fit.

Matti bumbled, torn between doing what she said and knowing that the bay doors were to remain open whenever the team was on a call. May stepped up, slamming her clenched fist on the door's down button.

As the doors rumbled to life, she ran back to Em, who shook her head. "Go grab what you can... Need to move... now."

May didn't argue. She left Em with Matti and sprinted up the stairs to the dorms.

Even though he wasn't supposed to leave the booth, Matti crossed the floor and hauled Em up in his arms.

"What happened to you?" he asked, holding on to her gingerly.

At that moment, Dom ducked in under the closing bay door.

"Yo, Matti!" he shouted. "What gives? You know the door– Oh, shit." His eyes landed on Em. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Mattie admitted helplessly. "They just stumbled in like this."

Dom helped Em stand, watching her closely. "You're supposed to be at the hospital."

Em coughed and shook her head.

"What do you need, Em?" he asked, rubbing gentle circles between her shoulder blades. He knew her well enough by now to know that arguing would get him nowhere.

"To leave," Em spluttered in reply. She took a sharp, gasping breath in and coughed again.

"Leave?" Dom looked to Matti who could only shrug helplessly. "Leave where? HQ?"

"No, leave Tenna," May answered, rushing down the stairs as quickly as she could. She had haphazardly crammed whatever of their belongings fit into the pack. Anything she may have missed was going to have to stay. "We need to get out of here now."

"Why?" Matti gaped incredulously. "What happened?"

"No time... to explain," Em wheezed. She clutched at Dom's shoulder, her eyes pleading. "Please, Dom. Help."

Dom hesitated. He glanced from Em to May and sighed.

"Okay," he relented, hoisting Em into his arms. "May, toss the pack into the truck. Matti, I need the keys."

They did as instructed. As Dom secured Em into a seat in the truck, May rushed back to grab the keys from Matti.

"If anyone comes looking for us, we were never here," she told him sternly. Matti opened his mouth to argue but she didn't give him the chance. "Please, Matti. Just trust me, okay?"

Matti didn't look convinced but he nodded nonetheless. "Whatever is going on, please be careful."

Giving a quick nod, May bounded back to the truck and slid in beside Em. She braced herself as Matti hit the switch, the doors rolling upwards.

"Drive, Dom," May said, her jaw clenched. "As fast as you can – drive."

Dom hit the gas. Em's head rolled against May's shoulder as he spun out of the courtyard and into the main street. No one spoke as the truck maneuvered the streets as quickly as possible without running anyone down.

May slumped in her seat and exhaled. Her heart was still pounding in her ears when she heard the screech of tires from behind them. She twisted in her seat in time to see a dusty motorcycle righting itself after making a sharp turn onto the road. It lurched forward - May could just make out the Loyal's hair streaming out from beneath the helmet.

"She doesn't give up, does she?" May cried, ducking low behind the seat back.

Dom glanced in the rearview mirror. "Is that who you're running from?"

"Yes!" she yelped. Beside her Em groaned.

"Shit, okay," Dom growled, passing a car in front of them with entirely too much speed. "Hold on."

He shifted gears and punched it into high gear. They tore out of town, down along the tree-lined road that wound down the mountain.

The motorcycle's engine roared from behind, gaining ground frighteningly fast.

Em lifted a hand and placed it weakly on Dom's forearm. She didn't say a word, but he seemed to understand her anyway.

"Right," he grunted with a nod. "The scenic route it is."

He wrenched the wheel, turning the truck at a violent angle and sending it careening for the forest.

May had no time to react - all she could do was scream.

***

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