The Starling Saviour

Chapter 60

'We have no other option,' Oliver pointed out. 'Sorry, there's only one helmet.'

'I can't decently sit on a bike wearing a dress as short as this,' I protested. 'And I'm wearing heels!'

After a few seconds of deliberation, I realised there really was no other way, and so I ditched my heels and held onto Oliver tightly as we sat on the bike and drove off to the Dodger's location.

'We're mobile, where is he?' Oliver declared down his earpiece as we raced down the road and between the queues of cars beeping at us. 'Talk to me, Felicity.

'First time anyone's ever been grateful for traffic cameras,' Felicity replied, sounding rather preoccupied with something, which I guessed was using her tablet she always carried round with her to access the traffic cameras. How she was doing all this while a bomb collar was around her neck truly astounded me.

'He's one block from your position. If you cut through Harris Plaza you'll end up right behind him.'

We turned a sharp left and Oliver drove down the middle of the plaza, where we cut past people enjoying a pleasant, quiet evening until we got there, Oliver directing the bike down a flight of stairs and managing to pull it off without any accidents. I'll just say that I was fairly frightened and I could see my life flash before my eyes as Oliver launched the bike from the top of the staircase.

I was amazed I hadn't fallen off at this point.

'Where is he now?' Oliver questioned as I was too scared to talk while I was hanging onto Oliver for dear life.

'I got him, I got him,' Felicity answered rapidly shortly after her discovery. 'Grey Sedan driving north at the light ahead of you.'

We swerved between more lines of cars, Oliver spotting where Felicity was referring to.

'Dead ahead, good. Okay, hard right.'

We were feet away from the Dodger's car as we twisted and turned behind his vehicle, the Dodger taking us to a narrower street.

'Got him,' Oliver growled with accomplishment.

As we pulled up on the right hand side of the car, the Dodger tried to knock us off balance, nudging the side of the car into us, making Oliver become more unsteady with his driving. Temporarily losing him, we found him closely up ahead, not able to gather up speed as he crashed into traffic cones and striped barriers in the tunnel that soon would be our destination.

With the flick of his wrist, Oliver threw a large arrow-shaped dart into one of the wheels of the Dodger's car as we drove up beside him, the punctured wheel losing air and causing the car to crash into another parked one, turning into its roof and glass shattering everywhere. The bike screeched to a halt, Oliver and I jumping off the bike at once.

'Do you think he's... Alive?' I whispered to Oliver, trying to catch my breath as I brushed my windswept hair out of my face.

Why had I even bothered straightening my hair for the fundraiser if I was going to be chasing down a jewel thief on a motorbike?

We cautiously neared the car, not knowing what to expect. Two arms shot out from under the damaged shell, the Dodger propelling himself to his feet but first having to kneel on the broken glass underneath him in order to stand up. However, he seemed to not have a scratch on him once he had stood.