The Great Escape (6 page)

Carridine, but when she darted her head around for a quick look

behind her, she saw that he was quite definitely gaining on her.

There was nothing else for it. She bent her head, clenched her hands

into fists, and burst into a quick- footed, agile sprint that made her

previous pace look as if she'd been standing still. People turned,

looked and pointed at the two running through the airport and any

other time Dee might have been embarrassed, but at the moment she

had something else on her mind. And she could run. She regulated her

breathing, concentrated on nothing but the rhythm of her speed and

the path before her, and ran as if she were racing the hundred- yard

dash, putting everything she had into it. Just in front of her a worker

pushed a cart of luggage right into her way and, being too close to

slow down and stop or to try and avoid it, she merely increased her

speed, lengthened her stride, and picked up her feet at the appropriate

moment. She sailed right over. Then she swerved abruptly to her left,

ran through the double glass doors, and picked up her speed again

until she was running at maximum strength.

After a moment she risked a quick glance behind her to see if she had

by any chance lost Carridine when she had ducked out of the door,

and she saw him, even closer this time and still determinedly

sprinting after her. She turned, her breath coming in huge, controlled

gasps, and stubbornly fixed her mind on running still faster, then she

reached down inside her somewhere, called for a little more speed, a

little more energy, and her body gave it to her. She actually increased

her speed, still sprinting full out and punishing her body dreadfully as

she pelted down the sidewalk. It was more than a quarter of a mile

now, easily, from the airport.

She couldn't believe it. She was a daily jogger, in excellent shape, and

she was a talented runner. She could race at high speeds for incredible

distances, and few men could even keep up with her, and yet he was

actually gaining on her! That man was good. The only thing she could

hope for, short of a twisted ankle, was that 'he would burn himself out

before she in such a bruising sprint. Most short-distance runners

could pick up incredible speed, but they tended to burn out quickly.

They couldn't keep the pace up. She could only hope that he was not

in as good condition as she was.

She could hear the footsteps pelting on the sidewalk behind her and

somehow, teeth gritted and face grimacing, she managed to step her

pace again, slightly. Her breath was coming in great starving gasps,

and with every heave red-hot molten fire bolted through her lungs.

Her blood pumped painfully at her temples, and at the back of her

eyes. Piercing throbs were shooting through her head as her body

protested against this punishment, and she wondered, as she heard the

closing footsteps and Mike's harsh, laboured breathing just behind

her, which would break first, her body or her mind.

And just then something was flung like a bolas around her two slim

legs, and she came down heavily on the sidewalk, the breath knocked

cruelly out of her. She doubled up, gasping for air, her arms wrapped

around her sides, and Carridine let go of her legs to lie beside her,

panting as heavily as she, his lips pulled back to reveal white, gritted

teeth. He pulled himself to his knees, wide chest heaving, and rested a

moment.

'Damn, you're fast!' she heard him say, shaking his head and drawing

one hand across his brow. His dark hair was windblown and tangled,

she saw, and one shaking hand went to her own. Her eyes had slewed

to him when he spoke, but she was still fighting too hard to get her

breath back to respond. 'But you weren't good enough, sweetheart.

All the same, it was a hell of a try.' He stood and reached down a big,

supportive hand, and she crouched for a moment, just looking her

fury and hate at him. He merely looked indifferent, and she slowly

reached out and grasped his hand with her own.

He gave a great heave and helped her to her feet and, with a sudden

swiftness that was like a striking adder, belying the bruising and

exhausting race she'd just run, Dee came out of her crouch with the

full force of her moving body and the power of her rage, and planted a

crippling right hook hard on Carridine's jaw.

SUDDENLY horrified, she watched his head snap back with the force

of her blow, and he took an involuntary step backwards, for balance.

Then, his head coming down and his jewel-green eyes leaping with

fury, he jerked out his right foot and knocked her legs out from under

her. Dee went down like a sack of potatoes, hard on her hip, landing

with a panting grunt.

They were both totally oblivious to the passers by who were watching

avidly, curiously, staring and pointing. Dee curled up on herself on

the sidewalk, wincing from the pain of her fall and rubbing at her

bruised hip. She just went inward into her misery, anger and outrage,

and, yes, fear. She didn't try to get up or move; she just sat on the

pavement with her head bent and cried.

Somewhere above her head she heard an impatient- sounding, gusty

sigh, then two gentle hands came under her arms and lifted her right

up off the sidewalk and deposited her on her feet. Then, as she

refused to look up from under her curtaining fall of bright hair, she

felt a strong, heavy arm circle her slender shoulders and steer her

around the way they had come. They walked this way for the half a

mile or so back to the airport's parking lot, in silence, close together.

Dee didn't really know why she didn't object to his arm around her,

especially when he was definitely the enemy in her eyes, and a great

personal threat to her way of life. All she knew was that her defiance

and anger had crumbled and she was succumbing to the need for

personal support and human contact, something she had been denied

for too long.

Back by his dark green sedan car, Carridine asked her suddenly, the

sound making her jump, 'I saw you by the storage lockers. Were you

putting something in one that you'd like to retrieve before we go?'

She nodded, keeping her face averted. They then walked inside and

she got her knapsack, doing her best to ignore the stares of people.

They left, and as she climbed silently into his car, he asked her

quietly, 'Would you like to go back to your apartment? It's a little late

in the day to do much of anything else, I'm afraid.'

She nodded again, biting her lip and staring out her window. There

was a moment of stillness, and she could feel his regard, but she still

couldn't turn to look at him. She was too afraid that she'd burst into

tears again, and she didn't want to feel humiliated any more than she

already did. Finally he started the car and eased out of his parking

space, and she found the courage to speak. 'I lost my temper. I'm sorry

for hitting you.'

She nearly jumped out of her skin when a firm hand came down on

her jeans-clad knee, squeezing briefly before returning to the steering

wheel. 'I don't blame you, child,' he replied mildly. 'I would have felt

like doing the same, I guess. I'm sorry for knocking you down. Are

we even?'

Dee stole a quick look at his profile as he turned out on to a street, and

though his brows were lowered, he was smiling slightly as he cast her

a sidelong glance. Then memory returned and realisation hit her, and

she withdrew to her side of the car, as far as she could go, saying

tightly, 'Not quite.'

His smile disappeared and his expression became remote. He nodded

curtly and commented. 'Fair enough.' And for the rest of the drive

back to her apartment, he concentrated frowningly on the road.

They managed to miss Mrs Gordon as they went up the stairs to her

tiny apartment, and after entering, Deeturned and asked him politely,

'Would you like to have supper now? I was planning on having

hamburgers tonight and I'm afraid ground beef is the only meat I have

unfrozen. We could have meat loaf, if that would suit you better.' Her

blue eyes as she looked at him were expressionless, blank. She was

doing her hardest to keep her expression schooled into that blankness,

because inside she was still teeming with waves of rage and

resentment at this man who had the power to upset her life so

completely. She wouldn't let him see it, though. She'd already shown

too much. Her eyes travelled to his left jawline, as she thought of her

blow, and she was inwardly satisfied to see that there was a slight

mark there.

Mike was leaning against the doorpost, his green gaze narrowed on

her face, his brows lowered as if in puzzlement. 'Hamburgers would

be fine,' he said slowly, considering her closely. 'But if you would

prefer, we could go out to eat. There's no need for you to cook

something here, if you'd rather not.'

Her expression never changed. She just regarded him as

emotionlessly as if he were the refrigerator, and said, 'I'd rather not

eat out, thank you. Not only do I get my fill of restaurants at work, but

I really don't have the money to spend.' She turned around and pulled

out the meat, pleased with her slight dig at him.

She couldn't see his face, but she could tell from his tone of voice that

he was displeased with what she had said as he replied briefly, 'I

would of course pay for your meal, since it was my invitation.'

The' anger inside her flickered up again, and she turned to stare at him

coldly. 'And would you mark it down as expenses? But of course you

would, and eventually it would be my money that would pay for my

meal, wouldn't it? It's ironic, isn't it, that my money is paying your

fees to find me, when it's the last thing in the world I personally

want?'

His face tightened into a dark anger, but he obviously made an effort

to control himself as he said quietly, 'But it's your aunt and uncle who

are paying my wages, not you, so I believe this conversation is

irrelevant.' And his expression was cold, repelling, but something

hurt and angry inside of her made her retaliate.

'My dear sir,' she drawled nastily, her eyes supremely bitter, 'who the

hell do you think supports my aunt and uncle? Good old Howard

hasn't worked in at least five years.'

He had begun to turn away, but at that he swivelled sharply back, his

face wearing a look of frowning disbelief. 'Do you mean to tell me

that your money is supporting your guardians?'

Her insolent pose dropped suddenly and her eyes fell away as she

turned back to the hamburger and the stove. She reached out an

absent hand and switched on a burner, her head bowed and shoulders

hunched. She had no idea how young and vulnerable she looked at

that moment, as if the cares of the world were residing on her

shoulders alone. He stared at her as if he couldn't look away. 'They're

living in my house,' she said simply, as if that explained everything. 'I

used to love that big old lovely home.' Her eyes stared unseeingly at

the drab wallpaper behind the stove as her nimble fingers shaped a

meat patty. She shook herself briefly, and glanced at him leaning

down against the cracked sink. He was very near, with his shoulder

nearly touching hers, and his arms were folded across his chest. He

was regarding her intently and she saw concern again.

Her eyes went carefully blank and her lips smiled. 'Would you like

one hamburger or two?' she asked him politely.

'Two, please. Dee, didn't you have anyone to talk to, back home, to go

to for help? Wasn't there anyone you could have turned to, instead of

running away?'

Her mouth twisted and it was an ugly sight. 'Do you want to watch the

evening news? I think it's time, if you would turn on the television.'

She didn't look at him, slamming that door she had so briefly opened

with everything inside her. 'I like to listen to it while I fix my supper.'

Silence, no movement. Then a strangely weary sigh. 'The news would

be nice. Perhaps after supper we could --'

She said with a chatty deliberation, Interrupting whatever he'd been

ready to suggest, 'There's a good movie on tonight and I've been

wanting to see it. I missed it at the movie theatres. We can watch it,

since we aren't leaving tonight after all.' She flipped the grilling

burgers deftly, then she put vegetables on to cook. 'Where in the

world are you going to sleep? I don't suppose you would trust me to

stay quietly in my bed tonight?'

'No,' she was assured with a hard amusement. 'That's the last thing I'd

expect from you. I'll just bunk down on the floor by the bed, I think.