The Radical (Unity Vol.1) (18 page)

A
t King’s Cross we headed swiftly to the Underground, still relying on that wing and a prayer. Not only were Officium after us but we knew how members of the public so loved justice and with our mug shots displayed everywhere, well… It wasn’t just emissaries we had to contend with, Officium had made sure of that. In a bid to disguise myself I tucked my hair in my jacket and snatched a hat from someone’s bag but Ryken was more difficult to hide. We were so close to safety.

We
got to the escalators and filed to the right, keeping our heads bowed as we sank into the white tunnels beneath ground. Ryken insisted I stand in front and had a protective hand resting on my shoulder. I did feel a certain sense of pride with him at my side and also, if I had wanted anyone with me, I would have always chosen him. I knew having watched him slay all those emissaries back at Mara’s that there was more to this man than military and medical expertise.

Ryken

I couldn’t resist the temptation to look behind us and check if we were being followed. Thankfully, I didn’t see anyone. Near the bottom, however, as we were just about to move off toward the platform to get on another train, I felt a looming presence behind me. The shadow of the person to my rear suddenly eclipsed my own, which was a rarity. I could almost feel their breath on my neck. Emissaries were nothing if not predatory, mindless and darn cocky, giving themselves away too quickly half the time. This one quite clearly wanted to intimidate me.

Commuters o
n the Underground knew to keep their distance, there was escalator etiquette, and yet this figure was continuing to move in. For a split second, I looked down at the step I stood on and up at the one behind me. I saw the unmistakable boots of Officium’s enforcer; steel toecap, black, laced, shiny never grimy. The feet of that man were millimeters from my own, standing right on the edge of the step preceding mine.

We were seconds from the bottom and
I had to act fast. There was a train coming and I saw my opportunity. With the crowds just nearby and chaos to hide ourselves amongst, it was our only hope.

Damn it
. At the last minute I realized there was a shadow in front of Seraph too, a woman with an almost invisible earpiece in, I read the almost imperceptible signals. We were cornered. No time to think. I quickly positioned my elbow in place, concentrated my energies, and dealt a severe blow to the man’s abdomen.

I
swirled and caught him as he was about to fall. We looked into each other’s eyes for a second and I knew for certain the man I had just winded was an emissary. I could see the killer’s senses going into overdrive in a bid to overcome his current predicament. I didn’t spare him any mercy, he didn’t deserve any. I was too quick, dealing another severe blow to the emissary’s groin with my knee, before draping the guy’s crumpled body over the rubber handrail, gesturing to passengers behind that he had probably had too much to drink.

I
turned back to Seraph and pulled a stray strand of hair away from her ear to whisper, ‘Knock out that bitch in front of you once we get to the bottom.’

She turned and placed her fingers over mine
on her shoulder, seeking reassurance from my touch. I gestured behind me and she saw the wounded man, getting the picture instantly. I would gladly protect her until my dying day, I already knew. She similarly calmed me by raising an eyebrow. She turned her eyes to the woman to see the female emissary looking from side to side in preparation for action.

Seraph winked.
‘With pleasure.’

I reached my lips out to brush against her cheek and she nodded
to let me know she was ready.

Seraph

Nearing the very bottom of the longest escalator I had ever traveled, I noticed the female emissary turn and look stupefied by the sight of her partner in a crumpled mess. I took advantage of this brief moment of confusion, taking the woman by the shoulders, before forcing her into the throngs of people swarming the platform. Another train neared and took the heat off us. Most were only absorbed by the need to get on, jostling with each other. I imagined half the people there would simply not be able to fit so it was a battle or face waiting for the next one.

I still wasn’t feeling great so there was no time for flair. I just needed to deal with the harridan as quick as I could. I
hit the woman in such close proximity and so fast that nobody would have seen it even if they tried. My forehead hit her right between the eyes, disorienting her.

As
I saw her being carried by the crowds in the direction of the exit at the end of the platform, Ryken’s large hands grabbed my shoulders to steer me and we were pushed onto a train.

Once the carriage
doors closed, I allowed myself a breath. Pushed up against Ryken, I linked my arms around his waist and held on to steady myself. I needed rest and that was all I knew. He held me up and I relished his fingertips gently stroking my cheek. It occurred to me then that perhaps we were the only couple in existence both fleeing for our lives and simultaneously falling in love. I hadn’t the time to think through the ramifications or halt this journey we were on. I had spent so many years being stalled in my pursuit of the truth that if this was the way I was finally going to get answers, I would take it and run with it.

Minutes later, we spilled out of the carriage along with everyone else. We weren’t far from our destination; the Green Park tube station was only spitting distance from the Ritz once we were out of the Underground. This time on the escalator, we both ran all the way up, past dozens of passengers that were politely filed to the right-hand side.

We
continued to use the crowds to our advantage once out into the open air, but it didn’t immediately appear as if we were being followed. I half watched Ryken talk to a naïve-looking young Rail Guard and ask her for directions to the Ritz, which was clearly just in the distance. I was slipping already, my mind awash with exhaustion and an edge of despair. I was becoming totally reliant on him getting us out of there. My body and mind were starting to fail me on an epic scale.

She gave him the route generously, alo
ng with a warm smile I didn’t fail to notice. When the crowds pushed us all together, I vaguely saw him smile so bright in return that she didn’t notice him steal off with her tech-taser and stun gun, which had been tucked in her safety belt. The woman officer had obviously been far too distracted by Ryken’s smile.

Setting off in the direction of the imp
osing cream building, up ahead on the right, Ryken caught my hand and pulled me through the crowds with him. His fortitude and determination was the only thing holding me up. The smell of body odor, fast-food vendors, pungent sewers, warm diesel from the Underground – topped off with the scent of freshly-fallen metallic rain – proved an unpleasant distraction from the danger we faced.

We weaved our way there as fast as we
could but the throngs hindered us somewhat. A man even taller and wider than Ryken suddenly presented himself in front of us, blocking our way, but Ryken’s forthrightness assured me that he had a plan – that he wasn’t afraid made me fearless too. Ryken loosened his grip on my hand and got out the tech-taser, using it on his opponent. Seconds later we swerved around the juddering body of the emissary.

We
were yards from the hotel entrance. I could see it all lit up ahead. Our only obstacle was several opponents lining the entrance, perhaps a dozen in total, though we had not yet been spotted by them.

We
stopped to look at each other in despair. There was no chance we could get past all of them. The crowds jostled us as we stood stationary but we had to grin and bear our elbows and shoulders being shoved.

We
had no idea what to do and stood defeated, our chests heaving, bellies empty, heads dizzy with adrenalin. We were exhausted, emotionally and mentally drained.

Somewhere i
n the distance, above the din of the street, I heard my name being yelled.

‘Miss Maddon, Miss Maddon!’

Back the other way, on the other side of the street, a large steel door had been opened in an alleyway next to a windowless, brick building. I saw the voice was coming from a woman dressed in a uniform and grabbed Ryken’s hand, motioning we start bashing through the swarms of people to head for seeming safety.

We had no other choice and I
was willing to take any chance at that moment. We launched across the treacherously uneven road without even checking for traffic.

We made it to the door and it
was just slamming shut when we heard heavy footsteps running determinedly our way. The door closed with a reverberating thud and a number of deadlocks automatically clunked.

We fell
against the white walls of the corridor, breathing heavily with relief. Our minds were trying to catch up with our bodies, which had been running on a fight or flight instinct for the past 24 hours.

The woman, a petite blonde with doll-like fe
atures, helped me up.

‘Seraph Maddon?’

I nodded weakly in response.

‘
Ashoka Rees, assistant manager. My husband Carl runs this place but he’s a bit preoccupied at the moment. Can I just say, what a pleasure it is to meet a relative of Eve’s, she was the most amazing woman, I can’t tell you.’

‘Uh-huh, I know you can’t tell me
.’ I stared her in the eye so she got the idea that Ryken didn’t know my aunt was the
Operator
. ‘Listen Ashoka, right? We need to rest, we need somewhere to get changed and washed. We’ve been through hell to get here.’

‘Well, it may not seem
like it but you’re at the Ritz alright. You’re in the private wing. Only our most distinguished guests get in through this entrance! You don’t have to worry, those people following you have no knowledge of this part of the hotel. You’re safe now. Anything you want or need is yours.’

I
looked over at Ryken and saw he was almost recovered too, yet our breathing was still heavy. We had been mentally prepared to fight.

We
followed Ashoka as she led us down the dimly-lit tunnel and when Ryken pressed his hand against my lower back as we made our way through the maze, I felt a jolt of electricity shoot through me. I was becoming powerless against it.

After a few turns, we
found ourselves at an elevator. Ashoka gestured for the two of us to get in and she followed. She took us to the fifth floor and out of the lift into a richly-decorated corridor, with deep-pile green carpets and cream damask wallpaper. We were inside the private wing of the hotel, I reasoned.

We reached a door
with
King William Suite
written in gold lettering and felt as though we were being accorded the greatest of luxuries. Ashoka pressed her thumb against a wall panel to gain entry and a computerized voice rang out, ‘
Ashoka Rees, welcome
’.

If only our
minds and bodies hadn’t been shot to bits, Ryken and I might have actually been able to enjoy the lavish surroundings. We found ourselves in a spacious drawing room with gold carpet, delicate glass chandeliers, an elegant writing desk, two wingback chairs at the bay window with sky-blue, paisley upholstery, plus an impeccably polished mahogany furniture set of coffee table, side-tables and a tall semicircular console on which stood a colossal porcelain vase containing a huge bunch of pink roses that must have been real.