Page 28 of Under A New Moon

She could feel herself sweating hard. She could feel the tension rising in her, and she didn't know how much was just her worry and how much was what she felt coming off Galen. It was something that she'd never dealt with before.

So, she bobbed and weaved her way through the crowd. She wanted to make a break for the exit, but she needed a plan. Running would draw attention. People might get out of her and Galen's way, and that just made them more vulnerable.

Right now, the crowd was their best defense against capture and execution. Two agents guarded the exit. If they went down a hallway and tried to find another way out, they'd have to leave the crowd. Not that it would have done them any good.

These were PEACE agents, not a bunch of rent-a-cops. They'd have all the exits guarded. They had to go out the front door, or they weren't leaving this building alive. She had to figure out how to get past the agents leaning on the wall by the exit.

They just looked like two regular people having a chat, like they were waiting for someone else, which was technically accurate. She didn't know either of them, but she knew they were agents. It was the boots.

While an agent would carry an extra set of civilian clothes to blend in, shoes were bulky items that took up space in your bag that was usually more useful for things like extra ammunition.

Most civilians wouldn't see the combat boots as anything out of the ordinary. Plenty of civilians wore them. But two men in combat boots, waiting near the exit with their jackets open just enough to allow easy access to a shoulder holster, would have been more than enough confirmation for her. But what sealed it was the way they watched her.

They didn't keep their eyes on her and Galen long, just enough to track their movements through the crowd. The agents were looking but trying not to look like they were looking. Darla did the exact opposite. She watched them, daring them to make eye contact.

She needed them to see her. To recognize she was just another human and hope that would be enough to make them hesitate and give her a moment.

She and Galen had to get past them somehow. She had to come up with something quickly. They were getting closer. She wished she'd been a bit more clear-headed, and she could have pulled a fire alarm or something. But it was hard to think when she'd just seen her friend die.

If the crowd went running for the exits, anyone trying to grab them would probably get shoved to the side or at least interrogated for attempting to prevent someone from leaving a possibly burning building. While she could see a fire alarm on the wall, everyone else could see it as well.

If she walked up and pulled it with no visible sign of fire, people would know something was up and might even prevent her from leaving until authorities arrived. Once they were in police custody, they'd be dead.

She had an idea. It wasn't a great idea, but it was what she had to work with.

Truth be told, it was a long shot. And kind of silly.

But it was the best she had.

When they got close, she pointed at the window and squealed, "Oh, my God. Is that Leonardo DiCaprio!"

Several people pushed forward, some even shoving the agents out of the way to exit the building. It was the opening they needed.

There were a few looks at her as they passed through. The people who'd exited with them saw no one around who even looked remotely similar to the movie star. But a few weird glances and disappointed glares were better than a bullet to the back of the head.

She hailed a taxi and shoved Galen inside. The agents had very little chance of separating her from a civilian now. All that was left was figuring out how to slip surveillance so they could escape with their lives.

Twenty-Three

Galen

They both relaxed but only faintly. The threat was still very large, even if they got away by the skin of our teeth. They both caught their breath as the taxi pulled away. Galen took a deep breath in, going over the information in his head. He knew that the PEACE was out of the question for help now. They just shot an agent in fear of exposing the truth.

"Are you ok?" Galen took Darla's hand. He understood that this must be a difficult time, seeing your friend shot in such a manner. He could still picture the hole in her head and the scream that came out of Darla. "I'm sorry about Lily."

Darla looked at him with a pale face. She nodded her head a few times, "Thank you." She shook her head after a moment, "We have to keep moving. They will just come after the taxi."

Galen nodded, telling the driver to drop them in three blocks. It's enough time to pull Darla into a hug and to wipe her eyes. She sniffled, and he patted her back, wanting to soothe her. He knew it would be hard. He couldn't even get the image out of his head.

The driver stopped three blocks down, and they hopped out. They both surveyed the surrounding area, and Galen hailed another cab.

"What do we do?" She asked in a petrified tone. It was enough to make him wonder if going to his family was the only option they had. It seemed to be the answer, but not one he wanted.

"Well, they can't follow us by scent." He looked at her, and she nodded in agreement. "Not unless they track us through CCTV."

"We need to ditch our phones." A taxi pulled up. Galen reached for the handle. "We leave them in this cab."

Galen opened the door and allowed Darla to get in. They tried to get their bearings, and he had the driver go until he said to stop.

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