Rustles

Part 15

Nathan was waiting downstairs with Tony, William and Robin. It was past sunset and they were dressed again like military. She had quickly pulled on a green wind jacket and soft ballerina shoes.

“Come on!” Silver was loosing her patience, when she yelled from the open door. She was pushed in and before she even had time to sit, was flattened between the guys on the back seat.

Nathan immediately took off and while he drove with speed only normal for someone suicidal, Silver was leaning back and yelling her the information.

“He got out maximum an hour ago. We’ve tracked him down to Cardon roundabout!”

Margaret’s heart beat heavy in her chest. “But that’s nearly on edge of the city!”

“If he gets on the fields, we won’t catch up!”

She didn’t need to tell her that – that’s where the circus was! Six Scanias covered in bright colors and filled with all their equipment including pair of elephants and tigers, horses, ponies and their offices. This circus had 30 people on the spot in any given moment! They always had their tents put up there, because it was the largest area to get their main tent up!

The signals coming on the screen caught up in volume.

“He is two streets ahead!” Silver reported comparing the blue screen with GPS.

There was one chance out of seven that it was Alex and she couldn’t even ask them. But it wasn’t logical – why would he want to get out again if he had just had himself caught up? So it had to be someone else. This wasn’t much of a choice either, because that meant she had to point the finger again and with their trigger-happy attitude, that meant loosing another man.

“Um…” she wanted to warn them about the circus, but Silver shouted next coordinates and her tiny voice was lost.

“Guys…”

“Step on it, Nat! We’re up to our necks if he gets away!” Tony was impatient and irritated more than before.

“There’s a problem with his direction!” She had to yell to be heard over all their commotion. That did the trick and she had all their attention now.

“What kind of problem?”

“Black Swan is camping there!”

“Black what?” Twin grabbed her shoulder and pulled her around to see her eyes. She hit herself against something hard and metallic. It was big and cornered, but not one of their regular weapons.

“Circus! They camp there!”

The swearing was worth the news. If it wasn’t hard enough to find him in city noises, then in a field with good soil and six trucks and constant noise it was impossible.

“Guys?” Nathan hit the breaks and pushed them all off their seats. “I have passed him! You’ve got two minutes!”

That was their signal and they got off. They were on the street that ended with Cardon roundabout. She could hear the sounds of the men building defenses around their site and putting up the last of the animal’s resting places. Some lights flashed up high when the lights were tested and for mere seconds the entire sky lit up, when the full lighting was tested.

The two minutes went too quickly and right when Nat got the car’s motor stop, she felt fast rumbling heading straight at them.

“Behind you! He is following the curbstone!”

They immediately turned their guns at the pavement, but the moment she had said it,  she felt the road under her rise for mere seconds and fall back and the man had passed them.