heart over brain

Part 16

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There is an unlocked door down the hallway, a storage of some sort. Boxes and all kinds of stuff, mouldy smell. Max pushes me inside, squeezes himself in too, it's barely enough space for us two, then closes the door after him.

He can't possibly think this is a good hiding spot. It's terrible. Even children playing hide and seek can do better.

Footsteps sound outside.

"Stand back," Max whispers

I try, but there is no place to go.

The footsteps come closer.

I hold my breath.

The door opens, light falls in.

Max reacts instantly. He punches the police officer in the gut. The man grunts and sacks in on himself, Max grabs him, pulls, knocks him out with a second punch to the face. Cold and hard and without a hint of hesitation.

The door closes again, darkness returns, there is even less space now. Limbs brush against me in the dark, I can't tell whose.

My heart races, my breath is too fast again.

"Don't pass out on me now," Max whispers.

I nod, what he can't see.

Then everything is quiet for a moment.

"Ready?" Max asks.

For what?

I shake my head, what he also can't see.

His arm closes around my back. It's warm and comforting, despite the situation.

Max opens the door and my heart stops.

He steps out and takes me along with him. That can't be right. Is he crazy? He is crazy.

"I found the girl!" he says to no one in particular. Two police officers turn, one musters me from head to toe, the other gives barely a glance.

"I'll take her outside," Max says.

One officer nods. He grabs for a walky-talky and reports; found the girl, taking her outside.

No answer comes. The two police officers turn away, continue with the search.

Max pushes me to go. We walk down the stairs, while more and more police officers swarm around. I cling to Max like my life depends on it, it probably does.

What is happening?

I look at Max. He moves with purpose, every step calculated, like he is meant to do that. He stares ahead with stoic calm, head slightly tilted towards the floor. His cap deep in his face.

The jacket. He is not wearing the security guard uniform anymore, he wears the jacket from the officer he knocked out.

This is ridiculous.

Are people really that easily tricked?

We reach the ground floor, leave through the front door. Max steers me to the right, where police cars are parked.

I spot the woman, Officer Stark, who interrogated me before. She is talking to someone not wearing an uniform, looks at me passing, recognizes me, nods at me.

She turns back to the conversation, then her head snaps at me again. Realization is written all over her face.

Too late.

Max opens the door of a police car, pushes me inside. He takes the driver seat, and the car moves.

The police woman yells and points and runs after the car, her colleagues catching on. They storm towards other cars, run, pull out weapons.

Our car turns around the corner, we are out of sight.

Max speeds the car up. Way too fast. I cling to the backseat and hiss at every turn.

"Don't worry, I am good driver," he says over his shoulder.

A strange sound comes out of my throat as response. Race car drivers are also all good drivers, but they crash all the time.

I don't think I can handle a life and death chase through the city. It's too unreal. It's stuff for movies, not real life. It's – It's – not happening.

At the next possible spot, Max hits the brakes and parks the car – parks – like perfectly normal. Like stopping to go grocery shopping. He takes off the jacket, gets out, comes around, opens my door and pulls me out. His arm lands around my shoulders again and we walk.

Police cars chasing after us pass by with sirens and blinking lights. Only one stops, the others go on.

Max steers me with him ahead, we mix into a group of people walking I don't know where.

And that is all it takes.

My legs almost give out on me when the tension releases.

"You are a professional, aren't you?" I breathe. He has to be. This was too damn daring and smooth at the same time. While my head was spinning all directions, could barely follow what was happening, he acted with an impossible certainty. I almost peed my panties, but he is unfazed like he does this every other day. He does this every other day, doesn't he? 

Oh – my – God.

"I've been on the Red List a while, if that's what you mean," he says with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"But – but VisioTec and –"  New in accounting? I knew he had lied about that, why am I even so confused?

"Yes, that's the thing they got me for. The only thing they got me for," he smirks. Laughing about the joke only he understands. His eyes spark. Like he is proud.

No, he isn't. He is arrogant.

I swallow hard. 

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