The Long Run (Prequel to Time Loop)

Chapter Eighteen

The ride to London was much more awkward than we had both expected. The morning after our intimate endeavors in Finland, we both had been hungover and weren't sure how to react about the situation. So instead of being normal adults and talking it over, we just decided to pretend like nothing happened and went on with our adventure.

I'd be lying if I said I regretted that night, and I felt like there was some truth in what was said the night before. But I worried that it would ruin whatever relationship we had already developed.

I paid our ride down to London, which was quiet and awkward as I expected. It was strange to be back in London again, seeing familiar sights, smelling familiar scents, hearing familiar sounds--I had entered a realm of the past. And the potent waft of guilt had returned.

"Can we discuss what happened back at Finland?" Erik finally spoke up, causing me to almost gasp in shock. I turned my focus from the thin glass window back to him.

"What is there to say?" I asked.

"I can't pretend like nothing happened. And I know you can't either," he said, keeping a low voice so the driver wouldn't eavesdrop.

I sighed, fidgeting nervously with my hands. "Okay...I had a good time. Even though we were completely intoxicated," I admitted with a slight smile.

Erik chuckled, "So we are on the same page, I see."

"But, what does this even mean?" I asked.

He shrugged with a grin, "Whatever you please."

That didn't help. "Well, what do you want?" I asked, looking him in the eyes curiously.

"I want you."

My face flushed red in embarrassment, my gaze shifting away from his. He was sweet, but I knew to well what that meant for his fate. We were already getting too close. "You don't know what you want."

"Of course I do, I-"

Erik was interrupted by the sound of a gun shot and the windows of the front of the car smashing into tiny shards. The car abruptly stopped in the middle of traffic and the driver slumped back against his chair, with a bullet wound right through his skull. I reached over to the front, pressing my two fingers in the space between his neck and chin. There was no pulse.

"He's dead," I said grimly. The car was shot at once again and this time the window beside me shattered, causing me to jolt up in shock.

"Come on!" Erik grabbed my hand and quickly led us out the car. More bullets whizzed by us swiftly and Erik tried his best to fling them away. We crouched down, running between slowly moving cars, trying to put more distance between us and the shooters.

"Wait!" I held my hand up and everything around me stopped in place. The cars no longer beeped and no more bullets were heading our way. Everything was mute except for the sound of me panting. I whipped around, searching for our attackers only to find two people in a black car, frozen in place with their guns aimed our way.

Letting go of Erik's grip around my wrist, I ran over to the vehicle. Getting a closer look, I saw that it was a man and a woman, dressed in all black. I had no inclination as to who these people were, but I knew they must have been working for Shaw. He knew where we were. Quickly, I yanked their weapons out of their hands and shoved them in the duffel bag I had hauled over my shoulder. I stood there for a moment, staring at our attackers, unsure of what to do with them. I didn't have the heart to kill the two, but I knew they would still come after us if I did nothing. In the spur of the moment, I just went with intuition and punched both of them in their faces, causing them to slowly move back a bit from the momentum of my fist.

After I was sure they were left empty handed, I ran back to where Erik had been and grabbed his hand as time flowed once more. "What do you mean 'wait'?" Erik asked with furrowed brows.

"Nothing, let's go," I told him and we kept on running around the corner of the nearest building. I wasn't sure how long we had been running but I knew we traveled enough distance to be safe in the meantime. My feet were killing me and we were both already gasping for air by the time we stopped at some local coffee shop.

I bought us both tea, setting them both on the round wooden table as I sat across from Erik while he opened up that little blue book again. He flipped through the pages frantically, looking for who knows what. "I don't think we should go," I muttered before sipping my warm drink, feeling the smooth liquid slide down my throat. If we weren't running from people who wanted to kill us, this would have been a quaint place to spend my time.

"Why not?" He asked, his eyes still focused on the writing.

"Hmm..I don't know, maybe because we almost got killed today by Shaw's people?!?" I whispered hoarsely, though I had startled a few people around us.

He finally glanced up from the book, looking at me with wide eyes. "How do you know they worked for Shaw?"

"When we were running, I used my powers and," I leaned closer to him, glancing around the room nervously, "I got a closer look at them and took their guns. The only people who I could think would be after us is Shaw. Maybe he heard about Finland and knew we would be coming here next."

"What you're saying is this might just be another trap," Erik frowned.

"Most likely."

He sighed in frustration, closing the blue book. "Then what do you suggest we do? This was our best lead."

"I think..."I bit my lip nervously, knowing what I was about to suggest was going to be a terrible idea, but at this point, it was our only hope. "I know someone who can help us."