Fly

Chapter 10

~Dane~

CrapcrapcrapCRAP! I froze as the policeman's voice rang out over the street, cutting through the noise of engines from the first of the morning commuters. 

I glanced down beside me quickly, seeing a glimpse of Fiona's green eyes wide and startled next to me. I had only seconds to act. This is bad. 

"Run!" I grabbed her hand, pulling her along behind me as I dashed for the nearest alley, already calculating a route that would get me away from the cops. My heart thundered in my chest as I heard the shouts behind us, and knew we were being pursued. Great, there's more than one of them. 

We zigged and zagged through the alley, stumbling over bits of trash and dodging behind dumpsters, trying to break eye contact. I turned into an even smaller alley, then dodged directly into a second one, then a third. This brought be out onto another street, which we dashed across and into yet another slipway between buildings. This was a set of condominiums where I had stayed a few times. The brick structures were from the housing boom after WWII, and were in about as good a shape as their residents were. The wood-fenced backyards, however, were good shelter if you knew which ones were empty. I dodged into one of them, looking for the telltale weed patches and the empty, socket-like look in the windows. 

We paused for breath, crouching with our backs pressed against the fence. The tiny yard was barely big enough for a one-person grill and a spindly bush, and maybe a couple lawn chairs. Still, it was better than being in the open, though I knew the police would check here if they were really serious about catching me. I wonder what set them off. I turned a suspicious eye to the girl next to me, only to see her staring at me with a slightly accusing expression. 

"Why are the police after us, Dane?" she hissed, trying to keep her voice low. In the distance, I could hear shouting. 

"Me," I corrected, "they're after me."

"I KNOW that, but why?"

I shrugged, nestling deeper into my hoodie. "I uh.... well, let's just say my family sent them after me. I didn't do anything, but..."

Her face went from accusatory to pitying. I winced. It wasn't exactly a lie, but... I hated deceiving her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry... I guess I'm really lucky to have a family that cares." She stared at her shoes for a moment. The shouts grew louder, echoing off the walls.

I peeked out over the fence, then ducked down nervously. "Ok, I have a plan," I said quickly, "but we don't have much time. We need to split up. I'll grab their attention and run. You stay hidden until they're past and then go. I don't want you mixed up in this any more than you already are. They were too far to see your face, so you should be in the clear, just change your shirt."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "You really think-"

"There's no time to argue," I interrupted, "just go, I'll meet you at the bagel shop near millennium park, downtown. If I'm not there in the next two hours, then you can start to worry." 

She was still frowning, and I had the oddest urge to lean down and kiss the frown off her face. I shook my head. That's the adrenaline talking, boyo. Keep your head in the game.

I gave her a sharp nod, then without further ado, I bolted out of the gate, making sure it shut behind me, and sprinted down the narrow path between condos. Behind me, I heard a piercing whistle, then several sets of footsteps echoing off the walls. I poured on the speed, dodging to the side and out a narrow walk to the main street again, dashing through pedestrians, before running back into the housing complex again. The walls seemed to close in on me as I raced along, aware that they wouldn't have spotted me running back into the same area, but also aware that every second I spent in this bare alleyway increased my chances of being spotted. 

Just as I reached the end, a policeman sprinted past in front of me. We both skidded to a halt, then reversed direction, with me running back down the path, and him dashing into the gap behind me. My breath came in gasps as I bolted back out onto the street, just in front of two more officers. A wild grin grew on my face as I dodged through traffic, a hysterical giggle making breathing even more difficult. 

Reaching the other side of the street, the curses of the policemen loud in my ears, I almost didn't notice the police car coming up the street toward me, until it was swerving out of traffic and into my path. I reacted on instinct, vaulting over the hood, the lights almost blinding me as the siren whooped in my ear. I heard an engine rev and the footsteps behind me falter as the car tried to back out of the way of my other pursuers without injuring anyone. 

I gained several yards, dodging into the first alley I came across, then immediately into a cross-alley, then another. Suddenly, I stumbled, almost falling to my knees as one of my legs gave out. I staggered on and kept running, though my breath felt like it was burning my lungs with each new inhale.

The next alley I turned onto took me towards the next street over. I held up a hand as I approached the light, the newly-risen sun glancing off the windows of the building across from me in a dazzling golden display, accented by hints of blue and red.

Wait, blue and red?

I skidded to a stop, loose gravel spurting from under my shoes as I finally made out the police van blocking the alley's exit. I made to turn and run back the way I came, but the first three officers, now joined by two more from the squad car I had leaped, came jogging around the corner, several of them completely out of breath. 

I stopped, then turned to face the van, my shoulders slumping. I closed my eyes against the glare of the sunlight. I hope Fiona got away okay.

A shadow passed in front of the light, and I blinked open my eyes, ready for whatever might happen next. Or so I thought. The sight that greeted me would stick in my memory forever.

Arrayed against the blinding gleam, pearl-like wings spread wide and mouth open in the beginnings of a snarl, a magnificent dragon hurtled into the gap between buildings, over the heads of the startled cops in the van... straight towards me.