Page 135 of Ravaged Soul

Plunging into the hubbub of Mile End, I push past the weakness in my legs. When the time comes to face Gael, I need to be ready. My body can’t fail me then. No one else gets the honour of taking him down.

Hyland doesn’t disturb my thinking time when I pause to stretch and swig water. The SUV idles at a distance, granting me some semblance of normalcy. I blow him a kiss then take off again to keep working out.

At the end of my sixth mile, I feel my energy fading. The greyscale streets are growing hazy, indicating the end of my tolerance. I begin to slow, letting my muscles cool down after such a gruelling pace.

I’ve got a couple of hours until visiting time with Tom. Long enough to head back to get cleaned up. Perhaps I could even take Blaine up on that date offer later. He’s been patiently waiting since he extended the invite, letting me rest post-seizure.

“Excuse me, miss? You seem to have dropped something.”

I’m bent over with my hands braced on my knees, but I quickly straighten at the approaching voice. A man is crossing the road to reach me, young and attractive in his form-fitting, athletic clothing. Another jogger.

“Are you talking to me?” I pant.

“Yes.” He stops a metre or so away. “You dropped this.”

My hair stands on end when he outstretches a phone, still wearing a friendly smile that’s meant to set me at ease. But I know for a fact that I left mine safely in the car with Hyland. I take a big step backwards, my hackles rising.

“You’ve got the wrong person.”

“It’s definitely yours.”

“No. What do you want?”

His smile drops, a dangerous edge taking over his features. “Take it, Ember.”

“Who are you?” My stomach twists then plummets.

“Just a concerned party here to take you home.”

In a rush of panic, I leap into action to bolt past him. “I’ll pass!”

The SUV is idling just down the street. Hyland must know that something’s up with this freak approaching me. The tyres soon speed up as he careens towards my position, bringing help within reach.

“For his sake, don’t move a muscle!” The man barks after me. “Final warning!”

Racing away from the stranger shouldn’t be so easy. He doesn’t even attempt to block my path or trip my feet when I dodge him to flee. It’s a faint realisation that doesn’t quite sink in as I focus on reaching my getaway car.

We’re on a quieter street, more residential than commercial. With little more than a couple of corner shops and a closed restaurant nearby, there aren’t any witnesses around. No bystanders. No collateral damage.

Only Hyland.

A single target.

He squeals to a halt, almost bumping the curb in his haste to brake. I launch myself towards him, watching Hyland climb from the car with his gun half-drawn. His mouth opens to shout my name.

An engine roars, and brakes scream. The once-calm air fills with the sound of a howling approach. Tyres protesting. Music raging. Hyland yells in my direction as he fully draws his service weapon.

“EM! MOVE!”

Behind me, a large transit van rapidly gains on us. It’s racing at breakneck speed down the street, chasing after me. Before I’m run down in the middle of the road, I hurtle to the side, hitting the pavement in a fast roll.

Bones howl in protest at the hard impact with solid ground. I swallow a cry, focused on slowing my momentum across the filthy concrete. The street distorts all around me, adrenaline crackling through my veins while a rush of air fills my ears.

THUD.

My hands and arms flail until I crash into a nearby building. Smashing into the solid brick creates a sickening, bone-grinding crack that cuts off my panting.Air shoots from my lungs as bruising whiplash consumes my entire world.

I whimper in shock, blinking through my wavering vision, waiting for the heavy, storm-carrying clouds to settle above me. I’m inelegantly sprawled out on my back in an aching heap.