CHAPTER 74

It was not with a jolt that the world came into focus for Amelia for she was put off by a pulsating headache and a veil over her eyes. When she came to her senses, the first thing that came to her mind was the confusion that had erupted at her bookstore. ” She began to rub her eyes constantly, to clear her senses and try to understand what was going on.

“Easy,” Jake said. "You're safe now. "

Amelia’s head swung round to look at Max: he was driving a car now, hands clenched on the steering wheel, eyes constantly shifting between the path ahead and the mirror. Everything that happened at the bookshop flooded my mind; Ema and her rogues, fighting, strange people who attacked them. Her breathing became more rapid as the faintness of the signal began to bring on a panic attack.

‘What do you mean, what happened? Where are we going?’ she asked her voice croaky.

Max’s hands became clenched on the steering wheel. “We’re taking you away from Seattle. It’s not safe there anymore. Those people who attacked the shop – they weren’t with Ema’s team. Another party is after you. ”

Amelia's mind reeled. She had considered herself free of such sequence of events as; running and hiding. Thus she saw the life she had built in Seattle, the peace she had achieved – now destroyed once again because of her.

‘’But what about the shop? People who came there because of me? My friends? I can’t just leave everything behind again’’, she complained.

“I’m sorry Amelia,” Max said softly but in a final way. ‘But you are alive now, ‘he continued, ‘and that’s all that is important right now. We can work the rest out later. ’

When they were on the highway and the lights of Seattle were fast becoming a memory, Amelia found herself aware of another person crowding the backseat. Among Elijah’s closest pack, there was a female named Sarah, who sat as erect as a broom with her eyes focused on whatever the hell she was looking at.
Amelia had a lot of questions lingering in her head, Questions that she still could not answer,

“How did you know to come for me?”

In the front seat, Max and Sarah looked at each other in the mirror. ‘There have been people who have been watching you,’ Sarah also nodded. >

“Ever since you set up your new life in Seattle Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before they attacked, we got to know about you with the help of Jake who had people in Ema's rogues"

"Do not worry, both Bruce and Elijah know you are safe"
.Hearing Bruce's name there was a sickening feeling in Amelia’s chest.

A second loaded look from Max to Sarah. “It is. . . complicated,” Max said after a while his eyes were set on the road

“Elijah wanted to be here”, “But there were other things he had to do, things that have to do with your safety. ”

Amelia wished she could force more details out of him, but a tense line in Max’s mouth made her understand that it was not the time. She transferred her gaze to the front, the path that was laid ahead of them and could only think of how far they would have to travel this time.

The moment she settled in her seat, Amelia found herself lost in contemplation of her plans with Ema and her rogues. A part of her had been glad to see the young woman; nevertheless, she could hardly conceal the shock of their appearance. The desperation that had been reflected in the eyes of Ema disturbed her the most. What can be the danger that is so immense that it can force those people to undertake such actions?

With that, the tension set in the car cranked up a notch as Sarah said, “We’ve got company. ”

Max shared and stepped on the accelerator as he looked into the rearview. "How many?"

“Two cars, getting closer,” Sarah said, her hand going to the pistol on her waist.

Amelia turned around in her seat with the beat of her heart, more particularly when she saw the four-wheel vehicles given the chase. "Is it Ema?"

"No," Max growled. Again, the people from the bookshop: ‘Wait a minute!’

he came out of his habitual driving and abruptly took an exit ramp at a very high speed. Amelia clutched the dashboard tightly and from time to time, she wove through the vehicle traffic.

‘We can’t run away from them endlessly,’ Sarah said, her words filled with tension. We have to plot a course of action, or in other words, we have to strategize.

Max nodded grimly. ‘There is a safe house, somewhere around twenty miles from here,’ he said softly and then raised his voice, ‘If we get there, we might stand a slim chance. ’
They proceeded to weave through narrow back roads and the pursuing vehicles always were seldom more than a couple of cars lengths behind them. It took every effort in Amelia to lose herself in thought, to think of whom these people might be and what they wanted with her.

In the impossible space of a second, the air was rent with the sound of an explosion. Suddenly, there was a jerk and for a moment, Max could barely stay in control of the car.

“They’ve shot out a tire!” She exclaimed. We can’t keep going like this!’

Max looked frantically for choices that could be made in the circumstances he found himself in. ‘Ah!’ He flung his hand in the direction of a thick grow of timber just beyond the track.

"We better start to run" Sarah, you take Amelia, Jake and I’ll try to … stop those guys. ’

Amelia stiffened as if to object to this, but the car came to a sudden halt and Sarah was unbuckling her from the seat. They both ran to the trees to get away from the area where cars were screeching to a halt, doors slamming shut.

Just when they had disappeared into the depths of the forest, the cries and the crackling sound of gunshots were heard. She yearned to turn around, to glance behind her and see whether Max and Jake were all right, but Sarah held her arm tightly and did not let her move back.

They continued till the moment Amelia became short of breath and her legs seemed like they were made of lead. Last but not least, she took them near the roots of a huge tree that had fallen on the ground and both were panting heavily.

Amelia was out of breath. “We can’t, . . . leave them. ”

It was with a stern look on her face that Sarah looked down at her weapon and immediately re-checked it. ”They can handle it,” said, “Our Job is to make sure you are safe”.

Turning around, they saw another branch break some distance away and immediately stiffened. Sarah aimed her gun and stood with her stance widened and her muscles tightened up to the level of spring. This made Amelia tense for a moment holding her breath wondering if she would hear any other indication that they were approaching.

‘Well, well’ a voice called out which I was familiar with. This is the end of the chase; it seems.

Ema appeared on the scene and she was surrounded by her rogues. They were scathed – bruises, cuts and ripped clothing to attest their encounter – but their eyes were set.

“Scar, stand down,” ordered Ema in a commanding yet relaxed manner that she had learned from working with military personnel. ”We are not out to harm Amelia we are here to save her. ”