was something I had built up a lot of, thanks to Dimitri. But where was Dimitri? Theatergoers mingled around, some giving my disheveled state an odd look, as they either waited for tickets or discussed what movie they'd just seen. I saw no sign of Dimitri anywhere.
I had no watch. How long had passed since we'd parted? Surely not a half hour. I walked around the theater, staying obscured in the crowd, searching for any indication of Dimitri or more pursuers. Nothing. Minutes ticked by. Uneasily, I reached into my pocket and touched the piece of paper with the phone number. Leave, he'd told me. Leave and call the number. Of course, I had no cell phone, but that was the least of my problems right now--
"Rose!'
A car pulled up at the curb where others were dropping people off. Dimitri was leaning out the driver's side window, and I nearly fell over in relief. Well, okay, not nearly. In reality, I didn't waste a moment in hurrying over to him and hopping into the passenger seat. Without a word, he hit the gas and got us away from the theater and back to the main road.
We said nothing at first. He was so wound up and on edge, it seemed the slightest provocation would make him snap in half. He drove as fast as he could without attracting police attention, all the while glancing into the rearview mirror.
"Is there anyone behind us?' I asked at last, as he drove back onto the highway.
"It doesn't look like it. It'll take them a while to figure out what car we're in.'
I hadn't paid much attention when I'd entered, but we were in a Honda Accord-- another ordinary-looking car. I also noticed that there was no key in the ignition.
"Did you hotwire this car?' I then rephrased my question. "Did you steal this car?'
"You have an interesting set of morals,' he observed. "Breaking out of jail is okay. But steal a car, and you sound totally outraged.'
"Im just more surprised than outraged,' I said, leaning back against the seat. I sighed. "I was afraid ... well, for a moment there, I was afraid you weren't coming. That they'd caught you or something.'
"No. Most of my time was spent sneaking out and finding a suitable car.'
A few minutes of silence fell. "You didn't ask what happened to me,' I pointed out, a little miffed.
"Don't need to. You're here. That's what counts.'
"I got in a fight.'
"I can tell. Your sleeve is ripped.'
I glanced down. Yup, ripped. I'd also lost the hat in my mad dash. No big loss. "Don't you want to know anything about the fight?' His eyes stayed on the road ahead of us. "I already know. You took down your enemy. You did it fast, and you did it well. Because you're just that good.'
I pondered his words for a moment. They were matter-of-fact, all business ... and yet, his statement brought a tiny smile to my lips. "Okay. So what now, General? Don't you think they'll scan reports of stolen cars and get our license plate number?'
"Likely. But by then, we'll have a new car--one they won't have any clue about.'
I frowned. "How are you pulling that off?'
"We're meeting someone in a few hours.'
"Damn it. I really hate being the last one to know about everything.'
"A few hours' put us in Roanoke, Virginia. Most of our drive had passed uneventfully up until that point. But as the city came into view, I noticed Dimitri watching the exit signs until he found the one he wanted. Turning off the interstate, he continued checking for a tail and found none. We reached another commerce-filled road, and he drove to a McDonald's that stood out clearly from the rest of the businesses.
"I don't suppose,' I said, "that this is a food break?'
"This,' he responded, "is where we catch our next ride.'
He drove around the restaurant's parking lot, his eyes scanning for something, though I didn't initially know what. I spotted it a fraction of a second before he did. In the far corner of the lot, I saw a woman leaning against a tan SUV, her back to us. I couldn't see much of her except that she wore a dark shirt and had tousled blond hair that almost touched her shoulders.
Dimitri pulled into the spot next to her vehicle, and I was out of ours the second he hit the brake. I recognized her before she even turned around.
"Sydney?' The name came out