Threshold of Annihilation (The Firebird Chronicles #3) - T.A. White Page 0,50
Elena and Odin, but this she was doing knowingly and on purpose. You could say she was acting under her own agency.
Jin groaned. "We don't have a choice."
Nope. They didn't.
Their contact was nothing if not difficult. If Kira brought any of Graydon's people, she could kiss goodbye the relationship she'd painstakingly developed.
Elena’s future safety depended on her contact’s good will; Kira couldn’t chance destroying their link.
"I'm uploading a map to your interface," Jin informed her. "Follow it."
A series of broken, floating lines appeared in front of Kira, curving around obstructions before disappearing into the crowd.
Kira plunged after them, her interface calculating and recalculating the best route based on the changing conditions—exactly as it would during a race.
The lines twisted and curved through the landing zone, occasionally disappearing to reappear as a new route opened up.
Baran didn't have the same advantage, but then he didn't really need it. As an oshota, and a persistent one at that, he had his own methods for closing the distance.
"This isn't going to work," Kira said.
Even if by some miraculous chance she managed to evade him long enough to get out of the racing stadium, he'd simply track her down again. Just like he did last time.
She needed to do something drastic and unexpected.
Just then, the sight of a figure caught Kira's attention. It was odd because Kira could only see the woman's back, but there was something Kira recognized in her stance. A familiarity that made the chaos of the race's end fade into the background.
The woman turned her head, her hair covering the majority of her face, except for the smooth line of her jaw.
"Elise."
Kira changed course, starting for the woman.
As if sensing her approach, the woman moved into the tunnel the racers had exited at the start of the race. Her pace was easy and slow, no evidence of hurry.
"Kira, why did you say that name?" Jin asked.
"I saw her. I saw Elise."
"No. You didn't."
Kira didn't have time to argue, the lines abruptly disappearing from her interface.
"Don't do this. You're seeing things you want to see."
Kira didn't respond, picking up her pace as the ground in front of her cleared.
"I programmed the interface to recognize Elise. Standing protocol means it will alert you to anyone matching her description. Did you get an alert?"
That only applied with a face. Kira hadn't seen a face—at least not all of one.
"I'll take a quick look."
The map would eventually recalibrate. Even if it didn't, she'd figure it out. She couldn't see a chance like this and not take it.
How would she face Elise later if she found out she'd come so close only to miss her because she hadn't taken the time to investigate?
"You stubborn, stubborn woman. You're going to get caught."
"It wouldn't be the end of the world."
Granted, it would seriously screw up her immediate plans and put her into hot water with her contact, possibly alienating her fully from the rest, but Kira judged the risk worth it.
If she could catch Elise, all those plans became obsolete.
Elena wouldn't need a caretaker because she'd have her mother.
Kira could finish what she'd started on Roake.
Kira reached the tunnel and hesitated, some part of her remembering caution. Even if this were Elise, there was a good chance she wouldn't be the Elise Kira remembered.
She'd been in the Tsavitee's grasp for a long time. Long enough to be brainwashed and have her loyalties changed.
Kira stretched her senses into the tunnel. The ki she'd begun to experiment with floating before her. Nothing seemed amiss except a few racers lingering off to the side where they were tinkering with their boards.
Kira stepped inside, keeping one part of her attention on them in case they presented a threat and the rest on the tunnel ahead of her. A tunnel that held no sign of Elise—or the woman Kira thought might be Elise.
Where did she go?
Kira hurried forward, staying alert.
She glanced into bay after bay, noting the ones with the privacy screen activated. Nothing.
It was possible the person Kira was looking for was in one of those bays. If Kira had the time, she could try to hack them. As it was, Baran was only seconds behind her.
"Damn it," Kira cursed as the sound of running footsteps reached her.
Time was up.
She headed for the building's front entrance. It was the quickest way to the city. Perhaps she could lose Baran there.
Kira made it a half-dozen steps before a hard force latched onto her arm, yanking her into a room.