I rocketed after
the man, focusing every ounce of my energy to become as aerodynamic as possible,
to slip through the air and catch up to my target. The cool air stung my eyes,
causing them to tear and blur my vision, and I blinked rapidly to clear my
sight. I reached out, struggling to extend my arms against the forces pressing
me, stretching as far as I could to grasp the man below me.
My fingers
brushed his collar, but I couldn’t grab enough to pull him to me.
I concentrated
harder, urging my body to move a little faster, my arm to extend a little
father. My toes were pointed, my legs glued together and I reached once more.
Got him.
My right hand
closed around the leather collar of the man’s jacket, and as I pulled up on
him, I twisted myself vertically so I could hold him around the waist, and
angle my feet toward the ground. We plunged another twenty feet before I
managed to control the speed of our descent. Craning my neck, I spotted for the
ground, which was coming up alarmingly fast. If I didn’t slow us down farther I
was going to be rewarded with a broken ankle for my troubles.
I flexed my
feet, and pushed against gravity, disrupting the flow of air around me, like
the flaps on the wings of an aeroplane. Seconds later the soles of my sneakers
brushed the pavement Soon I’d be out of this ordeal.
My arms aching
from the strain, I dropped the man who crumpled into a ball, and thrown off by
the sudden loss of weight I stumbled on top of him.
“Sorry.” I
mumbled as I worked my way to my feet. Standing, I glanced around the alleyway
to determine the best route of escape, and get myself air born again. The
gun-toting man was probably on his way down the Sears Tower now, and I didn’t
care to be here to give him a second chance to aim his gun in my direction. I
set off at a sprint further into the alley.
“Wait.”
I heard the
scrapping of shoes against the pavement behind me as the man got to his feet. I
neither waited nor looked back. He knew my secret, and I needed to get out of
here as soon as possible.
“Wait, please.”
The man’s second plea only spurred me to go faster—only apparently not fast
enough. A hand clamped onto my wrist, and the sudden loss of movement caused me
to sling-shot back around to face the man. “I just want to thank you.”
“No need for
thanks.” I twisted my wrist, forcing him to break his hold. I turned on my heel
and pushed further down into the alley, I needed a couple of strong steps
before I could take off again.
To be continued...check back for another part of the installment on Thursday, March 20th.
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