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Gabrielle glanced over her shoulder and saw a black sedan with dark-tinted windows slowly moving between the other cars. It moved gracefully, deliberately, like a shark cutting through a school of minnows in search of better prey.
Was it coming toward her?
Maybe the kid who'd been spying on her was inside. Maybe his appearance, and that of this ominous-looking car, had something to do with whomever had purchased her photographs from Jamie.
Or maybe it was something worse.
Something to do with the horrific attack she had witnessed last weekend. Her report to the police. Maybe it had been a gang slaying she stumbled upon after all. Maybe those vicious creatures - she couldn't quite convince herself that they were men - had decided she was their next target.
Icy fear lanced through her as the vehicle veered into the near lane, which hugged the sidewalk where she still stood.
She started walking. Picked up her pace.
Behind her, the car's accelerator roared.
Oh, God.
It was coming after her!
Gabrielle didn't wait to hear the peal of rubber being laid behind her. She screamed, and took off in a blind run, her legs pumping as fast as they could.
There were too many people around. Too many obstacles in her direct path. She dodged the milling pedestrians, too rattled to offer apologies as some of them clucked their tongues and swore at her in reproach.
She didn't care, certain this was life or death.
A quick look behind her would prove to be disastrous. The car was still roaring through the traffic, hot on her heels. Gabrielle put her head down and dug in harder, praying she could make it off the street before the vehicle plowed into her.
In her haste, her ankle twisted beneath her.
She stumbled, losing balance. The ground came up and she fell hard onto the rough concrete. Her bare knees and palms broke the worst of her tumble, both getting chewed up in the process. The searing burn of torn flesh brought tears to her eyes, but she ignored it. Gabrielle surged to her feet. She was hardly up off the ground before she felt the hard clamp of a stranger's hand gripping her at the elbow.
She sucked in a sharp gasp, panic pouring through her.
"You okay, lady?" The grizzled face of a municipal worker swung into her line of vision. His wrinkled blue eyes flicked down at her abrasions. "Aw, jeez. Look at that, you're bleedin'."
"Let go of me!"
"Didn't you see those pylons right there?" He hooked his thumb over his shoulder at the orange cones she'd blown right past. "I got this section of sidewalk all torn up here."
"Please, it's okay. I'm fine."
Caught in his helpful but hindering grasp, Gabrielle looked just in time to see the dark sedan pull up to the corner where she'd been standing only a moment ago. It rocked to an abrupt halt at the curb. The driver's door opened and a broadly built, towering man stepped out.
"Oh, God. Let go!" Gabrielle yanked her arm away from the man who was trying to assist her, her gaze rooted on that monstrous black car and the danger that was crawling out of it. "You don't understand, they're after me!"
"Who is?" The muni worker's voice was incredulous. He looked to where she was gaping and let out a laugh. "You mean that guy? Lady, that's the friggin' mayor of Boston."
"Wha - "
It was true. Her eyes were wild as she watched the activity at the corner with new understanding. The black sedan wasn't after her at all. It had pulled up to the curb and the driver now waited, holding open the back door. The mayor himself came out of a restaurant, flanked by suited bodyguards. They all climbed into the backseat of the vehicle.
Gabrielle closed her eyes. Her raw palms were burning. Her knees, too. Her pulse was still pounding, but all the blood seemed to have drained from her head.
She felt like a complete fool.
"I thought..." she murmured as the driver closed the door, got in the front, then eased the official's car back into traffic.
The worker let go of her arm. He walked away from her, back to his sack lunch and coffee, shaking his head. "What's a matter with you? You crazy or somethin'?"
