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“Yes, and that too, so remember, we must get away as fast as we can. This, Becky, is going to hurt. The road we are traveling is cobblestone. That is good, as they must go along at a slower pace. It is bad because when we jump, we will trip on the uneven stones. You must try and stay upright and then we must make a run for it. Are we clear?”
“Yes, yes, but, oh … Felicia, I don’t feel quite well …”
“That is because you have a bump on your forehead the size of a small egg. You are no doubt dizzy and feeling queasy. Ignore it as best you can. Our lives depend on our getting away. Understand, dearest?”
“Yes, yes. I won’t let you down.”
“Good girl.” Felicia took a breath. The horrible fact was she was herself feeling unwell. She had taken a double fist to the head, and she had tasted blood. From the stickiness running from her forehead to her chin, she was quite certain she was still bleeding. It didn’t matter. What mattered was that she and Becky had to jump out and escape the villains.
“If they see the cab door open, Becky, they will pull up and give chase, so we have to be fast, and do not, no matter what, let go of my hand,” Felicia cautioned.
“Right, I quite understand,” Becky said staunchly.
Felicia opened the door, looked back, and whispered, “Now.”
Even as they jumped, landed, tripped, fell to their knees, and got up, Felicia saw the hackney come to a screeching halt.
“They are on to us. Run!” Felicia screamed even as she tugged on Becky’s hand.
* * *
Felicia and Becky ran through an alley. They were hampered by a toothless man of uncertain age and gin breath who reached out to touch them and managed to trip Becky as they pulled away from him.
Becky screamed, but Felicia simply ignored him as she pulled her friend along in an effort to get to the next avenue and turn north.
They were in the poorest, filthiest neighborhood and in a great deal of danger from the inhabitants as well as from their pursuers.
“Whot ye doing, dearie? Need some help?” said a buxom woman who stepped in their path.
Felicia sidestepped her as Becky screamed again, and the unknown woman laughed robustly.
Straight ahead, she saw a wide avenue. They had to make it to that avenue … they simply had to. Felicia didn’t really know where she was going. She was simply running on instincts.
The next moment could have been disastrous, but Becky cried out a warning just in time.
A man had stepped out of a doorway and put out his leg, no doubt thinking to trip them up. Once again, Felicia sidestepped and kept Becky weaving with her.
The avenue was reached, but at her back Felicia heard one of their assailants yell, “Stop ’em … ye’ll be rewarded, ye will. Stop ’em.”
All at once, she heard something of a crowd gather at their backs, and her heart sank. They were in awful trouble. Becky wasn’t well. Could she manage to keep running? She was herself not feeling terribly steady. Dreadful … they might need to duck and hide?
She didn’t look back as they ran down the middle of the wide avenue, avoiding horse-drawn wagons and ragged hawkers who were on their way home for the day.
She knew Becky couldn’t take much more, and even as they ran, she began chewing her lip and looking for somewhere to hide and catch their breath. She had to do something, but what?
She led Becky to a small alley and ducked into a doorway. Luckily, when she tried the door, it opened. They took the stairs as fast as they could and made their way to the roof, where they stopped and each of them sucked in air and steadied their legs.
Felicia eyed her friend and touched her shoulder. “How are you, Becky?”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about me. I can manage,” Becky said staunchly.
Felicia walked slowly over to the ledge of the roof and saw the next roof was not such a wide jump though it was a foot or so lower. Becky approached, and they exchanged a glance before Felicia asked, “Can you jump the distance, Becky? ’Tis not that wide, but there is a drop. Do you think you can do it?”
“I can.”
“I won’t let go of you,” Felicia said, taking her friend’s hand again. “Don’t you let go of me either, and we’ll manage it together.”
“I trust you, Felicia. Yes, we will do it together.”
