BRAINSTORM

Chapter Thirty-eight - In the zone.

Nick was halfway through his peanut butter and jelly sandwich when Melissa got another text from Natalie. "What does it say?" he asked with a sticky tongue.

The lines in Melissa's forehead deepened. "It isn't safe to stay here anymore. We have to get out now."

Damn. He stuffed the rest of the sandwich in his mouth, talking and chewing at the same time. "Okay, come down to the storeroom with me. We'll get what we need and get out of here."

Melissa nodded. "Okay."

As Nick walked behind her, he could see her knees wobbling. She was nervous, but he didn't comment on it. Saying something would make her more anxious.

He collected what he needed from the shelves as Melissa held the black bag open for him. He dumped the equipment inside. "Mel, there's something you need to know about me." 

She observed him sidelong. "What?" She sounded like she didn't want any surprises, as if her nerves literally couldn't handle anything else.

"When I go on a mission, or whatever you want to call it—when I do what I need to do tonight—I sort of become a different person."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I call it going into the zone. I become super-focused. But what that really means is that I can't pay attention to anything or anyone else that falls outside the task at hand."

"Oh, you mean like when you don't want me to talk to you because you're concentrating on something?"

"Sort of but worse." He looked at her apologetically. "Sorry, Mel. I've been doing this sort of thing for a long time. It's just how I do it."

"Do whatever you need to. I don't care. Just bring Sidney home."

~~~

Nick squinted at the rear-view mirror again. He was pretty sure they were being followed. "Hang on," he warned Melissa, and she clutched the armrest tightly. He swerved into the right-hand lane, and Melissa yelped as her body ricocheted from the force. "Sorry." 

"It's okay."

Nick stayed in his lane, keeping his eyes on the mirror until they were at the street he wanted. He turned sharply.

"Nick, this is a one-way!"

"I know!" he screamed back as he maneuvered around the oncoming traffic. He evaluated quickly. Right, then a quick left. An underground parking garage they could hang out in for a few minutes. He looked into the rear-view again. He seemed to have lost them. But he went to the garage anyway, just to be certain.

Melissa didn't look his way as they waited. She seemed afraid to talk as if she would knock him out of the zone. Nick considered starting a conversation to soothe her but decided against it. It was probably better this way. 

When they'd waited long enough, he pulled back into the street. He drove for one block before he saw the car again. Jesus Christ!

"We're still being followed?"

Nick clenched his jaw and nodded. "Hold on!" He jammed down on the accelerator, weaving in and out of cars and running a couple of stoplights until he felt like he had finally lost them.

A couple of blocks later, he saw the car again. 

It got closer. Nick veered to the right, hoping to take the next exit. He wasn't fast enough, watching as the exit passed by like an uncashed check. He had to be better. He couldn't afford to be rusty. The car was still behind them, and it was getting closer. He waited and looked for the right opportunity. It wasn't too close yet, but his options were narrowing. Soon there would be none left.

Right. Left. Right. Faster. Turn. Go. Turn again. Pause. Run the light. Quick, into that parking lot. Wait. Wait. Almost. Wait some more. It's okay, I think. It's okay. I lost them.

Nick looked around. Yes, he'd lost them. But now that they knew his car, they would find him again, and it wouldn't take much effort. Time to ditch the car. "Melissa, we have to get rid of this car and take the Metro. You have to be ready to do exactly what I tell you to do, and you can't hesitate." He gave her a pointed look. "Or argue with me."

Her face was whiter than chalk. "You aren't going to get any arguments from me. I can't believe you did this sort of thing for a living. I'm scared out of my mind, and I can't think straight. How do you do it?" 

He gave her a half-hearted smile. "I'm an adrenaline junkie, baby." He raised his eyebrows, as if to say, didn't you already know that?

Melissa nodded slowly. "Ah, yes, roller coasters, motorcycles, skydiving, shark tanks, surfing in Hawaii in high season. It all makes sense now."

"I never kept it a secret," he said while speeding frantically down another street.

"No, I just get it now."

"Good. Now hold on again. Things might get interesting."

Melissa gripped the edges of her seat. "Bring it on." The confidence was forced, but Nick appreciated her nerve. He reached over to squeeze her knee, and when she looked up at him, he saw the naked faith in her expression. In that moment, he knew that she was worth everything.

"I'm going to get us to the silver line at East Falls Church. The ride is going to be fast and maybe a little scary, so be ready. When we get there, I want you to run toward the Metro entrance. Don't worry if I'm behind you or not. Just go. Take the first train to Stadium-Armory and wait for me there if I'm not with you already. I promise I'll be behind you."

"Okay."

He dropped her off at the corner, and she ran ahead of him. He couldn't find any place to park. Bad luck. Parking spaces were usually his thing. Now he wouldn't be able to reach her before the subway train came. She'd better wait like he told her. She said she'd learned her lesson, and he wanted it to be true, except there wasn't a lot of evidence to support it. 

He threw the keys behind the wheel of the Explorer for the last time and ran to the East Falls entrance. The cold wind breezed through his hair and energized him, making him feel a confidence that probably wasn't warranted given his time out of the game. 

Pulling his Metro pass out of his wallet, he slipped the card through the slot and passed through the turnstile. He waited for the train, looking right and left for potential enemies. None. When the train came a minute later, he maneuvered through the crowd, and soon he heading to Stadium-Armory. Nick scanned the car. No one looked suspicious, but he didn't stop searching. It was impossible to know where the threat would come from.

The ride was smooth and uneventful, a nice reprieve. Nick got off at Stadium-Armory, praying Melissa would be waiting there. He rode up the escalator, his eyes alert for possible danger, but again there was nothing. That made him edgy. He wasn't used to things being this easy. It was sort of like the law of statistics: things would even out eventually, and he had to be prepared for that moment.

Nick got outside and surveyed the area for Melissa, not finding her. He was taller than most men, so he tried to stay in obvious places where she'd see him before he found her. After fifteen minutes passed, he started to get worried.

"Hey, Nick!" Melissa swept around his shoulder.

"Where were you?"

"Ladies room. Sorry. It couldn't wait. Were you worried?" 

"Yes. I was. I don't think we've been followed, but stay close. Just do whatever I do, and be ready to listen to my orders in an instant."