“C’mon, Clyde, up and at ’em. If you aren’t on your feet in two seconds, I’m going to shove this needle up your ass so far you’re going to think you’re at a proctologist’s,” Nikki said.

Clyde was on his feet, wobbly but upright. He stumbled, and suddenly Nikki saw a tall, bronzed man was beside her, reaching down to help him to his feet.

“Follow me, ma’am.”

Before Nikki could blink, the muscled giant had Clyde over his shoulder and was so far ahead of them Nikki had to double-time it to catch up. Bonnie received the same treatment from the giant’s twin. Kathryn raced to keep up.

“I saw a movie once where two Navy SEAL guys carried a telephone pole on their shoulders. Kathryn, do you think…?”

“Yeah, I think, but who cares? I sure as hell hope those two guys belong to Snowden,” Kathryn gasped. “Can you see Alexis?”

“Yeah, they’re all running this way. How long do you think we have?”

“That bus left, Nikki. We’re out of time. Damn, I thought I was in shape. It’s the heat, we aren’t used to it. We need to split up once we get past the Sno-Cone guy.”

“Right. Sun’s going to go down soon. Clouds moving in. Rain, maybe.” Nikki gasped again as she swiped at the sweat pooling on her neck. “This is where we split. I’ll see you when I see you, Kathryn.”

Nikki looked up once in her haste to get away. She loved how the Basin was surrounded by the Jefferson Memorial and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. The 107 acres were a vision of beauty in the spring. How many times she and Jack had come here during their courtship. She had a favorite picture of the two of them surrounded by the cherry blossom branches that Jack had asked some tourist to take. It was her most treasured belonging.

Tears stung her eyes and mixed with the sweat that was rolling down her face. Don’t think, just run. Run like the Devil is on your heels. Don’t look back, just run. She was on Fifteenth Street, certain she wasn’t going to make it to Raoul Wallenberg Place, where she felt she would be safe, when she heard a shout directed at her. “Hey, good lookin’, you want a ride?”

Damn straight she wanted a ride, but not with some derelict on a motorbike. She looked up at the lone rider and almost fainted.

“If you slow down, I’ll be happy to climb on. God, Jack, another minute, and I was going to lose it. How’d you know I…?”

“Gut instinct. Hold on. Can you reach the helmet? Try, Nik. We can’t risk getting pulled over now. Harry’s going to report his bike stolen any minute, if he hasn’t already.”