Helen wasn't particularly surprised to discover that Nikola's basement street passage was, in fact, a window set about five feet from the ground. She turned to him with an annoyed expression and he shrugged. "It was a door thirty years ago." He said with an amused sparkle in his eyes. He put their bags on the floor, removed his jacket and placed it across the window, using it to muffle the sound of shattering glass when he put his fist through the pane. He shook off the jacket briskly, put it back on and held out a hand to Helen. "Leg up, my dear?" He said cheekily. He grinned at her as if he was having a fantastic time.
She gave him a long, hard look and, with his assistance, hoisted herself up through the window and shimmied out into a narrow alleyway. He handed up their things and then, with catlike smoothness, pulled himself up and through the window. He stood up, took a few deep breaths, and tidied his appearance, wiping his hands on a handkerchief he produced from some invisible pocket. He looked at Helen and, with a small frown, wiped a streak of dust off her cheek. She blinked at him in the dark, wondering how he even saw the dirt. "Which way?" She asked in a murmur.
Nikola straightened and looked down the alley in both directions. "Either way." He said. "We need to move." He gave her a businesslike little shove toward one end of the alley, picked up their belongings and walked briskly after her.
Several breathless minutes of ducking around corners and holding breaths followed. The moon was covered by clouds and, with the power to the neighborhood cut, the darkness was complete except for the occasional beam of a flashlight which would cause Helen and Nikola to freeze or flatten themselves against a wall. Two Cabal agents walked right past them, fiddling with a device between them.
"He's nearby." One muttered.
"Or it's another generator in someone's basement." The other replied drily as they passed within a few yards of where Helen and Nikola stood.
Nikola met Helen's eyes and nodded. They moved quickly across the street after the agents had passed, jogging quietly down several more pitch-black blocks before arriving in a lit street. Both blew out breaths of relief and slowed to a less noticeably hurried pace. Nikola examined Helen briefly in the light, grabbed her elbow and drew her along in his wake. "How's your head?" He asked in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Pounding." Helen admitted, allowing herself to be led. "Where are we going now?"
"That cafe." Nikola nodded to a small restaurant ahead of them. "To see if the power has been cut in any other parts of town."
Helen's mouth curved in understanding. "If we can go where they've already searched we have a chance of waiting them out till morning."
"Exactly." Nikola grinned, appearing almost excited by the chase. "We're so good at this together." He said cheerfully.
Helen shook her head in bemusement. They arrived at the cafe and settled at a table. Helen casually asked the waiter if the power had gone out in other sections of the city. He courteously replied that he didn't know and brought them the coffee and biscuits they ordered. Nikola fidgeted in his chair, his eyes darting around. "This section could be next, the power obviously hasn't been cut yet." He murmured in agitation.
"Sit still." Helen said firmly. She took a bracing swallow of coffee and broke a biscuit in half. "Let's think about this."
They sat without speaking, both deep in thought, enjoying the luxury that longstanding acquaintance allows for long moments of silence in conversations.
"The hotel." They both said in unison, looked surprised at one another and then both grinned widely.
Nikola dropped some bills on the table and drew Helen to her feet. He again took both pieces of luggage and they walked out to the sidewalk where Nikola hailed a cab by whistling shrilly.
"Have you no discretion?!" Helen hissed. A cab, parked at the curb, switched its light on.
Nikola scoffed. "The Cabal isn't driving cabs, dear." He said, holding the door open for her and gesturing for her to get in. "After you."
Helen entered the cab and the driver punched the gas. Nikola wasn't in and Helen couldn't get out. However, the driver hadn't factored in Nikola's magnetism. Nikola simply stuck to the cab, shouting to Helen, "I was wrong." and reaching for her. The driver, a man in all black, twisted in his seat, aiming a gun. Helen swatted the barrel aside and took advantage of the driver's inattention to the road to grab Nikola's hand and trust him to catch her as they tumbled from the moving cab. They rolled and came to rest in a panting heap. Helen's head spun giddily and she lost consciousness again. The cab braked with a screech and the driver exited the vehicle, holding his weapon. In a moment, he stood over them.
"Oh, for heaven's sake." Nikola said testily, glaring up the barrel at the Cabal agent. "She's unconscious again. You know she's only worth something alive right?"
The man looked wary. "We were informed that Doctor Magnus couldn't be killed." He said.
"You were misinformed." Tesla snapped. "She's no use to us damaged."
The agent blinked, his arms lowered slightly. He gave Tesla a suspicious look.
"You people really do run a tight ship don't you?" Tesla said in disgust. "What have they told you about me?"
The agent blinked again. "They said we should bring you in. They didn't say you were working with us or that you could...stick to things."
"Well, I can." Tesla bit off the words. He stood unsteadily and brushed at his suit. "Look at this!" He gestured at the filthy wool. "Saint Laurent!" He sighed angrily and pointed at the weapon. "Put that thing away."
The man hesitated. Tesla glowered. The man holstered the weapon.
"Better." Tesla said grudgingly. He nudged Helen's motionless form with his toe. "Help me get her into the cab. Where have they set up the base of operations?" At his feet, Helen tried to steady her breathing, unable to grasp what she had just overheard.
"The Pulitzer Hotel." The agent replied, reaching down to lift Helen.
"Really?" Nikola clicked his tongue. "If you would've just driven the cab instead of that gun nonsense we could've spared ourselves all this trouble. That was where I was taking her."
The agent lifted Helen up and walked to the cab to put her inside the backseat. Nikola picked up their bags and followed, rubbing his hands with his handkerchief and smirking.