Not five seconds after I mounted the motor roared to life, and sped away. With all my might I clamped my arms around James middle squeezing my eyes closed at first. Then I remembered I had to be on the lookout.
Dark silhouettes of houses flashed by. All had extinguished their lights. No doubt everyone was cowering inside, praying they would be left alone. The wind drained out any sound apart from the bellowing of our vehicle, and the booming of my heartbeat. Icy cold drizzly froze my face , which was burning.
James leaned in with every turn, swirling the motorcycle closely around corners. I tightened my grip. Clouds shifted. The moon appeared. In front of it, I saw the dark silhouettes of the steeples of the palace. We were coming closer and closer.

Out of nothing it seemed, bright headlights appeared, blinding my already squinted eyes. The tires shrieked as James hit the brakes. He jerked the handles aside. The bike swerved to the right into a narrow alleyway. The rear hit a wall, and I almost lost my grip. We kept on speeding ahead, until I noticed how we slowed down, and it felt like I was sinking. James cursed.
What he did next, I almost couldn't believe. He released the handlebars, but not before accelerating one alts time. Then he turned around, gripped me, raised me from the back of the motorcycle, and jumped.

It felt like we flew through the sky for minutes, while in reality we hit the ground almost instantly. Instead of the painful crash I had expected, I only felt a bad thump; James had his arms wrapped around me, and it was his back that hit the ground. We rolled over a couple times. Before I could realise what had happened, James tugged me upright. He took me to the end of the alley, and pushed me against the wall, so I was looking at him.
'Elissa, listen to me,' James gripped my arms again, his eyes stern and determined. 'If I say you run, you run. Understood?'
Finally losing some of the daze, I crossed my arms, defiantly.
'I'm not leaving you,' I simply responded.
'Damn it, Elissa! ' James cursed. 'This is my own fault,' he then muttered to himself.
'What?'
James shook his head. 'You care about me, don't you.'
Was that even a question. 'So what?' I dared him.
The sadness that followed in those steel blue eyes startled me.
'I've been selfish, Elissa. My job was to protect you, at all costs. I can't do that if you don't let me – if you care.'
My defiance fell off.
'I needed you- I need you! I was alone!'
'Yes, and I should've told king T'Challa, not bring myself closer to you.' The frustrated manner told me he had gone over this a million times in his head.
I would not accept saying goodbye. 'It's too late now – done is done.'
His eyes fixed mine again. 'Yes, and that's why you must listen to me. If I tell you, you must run. Directly to the palace, do you understand?
My shoulders slumped. 'But you…'

Sounds came from behind us. James looked back, then flashed me a desperate look.
'You're too important. I won't be missed.'
My mouth fell open. 'Yes, yes you will! I will miss you, James!'
'Then it will be my honour to be missed by you, highness.' And with a melancholy smile on his face, he bowed. I watched in fear as loud footsteps echoed behind us. James looked at me one more time.
"Run" he mouthed. He tuned, and ran towards the noise. Momentarily I stood frozen. Then some sense came back to me; I had to go.

When I rounded the corner, I could see the palace through a small gap between two large houses. It seemed so very small, and so far away. If I could make it to that gap, if I could only (wring) myself through it, I might reach the palace. Perhaps guards defending the palace would see me, and come for me. Maybe even T'Challa. I could tell them where James was, and they could help him. Because one thing I knew for sure: I would not leave him behind.
Behind me footsteps grew louder and louder. They were rough and almost like a beast's; not at all like James. I knew I shouldn't look around; if I looked around, I would slow down, and they'd catch me.
Was it my own loud breathing I heard? No. I panicked. Somebody was breathing in my neck.

Suddenly, a heavy weight plummeted in my back, dragging me to the ground. I hit my head, and the world twirled around me. A strange voiced called out triumphantly. I started to struggle. Rough arms jerked my arms behind me, tugging me upright in the same motion.
'Get off me, get off me!' I yelled, kicked backwards and tugging at my own arms. It seemed to have no effect. The bloke behind me only laughed, and shook me brutally. The motion only worsened the headache my fall had caused. Without effort he started dragging me backwards, back to the alleyways I had been trying to escape. Muffled grunts and yells erupted from the darkness.
'Just shoot him!' the loud voice made my ears ring.
'No!' I screamed, knowing full well whom they meant. 'James, get out!'
Another laugh came from behind me. 'Shoot'm guys.' Brisk hands turned my head. In horror I had to watch as a trigger was pulled. A shot rang out. James slumped to the ground.
'No!' I screamed, kicking and fighting to get to him. 'James!'

In the dark I couldn't see if he was moving. If he was even breathing anymore. Another shadow came closer to him, gun outstretched. When he was very close, he rose his hand again. As in slow-motion he pulled the trigger again. My heart stopped when eerie silence of the night was broken by another crack of the gun.
'No! NO!'
'Show's over, princess,' my captor breathed in my neck. A sharp, stabbing pain in my neck. It drilled down through my bones. My arms fell down. My voice fell silent. The darkness of the .
'Please, James,' was my final thought. 'Don't die on me.'