Chapter 12

“Excuse me! Madam!” Allegra is gaining ground. The thud, thud, thud of her footsteps reverberates through her body.

There is something very wrong with her lower back. Or perhaps it’s the middle of her back. She is holding it stiffly because it feels like the slightest movement will result in pain.

She can see the mother rocking the screaming baby. Her toddler, in the aisle seat, a little girl with flushed pink cheeks, is writhing about, arching her back in that way kids do. The man next to the mother is scrabbling for something in the seat pocket.

Allegra knows exactly what’s about to happen a microsecond before it happens, but she has too much momentum to stop.