He had to drag her away from the sobbing child with whom she had generated an oddly maternal bond. The Afterdark grabbed her wrist and pulled her with him. At first she resisted, but when he swept her feet out from under her with a kick and lifted her off the ground, she gave up struggling and allowed herself to be carried for a block before Derek put her down.
It was morning now, and people were driving to work. Derek's shadow kept them concealed, but they had to be careful to walk in the right places so that their cover was not conspicuous.
Nell sulked until they passed near an electronics store--the same one that, last winter, had told Nell of the record breaking low temperatures--showing a news station. Travis Armstrong reported the recovery of the boy.
The Afterdark was mad that Nell's plan hadn't worked. If it had, he might not have been so angry at her, but this way she had wasted his time and gotten herself injured for nothing that benefited Derek, and there would be a fight when they got back to his place.

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