But her lips were slightly parted, soft and warm and irresistible, and Harker found himself leaning into her, pressing her back against the desk and actually kissing her.

The guard said something but Harker didn't even hear. Eve's mouth on his was a miracle, her eyes widening with surprise. He liked that she didn't close her eyes, because then instead of the thick make-up on her lids he could see, even in the computer's cool light, how her eyes warmed up, how her pupils dilated, and most of all how she looked right at him and knew it was him she was kissing.

There was a distant sound that he later realised was the guard saying something else and shutting the door, but he didn't really pay much attention. Eve's body was pressed against his, round and lush in that satin, and he slid one hand down to the curve of her waist, feeling the heat of her skin through the cheap fabric.

You shouldn't be wearing this, he thought, it's not you. He wasn't sure what was her at that moment, but he had a sneaking suspicion that it was somewhere between very little and nothing at all.

Eve had her arms around him, one hand warm on the back of his neck. Her fingers curled in his hair, her ankle twined around his and she leaned back against the desk, letting him settle between her thighs, which was where he really, really wanted to be.

He'd never felt anything like this before. It was just kissing, for heaven's sake, but it was magical, intense, and kind of surreal because he didn't think this sort of thing happened to real people. But here he was, kissing desperately, unable to stop, unaware of anything or anyone else in the world apart from Eve and her hot mouth and her hot body and how very, very much he wanted her.

She bit his lower lip, her eyes dancing at him, then licked away the sting, and Harker groaned and slid his hand down to press her hips against his more fully. He wanted her desperately, and she didn't seem to mind. In fact, she seemed quite enthusiastic about the idea.

His hand moved to her breast and he felt the lace give, the hastily sewn rip re-open as she arched her back, pushing herself into his hands, and heaven help him she was naked under there.

You're going to kill me, he thought, and then a terrific bang behind him suddenly made them both freeze. Must be the world ending to rip me away from that, Harker thought muzzily, and swung his head around to see what it was.

A man wearing a dark suit and a ferocious glare stood in the doorway. He was flanked by soldiers with large guns.

'What,' said the man, 'do you think you are doing here?'

Making out with a woman I want so incredibly badly I'm considering killing you just so I can get back to it, Harker thought, but he said, 'I work here.'

'No,' said the man, 'you do not.'

And a cold feeling stole through Harker, killing most of his ardour, and from the way Eve tensed in his arms he guessed she felt it, too.

'Uh, who are you?' Harker asked.

'I am the headmaster, young man.'

'Ah,' said Harker, glancing back at Eve. 'Bollocks.'

Where were they? First floor. Great. Was there a roof outside the window? Well, was there? Could they jump off that? No telling what they might hit, and besides, they'd almost certainly be shot at. And apart from the cosh, he wasn't armed.

With great reluctance he released Eve and turned around, using his body to shield hers. 'She just wanted to see the books,' he said, trying to sound contrite and wondering if he even knew how to.

The headmaster looked disgusted, but one of the soldiers sniggered.

'Come on then, out, before I have you arrested for trespassing on private property,' said the headmaster, and Harker nodded, relieved.

'Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.'

'And don't get smart, boy.'

What is it about schools that make you feel like a kid again? Harker thought as he took Eve's hand enjoying the tingle he got from just touching her and walked after the headmaster out of the library.

The soldiers followed behind them, and they'd got halfway down the stairs when one of the men said, 'Hang on a minute.'

Harker gripped Eve's hand tighter and kept going.

'That ... what do they call it? That computer, it looks different.'

They were almost to the bottom now.

'Different how?' said the other, who was closer behind Harker and Eve.

'I dunno. 'Ere, did you two do something to it?'

'What, us?' said Harker, as they hit the ground floor. 'Wouldn't know how to.'

'Did you touch it?' asked the headmaster suspiciously.

'No,' said Harker.

'At least, not on purpose,' Eve said with what he thought was a perfectly charming grin, but which seemed to annoy the headmaster.

'Check if something's missing,' said the headmaster. 'There have been some thefts of computing equipment, haven't there?'

One of the soldiers nodded, and withdrew from his pocket a radio.

Oh hell, thought Harker, and willed it not to show on his face.

'Right, turn out your pockets, please,' said the headmaster, and Harker glanced at the two soldiers. One was at the top of the stairs, speaking into his radio, requesting back-up. The other was peering through the open door at the computer. Harker squeezed Eve's hand, and she looked up at him. He flicked his gaze to the door and she gave an infinitesimal nod.

'Now, please,' said the headmaster, and they ran.

Behind them the headmaster shouted, and there was a sudden burst of gunfire. They were firing automatics, and Harker could only hope they didn't have many bullets. After all, they were only guarding one computer, housed in a school ...

A computer that was a prime target for attacks by the army.

Hell and bloody damn!

His fingers wrapped tightly around Eve's, Harker raced her down the steps and across the lawn, to the background of more shouting and some thankfully inaccurate gunfire. The guard on the gate turned and saw them running and Harker waved his hands frantically.

'Misunderstanding,' he yelled. 'Don't shoot!'

The guy was clearly more gullible than Harker had first realised, because he held back, right up until Harker reached him, brained him with the help of his cosh and stole his gun, all without breaking stride.

'Very impressive,' Eve panted, and he grinned at her before yanking her out through the gate and on to the street, where a few people had stopped to peer up at the school. Ignoring them, he darted down the first alley he saw, took as many fast turns as he could, and paused in a gap between buildings, holding Eve against him and enjoying the way her chest heaved against his.

'Do you think we lost them?' she whispered, her breath coming hard.

Harker listened. He nodded. Eve exhaled, smiled and reached up to kiss him.

Feet pounded on the cobbles a few feet away.

Alarm flared in her eyes.

'Maybe not,' Harker muttered, and tugged her deeper down the alley, so narrow it was hardly an alley at all, emerging at the other end dirty and damp and only a few streets away, he reckoned, from their escape over the wall.

'This way,' he said, and tugged Eve after him. She stumbled, her face twisting in pain as those treacherous heels caught in the cobblestones.

'I can't,' she panted when he tried to pull her upright. 'Just ... gimme a second.'

'We don't have a second. They'll kill us if they catch us.'

On cue, an automatic weapon spattered bullets somewhere very close by, and Eve glanced back the way they'd come.

'Look,' she said, 'take the modem and the USB sticks. If they catch me I have nothing on me. They can search me,' she added, ripping off his jacket and handing it to him. 'I can tell them it was all your idea and that you've run off towards the river.'

'I ain't leaving you,' Harker said, because that was a ridiculous plan.

'Sarge, I see them!' yelled someone, and he saw the panic rise on her face.

'Harker, I just can't run in these heels and it'll take me forever to get these straps undone. I'm going to turn my ankle and then I'll be completely useless and you'll have to leave me anyway. Go after Banks, dump the stuff there and come back for me. Or send him. I'll be fine,' she insisted, her face pale and entreating in the moonlight. Her red lipstick was smeared I did that, he thought with a touch of pride and her eyes were wide.

'Eve' he began, and a shout from the alley made his head whip round.

Eve grabbed him and pressed her lips against his. 'Go,' she said. 'I'll totally make it worth your while when we get back.'

Heat flashed through him and he couldn't help a smile. 'I'll come back for you,' he promised, before he turned and ran, hoping like hell he was doing the right thing.

But that was the way of it, wasn't it? There was never any time to make a proper choice, you had to follow your gut and deal with the consequences.

He reached the city wall, hauled himself up on to the low roof and over the wall. More machine-gun fire echoed as he dropped to the ground and ran the couple of hundred yards to where the car was hiding in a small copse, as arranged.

Banks had his rifle out, but relaxed when he recognised Harker. 'No Eve, sir?'

'No. She stayed behind to put them off the scent,' Harker said, chucking his jacket on to the back seat. 'I said I'd go back for her.'

'Sir, would it be better if I did?' said Banks. 'They won't recognise me.'

He hesitated. On the one hand, he'd promised Eve. On the other, Banks was right, and he stood a better chance of going unnoticed.

'Okay,' he said. 'But be careful.'

'Yessir,' Banks said, no questions asked, which was just the way Harker liked it. He gave brief directions, then flopped into the car, his heart racing.

She'll be fine, he told himself. Remember how she's always getting the better of you? Well, those guys are stupider than you, and more susceptible to a pretty girl in a torn dress.

Not much more susceptible, though.

He grinned, running his hands over his face and remembering how she'd felt pressed against him, her mouth soft and hot on his, her hands clutching at him. I'll totally make it worth your while. Oh, God, yes. She would, too, he knew she would. All that passion and fire and creativity, she'd be incredible. He wanted her and she wanted him, and she'd gone into the enemy's territory and returned well, nearly returned with him, and now Charlie would have to shut up and leave him in peace with the girl he wanted more than anything he'd ever wanted in his whole life.

The gunfire came closer and Eve walked fast, her head down, sticking to the shadows. Maybe they wouldn't see her, and then 'Halt!'

Did they have to say that? Now she couldn't keep a straight face.

Composing herself, she turned, ready with a smile, and faced six men with very large guns.

'Oh, you frightened me,' she said, trying to smile disarmingly. 'I was just on my way home. Working late. I'm a singer,' she babbled.

'Papers,' said one of the soldiers. In the dark, she couldn't see any insignia, but she guessed he was a sergeant.

Cold dread stole through her as she realised the flaw in the plan: her papers were in Harker's jacket.

'Um, I must have left them'

'Take her,' said the Sergeant.

'No, you don't understand, I live just around the corner,' Eve said desperately, as two soldiers clamped down on her arms and started marching, dragging her with them. Maybe if she could get to Mary's friends, maybe they'd take her in, maybe 'Where?' asked the Sergeant, and Eve tried to remember, panic fogging her brain. She pointed, but the Sergeant wanted an address, and Eve didn't even know the name of the road they were on.

'Um,' she panicked, 'um, um ...'

'Nice try,' said the Sergeant.

Banks hadn't come back. Eve hadn't come back. Harker, his elation fading somewhat, waited another five minutes then got out of the car, and climbed over the wall again.

The lane where he'd left Eve was empty. Harker forced himself to calm down, told himself she'd just have gone somewhere else to hide, or taken a different route, and started searching, keeping to the shadows as much as possible.

He heard voices. A woman, a man, heavy footsteps, several soldiers. Oh no, what if they'd found her? But she had nothing on her nothing at all, not even papers idiot! Harker started to run.

One of the soldiers was leering at her breast, half-exposed by the torn dress. Wildly, Eve started to wonder how far she'd go to save herself. Or Harker. Fear thudded through her with every thump of her heart. Mary White. Sholt. Harker.

Harker.

'Look,' she said to the Sergeant, 'maybe we can make a deal?'

They were right ahead, around the next corner. The Coalitionist patrols didn't bother to hide themselves. They had the whole town terrified of them.

Harker slid along in the shadow of a house with a heavy overhang, and very, very slowly peered around the edge.

'What kind of deal?' the Sergeant said, and Eve smiled at him. His eyes narrowed, then he smiled back. He gestured to the men to release her.

There are six of them, I can't take them down, maybe one at a time but not six, Eve thought wildly, her smile fixed in place as she moved to press herself against the Sergeant. He was tall, broad-shouldered, hard-muscled, and her body was like ice, frozen with fear and disgust.

'I can be very co-operative,' Eve said.

Like the moments when he'd faced mortality, Harker's world seemed to slow down, to crystallise, and the city faded into blurriness as the image of Eve pressed up against the Coalitionist soldier roared into life right before his eyes.

She smiled at him, stroked his neck, let him manhandle her. He touched her breast and she closed her eyes, and nausea rose sharply in Harker's throat.

You bloody fool, you said yourself she was quite an actress.

She didn't think the Sergeant believed her bluff, but she was gambling without any cards at all now. Are you going to do this? asked a terrified voice inside her. He's not going to let you go, he's going to rape you!

Sacrifice my body, save my life, Eve told it blindly, offering another smile to the Sergeant.