23
- 23 -
Leopold followed Byrnia back through the streets. She didn’t talk, but at least they could walk in the open now. Soft daylight signalled the lifting of the curfew. Other people started to appear. Most moved quickly, with their heads down, avoiding eye contact.
There were also troopers, always in pairs. Leopold noted how they worked together—when one was looking to the left, the other was scanning the area to the right. They didn’t have their weapons raised, but they held their guns with both hands, ready to use in an instant.
When Leopold glanced at Byrnia he saw that she, too, was taking in these details—and, undoubtedly, far more. She often pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, between her teeth, and he took this as a sign that she was thinking deeply.
She did not look
