It buzzed toward the branches like a giant insect. Mara’s head snapped around. One paw slipped, and bark scattered onto the pavement below. The crowd gasped, which frightened her even more.
“Get that drone down now,” Elias said. The captain barked the order into his radio. Elias kept his eyes on Mara. She was panting now, trapped between the height below her and the noise around her. They were already running out of time.
Elias made the police move everyone back another full block. Not a few steps. Not behind a second strip of tape. A full block. Some people complained, but Elias didn’t care. Every raised voice, every camera flash, every sudden movement narrowed Mara’s choices.