Discussing these and kindred topics they made a beeline across the back of the Customhouse and passed under the Loop Line bridge where a brazier of coke burning in front of a sentrybox or something like one attracted their rather lagging footsteps.
If you make a beeline for a place, you go to it as quickly and directly as possible. She made a beeline for the car. make a beeline for sb/sth to go quickly and directly towards someone or something (From the belief that bees fly back to their hives in a straight line)