"Fine. What's the plan?"
Knox checked his phone. A text from Jason popped up. He showed it to Allie.
You guys okay?
Knox replied with a thumbs-up emoji.
Where are you?
Hiding upstairs. I don't see a way to sneak out unseen. First floor is wide open except for the three rooms they use.
I'll be back with a plan. Sit tight.
Knox sent another thumbs-up emoji.
He squeezed Allie's hand. "They don't know we're here. And Jason will get something figured out soon. We're safe for now."
They sat shoulder to shoulder with their backs against the wall. She left her hand resting in his. "How do you know they won't come up here?"
Knox glanced around the room, barely illuminated by the diffused light from the first floor and filtered sunlight from one exterior window covered in peeling tinted film. "I can't guarantee it." He leaned his head closer, keeping his voice low. "I didn't have time to run up here earlier. But the downstairs rooms all had lights on and looked lived in. This was dark, so I hoped it wasn't being used." He scanned the area. A small desk and boxes covered in dust. "From the looks of it, they're not using this space."
Allie nodded her agreement.
He pointed to the stack of dusty boxes. "Let's hide back there. If they happen to come in, there's a chance they won't see us." He squeezed her hand again. "If they do find us up here, there isn't a back exit. We—"
"We'll have to fight our way out. I know."
"You're armed?"
"You know I am."
Yeah, he did. But the thought of another shootout in a warehouse with Allie sent a painful pang through his heart that he wished he could compartmentalize. But she was right next to him, so close he could feel her breath when she whispered. The extra level of concern he had for her—a few levels beyond professional—was impossible to ignore.
And he wasn't going to try.
He just needed to keep his head and get them both out safe and sound. For a multitude of reasons.
He refocused on their next destination and pointed to the stack of boxes.
She nodded.
They crept the ten-foot distance to their hiding spot, crouching out of view of the windows.
Knox looked around from their new perspective. Their position obstructed their line of sight to the door and the desk. It seemed very unlikely someone would venture behind these boxes for any reason—unless they were searching for spies.
Allie tugged on his shirt and brought her face near his ear. "The other two guards will be coming back soon."
"That's Jason's problem." He tried to make it sound like a joke. But it really was a problem. The bad guys downstairs were about to double in number. He rubbed her arm with a sigh. "I know. We'll manage. These guys aren't friendly, but they're not criminal masterminds either. If we had to get out on our own, our chances wouldn't be terrible. But the safest call is to wait and coordinate with Jason."
"Okay. What did you find out downstairs?"
"Yeah, about that . . ." He pulled out his phone again. He leaned closer to her ear, keeping his voice to a whisper. "I need to send Jason and Rowan the video I took. It'll help them to know the layout of this place. And they definitely need to get a look at what I found." He waited a few beats for the video to send. No luck.
Allie pointed to the ceiling. "Metal roof. Texts are easier for a metal roof, but that video isn't going to get through." Her focus jumped to something behind him. "That's an exterior window. Set your phone on the windowsill. It might send from there."
He kissed the top of her head. "You're a genius."
"I know. Just don't make any noise crawling over there."
