Gideon pointed to the narrow passage leading off from the cavernous room, and she shoved his coat at him. “Put this on. You’re going to need it.”
He did so while she disappeared into the passageway.
Vance’s footsteps drew closer still. “This place is blocked off. You can’t get out. Why don’t you just cooperate and this can all be over—”
Curses flowed.
He’d discovered the opening.
“Follow me,” Gideon said. “Keep your hand on my belt, and I’ll make sure the path is clear with nothing for you to stumble on.”
“Okay.” She gripped the belt. Tight. “You think he can get through?”
“Depends on how bad he wants to.” Gideon aimed the light, noting the low-battery signal on his phone.
“Right.” A loud crash made them both jump. “Apparently he wants through pretty bad,” she said.
“How’d he get back so fast?” Gideon muttered. “I thought it would have taken him a lot longer to get help for Ellie.”
“Who knows? Maybe he dumped her at the clinic and ran.”
Or she died. A sense of loss overwhelmed him, and he hated that his childhood friends had come to this.
Greed. Such an ugly vice.
One that he’d been familiar with once upon a time. But no more.
Although he couldn’t help but wonder if wanting to live so he could tell Maya about his growing feelings for her could be interpreted as greedy, considering his past mistakes.
Another crash sounded behind them. “I’m coming for you! I don’t want that land, and the only way to stop Ellie is if you’re dead!”
His thoughts about Maya were for another time. Another place.
“What does he mean by that?” Maya asked, her voice stricken.
“I don’t know. We’ll figure it out later.” He kicked aside more rubble as the light on his phone went out. He stopped in the darkness. “It’s dead,” he said, stating the obvious.
Her fingers tightened around his belt. “I assumed. But just before it went out, I thought I saw the tunnel tilting upward a bit.”
“And the air seems a little fresher, doesn’t it?”
“Maybe.”
“Stay close and feel before you step. I’ll do my best, but I’m going blind here.”
“I’m right behind you.” A crash, then a frustrated scream sounded, echoing around them. “But go. He’s determined to follow, so we’ve not got a lot of time to find a way out.”
Gideon stopped. “You go. Be careful. I’m going to stay and fight him off if he gets this far.”
“And take a chance on getting shot?”
“I’ve done it before,” he muttered.
“In a war where you were equally armed and not at a disadvantage.”
She had a point. If he was alone, he would chance it. Or if they wound up trapped with no other option.
But for now, he pushed forward, shuffling his feet along the floor, shoving aside anything that might trip her up. The narrow passage sloped upward even more, and cold air gusted across his face. “We’re getting close to something,” he said.
