Five hostiles. Multiple weapons likely. Bad odds for a confrontation.
They needed another way out.
"Loading dock," she whispered, pointing toward the rear of the building where Wade had indicated the bay doors in his sketch.
Behind them, flashlight beams swept in systematic search patterns. Coordinated. Not rent-a-cops, but actual security personnel who knew what they were doing.
She and Gabe reached a row of industrial shelving units stretching twenty feet high. “You good with this?” Gabe whispered.
“Watch me.” She leapt past the first couple rungs, scrambling upwards as quickly as possible.
The ladder shook beneath her as Gabe followed on her heels. They reached the top and moved along the narrow shelf, stepping carefully between boxes. Below them, flashlights passed underneath their position.
"Nothing in this section. Move to the next row."
Gabe pointed left, leading her across the top of three connected shelving units until they reached a catwalk, metal grating suspended fifteen feet above the warehouse floor.
She dropped onto it with barely a sound. Gabe landed heavier beside her, the metal rattling slightly. They froze.
"What was that?" Flashlights swept upward, moving ever closer.
“Run,” Gabe ordered.
They flew along the catwalk, footsteps echoing now. The metal walkway led directly toward the loading dock area and the bay doors beyond.
Shouts erupted below. Running footsteps converged on their position. "Up there."
The catwalk ended at a ladder bolted to the wall. Cara grabbed the rails and slid down, controlling her descent with her hands while her feet barely touched the rungs, a technique she'd learned in her previous life, running from angry marks and dangerous associates.
She hit the ground and stepped out of Gabe’s way. He came down faster than was probably safe, dropping the last six feet and landing hard.
The loading dock area opened before them. Three massive bay doors, all closed. A regular door marked "Emergency Exit" sat in the corner, red light glowing above it.
Cara ran for it and hit the crash bar at full speed.
An alarm shrieked through the warehouse, piercing and impossibly loud.
They burst outside into the fog.
"They went through the emergency exit! Get them!"
Cara sprinted across the loading dock's concrete pad toward the perimeter fence twenty yards away. Gabe matched her pace, both of them running flat out.
They reached the fence and Cara assessed it quickly. Eight feet of chain link topped with nothing. No barbed wire. No razor wire.
Easy.
"Can you climb it?" Gabe asked.
She was already moving before he finished the question. Her hands found purchase on the metal links. She flew upwards, years of close escapes exactly like this fueling her muscle memory.
She dropped on the other side with a controlled fall,tucking and rolling to absorb the impact before coming up ready to run.
Gabe followed with less grace, his landing harder and less controlled.
Behind them, shouts erupted as flashlights found the fence. “Northeast corner. Go!”
Gabe grabbed her arm and pulled her into the concealing fog.
