REED
If Kenzie thinksshe’s leaving here a free woman, she’s out of her fucking mind.
“Anyone have restraints?” I holler, keeping my knee on Jabali’s spine.
He’s alive. Barely. But I don’t trust him not to regain consciousness and make one last play.
One of the agents dashes over. “I got him.Go.”
I bolt out of the room, arms and legs pumping as fast as they can. Footsteps pound behind me. Most likely, that’s the only remaining agent who isn’t restraining Carnage and his two goons.
Fueled by adrenaline and blinding rage, I clear the entire first set of stairs in one fell swoop, my feet touching down on the landing. Lurching forward again, I hit the first floor a second later.
My eyes scan the room, not finding any sign of Kenzie or Ginny. While they could be hiding on the property, my gut says they’re fleeing.
Making a split-second decision, I dart to the left to head to the rear door. “You take the front,” I holler over my shoulder to the other agent.
“Copy,” he calls back.
I come to a jerky stop about fifteen feet beyond the patio. My eyes sweep the inky night for any trace of them. It’s too dark to see far into the distance.
I strain to listen for anything indicating which direction the coward went.
Nothing on the right. Nothing on the left.
The snipers probably saw where they went, but without comms working, that’s zero help. No way they would have shot them on sight, without knowing what transpired inside. For all they knew, these were innocent people fleeing for their lives.
My hands carve into fists as I desperately survey the lawn for footprints. With night fallen, the thick grass is coated with dew. I should be able to find them.
I weave a few steps in each direction to search for their path. My lungs pull in the thick, muggy air.
And there it is.
Two sets of tracks lead diagonally through the back yard.
My legs pump like mad, hurdling me across the yard. When I get to the wall, I throw my body upward with zero hesitation. I scale it easily, thanks to the momentum.
Landing in a crouch on the other side of the wall, I rise and scan the tree line. The rougher forest floor makes it harder to spot tracks. I tune in my sense of hearing and bolt in the direction of rustling leaves and the snap of twigs.
The longer I’m in the dark, the better my visual acuity becomes. I dodge a few low-hanging branches, tracking the sounds of their escape as they grow nearer.
An unknown male voice sails through the air. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Let me go, asshole.”
That’s Ginny.Fuck yes.One down.
A turbo blast of energy has me exploding through the woods. If she’s here, then Kenzie can’t be far.
“Not so fast, little lady,” another voice rings out.
Before I process the familiarity of the sound, my legs cease all forward motion, save for two last stutter steps. As I smack into an invisible wall of panic, I nearly flail onto my knees, but I manage to stay upright.
For now.
If that’s who I think it is, I won’t be on my feet for long.
Over the sound of Kenzie’s muffled curses, I hear my voice.
