Page 40 of The Knight
Freya nodded, her throat dry, a lump forming she couldn’t swallow down.
“Okay.” Abe took hold of her arm, guiding her through the kitchen in a low crouch. They moved silently to the small cloakroom at the rear of the house. “It’s a quick sprint to the SUV. I left it unlocked.” His grip hardened. “They need you alive to access the data. That gives us an edge.”
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
Abe boosted her up to the cloakroom window and Freya scrambled through, paint flaking off and sticking to her palms. She hit the ground with a soft thud, the damp earth soaking intoher knees. Seconds later, Abe squeezed through behind her, a low grunt escaping him as the frame scraped his ribs.
Freya scanned the area, searching for any sign of movement. The air felt heavy, electric, as if danger crackled just beyond sight. Abe’s controlled breathing was a comfort behind her.If he can do this, so can I. She focussed on slowing her breathing, fighting to control her urge to bolt.
“Now what?” she whispered, as her heart gunned into overdrive.
Abe’s hand was gentle between her shoulder blades, urging her forward. “We run. Fast and low. Don’t stop until you’re in the car. Ready?”
“Now!” he hissed, grabbing Freya’s hand and launching them both into the open.
Freya’s feet pounded against the uneven ground, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. Abe matched her stride for stride, but the SUV, parked for a quick escape, seemed impossibly far away.
A shout shattered the air. “There!”
Abe’s hand clamped down on Freya’s upper arm. “Stop!”
“We’re only halfway?—”
The distinctive crack of gunfire erupted, bullets kicking up dirt in a deliberate pattern just ahead of them.
With a grunt, he shoved Freya behind a rocky outcropping, his body shielding her as he transitioned into a firing stance. He squeezed off a round of precise shots. A cry of pain confirmed his aim.
He ducked back down, ejecting the spent magazine and slamming a fresh one home. “Three, maybe four. Well-trained. Change of plan.” He pressed the car keys into her palm. “When I say ‘go,’ you sprint for the SUV. Don’t stop, don’t look back. Clear?”
“I can’t just?—”
“Freya. I need to provide cover fire. You do exactly as I say. I’m right behind you. That’s a promise.”
She took a cautious peek. The SUV might as well have been on Mars. Her stomach cramped as she shifted into a runner’s crouch, fingers digging into the black soil. This was insanity. There had to be another way.
“You zig zag. No straight lines. Got it?”
She nodded, concentrating on not throwing up.
Abe leaned out, squeezing off two more shots in quick succession.
A bullet whizzed past, close enough that Freya felt the displacement of air.Hell.
“Go! Now!”
Adrenaline surged through her veins and she exploded from cover, doing her best to zig zag as Abe had instructed. The sound of return fire was deafening, but she reached the SUV.
Freaking miracle.
She yanked open the driver’s door and dove inside.
22
The SUV rocked violentlyas Abe hurled himself inside, the suspension groaning under his sudden weight. The metallic stench of blood hit her nostrils. Crimson bloomed through his torn sleeve, spreading like spilled wine on fabric.
He’s hit.
The door slammed shut with a resounding thud. “Freya, go.” His voice was a gravelly rasp.