Page 95 of Pack Fever

Seth’s holding onto my hand firmly, and for a second, we’re frozen, then Mom’s whisper reaches us.

“Use the fire escape.” She points to the left at the end of the hall.

I throw a glance back, and the door to our apartment is now closed. The fear they’re going to face some repercussions for our visit hangs heavily over me. But if they don’t catch us, they don’t have proof, right?

Seth’s already dragging me toward the fire escape on quick steps.

We reach the door, and I take a fleeting glance back, my heart hammering against my ribcage. The corridor is empty, but the distant sound of footsteps climbing the stairs sends a wave of panic through me. We slip outside, the night air biting at my skin, and find ourselves on a set of rickety metal stairs that seem barely attached to the building.

“Okay, quickly,” Seth whispers. “Before anyone sees us.”

I rush down the stairs as if my life depends on it, which, at this moment, it very well does. Reaching the bottom of the metal stairs, I fumble with the latch to extend the ladder to the ground, but it’s stubbornly stuck. Frustratingly, I pull at it, but it doesn’t budge.

Stepping aside, I let Seth try. My pulse is pounding in my ears, my gaze darting to the door we just exited, half-expecting it to burst open with Nexus authorities on our heels. Below, the street is deserted, the black car we arrived in standing alone, its driver absent.

Panic is setting in, but then Seth jumps down, landing with a soft thud. “Ladder’s broken,” he announces, looking up at me with a resolve that’s both terrifying and reassuring.

I peer down at the gap, my stomach churning. “I can’t jump that.” The distance seems insurmountable in the dim light.

“Jump, and I’ll catch you,” he insists. “Quickly now.”

“What if you miss?” Dread washes over me, a tide wave of fear. “What if I fall?” The questions tumble past my lips.

“I won’t miss. Danica, jump now!”

Just then, a set of headlights pierce the dark from farther down the street. Oh, shit!

With no time to second-guess, I step up to the ledge, my heart in my throat. In a moment of blind trust, I leap, the cold air rushing past me in those fleeting seconds of free fall. Then, just as panic is about to take hold, Seth’s arms wrap around me, strong and secure. I slam into him, and he stumbles back, then steadies himself. We’re face to face, and I’m gasping.

“Told you I’d catch you,” he says, a hint of a smile in his voice, before gently setting me down. My feet kiss the ground.

We make a dash for the car. Seth unlocks it with the remote key I hadn’t noticed before. I dive into the passenger seat, my mind racing with questions. “What about the driver?” I manage to ask.

“He can return with the other team,” Seth answers, his focus on the road as we peel away from the curb, the engine roaring to life. We’re racing away into the night, and I’m scrambling to pull my seat belt on. As we weave through the traffic, the city lights blur past us. Seth’s gaze hardens, fixating on the rearview mirror.

“Just hold on,” he says, his voice steady, but I can detect worry behind his words.

“Is everything okay?” Turning to look over my shoulder, my heart skips a beat. A silver SUV with dark windows is threading its way through the traffic with aggressive precision, its movements too deliberate to be anything but coming in our direction. “God, do you think that’s Nexus?”

Seth’s jaw tightens as he maneuvers the car with ease. “No idea for sure, but I’ll get rid of them.”

As we speed ahead, I grip the door handle. Seth takes each turn and swerves with ease in the traffic, sending adrenaline coursing through my veins. We dive into back streets, the narrow lanes covered in shadows, then we emerge onto a ramp that spirals onto the highway. Holding my breath, I try not to panic about being followed, about going so fast in a car, reminded of the car accident with Dad.

Either we go fast or Nexus catches us. It has to be them behind us… who else would be following?

Mom’s words, from weeks ago, come to mind about other criminal groups who steal Omegas. But it makes no sense they’d hang around Mom’s house, right? Unless they were waiting for me to return… I’m panicking, letting my imagination run wild.

But panic coils in my gut, each glimpse of the pursuing SUV growing tense. If they’re Nexus and catch us, I’ll most likely end up in a cold cell in an institute lockup, the loss of freedom, the stripping away of everything that makes life worth living. The thought is a weight, dragging at my spirits.

Seth’s hand is on my thigh, squeezing lightly. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” I murmur. “I’m holding on.”

“You’re doing amazing.” His eyes are on the road, and I can’t deny that he controls the car like a race car driver.

I’m still clinging to the door handle, my knuckles white.

Then Seth takes a sudden, sharp turn into an alleyway barely wide enough for the car. A small yelp spills from my mouth while the sound of scraping metal grinds through me in the night as he navigates the tight space.

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