Page 21 of Don't Let Go

“I’m going to move fast, stay with me. If you start to lag at all…”

“I’ll say something. Do you need me to carry anything else?”

I shook my head. The plan was pure extraction for us. We were leaving and not looking back. McQuade and Remy would find usafterthey dealt with the wet team coming to scrub us.

“Let’s go.”

McQuade and Remy were readying the welcome party for our uninvited guests as Patch followed me out into the snow. The cold air was biting, but it slapped what little sleep out of me that remained.

We needed to double-time it across the open field to the trees, then continue southeast at a jog. Keeping Patch in my periphery, I set the pace. I had a longer stride than she did, but we were going to create a disturbance in the snow one way or another so I didn’t bother with trying to keep it clear.

The wind might do us some favors. Her breath came in swift pants by the time we reached the woods. We’d just cleared the first tree when I caught the sound of a motor. They were moving fast.

We had to go faster.

I shot her a look, her face had been flushed pink under the half-moon shining above. But what little light it had provided us was gone in the trees.

“Can you grip my belt?” I asked.

“Yes.” She slid fingers around one of my belt loops. Close enough.

“Try to follow my steps. I know the route by heart and I’ll avoid the thicker roots.”

We couldn’t afford a flashlight out here. Patch soldiered on, staying with me and not complaining. The distant sound of gunfire made her jerk once. If I had a hand free, I’d take her hand but all I could do was glance over my shoulder.

“They were ready for them,” I said. “Keep moving.”

Three miles had never seemed to take so long before, but we exited the woods less than thirty yards from the oversized storage barn where we’d moved the mobile unit. We’d done some of the harder workpriorto the trip south.

After that went sideways, McQuade relocated it so we had it ready for a fast exodus. Her breath still came in swift pants but she wasn’t slowing down. At the door to the barn, she went around me and hauled it open.

At my gimlet glare, she said, “You have your hands full. I can open a door.”

Yes she could, but it also put her in the line of fire if someone was in there. Since no other alarms had been tripped, we were safe. Didn’t mean I had to like it.

She let out a gasp when she saw the massive 18-wheeler parked inside. The tires were reinforced and bullet resistant. Ithad full armor plating, though hidden under a few coats of paint. The back was fully outfitted and even had a generator.

“Close that and come on,” I told her as I headed for the cab. I got the passenger door opened. Climbing up, I stored the case with her tower and my go bag, then reached for hers.

Her breath fogged the air as she passed it to me. Then she shot a look to the other, larger doors.

“Trust me,” I said, holding a hand to her. “Up you come.”

She caught my hand and though she was climbing, I hauled her up and gave her a boost into the passenger seat. She let out a little laugh, that was more stress than humor. “These things are huge.”

“That’s the idea.” I winked and once she was in, I closed the door and dropped to the ground before circling the building. I double checked we weren’t plugged in or tangled up with anything.

Last time I’d been out here, we’d gone over everything one more time. All three of us had keys. So it didn’t matter who had extraction, we could get her out of here. In the driver’s seat, I got the engine started. Diesel engines weren’t the quietest, and something this large was bound to be noisy.

Could be worse. I went over the console, and the controls. Reminded myself where everything was then shut off the auto lights that had come on as soon as I started the vehicle.

“Buckle up,” I told Patch. “And be ready to climb right up into the back here behind me.” With a thumb I gestured to the bed area at the back of the cab.

“Okay…” The half-dazed note made me focus on her closely.

“Minimizing you as a target, Fallon.” The use of her real name gave her a little start and she shot me a look. Good girl. Stay alert. “Right now, you’re fine there. We have two shotguns behind the seats and locked in. Just pop the notch next to them and pull it out if you need it.”

I also had a handgun and my knives. I was never going to be the biggest fan of guns. They were effective, however, and McQuade loaded these with enough buckshot to challenge an elephant. They wouldn’t necessarily kill someone, but they would definitely take them down and leave them in a lot of pain.

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