Page 48 of Synnr's Ride

"Go that way," he told her, a solution beginning to form in his mind. "I'll hold him off."

"What? No!" Hanna looked at him like he was crazy, her spark dancing in her gorgeous eyes. "We can get out of here."

The sound of crates exploding a few rows over was nearly deafening. The acrid smell of dust and small debris assaulted his nose, a mixture of burning wood and melting plastic overlaid with an unyielding metallic tang.

"I'll hold him off," Jori said. He flared out his wings. "Get out of here and call for backup. Tell Major Ozar everything. I'll find my way home."

"You—"

"I'm a soldier, I can handle one thug." Though if that thug made it to the weapons, his chances got slimmer by the second. Jori didn't mention that, but Hanna still looked unconvinced.

"If you die, I'm going to come and steal you from Braznon's grasp, you got it?" She hesitated for just a moment more, and there was another burst of exploding crates.

She ran.

Jori couldn't watch her go, both for the worry that she might not make it and for the small, cowardly part of him that wanted to run with her.

But no. He was buying her time.

He took a deep breath and let the calm of battle settle on himself. There was nothing except the fight. No past, no future. Nothing but now.

The hulking figure stepped into the row, and Jori recognized the wings. Rexx.

"What thepuntare you doing here?" Rexx demanded.

Jori sent him flying backwards with a shot of his spark.

* * *

Hanna ran and hated herself with every step.

She recognized Rexx's voice as he and Jori brawled. She was tempted to sneak back and take care of him, but she had to get out and call for backup.

Something in the warehouse was jamming the signal in her communicator, and she had to get clear to get back up. That was the best way she could help Jori. He was a big bad soldier, he could handle one guy. Even Rexx.

Still, she winced as she heard their clash.

Even though she was looking for an exit, Hanna darted up the stairs when she came to the staircase. She was too stuck in the maze to find her way out, but there were windows up there. That worked just as well as a door for an escape.

She could barely pick up the sound of fighting upstairs, though every few seconds she heard another crate bursting. They had no hope of covering their tracks.

The mission was over.

Almostover. Hanna had to make sure it ended with both of them alive.

She heard something much closer than the fight and spun, wings out and ready to battle, but no one was there.

Then she heard it again. A cry. Pounding.

Hanna turned away from the window and followed the sound to a long, flat plastic crate that was rocking of its own volition. It sat askew from the crates all around it, the rocking having displaced it.

Hanna had a sinking feeling she knew what she'd find, and it made her hurry even faster. The crate was held together with two large metal clasps, but there was no lock. She undid them and hoisted it open.

A young human woman looked up at her with big eyes and panic written across her face. She sucked in a big breath.

Hanna slapped her mouth over the girl's. "Don't scream." She was as forceful as she could be while whispering.

She kept her hand in place until the girl nodded frantically. "Oh god, what's happening, where am I? What's going on? Are you an angel?" The woman's eyes looked beyond Hanna's shoulder to where her wings flared out.

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