Page 23 of The Knight

He pushed down the frustration.No time. Right now, he needed to focus on keeping Freya safe.

“Keep moving.” He pressed his hands into the small of her back, guiding her down the hall toward the rear of the house.

The knocking on the front door intensified, then fell silent. Low voices murmured just outside.

We’re running out of time.

“We need to get out of here.” Abe opened the back door and swore a silent curse of relief when the door opened soundlessly. Frigid air rushed them, carrying the raw scent of untamed wilderness. There was no manicured backyard to speak of—justa small clearing housing a weathered tool shed before the land gave way to nature’s domain.

Beyond, the landscape was barren, volcanic rocks jutting out of the earth like jagged teeth while moss-covered lava fields extended to the horizon, their undulating surface broken only by the occasional boulder or ridge.

He scanned the desolate expanse, his tactical mind working overtime.

We need cover. Now.

There. A cluster of car-sized sharp rocks cast deep shadows in the evening light. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do.

He grasped Freya’s hand. “Come on. This way,” He hurried her across the uneven ground, snatching quick checks over his shoulder for a sign of their pursuers.

Still clear.

As they reached the outcropping, he pulled her into the shadowy shelter, instinctively positioning his body between her and any potential threat.

He breathed a momentary sigh of relief, but a traitorous voice in the back of his mind whispered an uncomfortable truth.

This woman.

She was becoming more than just a client to protect.

13

The thudof Freya’s heart had to be damaging her ribs. Her hands shook—whether from cold or fear, she couldn’t tell. She jammed her shaking fingers in her pockets, not wanting Abe to see. He had enough on his plate.

“What now?” Thank God. Her voice sounded level.

“We get out of here.” He moved to the back of the rocky outcropping, squeezing through a cleft in the rocks. On the other side, the land rose steeply. “Up the volcano.”

“That’s a stratovolcano,” she blurted, her mind racing. “It has a classic cone-shaped peak.”

The intensity of his gaze could level a volcano.

“Sorry.” Freya studied her toes, her voice quiet. “Force of habit. My brain works a particular way.”

Air whistled between his teeth, but he remained silent, studying the lay of the land.

“Chances are they’ve disabled my SUV. But maybe we can find some alternative transport.”

“Such as? We’re in the middle of nowhere.”

“We lead them away from the house. Circle back and take their car.”

“That sounds too easy.”

“Don’t dismiss simple. It often gets overlooked.” He held up his mobile phone. “No damn signal.”

The sound of voices not too far away drifted in the night air.

“Let’s move.” He tugged on her arm and urged her onto the scrappy path that led up the volcano’s flank.

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