Page 50 of The Flame

I removed the gun and darts from my back pockets and I slid into the front beside Roman.

Seconds later, we were tearing down the driveway of the institution. I glanced out the window, heart in my throat, waiting for the guard to come charging after us.

Roman sent me a grin. “I changed my mind about the guard. I took him out just before your time was up.”

That would buy us a little more time. I sank lower in the seat, the tremors back in full force now, every inch of skin and bones shaking.

“I can’t believe we did it,” I said as I stowed the gun and darts in my purse. “I can’t believe how smoothly it went.”

Roman took one hand off the wheel to rub my thigh. “We’re not done yet.”

I looked at him and rolled my eyes. We were already lost in the Quantum Zone’s grid of roads. Another couple of minutes, and we’d be hidden by the woods around the tunnel’s service hatch.

We were as good as done.

15

Getting the heirs down the hatch proved trickier than breaking them out of rehab. Granted, we had dumped the whole exile to The Smoke thing on them at the last minute, but what had they expected? Daniel seemed okay with it, but the others were resisting.

My coat was buttoned up to my throat, my hands tucked into the deep pockets, but my nose and ears felt like burning ice and every now and then a particularly severe shiver knocked my knees together—partly from the adrenaline rush fading through me, mostly from the frigid cold.

“You can’t stay in Capra,” I pointed out, stamping my feet for warmth and scanning our surroundings for movement. The trees here had mostly shed their leaves, thinning out our cover. We were vulnerable, exposed and wasting precious time.

Otter bared his teeth at me. The man really was a rabid dog. The flickering halos cast by the flashlights Roman had provided played up his vicious expression. “This wasn’t part of our deal.”

Roman was done talking. He flung the hatch open and pointed. “We don’t have time for you to wrap your heads around it.”

We really didn’t. They’d likely already sent out a search party to hunt down the heirs. Roman figured we had about an hourbefore the effect of the dart wore off and once the night nurse was roused, I’d be in their crosshairs as well.

Daniel made the first move, carefully lowering himself down the hole as he found his footing on the iron rungs.

Otter folded his arms, glaring at Roman. “And what are we supposed to do in The Smoke?”

“You’ll stay at my apartment for tonight,” Roman said, his voice tempered with indifference. “In the morning, you’ll register with the Protectorate. They’ll assign you jobs and accommodation, and you start your new life.”

Otter’s glare dug in harder.

Roman shrugged. “Or stay here, and see how long it takes them to hunt you down and throw you back into rehab. Go, stay, I really don’t give a damn, but when this hatch closes, you’re on your own.”

“Kem, come on,” Daniel called to Kemerick. He seemed as unconcerned about the others as Roman was. “We’re not saying this is permanent. But we can’t be in Capra right now.”

That finally spurred the older heirs down the hole, one by one, sinking out of sight until it was just me and Roman standing on the edge of the hatch.

Roman stepped in front of me and brought his hands up, rubbing my arms. “I’m right behind you.”

He wouldn’t be walking the train tunnel with us. He refused to leave his truck behind and, besides, all our belongings were on there. Once he’d let us through the metal door below, he’d be driving out of Capra. He’d meet us at the other end. If the alert had already gone out, they might search the truck at the gate, but they wouldn’t stop him. Well, that was the theory. It was solid, though, so long as he got through the gate before any fingers pointed directly at him.

Time was short.

But my feet weren’t moving.

He cocked his head, squaring a look on me. “You okay?”

“Not really.” My gaze locked on his. “Roman, I…I can’t do this.”

“I wish you could drive with me,” he said. “It’s too much of a risk, if they search the truck.”

“You don’t understand.” I swallowed. “I’m not leaving Capra. Not yet.”

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