Page 75 of Burn

“Is she…” Lunchbox said slowly, staring down at the image. She was damn near out, moving slow and steady. Which was good, because she was looking for somewhere to grab onto.

“Yes, ourclient,” I said, stressing the last word with all the irritation I felt, “is trying to climb, headfirst, out of a window on the second floor to escape.”

The flat look in Bones’ eyes didn’t shift. The captain was a good man. He’d always been an excellent soldier. He looked after his team. Somehow, I didn’t think he’d ever had to deal with someone like Grace.

She slid downward, but then twisted to catch the lip of the window before swinging her legs free. My gut didn’t like the drop it experienced at her swing.

“Are we just watching her?” Voodoo demanded. “She could tear that damn wound open.”

“If we interrupt now,” Lunchbox mused, “she could slip and fall.”

As if inspired by his comment, she did slip. I gritted my teeth as she caught herself with two tiny feet on the damn near invisible ledge formed by the house design. She was pressed right up to the building, flattened to it.

“We should go get her,” I said. Because I wasn’t really sure I could take watching her fumble this anymore. A single story fall could kill her if she landed wrong. Even if it didn’t, those were injuries she didn’t need to take.

“Fuck,” Bones swore, then pushed away from the table. Voodoo was one step behind him as they headed outside. Lunchbox waited for me. The limp slowed me some, but the more I moved the easier it became. Goblin trotted along with us.

The wind picked up, swirling in from the northwest. It was mostly overcast at the moment, but the clouds were much darker in the west. Probably a storm rolling through. Bones and Voodoo were just below where she was.

“Maybe we should go up and open the windows from there?” I murmured. Getting her down would be tricky.

“Probably not the worst idea,” Lunchbox said. “Definitely not the best.” He bypassed the others and went for the drain gutter that ran down one of the corners. He climbed it like it was one of the old obstacles during boot.

She noticed us about the time he started up, and she twisted to look—then teetered some before flattening herself against the glass again. Good girl.

“Gracie,” I called, buying Lunchbox some time. “Whatcha doing?”

“Getting some fresh air,” she retorted in a salty tone that made me grin. “What are you doing?”

Bones opened his mouth, but I cut in before he could say whatever remark he had in mind. “Came out for a walk. Wanna go with me and Goblin?”

“Sure,” she responded. “Just give me a minute to figure out how to make my way down.”

Lunchbox was almost there, edging along the building in free climb like it was nothing.

“Hey, Gracie,” he said, not trying to pitch his voice quieter. “Looking for a ride?”

“Not really,” she said. “Thought I could do this on my own, but…it’s a lot farther to the ground than I thought it was.”

“Right.” He glanced from her to the ground, then to me. Voodoo was already studying their location.

“Handoff,” Voodoo called.

Agreed. It would be the easiest way to get her down without further injuring her.

“Gracie, I need you to listen to me. We’re going to get you down, but to do that, you have to follow instructions to the letter. Are you good for that? Or do you need an alternative?”

“And how is your back after your wonder wiggle?” Voodoo added.

“It’s sore, but all of me is sore.”

I did not like that answer.

“Yes, I can follow instructions.”

“All evidence to the contrary,” Bones said.

“Tell you what, Bones,” she snapped over her shoulder. “Why don’t you take your emotional overreactions and shove them up your ass?”

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