Page 79 of Diamond in the Rough

They passed through the first gate and then the second. The heat intensified, and Maddox stooped forward, close to passing out.

“Let’s go, Boss!”

He only just heard Amber’s words and tried to straighten, but he felt too heavy. They passed through another open gate, and Maddox could see daylight. Amber lifted his arm over her shoulders and took most of his weight as they stumbled closer to freedom. Another gate, the first one he’d seen when he’d arrived at the prison.

The car park was full of coughing people. They spied Amber dragging him out and rushed to help.

“I’ve got him,” Amber said firmly.

They paused at her blunt tone and backed away. Maddox lifted his head when he heard sirens and frowned at the fire engine coming closer.

“Shit,” Amber hissed. “Boss, you need to go through the barrier, around the corner. There’s a car waiting.”

Maddox nodded but had to close his eyes when his vision spun.

Amber left his side, and he struggled to stand. He heard someone shout, knew they were talking to him, but kept going until he was through the barrier. Maddox had never been more relieved to see a blacked-out car in all his life. He clumsily pulled on the handle, and after a few attempts, it opened. He flung himself in the back seat and pulled the mask off his eyes. There was a dull thump when the helmet fell off his head and landed in the footwell of the car.

“Jesus Christ, Boss!”

He didn’t reply but pressed his nose into the leather seat and closed his eyes. Maddox heard the passenger door open, then close. The car rocked. He opened his eyes a crack, saw a flicker of red hair, then heard Amber’s voice.

“Drive the fucking car, Tom.”

****

Maddox was being shook. He frowned and struggled to open his eyes. Amber hovered over him with a concerned expression on her face. As soon as he looked at her, she released a shaky sigh.

“Gave me a right scare.”

“I feel like shit.”

“When we picked you up from the station, I thought you couldn’t look any worse…but I was wrong.”

Maddox clutched his head. “I feel like I’m hung over, the worst hangover of my life.”

Amber snorted. “That was some smoke, all right…”

Maddox took in his surroundings. He was still in the back seat of the car, curled up in the foetal position. He could smell the odd smoke despite the back windows being open.

“So…it worked?” he croaked.

“It took me a while to get them to hand over the keys, but eventually they gave in.”

Maddox tugged at his jacket. “The uniform.”

“Thanks to the lovely fireman Sam…told you he has a kinky side.”

“What about the fire engine?”

“I wasn’t expecting them that fast, told them I was from another county and was in the area on the way back from a training exercise.”

“They bought that?”

“No, hence the quick getaway.”

Amber sunk back down in the passenger seat, and Maddox struggled to sit up.

He reached forward and grabbed her shoulder. “Thank you.”

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