Page 59 of Sins and Salvation

"I can't lift you," I tell him. "You'll have to climb."

"I can't reach," Conor whispers, tears streaming down his face.

"I'll lift you." I lock my fingers together and he steps into my hands, grabbing the edge of the vent when I push him up. He scrambles inside.

More bullets. I jump for the vent, my arms burning as I pull myself up. My knife clatters to the floor below.

"Crawl fast," I whisper. "Don't stop."

We move through the shaft, the sounds of pursuit growing behind us. When we reach the outer wall, I kick out the grill and help Conor drop to the ground outside.

"Run to those bushes," I tell him, pointing to where I came in. "Stay low."

I drop down beside him, and we run, crouching, toward the fence. Gunfire erupts behind us, bullets pinging off metal.

We reach the fence, and I push Conor through the gap. "Keep going," I urge him. "To that road."

I follow him through, tearing my shirt worse and scraping my side on the metal. We run across open ground toward where I parked the Audi.

The sound of engines roaring to life behind us spurs us faster. They're coming after us.

We reach the car, and I fumble with the keys, hands shaking. The engine starts, and I push Conor down in the passenger seat. "Stay down!"

I reverse onto the road, then stomp on the gas. The Audi shoots forward just as a black SUV bursts from the shipyard entrance.

"They're following us," Conor says, his voice small.

"I know, baby." I press the gas harder, taking a sharp turn onto a narrow side road. The SUV follows, gaining on us.

I reach for my phone to call Declan, but it's not in my pocket. I must have dropped it in the warehouse.

"Fuck!" I slam my hand against the steering wheel.

"Mom," Conor says. "I'm scared."

"I know. But we're going to be okay." I take another turn, hoping to lose our pursuers. "Just stay down."

The SUV stays with us, getting closer. I see the flash of a gun barrel through their windshield.

I swerve as bullets hit the back of the Audi. The rear window shatters, and Conor screams.

"Are you hit?" I cry out.

"No." He's sobbing now. "Mom, please."

I need to lose them. Think, Maeve, think.

Up ahead, the road passes under a railway bridge. Beyond it, the road splits in three directions. If I can make it to the split before they catch us...

The SUV rams us from behind. The Audi lurches forward, almost spinning out. I grip the wheel, fighting for control.

"Hold on!" I shout as we approach the bridge.

I hit the brakes hard just before we reach the tunnel, then swerve left, scraping along the wall. The SUV, going faster, overshoots and has to brake hard to avoid hitting the far wall.

I floor it again, taking the left branch at the split. The SUV recovers and follows, but we've gained some distance.

Where can we go? Not back to Cormac's. They'll expect that.

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