Page 43 of Jump or Fall
A sharpboomrocked the building. The window shuddered in its frame. At the intersection, part of the building had crumbled in the blast.
An alarm blared, so loud it rattled her head.
Gordon cracked a faint smile, grabbed her hand, and pulled her to her feet.
They sprinted through the building and donned their helmets, their feet pounding against the metal stairwell.
Back on the bike, she wrapped herself around him again. He maneuvered them deeper into the alley so they could exit from the other side.
Mara clung tight, knees tucked in and arms locked around his waist to avoid colliding with the bins and pipes in their path.
With a sharp left turn, they shot into traffic.
She loosened her grip slightly, heart still hammering. Her mind drifted to the possibility that someone had died in the blast. The thought should’ve upset her more—but it didn’t. Enforcers had never protected her.
At least everyone else had already cleared the area.
They stopped near the Crux tunnel entrance and hopped off. Gordon quickly stashed the bike while she unlocked the door.
The moment the door sealed behind them, the world fell silent.
She sat against the wall, catching her breath.
“What now?” she asked.
He tilted his head back and sank to the floor. “We wait to see who was hit and how they respond. We can’t do this every day if we want to keep a low profile. Right now, it just looks like random outbursts.”
Mara nodded, shrugging off the borrowed coat before sinking down beside him. The rush of adrenaline mixed with the humid night had left her a sweaty mess, and the cool air inside the tunnel was a welcome relief.
“Do you think anyone died?” she asked.
He studied her. “Would it bother you?”
“I don’t know… I’m not even as bothered as I thought I would be about the possibility.”
He shifted closer, their shoulders touching, and then he offered his hand.
She glanced down at the upturned gloved palm resting on her thigh and took it, regretting the barrier the gauntlets created between them.
“Dump the skiff,” he said, voice quiet but firm. “Please.”
The bottle sat heavy in her pocket.
Her easy way out.
“But what if I’m caught?” she whispered.
“If you take them… then there’s no chance of getting out alive.”
Why did he care so much?
“Please… I don’t want you to die.” His hand squeezed hers.
Mara withdrew it from her pocket and turned it, listening to the faint rattle of the pills inside.
She held it out to him.
Gordon took it without hesitation and tucked it into his coat. With its absence, a subtle weight had lifted.
