Page 16 of Daddy's Oath
Or the intruders had just turned around and used the elevator or stairs.
Either way, they were probably coming quickly.
She looked below and saw an open dumpster. It was about half full. With a groan, she realized that was the only way.
Taking a deep breath and plugging her nose, she let go, falling the half story. She’d done gymnastics all through her teen years, so she knew how to properly land. The bed of garbage wasn’t nearly as soft as the foam pit or mats she used to dive into, but it was sure a lot better than hard concrete.
The smell was outright rancid, though.
Fighting her gag reflex, Lana scrambled to stand. Flies buzzed around her. Pieces of molted lettuce clung to her legs. Her left foot got tangled in the drawstring of a black trash bag and she had to bend low and use her hands to free it.
A moment later, she was out of the dumpster.
But still not in the clear.
Her phone was up in her apartment. The men probably weren’t there, though. They were most likely on their way down.
And while she could hear a siren approaching, a quick calculation told her the best option was to move. How would she even explain this to the cops anyway? Was she supposed to? Or should she call her handler?
She had their number memorized.
Maybe that was the best course of action. They’d know what to do.
A myriad of fears ran through her brain. Would they move her? Would she have to leave her beloved job behind? Her apartment? Clearly that was compromised. Somehow, they’d found out where she lived.
Right now, it was imperative that she just stay alive long enough to even be concerned with that stuff. Everything could be figured out once she was safe.
Part of her still wondered if she should run toward the sirens. The police would protect her until she could call her handler. But she’d been instructed not to reveal her identity to anyone.
What if the cops were involved in this?
Surely not. In Los Angeles, she was just one nameless, faceless person in a sea of humans. There was no vast conspiracy.
At least she hoped not.
The people after her were powerful. Lana wouldn’t put anything past them.
So, if she wasn’t comfortable going to the cops, where could she go?
Standing there in that alley, she drew shallow breaths, her heart feeling as if it might thump right out of her chest.
Think, Lana. Think!
Harrison Trent! He’d told her knew about a group who helped Littles!
She didn’t have his contact information, though. But they had something in common.
Auntie Athena’s West Hollywood Nursery.
It was a few miles away. She was wearing only her sleep shorts, a thin t-shirt, and had bare feet. Not ideal walking conditions. But if she kept to the shadows and made her wayalong the backroads and alleys, she could reach it in a couple of hours, maybe.
With that in mind, she hurried away. As she listened to the sirens stopping on the other side of the building, she wondered if she was making the right decision.
Perhaps the cops had found the two thugs as they left through the building’s front doors or something.
But also there was a chance those thugs would appear at any moment on that fire escape.
It was best that she run.
