Page 82 of Dead Fall (The Quantico Files 2)

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Alex could hear the wind blowing and see the driving snow through the high windows at the top of the concrete walls. She wondered how Bayne intended to get anywhere in this weather, but he hadn’t looked concerned. So far he seemed to have prepared himself for every possibility.

Although the pain was excruciating, Alex pushed the chair back toward Kaely, who was just able to reach it with her feet and roll it over. As soon as she stood on it, the color in her face returned to normal.

“We need to just keep pushing it back and forth,” she told Alex. “Someone will come in time if we’re smart.”

Alex looked away from her. She couldn’t talk with the rope cutting off her windpipe. Tears ran down her face, and it made her mad. She didn’t want to die afraid.

Kaely pushed the chair to Alex, who used her legs to pull it underneath her. It was difficult with them bound together. “Can you try to break your zip ties?” she asked Kaely, her voice raspy and barely above a whisper. “I can’t lift my legs to get into position.”

Kaely tried to hit the bone at the base of her spine with the ties, but it didn’t work.

Alex pushed the chair back to her. When Kaely was standing again, she said, “When I lift my legs, the rope cuts off my air. I almost passed out. I just can’t do it. I’m sorry.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. She pushed the chair back to Alex.

At first she didn’t think she could talk. “I ... I can’t get enough air with a collapsed lung. I don’t have long. You have to keep the chair. At least one of us will be alive when they get here.”

Kaely tried to shake her head. “No,” she croaked. “No.”

Alex took the deepest breath she could. Pain shot through her chest and down her arms. “Please,” she choked out. She didn’t care about the tears that coursed down her face now. “Please ask the Stewarts to keep Krypto. He loves them.” She kicked the chair back to Kaely, and then she whispered a prayer, asking God to save Kaely. As soon as she said, “Amen,” she began to lose consciousness.

Logan and Noah kept their backs against the side of the building, trying to stay out of sight of any cameras that might be mounted on it. Since they could hardly see through the blinding snow, they had no idea if they were being watched. If anyone could even see them. Logan pointed to the high windows above them, then gestured toward some trash dumpsters beneath one of the windows. Logan held up his hand, letting Noah know he wanted him to stay where he was. Noah nodded.

Logan pulled himself up onto the top of the dumpster. Thankfully, the lid was shut. He tried to shield his eyes from the blowing snow with one hand while he used his gloved hand to brush snow off the window. He looked through the small spot he’d cleared and was horrified by what he saw—Alex and Kaely hanging by ropes tied to pipes near the ceiling. Alex wasn’t moving, and her eyes were closed. Kaely was standing on a chair, looking around. Logan tapped on the window, and Kaely looked up. He pointed down the alley where he’d seen a door when they pulled up to the building. Kaely looked horrified and shook her head. Thinking she was disoriented, he held up one finger, letting her know they were coming in. Again, she shook her head.

Logan jumped down and went back to where Noah waited. “They’re in there, but they’re hanging from the ceiling. Alex isn’t moving, but Kaely saw me. Let’s try to get that metal door down there open.” He frowned. “Kaely shook her head when I pointed toward it, but she probably doesn’t know what she’s saying if she’s been deprived of oxygen.”

They fought the wind and pushed their way to the large metal door. Logan was about to pull the handle when Noah grabbed his arm.

“Don’t,” he said. “I think it’s booby-trapped.”

“Why?”

“I think that might be what Kaely was trying to tell you.”

Logan tried to tamp down the emotions raging through him. Alex wasn’t moving. He had to save her. But what if Noah was right?

“So what do we do?” he asked Noah.

“We go through one of those windows.”

A long drop to what surely was a concrete floor could cause them physical damage, but Logan didn’t care. And he knew Noah didn’t either.

“All right,” Logan said. “Let’s do this.”

He found a concrete block lying a few feet away and grabbed it. Noah jumped back onto the dumpster and put his hands out. Logan handed him the block, then jumped up beside him.

Before breaking the window, he showed the block to Kaely. She nodded but appeared to be fighting to stay conscious.

Noah lifted the block and hit the window with it. It didn’t break, but spider-webbed cracks filled the glass. Again he lifted it and hit the window with more force. This time the glass shattered. Both men began to pull out the broken shards. If they cut themselves when they crawled through the window, they wouldn’t be much good to Alex or Kaely.

Once the window was as clean as they could get it, Logan put his head through the opening. It was at least a nine-foot jump onto the concrete floor.

“I see a wooden box,” he told Noah. “I’ll put it under the window so you can lower yourself onto it. Make that call to HRT. Now.”

“All right.”

“Wish they were here already,” Logan grumbled. He looked at Alex. She was blue. He had to go. Now. He climbed through the window feet first, holding on to the window sill. Then he let his body slide down along the wall so his landing wouldn’t be so far.

God, help me, he prayed.

Then he let go.

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