Page 49 of The Girl He Wanted

Paige's heart pounded in her chest as she tried to think of a way to help. She could see the wire on the sign between the rooftops, and an idea struck her.

She ran towards the edge of the rooftop, her eyes locked on the wire. She took a deep breath and then she jumped.

Paige landed on the sign, her feet slipping on the wet metal. She fought to keep her balance, her arms flailing out to grasp the wires.

For a moment, she hung there, swaying, then she started to make her way along the sign towards the far rooftop.

Paige edged along the sign. The wind was so fierce that it threatened to rip her away, and she struggled to keep her balance. Time seemed to pass in slow motion as she inched closer to the far roof. Spots danced in front of her eyes, but she kept going, knowing that she was the best thing that she could do to save her partner's life.

No, not just her partner. Christopher was so much more than that.

Paige tried to tell herself that it was just like being back on an obstacle course in training, but those hadn't come with the risk of a deadly fall to the ground below. Paige forced herself not to look down and made herself focus on the spot where Alvin was still struggling with Christopher. Christopher was fighting not to be thrown over the edge, but Paige could see that it was a fight that he was losing.

Paige had to get to him, but now there was a problem beyond the sheer difficulty of trying to hold onto the sign. Paige was almost at the far roof, but she had reached the point where there was a missing letter. There was no structure for her to climb over, only a couple of dangling wires hanging down.

On an obstacle course, that might have been enough to make Paige turn back. She couldn't make that jump, not in this weather. Yet Christopher was dead if she didn't.

Taking a deep breath, Paige jumped out into the open air, hands reaching for the wires that hung there.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

For a moment or two, Paige seemed to hang in midair, the time seeming to stretch until that second or two became an eternity. Paige found herself thinking of Christopher,of her future, of her life, of everything that might not happen if she didn't make this jump.

Paige would plummet to the ground and then Christopher would follow her. Zelda Mackie would be murdered, a sacrifice to the winds. Alvin might escape justice. Paige would never get to look the Exsanguination Killer in the eye either, would never get to finally finish what she had made her life's work after her father died.

She found herself wondering if this was the moment when she was going to save Christopher, or if they were both going to be killed.

Paige felt a jolt of pain as her hands closed around the wires, the metal biting into her skin. She gritted her teeth and held on, the wind whipping her hair into her face.

She leaned forward as she swung her feet back and forth, trying to build up momentum for the next swing.

Paige closed her eyes for a moment, then she swung back. The wires swayed and creaked, moving in the wind, and the rain lashed her face, blinding her.

Paige’s plan had to work. There was no alternative. If she didn't reach Christopher in time, he was going to be killed. Even if she did make it back, there was still no guarantee that they would be able to escape together. She knew that if she wanted any chance at all of saving Christopher, she had to reach him now.

Paige's heart was pumping as she swung back and forth, her fingers locked tight around the wires that stretched out above the gap between the rooftops. She could feel the strain in her muscles as she swung, but she had to ignore that. She focused on reaching the rooftop that was just in front of her.

Paige tried to judge the perfect moment for her leap. Christopher was still struggling with Alvin, desperately trying to keep from being thrown off the roof. Paige realized that if she didn't act now, then Christopher would be thrown down to the ground below, and she wouldn't be able to help him. Paige swung towards the roof, took a deep breath, and then she let go.

Paige sailed through the air and smashed into the struggling forms of Christopher and Alvin, knocking them both from their feet. Paige hit the ground hard and rolled, ignoring the pain in her hands as she came up. She pulled her gun, but Alvin was already ducking back out of sight behind a large ventilation duct.

"Give it up, Alvin," Paige said. "It's over. There's nowhere for you to run!"

"I'm not here to run!" Alvin said. "I'm here to finish this. Itmustbe finished. Once a ritual like this has been started, it can't be simply abandoned. I won't let anything stand in my way. Not you, not him, notanything."

Paige looked over to Christopher. He was lying there, conscious but obviously not able to help at the moment.

"Are you all right?" Paige asked Christopher, keeping her gun trained on the ventilation duct in case Alvin tried anything.

"I'll be fine," Christopher assured her. He started to get up, then slumped back down.

"That doesn't look like fine to me," Paige said. She looked over to the young woman Alvin had taken to be his victim. She was standing there, still bound.

"Don't worry, Zelda," Paige said. "We’re with the FBI. We'll get you out of here. Stay with my partner."

There was no time to stop and untie her, not with a killer lurking just yards away. That had been a clear part of Paige's training: take down an active threat first, then deal with everything else.

Paige advanced on the ventilation duct. "Alvin, come out with your hands up. I know you're armed. I won't hesitate to shoot."

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