Page 49 of To Keep

This didn’t fill her with confidence.

“I’m going to make it work,” he said.

“I trust you.”

“Do you?” he asked.

“Yes, of course.” She had no doubt he’d keep her alive. Her only real question was how long, and what would it cost him in the long run.

She stayed silent as he finished removing glass from her hand. Once he was done, he pulled out some ointment and a bandage. He wrapped both of her hands as well as her knees.

The pants she wore were destroyed, but Galen had been able to find her a replacement.

Once she was treated and changed, Galen grabbed her hand, and she noticed he was careful on how tightly he held her.

“We’re going to have to head out,” he said.

They hadn’t left the bathroom. She had started to learn little telltale signs of Galen’s body that told to her certain things weren’t right. Like the fact he was tense.

“What do you see?” she asked.

“There’s a glint.”

After listening to Slash, Kensington, and Galen, she knew that meant it was either a mirror, or the sun shining on something metal, most likely a gun. They’d never been wrong.

Galen moved them back into a toilet stall. The only other exit was sealed shut.

“I can distract them,” Skye said.

“No.”

He pulled out his gun.

“We’re going to run like fucking hell.”

She was about to complain, to make alternative suggestions, but he already fired the weapon at the rusted handle of the back door. She didn’t have time to ask him what to do if it didn’t work. What if the door didn’t budge?

There was no point in asking as the moment he shot through it, the door seemed to open out onto the back. Galen didn’t waste any time. He grabbed her hand and she had no idea where they were going.

She didn’t have time to scream as she heard the sound she’d come to associate with a silenced bullet. The ground made little puffs of dust where they hit. There were some awful shots made which was good for them. They were still too close for comfort.

Galen made a run toward a forest. The bark on a tree splintered to their left. Galen pulled her in front, took them several meters into the forest, and then took cover behind one of the oversized trunks.

“What’s happening?” Skye asked, almost completely out of breath.

“I’ve got to keep them off our tail. Anyone following us must be killed, Skye. You know that.” He pulled out his gun again, and she noticed he had several other weapons strapped to his body.

“What do you need me to do?”

He pulled out a cell phone and handed it to her. Galen also removed the bag from his shoulder and gave it to her.

“There’s enough money in there to keep you going for several months. Keep moving. Don’t talk to anyone. I’ll catch up with you.”

“Galen, this is crazy—”

“Either me, Slash, or Kensington will find you. We’re the only ones who know that number.”

She shook her head. There was no way she could leave him. This was madness.

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