Silent Run - Barbara Freethy [67]
“I’m not quitting,” she said. “I would never do that, not while my daughter is in danger.”
“Our daughter,” he corrected.
She ignored him and moved to the closet. She pulled out a duffel bag, grabbed some clothes from the dresser and closet, and then went into the bathroom for personal supplies. She had barely returned when an alarm went off in the building. A series of shrill bells rang through the apartment.
“That’s the fire alarm,” he said in surprise.
“Yes,” Sarah agreed, putting on her coat. “We need to get out of here.”
He grabbed her by the arm. “Wait. I want to see if there’s any smoke.” He walked over to the window and saw gray smoke billowing up around the side of the building. When he turned, Sarah was right behind him.
“It’s real. It’s a fire,” she said.
“Yeah, a very convenient fire,” he muttered.
Her eyes met his. “You think someone set it deliberately?”
“It’s a good way to smoke us out of the building— literally.”
“It’s obviously a real fire. We can’t stay here. We’re on the third floor, Jake.”
“Let’s go. Get your bag.” He jogged over to the front door and put his palm against the wood. It was still cool. He turned back to see Sarah stuffing Cait-lyn’s blanket and bear into her bag. She grabbed his shirt, and then stared at it in bemusement. “What’s this?”
“It’s mine,” he said shortly, meeting her quick, questioning gaze. “And no, I didn’t put it there. You must have taken it with you when you left me. I used to wear it all the time.” Sarah hesitated, then put the shirt into her bag. “Pull your sweater over your mouth and nose,” he advised. He opened the door slowly, coughing as smoke blew through the hallway from an open window at the end of the corridor. He tried not to breathe as he took Sarah’s hand and headed toward the stairs, praying he was making the right choice.
The smoke was so thick he could barely see where they were going. Sarah’s hand tightened in his, a sign of complete and utter trust. They were in this together, for better or worse. He put his hand on the door to the stairwell. It was warm but not hot. He pushed it open. The air was dense and dark, but he didn’t see any flames.
He grabbed the railing with one hand as they made their way down the stairs quickly but carefully. They were almost to the second-floor landing when a figure came out of the smoke.
The man wore bulky clothing, baggy pants, and a hooded sweatshirt, and there was something in his hands. A gun. They’d run straight into an ambush.
Chapter Fourteen
Jake stopped abruptly, shielding Sarah with his body as he quickly assessed the situation. They were trapped between the fire behind them and the gun in front of them. Sarah’s hand tightened in his, and he could feel her body shaking, her breath on his neck. She was depending on him to get them out of this alive. He needed a plan, but there was no time to make one. The man was raising the gun, his finger on the trigger.
Jake let out a yell as he launched himself at their attacker, praying the gun wouldn’t go off and hit Sarah.
The man stumbled backward in surprise, but he recovered quickly, coming at Jake with a fury that he didn’t expect, slamming Jake’s head against the wall. He saw stars and felt blackness begin to descend, but he forced it back.
“Run, Sarah,” he urged.
His words turned his attacker’s attention on Sarah. The man fired a shot at her just as she ducked past him, running down the stairs.
Taking advantage of the man’s momentary distraction, Jake hit him from behind, this time knocking the gun out of his hand. They wrestled on the landing, both trying to get control of the gun, which had slid against the opposite wall.
The man was strong and knew how to fight. Jake battled back. He had to give Sarah time to get away.
Their bodies rolled over and over as they each struggled for dominance. They were close to the stairs now. If he could just shove the guy down the stairs, he might still get out of this alive.
The smoke was getting thicker.