AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Shit,” Dante muttered, and he released her.
They sat next to each other with their backs against the unit. The next time the light swept by them, Tinsley started counting.
“Thirty Mississippis. I mean seconds,” she told Dante.
They inched farther away from their spot and again stuck their heads out in unison after the light swept by. Tinsley pointed to the spot she thought they should scramble to, and Dante grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
The next time the light passed over them, they were ready. Then they had to repeat the process. It took four nerve-racking trips, but then they were at the edge of the roof, right where they had climbed up. Tinsley had no desire to peer over the side.
Dante tied the two of them together.
“I think you can climb down, but if anything happens, be prepared to cut the rope and save yourself. I’ll hold them off.”
“I’m not leaving you,” Tinsley said.
“We don’t have time for this.”
She threw herself into his arms and he kissed her.
Then he pushed her away. “Sorry, better if you go first.”
She nodded grimly and climbed over the ledge. Feeling with her feet, she found one of the holes Dante had made in the fortress’s veneer. She found a few more and then she was clinging to the side of the building, inching her way down.
She looked up and saw Dante swing his large leg over the side. Her hopes that he had figured out another way vanished. She felt a tug on the rope and took another step down. She would have to set the pace.
Before long, she figured out her arms were all but useless. She took her time picking her way down, making sure her feet were very secure in the holes before continuing. Suddenly she felt a sharp yank on the rope.
Oh, no, the voice in her head screamed. Between her and Dante, light was coming out of one of the holes in the fake stone. She looked up desperately at Dante.
“I love you,” she mouthed at him.
She wasn’t sure he could see her in the darkness.
“Ah, hah!” a voice with a distinct Jorvlen accent called.
Tinsley froze in horror. The voice sounded like it was right next to her. She leaned over to look into the hole her right hand was grabbing onto. She peered between her fingers and was hit with a blinding light. She couldn’t help it. She pulled away.
“Dante!” she screamed.
It didn’t matter; their cover was blown. She could hear the Jorvlen on the other side of the wall yelling frantically into his comm. But the real problem was that she was only connected to the building by one hand and one foot.
“Watch out,” Dante yelled. “Get over.”
She didn’t know what he meant. She wanted to get away from the holes. What if they fired a phaser at her? She clawed at the wall, but she wasn’t anywhere near strong enough to make her own hole.
“Just let go,” Dante said. “I got you.”
She couldn’t do that. They were only about halfway down. The thought was terrifying. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small spray can her father insisted she carry with her everywhere.
“What are you doing?” Dante yelled.
Dust rained down on her as he made a lateral move. The rope between them brushed across her face and then pulled taut. Tinsley pulled with the last strength she had and swung herself into the wall. She pushed down on the aerosol and fired it into the hole the light was still coming out of.
“Agh, you human bitch!”
“Fuck you,” Tinsley yelled back.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Dante snarled. He was beside her now, and from the look on his face, he was furious.
