AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That will be our best chance,” Tinsley said. “If we can make it to the woods.”
“We’ll make it,” Dante said.
His voice didn’t waver. Inside, just about every cell of his body was shaking. He couldn’t lose her.
“On three?” she asked.
“Now,” he said.
She put both hands on his face, and he kissed her quickly.
That will not be the last time, he thought fiercely, and then they took off running.
Dante counted in his head. When he got to ten, he chanced a look back. Tinsley was falling behind him. He slowed down, just a little bit. Then he stopped.
“Why are you stopping?” Tinsley said, running past him.
He didn’t answer, but the reason was he had been sniffing. What he smelled was the fading scent of the laser trips. The waning smell indicated that the Jorvlens must have turned the grid off. That was good because it meant Dante and Tinsley wouldn’t trip them, which otherwise would have made it very clear where they were. It was also bad because Dante was pretty sure they had done that because a whole lot of guards were probably about to fan out across the property.
He started running again. Tinsley was up ahead of him, but he knew he could close the gap in no time. He squinted. She was definitely limping.
“Shit,” Dante said.
She must have hurt herself when he dumped her on the rocks. He caught up to her and picked her up.
“No, Dante,” she said. “Put me down!”
“We can make it.”
“You have to let them take me. They don’t know there are two of us, maybe. You can get away. Get help.”
“No,” Dante said.
“Put me down now!”
He stopped and set her on her feet. She kissed him, hard and long. Then she pushed him away, and he let her. He turned and ran for the woods. He couldn’t look back. He made it to the woods and leapt up into a tree.
From his perch, he heard the disgusting snorting sounds Jorvlens made when they were happy. Dante turned around and saw them catch up with Tinsley. His heart caught in his throat as he watched them pick her up and start back toward the building.
“We got her,” one of them yelled.
“Turn off the fucking alarm,” the other said.
Dante held his breath and counted. The alarm sounded, then again, and then once more before it went silent. He sat there until they rounded the building with Tinsley. Then he heard the distinctive click followed by a hum. The sharp smell of the laser grid heated up hit his nostrils. Things were back to normal as far as the Jorvlens knew.
He made his way back to the ship. He hesitated, but only for a second, before he punched in the command to open the hatch. He had to leave Tinsley behind. It was the only way to save her.
Chapter 29
Tinsley could feel the rough hands of the Jorvlens grabbing at her body, dragging her across the rough terrain with a disdain that scared her. She kicked at them, more out of instinct than as a method of escape. She knew Dante had to get out of there safely, and the only way for him to do that was if the Jorvlens’ attention was focused on her.
“Get off me, you Jorvlen scum!” she yelled.
The Jorvlens must have had the same translation device she had because they seemed to understand her loud and clear. It only made them rougher with her.
“You watch your dirty mouth, girl.” One of them growled.
The other chuckled, though. “On the other hand, if you’re practicing for the customers, keep it up. Some of them are into that sort of thing.”
