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“You realize that bomb was your boss’s way of letting you know you’ve just been demoted to the expendable asset list, right?” Paige’s words were punctuated by her labored breathing.
A chill skittered down his spine. She was right. He’d known the risks when he’d decided to reach out to her, but the reality still stung. “Don’t worry about it.”
“They just tried to blow us up!”
“The Consortium doesn’t want you dead,” he countered, guiding her around another corner onto an even smaller street lined with shabby storefronts.
Her voice grew harsh. “How can you possibly know that?”
“These guys don’t miss. Not unless they want to.”
“Fair point.”
As the breath burned in his lungs, he considered their options. He needed somewhere isolated, preferably metal-enclosed.
“There!” Paige pointed to a rundown laundromat. “We can hide in?—”
“No,” Cody cut her off, pulling her past it. “Too exposed.”
And not what he needed.
They sprinted past a dingy liquor store. “What about that storage unit place?” Paige suggested, gesturing to a dilapidated building across the street.
Cody shook his head. “Not secure enough.”
Frustration colored her ragged voice. “Fine. How about that old garage?”
“Ditto.”
“Not a great time to get picky. You get that, right?” Paige’s anger was palpable now. “Do you have a better idea?”
Then he spotted it, a large metal dumpster tucked away in a grimy alley between a pawn shop and a boarded-up storefront. Perfect. A makeshift Faraday cage. The smell of rotting garbage assaulted his senses as they approached, but it was a small price to pay for temporary safety.
He yanked her toward the dumpster, his patience wearing thin. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he could taste the metallic tang of fear in his mouth. “Listen, if you want to stay alive and out of the Consortium’s hands, you’ll do what I say.”
Paige eyed the dumpster and wrenched her hand free, her eyes flashing with anger. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Wish I were.” He glanced over his shoulder. The alley was empty for now, but that could change any second. “Inside. Now.”
“Then explain it to me,” Paige demanded. “Why this dumpster? Why now?”
A distant siren wailed, making them both flinch. Cody’s voice dropped to an urgent whisper. “It’s a Faraday cage. It’ll block the signal from any trackers.”
Paige’s eyes widened in understanding, then narrowed suspiciously. “Trackers? On you or me?”
“Both, probably,” Cody admitted. “Look, we can debate this later. Right now?—”
The sound of running footsteps echoed from the street, growing closer. He tensed, ready to bolt.
Paige bit her lip, indecision written across her face. “There has to be another way.”
“Get. Inside.”
Their eyes locked in a battle of wills. He could see the conflict in her gaze, the mistrust warring with the need for survival. The footsteps were getting louder, accompanied now by shouting voices.
Finally, her shoulders slumped. “Fine,” she growled. “But you owe me big time for this.”
Relief flooded through him, cool and sweet. He laced his fingers together, ready to give her a boost over the side.
