Chapter 5

5

Cody's arm tightened around Paige's waist as he steered her away from the flaming wreckage. The acrid smell of burning rubber and fuel filled his nostrils, making his eyes water. His ears rang from the explosion, muffling the chaos around them. Beneath his palm. Her rapid breathing matched his own frantic pulse.

His mind raced, calculating their next move as they sprinted down the neon-lit strip. The Consortium goons would be closing in fast, and Paige's team wouldn't be far behind. He cursed inwardly, kicking himself for not searching Paige thoroughly in the vault. Amateur mistake.

Now his carefully laid plan had been blown apart. Literally.

"We need to move," he growled, releasing her waist and grabbing her hand as he guided them down a smaller side street. The garish casino lights faded, replaced by the dim glow of pawn shop signs and flickering streetlamps.

Paige matched his pace, her breath coming in short gasps. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere safe."

"Your idea of safe or mine?"

"Just trust me for once, would you?"

Her laugh was sharp, cutting through the din.

He ignored that, holding her hand tighter as he pulled her between two neon Ferraris and tore off down the sidewalk. He took the first corner at speed, skidding wide onto a side street between the high-rise casino and its equally tall parking garage. At least they had some shelter from sniper sight lines.

The night air was cool against his skin, a stark contrast to the heat of the explosion still lingering on his back.

"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.

Suddenly, a sharp, burning pain exploded in his shoulder. The force of the impact spun him around, his vision blurring. "What the—" he gasped, his hand instinctively reaching for the wound.

Paige's eyes widened in shock. "Cody!"

He staggered, trying to maintain his balance. The world tilted on its axis, sounds becoming muffled and distant. Through the haze of pain, he caught a glimpse of movement across the street—a shadowy figure lowering what looked like a rifle.

"Get ... in ..." He choked the words out, gesturing weakly at the dumpster. He needed to make sure Paige was safe, even as his own consciousness began to slip away.

But she didn't move. Instead, she rushed to his side, catching him as his legs gave way. "I'm not leaving you," she said firmly, lowering him gently to the ground.

"Stay with me, Cody," she urged, her voice sounding far away. "You don't get to check out that easily."

As darkness crept in at the edges of his vision, his last coherent thought was a confused blend of gratitude and frustration. Paige was risking everything by staying with him, but he couldn't deny the comfort of her presence.

The rough pavement scraped against his palms as he struggled to sit upright.

"Faraday cage," he said. Or at least he thought he did.

His brain wasn't firing on all cylinders anymore, and his tongue was thick. Unresponsive.

"F-fara … day. Hurry."

His body went limp, his cheek pressed against the broken pavement. The last thing he felt before losing consciousness completely was Paige's hand on his shoulder, her touch both calming and condemning.

Then, nothing.