Chapter 44

CHAPTER

FORTY-FOUR

A sense of urgency raced through Kai. "If the police surround this place, there's no way we're getting out. Not without taking some of them down, and I'm not willing to do that. These cops are just doing their jobs also. I don't want to see anyone else hurt."

Larchmont stood. "I was afraid this might happen. We need to head to the roof."

Kai stiffened. "The roof?"

"Just trust me."

His mind raced. The last thing he wanted to do was to trust Larchmont. But it didn't appear as if they had any choice.

"If we're going to get up there, then we need to move." Larchmont snapped back into leader mode. "Now."

Kai wanted to argue with Larchmont's words, but he couldn't. It was either they acted now, or they turned themselves in. He wasn't ready to turn himself in yet.

He and Gage exchanged a glance. Gage nodded, confirming they should listen to Larchmont.

They didn't have any other options right now, and Kai knew the last thing Larchmont wanted was for them to be arrested. Too many details about their past might come out if they were.

Kai turned to Stephen. "Are you okay to move?"

"I did a quick cleanup of his wound," Tori said. "He'll need more medical attention, but for now I put a bandage on him."

"Okay then." Kai nodded toward the door. "Grab anything you need, and let's get moving."

Kai opened the door in time to see the flashing lights outside.

How did they even get onto the roof from here?

"To the left," Larchmont said as if he'd already thought this out. He took the lead and led them down the walkway past several rooms and then took another left into an alcove.

He stopped when he came to a ladder.

Kai pulled down the guard over it, and the ladder crashed down.

"Police!" an officer called from a bullhorn below. "Stop what you're doing!"

Kai glanced back. At least four cars had pulled into the parking lot.

This didn't look good.

He motioned for Tori to go first. She trembled in front of him as she climbed the ladder.

He scrambled up behind her, and the rest of the gang followed.

When they got to the roof, Kai's heart pounded in his ears. There was nothing except for some HVAC equipment up here. No place to hide. Nowhere to go.

What exactly had Larchmont's plan been? Had this been a trap?

Kai sent his boss a questioning look.

"You'll see," Larchmont assured them.

"Come down from the roof!" an officer called through a bullhorn from below.

Kai had seen the police in the parking lot. Each of the officers was posed for action behind their police cars, doors opened and guns drawn.

These men thought they were tracking killers.

Kai couldn't even blame them for that.

It appeared Kai, Gage, and Tori were in even more hot water.

Then he heard a chopping sound from above.

He glanced up at the dark sky.

The sound grew louder as a light appeared, swooping toward them.

A helicopter, Kai realized. Larchmont had arranged for a helicopter to come pick them up.

As Tori climbed into her seat, her head whirled along with the blades above her.

A helicopter?

Larchmont really had thought this through.

But they still weren't out of danger.

What if the cops shot down the helicopter? Did they have the capability of doing that?

Even if these officers didn't have the capability, certainly they could bring in someone who could bring the aircraft down.

Unless this copter got out of here fast.

But still, air traffic control would track them somehow.

Tori couldn't think about those details right now. They just needed to concentrate on getting out of here.

As soon as everyone was inside and the doors were closed, the pilot lifted into the air. Tori tried to jerk her seatbelt in place, but her hands were shaking too badly.

Kai reached over her and pulled the belt over her lap, snapping it in place.

She let out a breath and murmured, "Thanks."

The aircraft rocked as it climbed higher.

Tori pressed her eyes closed, trying to keep her fear under control. Doing so took all her energy.

"They're still going to track us!" Kai yelled over the noise of the copter.

"Yes, but we just bought some time," Larchmont yelled back from the front. "Now that Rafferty knows you know, he's going to want to take you down."

"Where are we going?" Gage asked above the roar of the copter.

Larchmont called over his shoulder, "I have a safe house secured. We'll be okay there for a while."

Tori's thoughts continued to race.

She wanted to trust that these people knew what they were doing. That Larchmont was in their corner.

But she wasn't ready to concede that.

They climbed into the night sky, leaving the motel and the flashing police cars beneath them.

She continued to monitor Stephen as they flew. He was holding steady for the time being.

They headed away from the city, and the lights faded from plentiful to scattered.

Tori couldn't be sure, but it almost looked like mountains were below them.

Being in a helicopter at night surrounded by mountains? Not ideal.

Kai seemed to sense her anxiety. He reached over and squeezed her hand.

Tori offered him a soft smile.

Maybe he even understood the apprehension also.

Thirty minutes after they'd taken off, the helicopter shifted as it prepared to land.

But when they landed, she wasn't sure what—or who—they would face.

It might be someone who could help them.

Or it could be another enemy.