ered around the room and dragged them to the wall, directly und

ough her left leg, echoing the trauma of the car crash. She

ing a shaky, unstable staircase. She pressed her wei

e boy was still huddled in the

held out her hand. "Come here," she said, her voice

into Harley's eyes. He saw no pity, no anger-just a fierce determinatio

up. The heat radiating off his small bod

oaned under their combined weight. Leo whimpered, burying his face i

down," Harle

was now standing precariously near the ceiling. She bala

ouvers of the vent grate. She pulled hard. The rust cracked, and t

dust-filled tu

o up toward the opening. "You go first

turned around, lying on his stomach in the dust. He reached his s

s, preparing to jump

AC

ntered and gave way. The ent

nked Harle

Harley

p metal lip of the ventilation duct. Her body slamme

ft shoulder-the exact shoulder that had been c

ey let out a choked scream. Her vision went black at th

ed forward and grabbed the collar of Harley's sports br

reckage of her Ford sedan. The smell of blood. The absolute, crushing lone

ought. I am not d

lder. Using every ounce of core strength she had developed as a stunt double, she swung

rd into the duct,

eeply across her exposed stomach and waist. Warm

r chest heaving. She didn't look at the cut. Sh

hick. Leo started to cough

wore under her sports bra. She wrapped it gently around

metal was freezing. Every movement pulled at the fresh

ke hours, though it was only ten minutes. Final

opened up over the alley behind the

the exit. It popped out easily. She stuck

and held him against her chest.

reath and pushed her

ensuring her back faced the ground. She slammed hard into a p

lungs. Her internal organs felt like they had been

t, landing safely on a

lying flat on the garbage, her face deathly pale, her

all, trembling hand. With the sleeve of his expensive suit

yelids and looked at the boy. The corners of her m

e now," she

oulder, her bleeding waist, and her old leg injury h

and pointed toward the end of

Her eyes rolled back, and the dark