ribs screamed in pain as he staggered back, bent half on top of a counter.
Before the guard came at him again, Jaq skidded a pan across the counter toward Harp. He caught it by the handle, swung hard, and whacked the large man in the side of his head. A loud reverb rang out and the man crumpled as if all his muscles had melted.
Harp dropped the pan with a clank.
Jaq smirked. “At least those things come in handy for something.”
Arms and legs shaking with the strain, Harp bent to remove the gun, stepped over the body and pulled Jaq to his side, so high and tight against him, he lifted her off the floor.
“Out the door…” He shoved the gun in the back of his waistband and sucked in a pained gulp of air. “I’ve set up that lock to jam.”
Jaq panted with the strain of their flight. “It’ll buy us some time.”
They slid the last few feet to the hatch. With a grunt, he lifted it and motioned Jaq through. She jumped in.
“Aw, damn, that hurt,” she hissed, her voice at a small distance.
Good girl, she’d already gotten moving.
He climbed down, closing the hatch as a clamor echoed in the kitchen. He yanked a pre-laid fuse line, setting off a heated spark that melted the lock. It’d give them a few more precious seconds. “It’ll be enough time.”
In seconds, he’d caught up with a limping Jaq.
“Please, please, please.” She stared ahead, the light at the end of the tunnel highlighting the strain on her face. He wanted to take away the pain. “Please let it be there.”
“No kidding. Otherwise, I think this is going to be a short escape. I could put in surveillance and jimmy that lock, but I couldn’t leave a chute here.” Just like he couldn’t have gotten a gun onto the island without setting off alarms. The mechanical elements would have been detected immediately as soon as he’d crossed the security net surrounding the island.
Shouts and clanging filled the tunnel behind them. He put his arm around Jaq’s waist to hurry her along. “Time’s up.”
The platform at the end of the tunnel opened into the sky. He swallowed, hard. Visions of his nanny’s black smock fanning out around her body as she dove for the ground made him take a step back.
Jaq threw him a questioning look. “Are you okay?”
“Did I ever mention I have a problem with heights?”
Her eyebrows raised clear to her spiky blond hair. “How could…”
A splash of green wavered in the cloud behind her, and his mouth fell open. Damn if Jaq’s “beanstalk” wasn’t an actual beanstalk, growing from the planet’s surface way up, higher than the islands.
And it appeared that they’d need to climb down the thing. Jaq crouched, ready to jump off the platform.
His mouth ran dry and his ears rang. Or maybe they were shooting at them again. Knees weak, he stepped forward and swayed.
Jaq glanced behind him and waved frantically.
“Let’s go,” she mouthed, but he couldn’t hear her over the white noise in his head.
Her foot stepped into the air. He lurched toward her. He had to save her. She couldn’t jump. No. Not again.
Her boot landed on a green limb. She reached toward him and the noise came rushing back in crashing waves.
“Harper English, you get your ass down this beanstalk.” Jaq beckoned to him, her expression tight and anxious as she hovered amid green leaves, slowly moving around the platform. She looked down and back up at him. Her fingers reached to brush the hand he held out to her. “Now, sweetie.”
He lunged out and hugged her, gripping her, holding on for dear life.
Swip, swip, swip .
The leaves above him shredded, and he couldn’t let go to use the guard’s gun to fire back. He roared. “Go, go, go.”
Jaq slid beneath his hold and started climbing down. He followed.
Above, the platform was still empty. Their pursuers hadn’t reached it. Jaq and he would be out of view for a few moments as they descended. He didn’t know how far up they were, how much time it’d take to
Before the guard came at him again, Jaq skidded a pan across the counter toward Harp. He caught it by the handle, swung hard, and whacked the large man in the side of his head. A loud reverb rang out and the man crumpled as if all his muscles had melted.
Harp dropped the pan with a clank.
Jaq smirked. “At least those things come in handy for something.”
Arms and legs shaking with the strain, Harp bent to remove the gun, stepped over the body and pulled Jaq to his side, so high and tight against him, he lifted her off the floor.
“Out the door…” He shoved the gun in the back of his waistband and sucked in a pained gulp of air. “I’ve set up that lock to jam.”
Jaq panted with the strain of their flight. “It’ll buy us some time.”
They slid the last few feet to the hatch. With a grunt, he lifted it and motioned Jaq through. She jumped in.
“Aw, damn, that hurt,” she hissed, her voice at a small distance.
Good girl, she’d already gotten moving.
He climbed down, closing the hatch as a clamor echoed in the kitchen. He yanked a pre-laid fuse line, setting off a heated spark that melted the lock. It’d give them a few more precious seconds. “It’ll be enough time.”
In seconds, he’d caught up with a limping Jaq.
“Please, please, please.” She stared ahead, the light at the end of the tunnel highlighting the strain on her face. He wanted to take away the pain. “Please let it be there.”
“No kidding. Otherwise, I think this is going to be a short escape. I could put in surveillance and jimmy that lock, but I couldn’t leave a chute here.” Just like he couldn’t have gotten a gun onto the island without setting off alarms. The mechanical elements would have been detected immediately as soon as he’d crossed the security net surrounding the island.
Shouts and clanging filled the tunnel behind them. He put his arm around Jaq’s waist to hurry her along. “Time’s up.”
The platform at the end of the tunnel opened into the sky. He swallowed, hard. Visions of his nanny’s black smock fanning out around her body as she dove for the ground made him take a step back.
Jaq threw him a questioning look. “Are you okay?”
“Did I ever mention I have a problem with heights?”
Her eyebrows raised clear to her spiky blond hair. “How could…”
A splash of green wavered in the cloud behind her, and his mouth fell open. Damn if Jaq’s “beanstalk” wasn’t an actual beanstalk, growing from the planet’s surface way up, higher than the islands.
And it appeared that they’d need to climb down the thing. Jaq crouched, ready to jump off the platform.
His mouth ran dry and his ears rang. Or maybe they were shooting at them again. Knees weak, he stepped forward and swayed.
Jaq glanced behind him and waved frantically.
“Let’s go,” she mouthed, but he couldn’t hear her over the white noise in his head.
Her foot stepped into the air. He lurched toward her. He had to save her. She couldn’t jump. No. Not again.
Her boot landed on a green limb. She reached toward him and the noise came rushing back in crashing waves.
“Harper English, you get your ass down this beanstalk.” Jaq beckoned to him, her expression tight and anxious as she hovered amid green leaves, slowly moving around the platform. She looked down and back up at him. Her fingers reached to brush the hand he held out to her. “Now, sweetie.”
He lunged out and hugged her, gripping her, holding on for dear life.
Swip, swip, swip .
The leaves above him shredded, and he couldn’t let go to use the guard’s gun to fire back. He roared. “Go, go, go.”
Jaq slid beneath his hold and started climbing down. He followed.
Above, the platform was still empty. Their pursuers hadn’t reached it. Jaq and he would be out of view for a few moments as they descended. He didn’t know how far up they were, how much time it’d take to
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