Chapter 30
As soon as the door had closed, Skylar let out a breath. “He’ll let us go?”
Natalie held her gaze, her eyes full of sympathy before she shook her head. “No. He said he’d take care of us. My guess? He’ll blow up this fucking warehouse as soon as he gets the contents on their way to the highest bidder.”
“O… oh,” Skylar choked out, wondering how stupid it was that she’d made the assumption they’d be released.
Natalie turned in a circle, her gaze scanning before she pointed toward the back wall. “Let’s move the shelves.”
Skylar’s gaze jumped to follow Natalie’s finger, willing to do anything but sit and wait to see what Gerald planned. Natalie’s expression was one of concentration as she grabbed one side, and Skylar grabbed the opposite end. Stunned when they shifted away from the wall, she exclaimed, “I didn’t think they’d move.”
“I think this was an office before storage,” Natalie said.
“What makes you say that?” Skylar asked as she heaved against the heavy shelving unit again.
“Look at the floor. You can see where the feet of a desk or table once stood. The rusty stain at the back looks like a metal filing cabinet once was placed.”
Skylar dropped her gaze to the old, stained tile floor. “Good God, you’re right.” She hated that she had not been more observant.
Natalie’s lips were curved in a satisfied smile. Skylar was relieved that Natalie appeared glad of the discovery but had no idea how that would help them escape. With several more pulls, they shifted the shelves away from the wall.
“That’s just what I thought,” Natalie exclaimed.
Skylar couldn’t imagine what was hiding behind the shelves but stretched her neck to see around the shelves and stared with awe. The metal shelving had covered a window leading to the outside. But we’re on the third floor. She pressed her lips together, battling the urge to ask what Natalie was thinking and already forming a protest that she wouldn’t be able to accomplish whatever she suggested.
Natalie’s eyes narrowed as she stared at the window, then shot her gaze to Skylar. “We can use the window to get out of here. When we flew in and circled the building, I noticed the three windows connected by a fire escape.”
Skylar blinked as she looked up. “A fire escape?” Skylar said, feeling foolish that she had noticed nothing useful while in the helicopter.
“Come on,” Natalie urged. “Let’s get this window open.”
Side by side, the two women strained against the stubborn window. Their efforts met with unyielding resistance. Sucking in a hasty breath, Skylar shook her head. “I’m puny when it comes to strength,” she admitted, now hating that she hadn’t spent more time exercising when she’d been solitary on the island.
“Never mind,” Natalie said, brushing aside her protestations. “We’ll get it.”
Skylar’s chortle of incredulity slipped out. Seeing Natalie’s gaze on her, she inwardly winced. A strange feeling moved through Skylar’s entire being, so strong that she felt a full-body shiver. Tired of being afraid. Tired of being used by others for their own gain. Tired of letting her destiny just unfold.
She glanced up, having no idea what was keeping the window shut, but if Natalie had an idea for how they could get out, Skylar was all in. “I’m not you, and you’ll have to tell me what to do, but if it’s within my ability, I’ll do it.”
Natalie’s slow grin morphed into a wide smile. “Girl, there’s no difference between you and me other than our experiences. Whatever superpowers you think I have, believe me, they’re in you as well.”
“All I know is that I’m tired of being used by people who don’t have my best interest at heart. So I sure as hell am ready to help us get out of here.”
Natalie dipped her chin. “Damn straight.”
“What is holding it shut?” Skylar asked as she stared upward again.
“I guess it helps that Gerald’s pilot didn’t think to search me.” Natalie bent over and reached inside her boot, pulling out a thin leather case. As she flipped it, she exposed a knife, a screwdriver, and several other small tools. Pulling out one of the objects, she twirled it between her fingertips. “Voilà!”
Skylar couldn’t help but smile at Natalie’s smirk. Blowing out a deep breath, Skylar waited to see what would happen.
Natalie dragged the blade of the tool over the glass, and with each motion, Skylar felt a sense of elation when she realized the glass was being cut.
“We’ll take these out in smaller pieces,” Natalie said.
Skylar followed Natalie”s directions at the end of the square cut and kept her fingertips on it before pushing it outward. “Shouldn’t I try to get these inside instead of letting them fall so far?”
“Normally, yes. But no one is out there, and I don’t want you to get cut.”
For the next cut, Skylar pushed against the bottom and carefully pulled the top away, taking it between her fingers and laying it on the floor. Grinning, she remained quiet as Natalie gave a nod of approval. They kept going until the glass was cut away from the base of the window and most of the way up. The hole was large enough for the two women to get through. Both leaned out to spy a small ledge leading to the rusty metal fire escape stairs.
“Not much room,” Natalie muttered, then turned to Skylar. “Look, I can go down and find a way back up?—”
“I’ve got this,” Skylar assured. “The ledge is wide enough for us to maneuver.” Seeing Natalie’s assessing stare, she chortled. “Seriously, I have plenty of experience on window ledges and no fear of heights.”
Natalie grinned. “Well, all right. Let’s get out of here.”
They leaned out the window again, and Skylar quickly analyzed the best way to get to the fire escape. “I’ll go first. I can scooch along the ledge until I reach the stairs. Then you follow, and I can give my free hand to steady “
“I should go first,” Natalie said. “As you admitted, I’m stronger.”
“That’s true, but I’m smaller. I’ll be able to make it the few feet to the ledge easier and then you’ll have my hand in case the wooden ledge gives.”
Natalie nodded, but her lips were pressed tightly together. Skylar was sure the other woman hated to give up control, but Skylar was so comfortable looking out over the ledge at the same height. She used to as a child. And with the lighthouse.
Inching carefully, she found the wood ledge strong enough to hold her as she scooted to the end, reaching out to grab the metal fire escape rail. Then reaching back with her other hand, she watched Natalie follow her movements onto the ledge. Clasping hands, she helped guide Natalie until they were next to each other.
Shifting her body again, Skylar swung her leg underneath the rail, planting her sneaker foot onto the first rung. She hated to let go of Natalie, so she decided to move on to the fire escape only using one hand. As soon as Natalie was able to follow and grab the railing, Skylar let go.
“I knew you had superpowers in you, girl,” Natalie said as she followed Skylar.
Just as they stood on the rung together, side-by-side, the fire escape wobbled precariously, a few bolts coming loose from the outer wall of the warehouse. “Shit!” Skylar cursed, grabbing hold of the rail and holding on.
“Start down,“ Natalie ordered. “I’m going to stay here while you go down.”
“No,” Skylar argued. “We need to go down at the same time. If we both lean closer to the wall, our combined weight will give it more steadiness.”
“You got it,” Natalie agreed.
Determination filled her, and Skylar swung around to the other side of the ladder. “Ready?”
With a nod, Natalie lowered her foot to the next rung and Skylar followed on her side. The ladder shook with each step, but they leaned toward the side of the warehouse to keep their weight from pulling the ladder bolts away from where it was attached. Her arms ached as she held on tightly, noticing Natalie’s descent was much smoother. “How did you go down so easily?”
“Pull-ups in the Army,” came the muttered reply.
Skylar added pull-ups to her newly formed exercise routine. The ladder was shaking, and their descent was difficult to navigate. Natalie moved slightly lower than Skylar, still close to the wall. Skylar’s foot slipped, and Natalie grunted.
“Oh, God, I’m sorry!” Skylar whispered. “Did I hit your foot?”
“Just my arm. Keep going,” Natalie encouraged again.
The rusted rungs and flaking paint showed evidence that the fire escape ladder and the warehouse were relics of the past. It clung precariously to the outside of the dilapidated building. Skylar wished Natalie was above her so that she wouldn’t step on her again, but there wasn’t enough room for them to change positions. They managed to descend about fifteen feet and came to the second-floor office window. The windowsill ledge was wider than the one on the third floor. Before she had a chance to catch her breath, the ladder groaned once again. Only this time, the sound was accompanied by a shudder and loud creak as it started to pull away from the building.
“Shit!” Skylar cried as she grabbed the window ledge, pulling her body onto the small platform as the ladder leaned farther away.
Natalie cursed under her breath but managed to grab the ledge as well. Skylar reached over and grabbed Natalie’s arm. “I’ve got you.”
Natalie swung her leg upward but missed the ledge the first time. Her hands almost slipped, but Skylar hung on tight. “Come on. We’ve got this.”
Natalie caught her gaze, and something passed between the two women. Skylar couldn’t define it, but it felt a lot like a sisterhood she’d never felt before. “We’ve got this,” she repeated.
Natalie swung her leg up again. This time, it landed on the ledge. With Skylar’s assistance, the two women were soon on the ledge together as the ladder leaned farther from the wall, leaning at an angle that gave evidence it would soon crash to the ground. They shifted to their knees on the windowsill and looked into the empty office.
Skylar was surprised when Natalie stopped. “Aren’t we going in?”
“Hear that?”
Skylar tried to listen to anything other than the roaring of blood rushing through her ears. The sound of a loud rumbling could be heard in the distance. Brows lowered, she cocked her head to the side in silent question.
“Transportation must be coming in to move the contraband he has stored.” Natalie pulled out her glass cutter again.
Skylar looked at the window, then nervously licked her lips. “We go in here? There’s a window on the other side of the room that faces the interior of the warehouse. We’ll be visible there.”
“No choice,” Natalie said as she kept cutting.
“I was afraid that was what you were going to say.” Skylar looked upward and sighed, at least glad that they were no longer on the third floor. Looking back at the window, she placed her hands on the section Natalie was cutting. She caught it, but with their side of the building in shadow, it was harder to see the glass edges. “I don’t suppose you have a light in your magic case?”
Natalie chuckled and reached inside her case, pulling out a pen light.
Taking it, Skylar chuckled. “Can I get one of those Keeper cases? It might make my life easier.”
“Don’t see why not. Leo gave me this one when we got married.”
As strange as that might sound to some, Skylar thought it was sweet. She wanted to ask if Natalie was afraid of not seeing Leo again, but that only made her think of the possibility of not seeing Jeb again. Closing her eyes for a few seconds, she shoved those thoughts back into a box, determined to lock the lid. Breathing out, she asked, “Okay, I’m ready.”
Once again, Natalie cut from the bottom and continued upward until the was enough room for them to slip through without getting sliced on the glass.
Natalie cautiously shifted around to put her feet through the opening first. Her boots landed on the glass but kept her feet protected. She leaned out, grabbed Skylar’s arms, and pulled her gently inside. Skylar grabbed Natalie’s shoulders and almost fell on top of her as they staggered slightly.
“No points for finesse,” Natalie quipped in a whisper. “But that’s a full ten for getting the job done.”
Skylar snorted, the sound carrying softly in the empty office. “If I have to be trapped in this mess, I’m glad you’re with me.”
“Same here,” Natalie echoed with a smile, her gratitude evident in her eyes. “And thanks, Skylar. Couldn’t have done it without you.”
Overwhelmed and still reeling from their recent escapades, Skylar could only offer a faint smile in return. They weren’t out of danger yet but out of the locked storeroom. She counted that as a victory.
Suddenly, their moment of respite was abruptly shattered by the murmur of men’s voices. Instinctively, Skylar rolled to her side to crouch behind the lower portion of the wall so she wouldn’t be visible from the warehouse. Natalie mirrored Skylar’s movements. The voices were too far away to tell what they were saying, but Skylar’s heart pounded. Still crouching, she looked at the inside glass windows of the empty office and realized they might be free of the storage room, but they were now even more susceptible to exposure. Looking at Natalie, she grimaced, feeling vulnerable and clueless as to what they should do. “I don’t suppose you have a gun in that little case, do you?”
Natalie’s response was swift and silent. Reaching into her boot, she pulled out a small gun with practiced ease and then turned to Skylar with a lifted brow.
Skylar blinked at the weapon and desired to learn how to take care of herself. “Well, looks like I need boots like yours as well as a little case.”
“Talk to Jeb… he’ll take care of you.”
The mention of Jeb stirred a whirl of emotions in her. She rolled her eyes in spite of the continued danger at the idea of seeing Jeb again… and asking him to teach her to shoot. Refocusing on their situation, she glanced around. “We’re sitting ducks in this office,” she said, gaining Natalie’s nod.
“As soon as we determine where Gerald and the pilot are, we can get out of here.”
With more courage than she knew she had, she followed Natalie’s lead as they raised slightly and peeked out the window. The trucks they heard in the distance hadn’t yet reached the back cargo door, but now the large doors stood open.
The sound of a gunshot from somewhere below caused Skylar to drop to the floor, instinctively covering her head. “Oh God, do you think the Keepers are here?”
Natalie reached out and grabbed Skylar’s hand. “That’s not the sound of their guns.”
“Oh…” Skylar had no idea that different weapons made different sounds.
“Hey. We got this.” Natalie drew Skylar’s attention back to her.
Skylar sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly as she nodded. “Okay, what’s next?”
“We need to see what’s happening, then get down to the first floor. We head to the front if Gerald is at the cargo doors.”
Nodding, they peered out the window again. Skylar could see movement toward the back of the warehouse but couldn’t hear what was being said or who was moving. Natalie headed to the door, opened it a crack, and looked out. Skylar was out of her element and willing to follow Natalie’s more experienced lead, grateful that the competent Keeper was with her.
Natalie looked over her shoulder and nodded, then slipped out the door. Trying to walk as quietly as possible while crouching, Skylar made it through the door. Natalie waited on the landing and motioned for Skylar to close the door behind her. Doing so, she turned and tiptoed down the steps to the warehouse floor behind Natalie.
Darting over to the first stack of crates, they hid from view. She looked at Natalie’s solid stance with the weapon in her hand. Now, Skylar wished she already knew how to shoot and had a weapon as well.