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No more than thirty seconds had passed when David announced his presence to Noelle with a shout so she wouldn't accidentally shoot hi the door open, his weapon was pointed at the ceiling and he kept to one side of the doorway to reduce the size of target he made

Noelle was barricaded behind the table with the business end of the borroeapon pointed right at his head

Srin at the fierce expression she wore, which ht be a peaceful brainiac, but she wasn't a coward

"We're getting out of here," he stated as he pulled her to her feet by one hand, keeping an eye on the doorway

She stus been different, he ht have just pulled her into his ars weren't different and the gunfire wasn't slowing down

He had only thirty-eight seconds left before Monroe would order his ainst his body ainst his chest That way he could shield her by positioning his body between her and the enemy He took the weapon from her hands and pushed her down into a low crouch as they worked their way toward the rear exit of the old house By his mental count, they had seven seconds left David used that ti of comfort

"Don't let theainst his neck

David knehat she was saying She'd rather die than be taken by the Swar that she had no training or experience in combat He respected her for that There wasn't tiet hurt and that it was likely that every other man here would do the same She was valuable and every man here knew it

But rather than try to explain that to her, he just gave her another squeeze and said, "I' to let them take you at all Coan and David urged Noelle forith his body

David still had keys to the Buick, so he tossed the that there would be at least one or twoat the sah the driver's door of the Bronco and had the vehicle careening down the gravel drive in seconds

Behind hiunfire increased, and two other decoy vehicles were right on his bumper

"Stay down," he ordered, and drove north as if Satan himself were on their trail

CHAPTER NINE

They'd been driving for hours when David finally pulled off the highway Noelle had no idea where they were and the added cloak of night y

"Are we close?" she asked him They were the first words either one of the, checking the rearview uys, and Noelle had been content to be quiet and let him do his job

David's eyes flicked back to the mirror for thefollowed?"

His big hands tightened around the steering wheel and his jaw muscles bunched in frustration "Probably"

Noelle turned around in her seat and peered into the darkness stretching out behind the this stretch of pitted road Most of them were set way back, hidden by thick stands of frees This far out, night was solow of streetlights to break up the gloo could have been due to the fact that David see followed no matter how empty the road behind them looked to Noelle

"I don't see anyone," she told hiut tells me they're out there, and I'll trust it over my eyes any day"

Noelle settled back in her seat so she could watch hilow froularity of his features and deepened the weary circles under his eyes

Even though he looked tired, nothing in his ue Every movement was smooth, confident, controlled

Noelle stifled a yawn and checked the clock It was after ht

--at least a little As far as she knew, David hadn't

"You wantfor a while?" she asked

His eyes slid sideways and settled on her for a lance was brief, she had the disconcerting feeling that she'd been hed and inventoried by the time he looked away "No, thanks

Yon should try to get some sleep if you can We'll be there within the hour"

"Be where?"

"Another safe house"

Noelle rolled her eyes "Great Do you think this safe house will actually be safe?"

"For a while"

"How long is a while? Days? Hours?"

"Get some sleep and let me worry about that part"

"Easier said than done," she uarantees I wish to hell I could"