Page 43 (1/2)

I didn’t wait to see what Philip was going to do I turned and started sprinting, but not in the direction of the door like she probably expected I had no doubt they’d shoot ured I had at least a et clear There was no way I could run fast enough to make it out before they did, but if I could just remember correctly…

There Just past the foreman’s office was a bank of s that overlooked the river Many of thelance back and saw that the van had cleared the broad doors and was accelerating fast

Any second now…

I wasn’t stupid enough to try and dive through the s since I wasn’t sure I had enough h Instead I snatched up an abandoned chairarc like one of those ha dudes in the Olyh with satisfying ease and a few seconds later I heard aI sort of expected the place to blow up right as I was diving through the hole that the chair had lass--because that would have been insanely awesome and dramatic But instead I simply hit the water in an aard splash with no explosion to propel asp for breath--which sucked ass since I was still underwater at the time I wasn’t the best swiet h out the nasty river water, and start doggie-paddling away fro I had

The place blew not even five seconds later, and the force of the blast shoved et ht back and stayed underwater, even doing what I could to get deeper As I expected, debris began to rain down into the water ale section of a brick wall, but I did get smacked hard in the shoulder by a twisted hunk of le e of full-blown panic I didn’t want to think what could happen to ot trapped at the botto by the ti equally hard and heavy whacked ht before I surfaced, and I had to tread water for a ulped air C’ a lot of you lately I proet out of this

I heardI started paddling again, nice and sloard the far end of the building in the hopes that I could get out of the water over there without anyone seeing me ’Cause I had no idea how the hell I could explain why I was there and what had happened

I couldn’t feel the cold any, which I kneas a das keptand the coot me down to the rocks that formed the bank on the south end of the factory

It took me several tries to cla was so nurip and I slipped several ti damn serious, but at this point I could only hope to h control not to attack anyone I didn’t really have a choice If I stayed in the water it would only h clenched teeth, I eased e of the bank and peered at the activity The outer walls of the factory still stood--but smoke poured froaping holes that had once held s At least half-a-dozen police cars were there, but they’d clearly shifted their hters could get there--which wouldn’t be long to judge fro fire engines

The wind shifted, sending clouds of acrid smoke over me, but for the moment I welcomed it At least the smoke drowned out the sht actually stand a chance of controlling the hunger for a while longer I decided not to think about what I was going to do after I got away from here I didn’t have the faintest damn clue

Another car pulled up just as I was about to cli, then stiffened as the driver got out

Pietro Fucking Ivanov

I seized a rock, but before I could carry out ht-out plan of "run at hi like a maniac and then bash his head in a lot over and over" Marcus exited the passenger side, staring in naked horror at the burning factory My shock doubled as Ed climbed out of the back seat

Wow Apparently a lot had happened while I was gone

I staggered up over the loall, hoping that none of the fire toward the river "Marcus," I croaked, but there was too , I pitched the fist-sized rock still in my hand at Pietro Ita marvelous spiderweb of cracks All three men turned in unison

"Hi, boys," I rasped "Miss me?"

Marcus ran to me, scooped me up in his arms before I could do more than twitch, then hurried back to the car as Pietro pulled the back door open

"God al in with ht I’d lost you"

"Here," Ed said, thrusting a blanket at Marcus "Wrap her in this"

I lifted ed the blanket around el, I swear I didn’t know that this…" Pietro gestured vaguely in the direction of the factory "Any of this…I had no idea I swear"