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“Good, now can you stand up?”
I roll my eyes. “Of course, I can stand up. Are you strong enough to hold me up is the question.”
He growls as I grab onto his head and press one foot into his shoulder. With a thrust of other my other foot, I’m flung up onto his shoulders.
I don’t have to look down to know he has a smug expression on his face. I should know better than to doubt his strength. His body may be lean and injured, but he has an unlimited amount of strength when he wants it.
Standing on Langston’s shoulders, looking up toward the window didn’t give me much of a boost. I’m still a good twenty or thirty feet from the window. Even if I make it to the window, I’m not sure how I’ll be able to get Langston out. A rope maybe, but if I can’t find a rope, my only choice will be to run and try to get help. While Langston will be left here…
“On the count of three, I’m going to push you up until you can reach the rock jutting out. Think you can grab onto it?”
“Yes,” I breathe, not wanting to think about how painful it would be if I fell and didn’t grab onto the ledge.
“One, two, three.”
Langston catapults me up, and I feel like I’m flying through the air as I reach up to the small piece of outreaching stone. When my hand touches the stone, I grip on hard and dig my feet into tiny grooves below.
My entire body is pressed against the cool stone, which helps to keep me from sweating and losing my grip.
“Nice job,” Langston says with relief in his voice.
I tilt my head to look at him.
“Don’t look down,” he says.
I smile. “Why? You’re the one who’s afraid of heights, not me.”
“Just focus. I’ll help tell you where your next handhold and foothold is.” His voice is stern and commanding, which only makes me smile brighter.
I look up, but al
l I see is an endless amount of stone bricks. There are no other large pieces of stone sticking out like this one. My handholds are going to get smaller and smaller going up.
I grit my teeth together, determined to reach the window. I’ll find a way to get Langston out. I won’t leave the stubborn asshole. I won’t let anyone else hurt him; that’s my job.
I start to reach up with my right hand to find the next handhold.
“A little to your left,” Langston says.
I move my hand to the left.
“There.”
I feel the hole. It’s not much to hold onto. I lift my other hand.
“A little higher,” I hear Langston’s calm voice.
I move an inch higher until I find a crevice. I take a deep breath, and then I let go of the ledge and push myself up to my new handholds.
“Good job. Take a deep breath and then move again. You got this, Liesel.”
I laugh. “Did you turn into a cheerleader?”
“The kids play all sorts of sports and dance recitals. It’s just my dad cheerleader in me coming out,” he chuckles.
God, what I wouldn’t do to see Langston on the sidelines of his kids’ soccer game, cheering them on like a regular dad. My heart melts.
As I cling to the side of the tower fifteen feet up in the air, I realize that I won’t kill Langston. I have to protect him even though he’s failed to protect me. I won’t let any more kids grow up fatherless. His kids need him. And I need to get us out of here so he can go protect them.
