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“Ran into some trouble. But got what we came for."
"Good! So let's go!"
"Window?"
"What? No... Exit. Right here!" But even as he turned to indicate the door he'd just come through, there was the sound of voices from the stairwell. Loud, angry, male voices.
Then the sound of a gun being cocked.
"Shit," Ethan said.
"Window?" she repeated.
"Yeah--yeah, go! Go!"
The two of them sprinted along the hall towards the second-floor window, moving fast.
Rachel could hear the footsteps of the angry men getting louder and closer. She knew they wouldn't hesitate to shoot if they saw them. They made their way to the window, and Rachel quickly pushed it open. She motioned for Ethan to go first, but he shook his head.
"Go, Rachel," he said firmly. "I'll cover you."
Rachel gave him a quick nod and climbed out the window, the cool evening air hitting her face.
She shimmied along the ledge, using a PVC pipe to help her drop low enough to release her grip. She hit the alley floor and rolled.
Ethan fired off a couple shots. "Stay back!" he yelled.
And then he came through the window, far less gracefully, but just as effectively.
He was falling towards her.
"Shit," she had time to say. And a split-second decision. Dart out of the way? Or help soften his fall.
She chose the latter.
Rachel braced herself and caught Ethan, his weight nearly knocking her off balance. She didn't try to support him, but rather allowed his weight to absorb into her arms and down her knees. They stumbled for a moment before regaining their footing, and Rachel could feel her heart pounding in her chest.
They took off running down the alley, feet thundering against the pavement. Behind them, the sound of shouting grew louder, and Rachel knew that they needed to put as much distance as possible between themselves and their pursuers.
They turned a corner and found themselves in a narrow alleyway.
Ethan was already on the radio, his voice low and urgent as he called for backup. Rachel could hear the sound of sirens in the distance, growing closer by the second.
Ahead, the car was parked, the engine still running, the door open.
The two of them sprinted towards the waiting vehicle, the file on their second victim shifting up and down along Rachel's waistline.
It was only as she reached the car and flung into the passenger seat that she realized her knuckles were bruised from pummeling the guards.
"Drive!" she shouted.
Ethan was already putting them in gear.
The tires squealed, and they left the scent of burnt rubber lingering behind them as they raced away from the brothel and back in the direction of the ranch territory.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The waning moon cast a cold, blue hue over the quiet rural street as Candace wearily trudged up her driveway. The long day at the hospital hung heavy on her shoulders, like a cloak made of lead. She could feel every second of those twelve hours, and the weight of what had taken her to the emergency room pressing on her shoulders… She hadn’twantedto choose this line of work… and the pill she’d swallowed for a john had been an extra fifty on top of the usual bedroom favors. The trip to the ER had been an awkward one. Especially since herclienthad dropped her off then sped away.
