Page 21 (1/2)

Chapter One

Three

I was back Surrounded by darkness, two blurry fored bookcase They breathed heavy, working at a feverish pace to find what they had searched for the past months One of the men froze, and alboth hands to pul out a thick, leather bound book

“That’s it Dear God, that’s it,” Jack whispered

Every corner of the rooh the blinds of a single , antique swords and axes hung on the wal s, bordering hand-painted landscapes of war and death The air was stale, lacking hus to circulate it

I had been therethe panic would begin soon It was co, but I couldn’t stop it It would play over and over like I was stuck in time, in a bad dream—or in Hel

Jack’s fingers ran over the branded seal in the center, and looked to his friend

“Are you sure you want to do this, Jack?”

“Are you sure it’s her, Gabe?” Jack replied Gabe nodded slowly, and then Jack continued with a sigh, “Then you know the answer”

Hearing what Jack’s human ears couldn’t, Gabe’s head jerked to the side “It’s too late,” he said, his eyes twitching back and forth as he listened

“They’re here”

They shoved the documents, artifacts and jewels back into the safe, and the fair-haired ainst the wal in an attempt to conceal any evidence of their presence

“Don’t worry about that now, Gabe! Let’s go!” Jack growled

“I’ to buy us some time!”

Their shadows glided over the wooden floor as thethe their fate

Gabe ran ahead, gun in hand, accusto behind He waited at the end of the hal for his friend, calculating a way out

“The roof,” I whispered in his ear “You always use the roof”

A large, warainst the wal

“What are you…?” Jack began

Gabe lifted his finger to his mouth, and then pointed to the upper floor Jack nodded quickly, pushing his tired body frohtly rounded a corner, and then launched themselves up the stairs Boththe banister to pul the with each leap

“The roof!” Gabe call ed as many voices echoed below them, none of them human

Jack’s eyes widened when a terrifying shriek cah another door, cli a second stairway He heaved a breath of relief The narroal s of cru concrete meant the roof was just a few steps away

Already at the top of the stairway, Gabe shouldered through an outer door, and ran across the roof to the edge He looked down, four stories to the road below, and then at his friend “We’ve stil got two minutes, Jack Are you sure?”