Page 46 of Red Zone Awakened

CHAPTER19

It feltlike they’d been lying in the crawl space forever.Keiko had lost track of time, and at some point, she’d fallen asleep.She was exhausted.She hadn’t slept much the night before, thanks to the blackmail and all, and ever since arriving at the research facility, she’d been running for her life.Now her muscles had cramped and stiffened from lying in one position for too long, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to move again.

“They’re gone,” Mace whispered.

“Are you sure?”Her voice was hoarse, her throat dry from breathing in the dusty air.

“I’d hear them.”

Oh yeah, his super hearing.The top-secret implants he wouldn’t tell her about.

“Let’s get out of here.”He pressed the button for the panel, and it slid open.

The air that flooded the small space felt gloriously cool on her skin.She breathed in deep as Mace rolled over and dropped through the hole.

“Come on,” he hissed up at her.

Keiko didn’t move with the same speed or fluidity as Mr.Mountain.No, she moved like she was a hundred and ten and all of her joints needed replacing.

“Hurry up,” he said.“We need to get out of here.”

“I am hurrying.”She had pins and needles in her left arm, and one of her feet was dead.

“Keiko,” he growled.

“Give me a second, and stop being so annoying.I said I was coming.”She swung her legs over the edge of the hole and looked down to find him frowning up at her.His hands were up to catch her, so she didn’t hesitate; she just dropped into them.He caught her easily—one of the perks of having a partner his size.It was a benefit she could definitely get used to.If she was tired, she’d have him carry her around.It would be bliss.

“I need a bath,” she said as he cradled her in his arms.“A long one.With lots of rose-scented bubbles.I also need to use the restroom.And I want some water.”

Mace’s lips twitched as his eyes sparkled down at her.“You about done?”

She thought about it.“I’m hungry too.”

He grinned.“Are you always this grumpy when you’ve just woken up?”

“Only when I wake up in a crawl space with cobwebs in my hair.”

“You want down?”he asked when she made no move to leave his arms.

“I can’t stand yet.I have pins and needles in my toes.”

“Guess I’ll have to carry you, then.”He headed for the stairwell down into the building.

Keiko tugged his hair.“You’re heading the wrong way.We need to go to the bedroom.I’m pretty sure that’s where the panic room is.”

That brought Mace to a sudden halt.“You know where the panic room is?”

“No, I’mguessingwhere it is, and that’s in the bedroom.It’s the only place Miriam would feel vulnerable.”

“Maybe there and near water,” he muttered as he headed for the apartment and the bedroom.

“I don’t understand.”

“The Wizard of Oz?The Wicked Witch is killed by a bucket of water?Nobody gets my cultural references anymore.”

“I wonder why?Which culture are you referencing, exactly?”

“Twentieth century,” he muttered absently.