Page 50 of Dark Rebel's Fortune

They reached the van just as the first Doomer cleared the alley entrance. Max shoved Rana into the vehicle, and Anton jumped in behind the wheel.

"Drive!" Max ordered, diving into the van and slamming the door shut as bullets struck the exterior.

Anton didn't need to be told twice. The van lurched forward, tires screeching as it accelerated down the narrow back street. In the rear-view mirror, Max could see the Doomers already piling into their own vehicle to give chase.

"We've got pursuit. The black SUV."

Anton executed a sharp turn. "Don't worry. I'm going to lose them."

For someone who had just recently learned to drive using a simulator, the guy was a natural getaway driver.

24

KYRA

Kyra and Parisa had progressed perhaps halfway down the corridor when Kyra's earpiece crackled urgently.

"Kyra, be advised," Max said. "More operatives showed up in Rana's place. Anton and I—" His voice cut off in what sounded like a burst of static or possibly gunfire.

"Max?" Kyra called, her heart rate spiking. "Max, come in."

Only silence greeted her, and her gut twisted painfully with worry.

He's immortal. Nothing is going to happen to him,she tried to calm her racing heart.

"What's wrong?" Parisa asked.

"My team has encountered more trouble than expected." Somehow, Kyra kept her voice steady despite the worry gnawing at her. "We need to keep moving."

Now Kyra understood the logic in Yamanu's team assignments and why he'd refused to pair her with Max. Their emotional involvement would have been an impediment, taking away from their focus on the mission.

Reaching the end of the corridor where another door was supposed to lead into the neighboring building, Parisa reached for the handle, and Kyra's pendant immediately burned hot against her skin in warning.

"Wait," she hissed, pulling Parisa back. "Something's wrong."

No sooner had she spoken than they heard footsteps approaching from the other side of the door. Heavy, measured steps—not the casual movements of a maintenance worker or a resident.

Kyra briefly considered alerting Jade to the appearance of more Doomers, but she knew that if she did that, Jade would immediately backtrack and they might then be too late to save the boys. Kyra decided to trust her training and her instincts, prompting her to handle the situation on her own.

"They've anticipated our escape route," Kyra whispered while backing away and pulling Parisa with her. "We need another way out." Parisa's eyes widened in alarm, but to her credit, she didn't panic. "There's a utility access to the roof halfway back," she whispered. "We passed it."

They retraced their steps, moving as silently as possible.

The utility access was a narrow ladder set into a shaft in the ceiling, covered by a hinged metal panel. Kyra helped Parisa up first, then followed, pulling the panel closed behind them just as the door to the service corridor burst open and footsteps rounded the corner below.

They emerged onto the flat roof of the apartment building, and Kyra pulled Parisa into the shadow of a large air conditioning unit, assessing their options.

"Four of the rooftops are connected," Parisa said, her voice remarkably calm given the circumstances. "We can move across them to the end of the block, then use the fire escape on the last building to get down." She smiled sadly. "My husband made sure to teach the kids and me all the possible ways we could escape our apartment if a bad situation ever developed."

The guy had been in the Revolutionary Guard, but Kyra was starting to suspect that he had also been a plant of the resistance of some other anti-regime forces.

"Smart man. I wish I had gotten to know him," Kyra said.

"Yeah, me too," Parisa said.

Kyra had a feeling that her sister was fighting tears, but now was not the time for a heart-to-heart comforting session. "Let's move. Stay low."

As they crossed to the edge of the first roof, Kyra's comm unit finally crackled back to life, and Max'svoice came through, partially broken. "Extraction successful but—pursuing—regroup at?—"

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