Page 111 of Land of Shadow

My stomach drops. “Shit!” Before I even know what I’m doing, I take off running past the soldiers in the lobby, the ones on the street, and the others gathered around the nondescript 18-wheelers parked out front.

All Juno’s warnings and edicts about me not going to the White House fall away as I push myself to get to Aang. Evie appears at my elbow, her stride longer than mine as she matches me, then edges out front.

We race up the avenue, my lungs burning from the sudden exercise after months of desk life. Maybe I should’ve at least done some cardio, I think as Evie reaches the gates before me. I catch up, my chest heaving as I try to catch my breath.

“Our friend, Aang. Did he come through here?” She shows her badge to the guard. “He had one like this. Dark hair and?—”

“The Chinese guy?” the guard asks.

“Yes!”

“Yeah, he came through a while ago.”

“Let us through.” I flash my badge at him.

His eyebrows draw together as he reaches for a clipboard inside the guard station. “Have to record everyone who comes and goes. Hand me your badges.”

Crap. I’m certain he’s got orders not to let me in. Major Barker said as much. Evie gives him her badge and holds her hand out for mine.

I glance at the narrow gate and pretend to have trouble untangling my lanyard from my hair. “Just a second.”

The guard scribbles on his clip board, then inspects her badge even more closely. “Research, eh? You all are from the lab, too, right?”

“Yes.” Evie bounces from one foot to the other.

“All right, you can go through. Hand me your badge.” He buzzes the gate, and it pops open.

I yank my badge free, throw it at him, then run through the open gate and speed up the narrow lane to the White House entrance.

“Hey!” Evie follows me, her stride once again outpacing me as we reach the guards standing at the back entrance to the West Wing. They draw their guns.

“Let us in.” I’m breathless and have to bend over and put my hands on my knees.

“We’re from the lab. At the hotel. We’re?—”

“One of our friends came up here earlier. He’s—he’s not right in the head. His partner died, and?—”

“He’s a threat?” one of the guards, his reflective sunglasses hiding his eyes, asks.

“Yes!” Evie cries as I yell “no” at the same time.

“Don’t hurt him!” I add as the guard pulls a walkie talkie from inside his jacket and fires off some jargon about bogies and something called ‘soaring freedom.’ The other guard slips inside the door and disappears.

“He’s harmless,” Evie sputters. “I didn’t mean he’s a threat. He’s not. He’s just upset. He—” She yelps when the guard from the gate yanks one of her hands behind her back and starts to cuff her.

“Hey!” I shove him. “Get off her!”

He pushes her to her knees, then wheels on me, his fist coming so fast I have no way to defend myself. It slams into my jaw, pain radiating along my face as I fall back on my ass.

“Arrest her!” he yells at the remaining guard and points at me before going back to Evie who’s trying to crawl away.

“Leave her alone!” I scramble back to my feet and launch myself at him.

The other guard catches my arm and jerks me to the side so hard my shoulder burns as if something inside has torn.

“Settle down!” He pushes me against the wall beside the door and wrestles my arms behind my back.

“Let go!” I scream.

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