Page 53 of Skin In the Game (The BlackWater)

He laughed, yanking her arms harder. His breath was on her, she could feel his hands groping at her and she snarled kneeing him hard in the groin. He groaned, doubling up and she took the opportunity to pull her hands free from his loosened grip. She moved back quickly, back away from him and towards the van doors. She aimed her boot squarely at his god damn face as he moved towards her and she kicked as hard as she could feeling as she made contact. She didn’t stop to look then. She got to her feet, opening the doors wide and jumped out.

Tuck and roll, she thought, just like old times, before she landed on the tarmac.

She heard the screech of the tyres behind her. The car slamming on its breaks and she curled herself up, ready impact but it didn’t come. She opened her eyes to see the bumper barely inches from her back and let out a low whistle.

She glanced around quickly getting her bearings and then she looked ahead.

The van had stopped. The doors were still open and Grant was there, blood pouring down his face from where she’d kicked him and his eyes fixed on her. She sprang to her feet and bolted for the trees.

She half threw herself down the ditch. Her heart was pounding in her chest, she couldn’t feel her legs, she couldn’t even feel her arms, she just focused on running, on keeping up the speed.

She knew they were following, that they were after her and she also knew that this was her terrain, her habitat. She could beat them here. She could hide for god damn days and they wouldn’t find her.

She saw the mud and rolled herself in it, instantly camouflaging the whiteness of her exposed flesh and then she saw the fallen truck not far off, half rotten, with a the tiny gap beneath.

She crawled under, careful not to damage any of the undergrowth and give her position away. She pushed herself as far back as she could, ignoring the sticks jabbing into her as she crammed herself in. The mud stuck under her nails and she could smell the earthy dampness of the compact space.

She heard the twigs breaking, the not so subtle sound of boots stomping on the ground around her and she held her breath. This was the moment, she thought, the test on how good her hiding place was. She could see the black boots then, barely metres from her. All they had to do was kneel down and look. She held herself still, frozen, and the boots stepped back, away a few steps. The sound of voices carried and then the sound of shouts further off followed by the boots running away.

She stayed where she was. Unsure if they’d simple followed a false trail or if something had scared them off. It felt like time had slowed, stopped. She could hear her heart thumping and mentally she calmed herself. Mentally she reverted back to it, the training, the focus, the headspace of Blackops.

She heard new voices. Far off. And new boots too. The way they walked, the way they stalked through the undergrowth told her these weren’t the same people who had chased her. They were there, she realised. They’d found her. BlackWater.

She waited, staying hidden wanting proof of what she knew.

Everything was silent then.

Everything was still.

And then gradually she heard the sound of someone approaching. She glanced out ever so slightly and felt her eyes widen.

He was there.

She crawled out, knowing she was safe. She saw his face react, his eyes surprised as she revealed herself, filthy and battered but still not beaten. He stared at her, at her body and she realised she was still just in her bra. She narrowed her eyes and went to cover herself and he walked towards her taking off his jacket and putting it around her shoulders.

“Fucking hell Maddie.” Cole muttered.

She met his eyes, stared right back at him and he pulled her in and wrapped his arms around her and she let him. She could feel the tightness of his grip, the strength of it too.

Shit Maddie, she thought and then he released her, pulled back and they stared at each other again.

They heard other boots, other agents close by and Maddie looked to see Brandon now metres from them both.

“Are you okay?” He asked and she nodded. “Come on then. We’ve got a paramedic waiting to check you over.”

She swallowed before stepping away from Cole and following Brandon back through the trees, wrapping his jacket close to her skin. She hadn’t realised how far she’d run but it took a good few minutes before they reached the road.

Brandon climbed the bank then held his hand out for her and she smiled taking it. Cole’s jacket almost slipped from her shoulders as she jumped up and she tucked her arms into the sleeves feeling the silkiness of lining.

She glanced back and he was close behind her, talking to someone but his eyes still on her and she quickly looked away.

She sat in the ambulance, on the edge of the doorway as the paramedic shone a light in her eyes. She could smell Cole’s scent, his aroma from the jacket, the notes of something intense and expensive lingered in her noise and it felt like her senses were honed in on it. Letting it seep into her.

The paramedic put the light down and then started flexing her head, turning it from side to side before moving to check her other joints.

“I’m fine.” She stated and Brandon rolled his eyes.

“It’s likely you have a concussion at the very least.”

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