Page 163 of Haze of Obedience

I lower my night goggles just as the power gets cut.

Showtime.

One shot to the head, and Jorge Cano goes down.

See you in hell you piece of shit.

One shot to the heart for Eduardo Macias.

Hope your death is extra painful.

One push of the button and I fly down to the floor. I pull Zoe in my arms. "Stay quiet and don't let go."

She nods against my chest, and I hit the button on my harness. We rise in the air through the blackness. When we get to the top, and our feet are on the ground, I pick her up.

She clenches her arms around me. "I missed you," she whispers and kisses my neck.

"Shh. Hang on my Little Diva."

The door to the roof opens, and the stars light up the night sky along with the buildings all over Belize City.

I set her down and kiss her, but pull back. We aren't in safety yet. "Slip out of your shoes."

She doesn't even ask why and does it. I grab the pair of sneakers I stashed on the roof and slip them on her.

"Didn't you think of everything," she teases, and tears fill her eyes.

I kiss her again. "We have to go now."

"Okay."

I take her hand and run across boards set up on the roof of a dozen different buildings. Each time we get to a new building, I slide the wood, so it's only on the one roof, concealing our tracks, at least for the time being.

When we get to the final one, we sprint down twenty flights of stairs and out into an alley.

We get in a new van Clayton secured. I pull my night goggles off and hold her cheeks. Our lips merge instantly. When I pry myself away, I murmur, "I missed you, my Little Diva."

"So much," she cries out.

I stroke her cheeks with my thumbs. "We have to get out of here."

"I know."

I kiss her again, pull back, and we drive for hours, away from all the evil.

When we're far enough away, I pull into a spot in the woods, and we climb in the back and onto the mattress.

"Are you really here?" she asks, clutching my face.

"Yeah. Are you okay?"

She nods, and tears drip.

"What did they do to you?"

"I don't want to talk about anything right now."

"Zoe—"