Chapter 40

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How did they find out about us? How did they know we were here? How did they get that many people together so fast?

I was starting to realize there was much more to The Organization than I'd known.

I could feel my pulse pounding through my body. I could feel it in my throat like my heart was trying to make climb out. When I couldn't wait anymore I got up and made my way back toward the bathrooms, trying to keep my eyes from looking at the people.

I leaned toward the women's bathroom but then quickly ducked inside the men's. I didn't see Jared and my heart sank.

I was jerked around quickly and I bit back a yelp. I looked up into Jared's terrified eyes. I could feel the tension rolling off him in waves. He kissed me hard and brief, all of his fear thrown into it.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know. I've never seen anything like this before. There are so many of them and I don't know why. There are probably fifteen in here, and that's just inside, there could be more outside. I have no clue what's going on."

"Are they here because of us?"

I just shook my head, disbelief coursing through me. "I have no idea, but it would be better if we just get out of here and not stop to ask them."

"Right."

I locked the door to the bathroom, making sure no one else would come in, and I set about looking around.

There was one window behind the sink. I scrambled onto the sink and reached up. I was still two inches short of reaching the ledge. I nearly slipped, but Jared caught me. He boosted me up and I unlocked the window and pushed the patterned glass up, opening it.

I used my arms to pull myself up and I slipped through the window, landing ungracefully on the dirty ground of the alley.

I glanced around, looking for any signs of The Organization's people but saw no one. I knew better than to assume that there aren't around just because I couldn't see them. I knew it was entirely possible for them to seeing me without me being able to see them. I just had to hope there really weren't any around.

A moment later I saw the top of Jared's head as he worked up and out of the window. I reached out my hand and braced myself against the brick wall. He took the offered hand and I pulled, I was fairly sure I was just providing him an anchor though.

In no time he was on the ground next to me. I looked around and heard a small sound. Nothing that would normally alert me, but I was too on edge. Jared heard it too of course, and we were on our feet and running down the alley.

I heard the voices behind us, and the footsteps on the concrete. They weren't bothering with being quiet anymore.

I heard a small pop and the chip of brick near us. They had guns. I looked back and saw a silencer on the gun of the person leading.

"Faster," I said, pushing myself. Jared was only happy to oblige. He kicked it up a notch but I knew he was holding back. He could have been gone, he was holding back because of me. I gritted my teeth at that. He was the one they'd kill on sight; they wouldn't gun me down.

"Go," I said sounding harsher than I intended.

He looked back as another bullet went into the brick wall.

"No."

"Jared, just go. They aren't aiming for me, they're aiming for you."

I positioned myself so that I was protecting most of him as we ran. There was just one place I couldn't protect; I wasn't tall enough. While they wouldn't be able to hit his body, they could still make a head shot. I closed my eyes, hoping they wouldn't take the shot.

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