“I have someone on that as we speak,” Harding says. “Now, we need to get out of here as quietly as possible. Can you walk?”
Damien nods.
“Good, let’s go,” Harding says, leading the way.
She goes out the door we came in and retraces her steps. Damien struggles to walk. Moose puts an arm around his waist to help him. Davis and I follow at the rear.
We go through the other building, and I note it’s the same as the one Moose and I were in. It’s an open space with nothing in it.
Once out the final door, we are in the back courtyard. We run for the fence. Moose ends up carrying Damien so we don’t lose time. Harding runs at the fence and jumps up, grabbing the top. Harding hoists herself on the ledge, then reaches down as Davis jumps up and grabs her hand. Davis goes over the ledge and secures herself in the tree abutting the fence.
“Hand him up,” Harding says to Moose.
I help Moose lift Damien until Harding can reach him. With Davis’s help, they get him to the other side. Moose motions for me to go next, so I run at the fence and jump up as Harding did. Harding doesn’t hesitate and pulls me over. Moose follows.
Damien is sitting on the ground next to the tree, and Davis is no longer here. “Where’s Davis?”
Harding glances around. “She likely went up the path, making sure it’s clear.” She nods toward the dirt path we came in on.
Damien stands. “I can walk.”
“Sorry, but right now, we need to run,” Moose says as he bends down and tosses Damien over his shoulder.
Harding leads the way, and we all follow as we run uphill to the overlook. Davis is there staring down at the compound.
“They just figured out he’s gone. Run,” Davis says quietly but forcefully.
I stare down at the compound. The guards glance in our direction and must catch sight of us. They break out in a sprint toward us.
We race to the car and all pile in. Harding tears out of the parking spot and speeds down the road.
“My wife! We must go back for her,” Damien yells.
“She’s with my contact. We’re going to pick them up next.”
I glance at Moose. Damien is squished between us in the back seat. I don’t see how we are getting anyone else in this car. “Any chance you have a bigger car waiting for us?” I ask Harding.
She laughs. “What’s wrong, Durango? You don’t want to ride in the trunk?”
“Not really, no.”
“Don’t worry. Damien and his wife will be in the trunk. We can’t risk them being seen,” Davis says.
Damien’s eyes widen. “She’s kidding, right?”
“Sorry, but I don’t think she is,” I say.
The car bumps around as we move off the highway and onto a dirt road. About a quarter mile up, Rover stands there with a woman. She’s wearing a black dress with a dark-green scarf.
Harding stops the car and pops the trunk. Davis gets out and opens my back door.
“Let’s go,” she says to Damien.
I get out, and Damien slides out behind me.
“You both are going in the trunk,” Davis tells the woman with Rover.
“The trunk? I don’t think so,” she says.
