Outside by Shalini Boland

Author:Shalini Boland
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, mystery & thriller, sci-fi, fiction
Publisher: Adrenalin Books
Published: 2011-07-21T00:00:00+00:00

*

This is the fourth night I’ve waited for Luc to come and meet me. But Luc hasn’t shown up yet and each morning I’ve staggered back to bed, weary and disappointed.

Tonight, as usual, I’ve hung a small hand towel outside the bathroom window. It’s chilly and all I’m wearing is a cotton nightshirt. I wish there was a large towel or something I could wrap around me. I couldn’t risk getting dressed in case someone saw me.

I get up and stamp my right leg which is full of pins and needles. I’m still angry with myself. Luc’s gut instinct was to leave well alone and not even mention James Grey to Fred and Jessie, but I opened my big mouth and now we’re both in danger of a lifetime of incarceration.

But it’s too late to regret stuff. We just have to hope we can get out of here. And then what will we do? Continue on our way to find Chambers? Suppose Luc doesn’t want to carry on. I wouldn’t blame him if he’s had enough and wants to go home. Do I want to keep going?

I give it some thought and decide I’m not ready to give up on our mission despite the danger. This realisation surprises me and gives me a surge of fresh courage. The alternative is to go back home and live with regret. Skye is dead, she had no choices, but I’m alive and I really want to do this for her. I have to get out of here, if not for me, then for her and anyone else who might fall foul of Chambers.

Now, in the quiet murk of the bathroom, I’m willing Luc to come for me, but an hour passes and there’s still no sign of him. Each night, I worry that I’ve arrived too late or returned to my room too early.

I’m almost dozing off on the chilly linoleum floor, when I hear a soft tap on the window. I give a start. I’m cold and stiff, but my heart beats fast and I jump up and go to the window.

Luc’s face is such a welcome sight. He climbs into the bathroom, slides the window shut and passes me a pair of worn navy jogging bottoms. I pull them on gratefully. They’re too long, so I roll them up a bit. We hug awkwardly and I return the towel to the hook.

‘Okay, we haven’t got much time,’ he whispers. ‘Come on, I hope you’ve got a good head for heights.’ I follow him out of the window and try not to look down. ‘You’ll be fine,’ Luc says. ‘Wait till I’ve reached the ledge before you start coming down, I don’t think the drainpipe will take both of us at once.’

I don’t share his confidence in my climbing ability and my right leg shakes uncontrollably. But I grit my teeth and attempt to emulate his cat-like agility. We finally make it down to the ground. This side of the building adjoins a different courtyard.

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