The Ark Files: A pulse-pounding archaeological thriller (Eden Black Archeological Thrillers Book 1) by Luke Richardson

Author:Luke Richardson [Richardson, Luke]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-09-30T16:00:00+00:00

30

Eden climbed to her feet and crossed to the door. The wound felt better already. Although she had teased him, Baxter had done a good job.

Eden peered out into the hallway. The sound of running footsteps echoed up the stairs. Eden shut and locked the door, then she and Baxter shoved a chunky dressing table in front of it. That wouldn’t hold the police for long, but would at least delay them.

“We’re going to need another way out,” Eden said, crossing to the window. She peeked out. Baxter’s window was on the side of the hotel, overlooking the flat roof of the neighboring building. “That’s a ten-foot drop,” Eden said. “I think we can make that.”

Baxter examined the drop and nodded.

The sound of footsteps stopped, and whispered voices came through the door. Eden imagined the man in the red waistcoat hunting for the correct key. Sure enough, a few seconds later, a key grated in the lock.

Eden carefully slid her bag over her shoulders and ran to the window.

The locking mechanism clicked, and the door swung open a fraction, thumping against the dresser. Raised voices streamed through the gap. Eden glanced back at the door but saw only shadows.

She swung the bag out of the window and dropped it to the roof below. It thudded hard against the concrete.

A shoulder crashed against the door, moving the heavy dresser by an inch.

Eden swung herself up on to the windowsill. Gripping on to the ledge, she lowered her body flat against the outside wall, then dropped.

Baxter followed.

Eden snatched up her bag and charged across the roof. She dove behind an air conditioner. Baxter leapt in beside her. They sat shoulder to shoulder for several seconds, trying to pick out noises from the open window behind them.

After a minute, she turned and glanced back up at the window. A shadow moved around in the room. She waited for several seconds, frozen to the spot. With each pulse of her heart, she expected to hear the snap of gunfire or the heavy thump of boots on the roof. None came.

She counted out another minute and then peered back at the room again. Several shadowy figures moved about inside now. Eden imagined them thoroughly searching the space. The towel, still wet with blood, would show they hadn’t left long ago. Right now, they might be setting up a search perimeter on the city streets below, sealing their way out.

Two minutes later the figures disappeared.

“They’ve gone, I think,” Eden hissed, breathing a sigh of relief.

The pair waited silently in their hiding place for a further five minutes.

“Let’s get out of here,” she said, climbing to her feet and pacing to the far end of the rooftop. She glanced over the edge. A police car remained at the hotel entrance, a pair of officers watching the door.

“This way,” Baxter hissed, beckoning Eden to the other side of the rooftop. They looked down the thin alleyway at the rear of the hotel. Another pair of officers stood at the hotel’s back door.

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