Serial Novel: Falling in Public, Ch. 32
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Ch.1|Ch. 2|Ch. 3|Ch. 4|Ch. 5|Ch. 6|Ch. 7|Ch. 8|Ch. 9|Ch. 10|Ch. 11|Ch. 12|Ch.13|Ch. 14|Ch. 15| Ch. 16| Ch. 17|Ch. 18| Ch. 19 | Ch. 20 | Ch. 21 | Ch. 22 | Ch. 23 | Ch. 24 | Ch. 25 | Ch. 26 | Ch. 27 | Ch. 28 | Ch. 29 | Ch. 30 | Ch. 31
Falling in Public
Chapter 32
Eddie didn't wait for Natalie's answer. He took off at a jog across the open area between boarding gates, pushing Holly in front of him. As he closed in on the doors, debating whether to slow down and open them gently for Holly, she stuck her good leg out and looked up at him.
"Don't stop," she said. Then she faced forward again and grabbed the armrests. "Okay. I'm ready."
Eddie sped up again, barely escaping an involuntary cringe as Holly's foot hit the door with a bang. She flinched, but only a little and then put her leg back on the metal footrest. Pushing her as quickly as the chair could easily go, he saw the far wall at the end of what seemed like an interminable length ahead. The men chasing them would be on thier tail before he and Holly could reach it - there didn't seem to be any question about that.
A few doors dotted the hall on either side, and he picked one on the left, surprised when the handle turned easily. Chosing to forgo the lights, he backed through the doorway, pulling Holly in her chair with him. Light was coming into the room from somewhere on the far wall, but he couldn't see where or how.
"You don't think we can outrun them."
Eddie nodded, then remembered that she couldn't see him standing behind her. "I don't think I can run that fast, and I know you can't," he said, locking the door and pulling her farther away. "If we can hide out here for awhile, maybe they'll go all the way to the parking lot."
"And then we run the other way?" Her tone was dubious, but not annoyingly so.
Eddie left her for a moment, ducking behind a tall row of file cabinets where the light seemed to be coming from. He was relieved to find a generous window in the corner, the glass frosted. That might turn out to be their salvation.
"No," he said, returning to wheel her back to the window with him. "Then we run after them."
He could almost feel her thoughts as she silently considered that. "But what if they come back this way? How do we get past them outside?"
He stepped around her and motioned to the window. "I was thinking we could just crawl out the window."
Holly frowned, leaning forward to brush her fingers lightly over the dirty sill. "Does it open?"
"I haven't tried it yet. But--" he put a finger to his lips as the sound of heavy footfalls drew closer and dropped into a crouch. He moved closer to Holly's chair, hands on her knees. "They're coming," he whispered, glancing in the general direction of the door.
She nodded, sliding her hands under his. The steps halted in front of the door, and Eddie could hear them trying the dorknob. Holly squeezed his hands, then pointed to the window. He shook his head.
"Not yet," he mouthed back. She gave him an exasperated look as the footsteps started moving again, going forward down the corridor.
"Now?" she whispered.
He nodded, rising and moving to the window. The two latches at the bottom were tight, but came lose with a little force. When he pushed against the frame though, the panel wouldn't move.
"Good thing they kept going," he said, keeping his voice low. "We aren't getting out this way."
Two seconds later, they heard the clatter of footsteps running back up the corridor before coming to a stop right outside the door.
Ch.1|Ch. 2|Ch. 3|Ch. 4|Ch. 5|Ch. 6|Ch. 7|Ch. 8|Ch. 9|Ch. 10|Ch. 11|Ch. 12|Ch.13|Ch. 14|Ch. 15| Ch. 16| Ch. 17|Ch. 18| Ch. 19 | Ch. 20 | Ch. 21 | Ch. 22 | Ch. 23 | Ch. 24 | Ch. 25 | Ch. 26 | Ch. 27 | Ch. 28 | Ch. 29 | Ch. 30 | Ch. 31
Falling in Public
Chapter 32
Eddie didn't wait for Natalie's answer. He took off at a jog across the open area between boarding gates, pushing Holly in front of him. As he closed in on the doors, debating whether to slow down and open them gently for Holly, she stuck her good leg out and looked up at him.
"Don't stop," she said. Then she faced forward again and grabbed the armrests. "Okay. I'm ready."
Eddie sped up again, barely escaping an involuntary cringe as Holly's foot hit the door with a bang. She flinched, but only a little and then put her leg back on the metal footrest. Pushing her as quickly as the chair could easily go, he saw the far wall at the end of what seemed like an interminable length ahead. The men chasing them would be on thier tail before he and Holly could reach it - there didn't seem to be any question about that.
A few doors dotted the hall on either side, and he picked one on the left, surprised when the handle turned easily. Chosing to forgo the lights, he backed through the doorway, pulling Holly in her chair with him. Light was coming into the room from somewhere on the far wall, but he couldn't see where or how.
"You don't think we can outrun them."
Eddie nodded, then remembered that she couldn't see him standing behind her. "I don't think I can run that fast, and I know you can't," he said, locking the door and pulling her farther away. "If we can hide out here for awhile, maybe they'll go all the way to the parking lot."
"And then we run the other way?" Her tone was dubious, but not annoyingly so.
Eddie left her for a moment, ducking behind a tall row of file cabinets where the light seemed to be coming from. He was relieved to find a generous window in the corner, the glass frosted. That might turn out to be their salvation.
"No," he said, returning to wheel her back to the window with him. "Then we run after them."
He could almost feel her thoughts as she silently considered that. "But what if they come back this way? How do we get past them outside?"
He stepped around her and motioned to the window. "I was thinking we could just crawl out the window."
Holly frowned, leaning forward to brush her fingers lightly over the dirty sill. "Does it open?"
"I haven't tried it yet. But--" he put a finger to his lips as the sound of heavy footfalls drew closer and dropped into a crouch. He moved closer to Holly's chair, hands on her knees. "They're coming," he whispered, glancing in the general direction of the door.
She nodded, sliding her hands under his. The steps halted in front of the door, and Eddie could hear them trying the dorknob. Holly squeezed his hands, then pointed to the window. He shook his head.
"Not yet," he mouthed back. She gave him an exasperated look as the footsteps started moving again, going forward down the corridor.
"Now?" she whispered.
He nodded, rising and moving to the window. The two latches at the bottom were tight, but came lose with a little force. When he pushed against the frame though, the panel wouldn't move.
"Good thing they kept going," he said, keeping his voice low. "We aren't getting out this way."
Two seconds later, they heard the clatter of footsteps running back up the corridor before coming to a stop right outside the door.
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