Thin Lines (The Child Thief #3)(93)

“The copse of trees to the side of the road about half an hour up,” I said quickly. “Meet us there. It’s an obvious hiding place, but there’s nothing to be done about that. I have to stop. And be prepared. You notice Jackie isn’t saying anything right now. There’s a reason for that.”

I bent lower over Jackie’s hunched body, trying to eliminate some of the drag, and increased our speed again, ignoring the voices on the comm asking me what the hell I meant. I didn’t have time or breath for more talking. Not when I was trying to support all of Jackie’s weight while driving a motorcycle and watching the rearview mirror for signs of Authority vans or whatever else they’d brought in terms of vehicles.

It was the longest half hour of my life, ducking and weaving through traffic and going far too quickly, wondering every second whether the drivers I passed were going to call and report me for having an unconscious girl draped over my arm, and by the time I found the small copse of trees I was aiming for, I was convinced that my left arm was actually dead and hanging on just because the fingers couldn’t function enough to let go. I pulled off the road at the group of trees and skidded to a halt, my right hand overly twitchy on the brakes.

Within seconds, Ant had emerged from the trees at a run, a hoarse cry emanating from his lips.

“Oh my God, is she dead?” he wheezed when he pulled up. He began touching Jackie’s face and then her neck, running a hand through her hair and trying to get her to sit up. “What happened to her? Where’s her bike? Jackie? Jackie?!”

He bent down, got his hands around her torso under her arms, and hefted her up, his breath heaving.

At the movement, she finally came back to life, and cried out. Then she realized that it was Ant moving her and gave him a thin smile.

“Boy, is this how you welcome me back?” she asked, her voice cracking. “By lifting me up like a sack of potatoes? Be careful, something’s broken.”

He responded with another hoarse sob, turned her so she was cradled like a baby against his chest, and turned and dashed back into the forest.

Jace, Nelson, and Kory had appeared next to my bike by that time—I assumed that Abe had stayed back, ready to help Ant with Jackie—and Jace’s hand was already on my left arm, which was hanging uselessly by my side.

“What happened?” he asked, stooping down to stare into my eyes. “Are you okay?”

He grabbed me and pulled me against him in a rough hug, squeezing the air right out of me, and I squirmed.

“Nothing’s going to be okay if we’re standing here in the open when the Authority comes by,” I said. “Kory, can you get my bike? I didn’t see any agents after me, but I want to be under cover if they show up.”

Jace’s arms disappeared from around me, but a second later he hoisted me up against his chest, turned, and ran for the small forest. As shocked as I was, I kept it together enough to look behind us and see Nelson sprinting after us, and Kory wheeling my bike rapidly after her.

When we reached the forest, Jace put me on my feet, and I saw that we were in a small clearing, barely big enough to hold the seven of us. Jackie was lying on the ground, Ant and Abe both hovering over her like a pair of gawky storks, and the bikes were hidden in the trees.

“What happened?” Jace asked, using his hands on my shoulders to keep me steady.

“We were trapped by the Authority,” I said. “They came skidding in just after you guys left. We got away by driving through people’s backyards, but then an Authority agent discovered us and shot the tire out on Jackie’s bike. She crashed and it exploded. I don’t know what’s wrong with her, but she claims something’s broken.”

Jace nodded, looking from me to Jackie and then back at me. “What happened to the agent who saw you?”

I met his eyes, my own gaze firm. I’d done what I’d done. There would be plenty of time to think about it later. Right now, I did my best to use the words but avoid absorbing the idea. “I shot him. We couldn’t have him calling his team in, and I didn’t want him firing another bullet at Jackie. Then I got her on the bike and got her here. But I can’t take her all the way back to Trenton. I was barely strong enough to keep her on the bike this long.”

I turned and looked at Ant and Abe, and their patient. “Ant, does she have any visible wounds?” I asked. “I didn’t see bleeding or burns.”

Ant looked up, his eyes rimmed in red like he was about to start crying, but steady. “I don’t see any blood,” he said firmly. “And if there was an explosion, the suit protected her. But it doesn’t have shock absorbers. She might have broken bones or internal bleeding.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I answered. I turned to Jace. “We can’t stay here. We’ve got to get to someplace safe, or at least safer than a bunch of trees by the side of a road that the Authority is likely to drive down at any moment.”

He was already turned and walking toward his bike, motioning for the others to do the same. “You’re right,” he said. “We’ve got to go. Guys, the same plan stands. We get back to the supplies; we see what we can do for Jackie. From there…”

He paused, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. We’d been planning to go research that address from Gabby, and we’d been expecting to leave by nightfall. But Jackie’s accident had changed everything. This wasn’t the time for research. We needed safety. Immediately.