‘Ryder?’ It was her definitely her, but it didn’t look like her.
She didn’t answer me but glanced furtively to the ground below.
‘What … what are you doing out there?’ I said, moving to yank up the window. ‘Get in here! You could fall!’
Instead of coming in, she darted to the side of the window and moved quickly from the fire escape to the narrow ledge … way too quickly, given the height. I ran over and pushed the frame all the way up, leaning my head out. Ryder was gliding quickly along the ledge in sneakers. Sneakers? I had no idea what was going on here, but Ryder did not wear sneakers. I pushed my head out the window. ‘Ryder! Come back here!’ Then something else dawned on me. Grey sweats. Ryder did not wear grey sweats. Thoughts whizzed through my head as I watched Ryder approach the end corner of the building. I didn’t think there was a ledge on the other side. Just then engines roared from the alley below. Black SUVs filled the tight strip of pavement. Oh man. Oh man. What the hell was going on here? She had to be running from them! What was she thinking? What was she going to do? What was I going to do? I looked around frantically. She could maybe make the leap to one of the rusty balconies on the building across the alley and then get out through there, but the distance was beyond crazy.
It looked like Ryder was thinking the same thing because she turned slightly so that her back was pinned against the wall.
‘Ryder! Don’t!’
She mumbled something in return.
‘What? I can’t hear you.’
Her face turned back to mine and I caught the words, ‘—warn you about your father.’ She looked away again. I thought I heard her say something like, ‘Plans. Plans for you.’
‘Ryder, come on! Forget that! Come here!’
‘Stay away!’ she yelled abruptly, then dropped her voice and repeated, ‘Stay … stay away from him.’ She adjusted her position against the wall.
Oh God! I couldn’t watch. I mean, I had seen her make big jumps before, but she looked like she was in rough shape, and she didn’t have her gadgets! I looked again at the opposite building to gauge the distance when a glint of metal caught my eye. My focus shot to a window across the alley. A sniper!
What the—everything was happening so fast! Too fast!
My head whipped back around. ‘Ryder!’
Her hands jerked a little, as though my voice had startled her. ‘There’s a sniper!’
It was hard to tell, but her head tilted, as though to indicate she couldn’t hear me.
I pointed at the sniper, but she looked away.
I gripped my windowsill. The sniper stayed frozen. Sights on Ryder. What was he doing? Why wasn’t he taking the shot? Maybe he didn’t want her dead? Maybe it was a last resort?
I had to do something. Something was wrong with Ryder. She—
Suddenly I noticed a flurry of activity below. Men dressed in black were unfurling something right beneath Ryder. A tarp? A net?
Oh no! Sniper guy was going to shoot Ryder, and she’d fall right into the net! Indecision nearly tore me apart. Should I run? Should I try to help?
Next I heard heavy footsteps running from behind me. Yup, they were coming down the hallway to grab me next. Well, I guessed that decided it. I scrambled out my window, first onto the escape then over to the ledge.
Oh boy. I hadn’t realised just how high up my apartment was. I kept my back flat against the wall as I sidestepped slowly towards Ryder.
Don’t look down. Don’t look down.
Suddenly the side of my foot slapped against something. A pigeon let out a startled noise as it tipped over the edge. ‘Fly, Austin! Fly!’ I screamed, watching the bird drop a few feet. Thankfully, its wings started to flap and he rose up into the air. Maybe Mr Pushkin was right about the pigeons. Focus, Bremy. But how could I? My thoughts were bouncing around like monkeys trapped in barrel.
I edged a few feet farther, past a window.
‘What are you doing?’ a flat voice asked. Kevin.
‘Nothing. Go back inside,’ I said in a tight voice. Then, ‘Oh no, did you sleep over?’ Bart would not do well with that. Then again, I would never know that for sure because I was about to die! ‘Never mind. Go back in. You can’t help here.’
Kevin looked conflicted.
‘Go! You’ll only make it worse.’ Probably like I was doing.
Kevin’s head slowly retreated back into the building. Well, at least someone was listening.
I looked over to Ryder. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll get us out of this. I’ll help you!’
For the briefest of moments, she looked like she might argue with me. Tell me to stay out of the way, run, save myself, that she could handle my father on her own. But a small shudder raced over her frame, and she said nothing.
‘I can do this, Ryder! I, I—just tell me what to do!’
She closed her eyes. I had never seen her like this. What had my father done to her?
Chills raced over my sweat dampened skin as my voice dropped to something very small. ‘Please tell me what to do.’
She opened her eyes and rolled them up to the sky, before dropping them back down to me. ‘Look up.’