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They were now at thirty-nine minutes.

If this tower was going down, it was going down soon. Marcus couldn’t believe it hadn’t gone down already.

At the forty-two-minute mark, another machine reached them.

“After you,” he shouted to Jenny.

But all the color drained from her face as she looked over the edge.

“No, you first,” she replied, her knees beginning to buckle under her.

This was a strong woman. One of the strongest Marcus had ever met. She had taken a bullet for him in Moscow. She’d saved his life numerous times. This was the most afraid he had ever seen her. But Pete did not wait. Climbing over the edge, holding on for dear life as the fierce winds along the side of the skyscraper threatened to blow him away, Pete got into the second machine, crouching down somewhat to balance himself.

“We’re out of time, Jenny—if we’re going, we have to go now,” Marcus shouted, just as scared as she was but knowing there was literally no other option.

Holding her under the arms as tightly as he possibly could, making it difficult for her to even breathe, he helped Jenny over the edge. Pete reached up and grabbed her around the waist, holding her just as tightly until she dropped down into the machine and collapsed to her knees. Pete told her to put her head down between her legs to battle the nausea.

And then it was Marcus’s turn.

And there was no one to help him climb over the edge.

Staring down 109 floors, Marcus wasn’t sure he could do it. For almost a minute, he became fixated on the height and the whipping winds and the perspiration on his hands and the surging flames. Pete and Jenny were screaming at him to get in. He’d said it himself. They had to go now, or they might not have another chance. But the fear overtaking him was unlike anything he had ever experienced in combat or even in captivity.

But it really was now or never.

Gripping the metal railing as tightly as he possibly could, his hands shaking as much as his legs, Marcus turned himself around so he was facing the roof. Slowly he lifted his right leg over the edge and stepped onto the top of the machine. Just as slowly, he swung his left leg over the edge and did the same. But as he did, he slipped. His right foot hit the Go button and with a jolt, the machine started down.

Jenny gasped. Marcus gripped the railing for dear life but had only a split second to decide. Pull himself back up. Or let go and hope he landed squarely on the platform, narrow though it was.

There was no time to think.

No time to hesitate.

Marcus let go.