When All Else Fails (A Push of a Button Novella)

Chapter Six

Dane's voice came over the speakers. "Auclaire, I know you have her. I gave you a chance to be honest and hand her over. Instead, you've lied to my face and held onto what's mine. I'm out of patience, so hand her over now or suffer the consequences."

Seb stared at her. "Vivian, what is going on?"

She swallowed hard and shook her head. "No time to explain. We need to get out of here. I don't know if he'll hurt you to get to me, and I can't let him do that or get his hands on me."

"Okay, okay..." Seb rubbed her arms with a smile. "We know Dane. He's upset, but he wouldn't—"

"Five minutes before I come in there and take her, Auclaire. I'd rather this didn't get ugly, but if you don't want to conform with government orders, fine. We'll do things the hard way." Something metallic clinked through the speakers.

She clung to Sebastian. "Seb, please, let's go. He's ticked off already, and we need to disappear before he shoots you or worse."

"Disappear?" He shook his head. "My job... And my mom... And Dane wouldn't... No, I just can't."

"The Dane out there is not the Dane you knew!" She grabbed his shoulders and shook him, praying he'd understand. "If he were, I would be home right now. I wouldn't be here, and I wouldn't have been so devastated and scared that I starved myself and spent two weeks on the street alone before coming to you."

Doubt flickered in his eyes, and he frowned.

"Time's, Auclaire." The metallic sound came through the speakers again, and then a loud boom rattled through her bones.

Seb shot to his feet and grabbed her hand, any indecision gone. "The fire escape by the bathroom window."

They dashed for it. Her legs still trembled, but the adrenaline kept her upright. She hooked a leg over the window sill in the bathroom. A crash sounded in the outer rooms, and any moment, Dane would be in the bedroom. They'd never make it. Instead, they'd end up unable to move and, maybe, in excruciating pain if he was really angry. She turned to look at Seb. "We have to stall him!"

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down in a frantic rhythm, and he shook his head. "How? There's nothing to block the door."

"Your button!" She eased onto the metal landing and leaned through the window. "And lots of prayer."

"Are you insane? My button was a death sentence, and now it just malfunctions. It might kill us just as easily—"

"Just do it." She shoved the window further up and leaned into the frame, her legs ready to give way. "I can't teleport us far enough away, Seb. You have to do this. You have to buy us time so we can get in range of a safe house before I jump us."

He turned to the door, slammed it shut, and locked it.

"Really?" She raised a brow. "Seb, he probably blew your reinforced door off its hinges. A wooden door will not stop him."

The bedroom door banged against the wall near the bathroom, and she flinched. They were out of time. He'd finished searching the rest of the apartment, and the bedroom wasn't big enough to offer many hiding places. He'd be suspicious of the closed door the second he walked in and saw it. "Just click it," she hissed. "Or we won't make it down the fire escape before he uses his button on us."

He hesitated.

The doorknob rattled. "I know you're in there. When I get my hands on you, Auclaire, you're going to wish you were dead."

Seb's wide eyes met hers. He sucked in a breath, clearly terrified, and pressed his button.

A giant golden retriever flashed into existence and let out an exuberant bark, its tail wagging. Viv groaned and rested her head against the window. Maybe they should try their luck with running even if it was futile. A few precious seconds of freedom was better than this, right? But she refused to go out without at least trying. "One more time?"