She gasped. “You’re hurt.”
He glanced down at his arm and scowled. “I’ll deal with it later. We need to move. Now.”
Leila swallowed against the sting in her throat. Drake would have kept moving, and she would have wanted Leila to do the same. She glanced back at the canyon and took in a shuddering breath.
Goodbye, Drake. She looked up at Xander and nodded. He peeled her hands off his shirt and turned.
Vision still blurred, Leila followed him. The chilly night air bit at her moist cheeks as she ran. Or tried to run. The uneven ground made it difficult to go as fast as she wanted.
Move your rump. She could almost hear Drake barking at her as she ran. A helpless laugh broke through her tears. Just keep moving. Don’t look back.
Her abdomen tightened painfully, the sting in her side almost unbearable. Xander ran a dozen feet ahead. She sucked in her breath and propelled herself forward, determined to keep up with him no matter how much it hurt. After another minute of pushing, the chain-link fence came into view.
Xander slowed and turned his head until his gaze rested on a boulder. He ducked behind it and waved at Leila.
A moment later, she joined him, panting, both hands on her left side.
“There,” he whispered, even though no one was around to overhear. “According to Drake, there’s a piece of fence that’s already cut. We just have to roll it back, pass through, then replace it so it’s not immediately obvious.”
Leila nodded, her throat burning at the mention of Drake. He spoke as if she was still here.
Xander studied her, frowning. “We just have to wait half an hour or so and make sure there are no patrols covering the area. The last thing we want is to be caught in the act.”
Leila said nothing and lowered herself to the ground. Resting her elbows on her knees, she held her head with one hand. Her mind replayed Drake’s last moments in the tunnel. Drake’s warning. She had no chance. And all Leila could do was run.
I’ve been a coward. Bitter tears blurred the empty, comfortless desert. She could have tried taking the lead for once.
Why did Drake always have to be the one diving into danger? Wasn’t that what she’d been training Leila to do? And this was where it had gotten Drake.
Time seemed to slowly pass as they sat among the rocks, keeping their gazes on the fence. The area was dark and quiet, dead. Xander hadn’t said a word since they’d sat down. He kept his determined gaze on the fence, only looking away if he’d heard something or suspected movement.
Leila let out a long, shuddering breath. None of this felt real. Without Drake pushing her, where would she go? Without the scrolls, she had nothing to use against Faris. She couldn’t face him now, alone.
But she had to find Soliman. He deserved to know what had happened. Would he find some solace in knowing Drake had gone down bravely?
Find Soliman. He’ll know what to do.
Leila gave Xander a sideways glance. He leaned over one side of the boulder, looking south toward Taba. Would he help her find Soliman, or would he rather put Egypt, her, and everything else behind him?
“I think we’re good to go,” Xander whispered. Then he stiffened.
A moment later, Leila heard it. A low beat thrummed in the distance.
Her gaze met Xander’s. Slowly, they both peered around the boulder, but no lights or figures could be seen. Despite nothing in sight, they knew what the sound was.
“We need a better cover,” Xander said, looking around frantically, his voice rough and tense. “This boulder won’t hide us from a helicopter, especially if they’re using heat sensors.”
The sound thumped louder and louder as it traveled along the border, soaring closer to their hideout.
Frantically, Leila glanced around, her breaths quickening. The terrain was all small, rocky hills. No caves to hide themselves in. They were finished.
“What do we do?”
“Stay down.” He pushed her shoulder down and they pressed themselves against the stone. “Don’t move.”
A triangular glow appeared in the distance, a spotlight shining down on the jagged earth. Leila sucked in her breath and held it.
The thumping roared closer. The light flickered back and forth across the ground, searching.
Leila’s heart pounded as the fierce chop of the blades thundered toward them. Then the roar of the machine quieted as it continued in the distance. Was it leaving? Slowly, she released her breath, keeping herself pressed against the rock.
The desert returned to silence.
“Is it gone?” she asked after a moment.
“It’s gone,” Xander confirmed, craning his neck to peer in the distance. He pulled her to her feet.
Head up. Keep moving. That’s what Drake would tell me now. “Can we cross?”
“Yeah, now’s the time to go. We should be clear for a few minutes.”
Standing side-by-side, they scanned the area for movement, lights, sounds, anything. Nothing stirred. They dashed to the fence.
“Where’s the blasted hole?” Xander muttered and stepped along the barricade, tugging at various spots, his gaze roving.
Leila stood back and looked the fence up and down. From what she could see in the moonlight, the links all appeared to be in one piece. She wished she could turn the flashlight on, but knowing her luck, the moment she turned it on, the border patrol would be all over them. The sound of metal clinking met her ears.
“Here,” Xander hissed.
