High Flyer - Michelle Diener Page 0,80

behind the attempted theft on Cepi, heard about this ruin and its shield, put two and two together, and sent Jake here to get it?”

“I do.” Iver put a finger to his lips as the camp wall came into view.

Hana ducked down with him and they ran up the slope together, crouching behind the wall at a point where they had the best view of the lander.

The camp was strangely quiet, and Hana wondered what had happened when Jake had returned to find the power balance had shifted back toward Bret.

If he even knew it yet.

“Looks like everyone is hunkered down.” Iver gripped the top of the wall. “Let's move now.”

He glanced at her to see if she was ready and she nodded.

He stood and vaulted the wall in a fluid motion, one hand propelling him over.

Hana was right behind him and she ran for the lander, fast as she could, making for the driver's side out of habit.

Iver kept his focus on the camp rather than the vehicle, watching her back, and she jumped in and started the engine before he'd even reached the passenger door.

A shout went up as soon as the engine roared to life, and she glanced to the right, saw Jake running out of the medbay building.

As Iver jumped in, she swung the lander around and Bret came flying out of the ruin, face contorted.

He and Jake seemed to start at the sight of each other, and then Hana had no more time to watch them. She pointed the vehicle at the faint track out of the camp, and hit the accelerator.

Chapter 26

Iver saw no sign of anyone as Hana raced toward the far end of the camp.

The ramp was up, the way it had been a few nights ago when he had watched the guards. “Stop. I'll get the ramp into place.”

Hana nodded, stopping right next to it, and jumping out herself.

He was going to protest, but then saw it required two people to maneuver it.

They worked quickly together, wheeling it to the wall and fixing it in place, then lowering the other side down.

By the time they were done, even he could hear the shouts as people ran from the camp toward them.

Hana pulled off as soon as they got back inside.

Iver leaned out the window and saw Grimms and Baxter running after them.

He hung on as the lander tilted upward then bounced down the other side of the ramp.

Hana accelerated as soon as they were on the other side and he watched their followers disappear in a cloud of dust.

Hana gave a laugh--a whoop of relief--and he grinned.

“Out the way we came in?” Hana focused her gaze on the path in front of them.

“Yes. We at least know we can get back to Touka City if we retrace the route.”

She nodded and the lander slid a little on the loose pebbles at the bottom of the slope before she turned a sharp left. The engine roared as it struggled up the steep incline, and then they reached the top, emerging into the shallower valley.

The river was narrower up here, more a stream, and the way was a lot rockier.

The lander bounced as Hana kept the speed up and Iver grunted as he bashed into the side of the door.

“Your ribs?” Hana asked, slowing down a little.

He nodded. “Don't slow down.”

She gave a laugh. “This beats walking, I can tell you that. If only I could have borrowed this yesterday.”

He had forgotten, totally forgotten, that she had spent the day before walking from the camp to leave a message for Craven, as a way to shake things up and hopefully create a chance for them to escape.

“Your plan worked.” He knew she had done the only thing that she could, and had done it without much hope it would create the situation she hoped for, but she had gone ahead nonetheless.

“It seems to have.” The road was too rough for her to look over at him, her concentration was on the ground ahead, but her lips twitched up in a smile. “Let's hope our luck holds.”

“How long did it take you?”

She lifted a shoulder, her knuckles white as they gripped the steering wheel. “About two hours to get there. I waited until it was dark to move down to where they'd ambushed the lander, lit the flare and then got away as fast as possible. It took me longer to get back because I hurt my foot running away after I lit the