Hard Line - Pamela Clare Page 0,77

after him, some thought in her head about not being helpless if she ran into Hardin again. She saw a narrow chisel, picked it up.

Thor saw her, raised an eyebrow. “Be c-careful with that. If you’re cl-close enough to use it, he m-might take it from you. I th-think that coffee is done.”

He poured them each a cup, handed one to her. “Don’t b-burn yourself. It’s hot.”

Samantha sipped, the bitter liquid sliding down her throat and into her stomach. By the time she’d finished it, she had stopped shivering, some sense of warmth flowing back into her body.

“We’ll stay for a few more minutes.” He tucked a finger beneath her chin, lifted her gaze to his. “We’re almost there. We just need to make it to the end of the arch and up four flights of stairs. That’s nothing compared to how far you’ve already come. When we get to the life pod, Kristi and Decker will take care of you.”

“What about you?” She could tell he was suffering, too, his face lined with pain.

“I’ll be fine.” He set his empty cup down and drew her close with his good arm.

For a time, they stood there in silence, sharing body heat.

“We should get moving.” He kissed her forehead. “You can do this, Samantha. In five minutes, you’ll be in the life pod.”

Samantha nodded, but she couldn’t shake a sense of foreboding.

He didn’t bother covering his face this time, so she didn’t either, the two of them moving back the way they’d come, the chisel in Samantha’s pocket, her hands clutching the body warmer taped to her chest as she steeled herself to face the cold once more.

Thor opened the door, frigid air flooding in, making Samantha gasp. “Don’t rush. Move efficiently.”

She followed him back down the stairs to the main hallway of the LO Arch, the flickering lights adding to a growing feeling of dread. “That way.”

They moved quickly, the cold stealing back into Samantha’s bones.

Thor opened the door to the Beer Can, motioned for her to wait while he cleared it. “Okay. Let’s go. Time for a workout.”

Was it ninety-nine steps or seventy-seven?

Samantha couldn’t remember, her body starting to shiver again. “W-we could take the freight elevator. It’s f-faster.”

The car stood empty and wide open, available for them.

“Hardin might hear it and know exactly where we are. It’s safer to walk.”

“W-why did I know you were going to s-say that?”

Thor’s radio squawked.

“Isaksen, Jones here.”

“Jones, this is Isaksen.”

“Be on the lookout. That bastard just raided your room. He took your rifle and some ammo. He’s acting like he’s in a hurry. I’m betting he knows you’re there.”

Thor muttered something in Danish, shivering now, too. “B-blow those doors, get your gear, and find him. K-keep everyone else locked down, including the R-Russian team. I’m taking Samantha b-back to the machine shop. If he’s coming this way, he’ll c-cut us off at the top of the stairs. I’m t-turning off my radio so it doesn’t give us away.”

“Copy that. See you soon.”

Thor turned off the radio, slipped it into his pocket. “We n-need to hurry.”

Then, from the top of the stairs above came the creak of cold, steel hinges.

Thor had just put his foot on the first stair when he heard the door to the station open four stories above them.

Hardin.

If he and Samantha tried to make it back to the machine shop, the bastard would see them. He might even get a clear shot. With only a split second to act, Thor grabbed Samantha’s wrist, pressed a finger against her lips for silence, then drew her with him beneath the stairs and into the open freight elevator.

Footsteps on the stairs.

Hardin seemed to be in a hurry.

In one corner of the elevator, Thor saw a pile of quilted moving blankets. He grabbed them and lowered his voice to a whisper. “I’ll c-cover you with these. Curl up in the corner. You’ll be warmer. Stay quiet and still, no m-matter what happens.”

She lay on her side, drew her knees up to her chest, her gaze on his until he covered her with the first blanket. She mouthed the words, “Be careful!”

Thor did his best to disguise the shape of a human being beneath the blankets, placing the last on top, still folded. After that, he pulled off the Mylar blanket that was taped around his body and shoved it beneath the blankets with Samantha, knowing it would give him away and hamper his movements. Yes, it would make his hypothermia worse, but he