He was as safe as possible in that vault but there was always the chance the bad guys had explosives or something, so I sprayed as much bleach as possible on the drops of blood and mopped them up with what remained of my shirt, leaving me in a tank top I was glad to have put on.
When all trace of Xavier was erased from the library, I made my way back to the fallen guard and grabbed the walkie-talkie from his shoulder. It had dawned on me as I’d mopped up blood that it would help to know the locations of the other guards as I did the impossible.
I readjusted my ponytail and checked the safety on the gun again, feeling more than a little paranoid about the weapon. Then, steeling myself for whatever was to come, I poked my head out the main doors, and heard footsteps coming my way.
Chapter 15
My mind didn’t have time to process. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me towards the stacks. Panic and adrenaline pumped through my veins, making it hard to think straight. As soon as I was out of sight, moving steadily farther back into the stacks, I realized my stupidity. If I’d just gone back to the vault, I could have gotten the key and slipped back inside until the coast was clear.
Sweat slicked my back, intensifying my scent for all to smell. I looked down at the bleach bottle still in my hands and didn’t know what to do with it for a long moment. Then, I blinked, and it was like coming out of a dream. I sprayed the acrid liquid into the air in a fine mist and, closing my eyes, walked through. It felt like acid on my skin but I was alive and breathing and maybe had hidden my scent for a few minutes.
Long enough to get the hell out of here.
Sound was smothered back here, so I had no idea if they were on my trail or finding their buddy right now. Either way, I had limited time and needed to find a way out. I pictured the layout of the library, I knew it better than any other building on campus, after all. There were exits at the main entrance and on the lower level but I couldn’t access either of those without walking out into the open.
Windows. I frowned and tried to remember if there were any egress windows I could access without being seen. We were on the second floor of the building, so the windows up here weren’t exactly meant for evacuation, but I remembered the way the breeze had ruffled my hair during a windy day the week before. I’d been sitting in my favorite chair, in the solarium.
I bit down on my lip and closed my eyes. The solarium was wide open. If you were in the commons area of the library, all you had to do was walk up a few stairs to get to it. I’d be a sitting duck.
Still, I had to do something or I’d never forgive myself. I’d rather die fighting than cowering behind books.
It only took a few minutes to make my way to the edge of the stacks. My heart raced wildly, making my thoughts race, too. It felt like I could see everything in sharp detail, hear every sound clearer than before, smell every minute scent.
I could still smell the blood that had spilled at my feet and the fear that still scented the air from my fellow students.
A shudder shook my body. I opened my eyes and focused in on the spotless windows. They covered an entire wall of the room and filled the library with endless light and a gorgeous view.
I scanned the expanse, searching for an open window or a lever to release one, and nearly sobbed when I spotted a pattern of egress windows no more than five feet from the floor, running all the way across the solarium. They shut tight with instructions not to open unless there was an emergency. The closest one to me was tucked into a corner that held a tall, leafy tree and a bookshelf filled with easy reading choices.
I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, willing my pulse to slow down. This area of the library was on the second floor, so there would be a steep drop waiting for me if I managed to get to the window and open it unseen. I’d take a steep drop over a bullet, though, so I checked one more time then darted out of my hiding spot.
The tree in the corner provided excellent coverage, so I slid behind it and eyed the release mechanism. There were two latches that would need to be lifted, then a crank would lift it vertically, opening outwards. I estimated it would take less than thirty seconds to open it completely and another thirty, at least, to maneuver myself out, let my body dangle as far down as I could, then let go and pray I didn’t break anything.
Nerves jittered through me, making it feel as if my entire body vibrated. My other senses were heightened, too, which I knew was a good thing. Even now, with my pulse thudding wildly, I could hear the murmur of the guards from an adjoining room and the buzz of their comms.
I glanced down at the walkie-talkie I’d tucked into the waist of my jeans. It would come in handy at some point to know where the guards were, but, right now, I needed silence, so I’d turned it off. I glanced towards the antiques room, hoping they’d stay there long enough for me to slip out, and heard another incoming message, from the main doors.
A gasp slipped free before I could reign it in and I scurried further behind the tree, hoping neither of the two guards that walked through the doors had noticed me. The solarium was up a level and I was at the farthest point, but I could still see them as clear as day. What if they could see me?
Everything in me froze for what felt like an eternity. I held my breath, afraid that even that would draw their attention. My chest throbbed painfully as I denied my lungs oxygen, but I knew my sharp inhale would be louder now than it would have been. I buried my face in the crook of my arm and slowly exhaled and inhaled.
They stood and surveyed the commons, stacks, and, much to my horror, the solarium. One, a woman with wide shoulders and dark brown hair tucked back in a ponytail, narrowed her eyes in my direction.
My heart stopped.
“You take the stacks,” the woman said clearly. “I’ll see what’s taking Jack so long.” She turned on her heel and moved out of the commons with long strides.
The man looked after her for a moment, then shrugged and strode off towards the long line of books that would take him at least five minutes to walk through.
This was my chance.
The moment he disappeared, I started counting. If he didn’t come back out in thirty seconds, I’d make my move.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four…
I counted off in my head to the beat of my heart and, on thirty, I moved. My hands trembled as they connected with the latches, but they pulled up and the latches opened smoothly. The crank came next. It, too, moved with ease and I thanked the Old Ones this place had such good maintenance. The windows at my high school had stuck constantly.
The window lifted until it was as high as it would go, creating an egress I could easily fit through. Without giving myself time to think, I lifted one leg over the ledge, straddled it for a moment, then, holding on with all my might, swung my other leg over and let my body slide down the window until I was stretched tall with just my fingertips hanging onto the ledge.
Below my dangling feet, thick strange looking shrubs with drooping purple flowers provided beauty and what I hoped would be a softer landing than the cobblestone walkway that ran along the inside of the quad.
Movement from inside the library caught my attention. I watched as the woman and the two men who’d already been in the antiques room, stepped out and called for their associate. I gritted my teeth and willed my fingers to let go.
My body plummeted down the length of the building. I pressed my legs together and bent my knees, then squeezed my eyes shut as I impacted the shrub.
The scent of blood filled my nostrils along with the sting of hundreds of tiny lacerations. I bit my lip and focused on my body, on my legs and pelvis, to see if I’d broken anything. I flexed, one muscle at a time, and bit back a cry when pain shot through my ankle. I rolled it, once, twice, carefully assessing the damage. It wasn’t broken, just sprained, I figured. Other than that, I seemed fine, except for the thousand tiny cuts wherever the shrub branches had scratched me. The cuts would heal in practically no time. Although, I realized with a silent groan, the blood seeping from all over would intensify my scent.