direction they’d been headed, they could only go for another four buildings before reaching a street corner and running out of roof. Each of those buildings presented the same problem as the one they were currently on-the only exit would be to the same street Julien’s building let out on.
What he really wanted to do was get to one of the buildings behind them that would provide access to the next street over. There would be far less commotion there, and a trio of strangers in a city always full of visitors would go unnoticed. The problem was that the space between the two rows of buildings was, for the most part, too great to jump. There was one gap between a pair of back-to-back buildings that they might be able to cross. Unfortunately, it was two buildings on the other side of Julien’s, and would force them to retrace their steps.
“The cops aren’t here yet,” Nate said, jogging up to them. “But they’re getting close. A minute or two at best.”
Quinn nodded. “All right. This way.”
He started back the way they’d come.
“Wait,” Mila said. “Why are you going that way?”
“It’s our best chance.”
“Julien’s place?”
“No. Beyond it.”
She looked dubious.
“We’re at a dead end here,” Nate said, obviously coming to the same solution Quinn had. He pointed toward Julien’s building. “If we want to get away unseen, then that’s the only choice we have.”
She looked behind them, then back in the direction Quinn wanted to go. “Dammit,” she said, still looking less than convinced. “If we’re going to go, let’s go.”
They started running-Quinn in the lead, Mila in the middle, and Nate bringing up the rear. As they reached Julien’s roof, sirens echoed up the buildings as what sounded like a dozen police cars turned onto Julien’s street. Within seconds the cops would be making their way into the building.
Two roofs past Julien’s, Quinn stopped.
“What now?” Mila asked.
He pointed at the apartment building behind them. “We jump.”
Mila looked at the space between the roofs. “Isn’t that a bit wide?”
“Ten feet, maybe eleven. Take a decent run at it, you’ll make it with a couple feet to spare.”
“If I don’t trip and fall first.”
Quinn looked at her, incredulous. “You came out of hiding, made yourself a target, something you knew would happen, and you’re worried about a ten foot jump?”
“If I’m going to get shot, fine, but I’d rather not kill myself if I can help it.”
But before Quinn could say anything more, she repositioned herself and ran hard toward the gap. At the edge was a six-inch brick retaining wall. She timed her stride so that her final step hit the top of that wall, and pushed outward, flying over the gap and landing, as Quinn had predicted, several feet beyond the edge of the other roof. But instead of stopping when she landed, she kept running and headed for the roof-access door.
“Mila!” Quinn yelled as he moved back to give himself enough running room.
Nate was already heading toward the edge. He leaped to the other side and took off after her.
Without hesitation, Quinn made his run, hitting the retaining wall at almost exactly the same spot Mila had. When he reached the other roof, though, his foot slipped and he began to fall. Curling into a tuck, he forced a roll, then popped to his feet. The other two had already entered the stairwell, leaving him the only one outside.
He raced over to the small hut-like structure and pulled the door open.
Behind him he heard someone shout in Italian. He glanced over his shoulder as he passed inside, and saw two cops on Julien’s roof, looking in his direction. As the door closed, he could see the cops heading in their direction.
Great.
Running down the stairs, he could hear Nate and Mila farther below.
He activated his comm. “Nate, we’ve been seen. Cops on the roof heading this way.”
There was a moment’s delay, then Nate’s voice came huffing back. “Got it.”
Chasing a woman down a staircase was not Nate’s idea of fun. Doing it twice in the span of five minutes- even less awesome.
The first time, when he caught her in the other building, she’d put up a good fight, getting in a few punches and eventually biting him in the hand before he was able to subdue her. This time, her head start had been longer, and while he had cut the distance between them, she was still a whole flight ahead. If she was able to make it outside before he reached her, his chances of catching up to her would plummet.
He could see her turn down the final flight below. Knowing he had little choice, he jumped forward, sailing above the stairs, and barely missing the final riser as he hit the landing. She glanced back, surprised. He was less than half a flight away from her now.
Taking the remaining steps three at a time, he raced after her. When she reached the bottom, she jerked open the door, but before she could run through, he grabbed her arm.
She tried to pull from his grasp. “Let me go!”
“ Che succede?” The male voice had come from the entranceway to the building.
“Let me go!” Mila yelled again.
Suddenly a man of about fifty appeared just on the other side of her. He looked surprised, then determined. “Stop!” he said to Nate, his accent heavy.
He reached over and tried to pry Nate’s hands loose. As he did, Mila twisted, and the light windbreaker she was wearing fluttered open. Nate spotted the end of an envelope sticking out of an inside pocket, and made a quick decision. At the same moment he let go of her, he grabbed the envelope and stepped back into the stairwell.
When she realized what he’d done, she said, “Give that back.”
“Stop fighting with us. We’re only trying to help.”
The middle-aged man pointed at the envelope. “Not you. Her.”
“ Non sono affari tuoi,” Nate said to the man, telling him it wasn’t his business.
“ Perche la stavi afferrando?” the man asked, wanting more explanation.
Mila looked at Nate for a second, then at the man. “ Lo e il mio amico stiamo solo discutendo. Non c'e' bisogno che lei si metta in mezzo,” she said. It was just an argument, and his help wasn’t needed.
“ Sicura?” he asked.
“ Si. Scusi il disturbo e grazie per aver cercato d'essere d’aiuto.”
Looking confused, the man shook his head and walked off.
Once he was gone, Mila said, “Give me back the envelope.”
“No,” Nate replied. “Not until Quinn says it’s okay.”
She looked over Nate’s shoulder. “Tell him to give me back my envelope.”
Nate could hear Quinn descending the final steps behind him. “We can figure that out later.” He pointed up toward the roof. “You hear that?”
Faintly from the top of the stairwell came the sound of someone heading down.
“It’s the police,” Quinn said. “We need to keep moving.”
Mila kept her hand held out to Nate. “It’s mine. Give it back.”
Nate folded the envelope and stuffed it in his pocket. “As Quinn said, we can figure that out later.”
Anger clouded her face.
Quinn grabbed her arm and pushed her into the entrance hall. “We don’t have time for this right now.”
The room was wider than the one in Julien’s building but basically the same design. Quinn kept a tight hold of her arm as they walked to the front door.
The man who’d tried to stop Nate was standing off to the side, a phone held to his ear. By the way he kept giving them sideways glances, Nate knew he was talking to the cops. Then the man did a stupid thing. He moved his phone away from his ear, and held it so its camera was pointing at the three of them. Now Nate had no other choice.
While Quinn and Mila continued toward the door, Nate veered over to the man and yanked the phone out of his hand.
