"Which entrance gets us closest to the library?" Donovan asked.

Carter pointed down the right corridor. "The one we took to get in."

He nodded and led the way back through the maze of tunnels. Neither spoke. They climbed stairs and stopped, listening, trying to distinguish any sound other than their breathing.

Donovan met Carter's gaze, holding hers for a long second, a silent question. In answer, she strapped on the narrow gas mask. It fix snugly to her face, only covering her nose and mouth. Reassured, Donovan put on his as well.

He hit the button. The wall slid back, an empty janitor's closet waited for them, pungent with the scent of cleaner. The alarm had been turned off, in its place an eerie silence. Every breath they took sounded like canon blasts.

Donovan moved into the cramped room, his steps sure and cautious. Carter followed suit, her fingers tingling with energy.

He didn't walk to the door, instead twirled one finger. She nodded, understanding his signal. He stepped to the left as she moved to the right, searching the shelves for anything resembling a weapon. Her heart rate spiked every time she nudged anything aside, the sound of plastic on metal screaming in her ears.

After a search, that ended with no results, they moved to the door. Donovan pressed his back to the wall just beside it, Carter directly behind him. As he reached for the handle, he stretched his back, pressing his other hand against Carter's side, shielding her from what lay beyond.

Carter tried to ignore his hand and the chain reaction of sparks it set off. Already every nerve in her was coursing with adrenaline.

Donovan eased the door open, his every muscle straining, simultaneously alert and still. Carter could see nothing but his back. She read the empty hallway in the release of his shoulders.

As he slipped out, Donovan waved her forward. There was a white haze in the vacant hallway that dulled the lights. The complete emptiness tightened every nerve in Carter. Her glances backward became more frequent as phantom sounds played in her ears. She clenched her fists, feeling naked without a weapon, so used to the weight of a gun when she went through the training courses.

Her heart jumped into her throat at the steady beat of boots on tile, the sound coming from above them. Something metal jostled and clinked.

"Roger that," a gravelly voice said.

Donovan didn't hesitate, grabbing Carter's hand, pulling her into action.

At the first open doorway, they ducked inside.

It was the teacher's lounge. Unconscious staff members were splayed over couches and tables. A cup of coffee had been knocked over, the dark liquid dripped off the edge of the table. They looked over the scene, searching for an adequate place to hide.

Carter tugged Donovan's arm and headed for a supply closet.

They slipped in and eased the door closed, cramming themselves into the tight spot. The space was dark, only a tiny piece of light coming in from beneath the doorway.

They were pressed so close together Carter couldn't tell if she was feeling her heart banging away in her chest or Donovan's.

As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, Donovan's face came into focus. He kept his gaze riveted on the door, his fists clenching and unclenching. It was as if he wasn't aware of her at all. She stared into his face, seeing his jaw flex, feeling the desire for action radiating from him.

The footsteps steadily drew closer. Carter reached up and cupped the back of Donovan's neck. His muscles tensed under her touch as she pulled his head down.

"Should we take this guy out?" she whispered, her voice muffled as it came through the mask.

She dropped her hand and he straightened. He went still, his thoughts filling the silence. The footsteps kept making a slow approach, drifting off at times as they diverted into different rooms before continuing towards them.

Finally, Donovan bent his head to hers and spoke inches from her ear. "No, Link is the priority. We get him to safety before making any moves of attack."

Carter nodded. Every tap of boots on the tile wound her even tighter.

A shadow passed before the closet door and Carter's heart stopped. Donovan went rigid and Carter could tell the minute he stopped breathing. It was the same minute her lungs stopped working as well.

The figure moved on and she was drenched in relief. Her moment was short lived when the same gravelly voice spoke.

"I'm doing a sweep of the East quadrant now," he said. "No sign so far."

The footsteps faded from the room and continued down the hallway.

When they could no longer hear the man, Donovan cracked the door open. The light was harsh for a moment before their eyes became accustomed.

"We need to get Link. Now," Carter said.

Donovan nodded. They edged their way to the doorway, Donovan leaning his head out an inch. Carter balled her fists, strung tighter than a violin string.

With a nod, he crept out, his gaze pinned on the direction the man had gone. Assured they were alone for the moment, they made for the opposite end.

At the corner, Donovan stopped again. The pause agonized Carter, every inch of her screaming to make a break for the library and forget the consequences.

Donovan ducked around the corner, Carter on his tail. Like clock work, every two seconds, she checked that no one was behind them.

At the second corner, she felt her nerves buzzing, knowing the library lay within their reach. Donovan sensed her frantic energy, and held her back once more, his hand on her sending a sense of calm through her. She took in a quiet breath, steadying herself.

He covered the distance to the library doors in a matter of seconds, Carter hot on his heels. The stillness in the library felt familiar, as if the whole school had changed except this one room.

"Split up," Donovan said, pointing to the right side, "and pray to God he is in here."

She turned away from him and rushed down the empty aisles, zig zagging her way through the right side of the bottom floor before venturing up to the second story.

A tinge of fear pricked her chest at every deserted corner and back aisle. Something snagged her attention.

It was a hand and a head of brown hair. 

Her heart plummeted to the ground before being wrenched back up and lodged in her throat. Relief poured over her. Link lay unconscious by one of the study tables.

Carter raced to the railing, looking for Donovan. When he came into sight, she waved a hand. He saw it and was instantly running, disregarding the noise he made.

Donovan knelt, turning Link onto his back. Link's arm flopped to the floor, his face calm as Donovan checked his vitals. When convinced he was merely unconscious, Donovan took one arm and hoisted Link onto his shoulder.

As they turned to head down the stairs, a sound froze them in their path.

The creaking of the library doors and a set of footsteps.

"I'm in the library," a bass voice said. "I thought I heard something."

Carter and Donovan backtracked, Donovan leading the way to a back corner and lowering Link to the ground. Carter crouched down beside him. She leaned in close to his ear, one hand resting on his shoulder. 

"I don't see any other option than hiding Link and neutralizing this guy."

Donovan met her gaze. She could see his resistance, as well as his agreement.

"We are running out of time and this is our only option," she whispered.

Donovan's eyes filled with reluctance, but he nodded.

"I don't like it," he said.

"Neither do I but-"

"It's our only move."

Carter nodded, her ears tracking the movements of the man.

"Split up. Surprise and attack," Donovan said.

He stood and lifted Link back onto his shoulder.

"Hiding spot?" he asked.

Carter made a fast evaluation. They hid Link in an alcove, beneath a table.

"I'll take surprise," she said.

"I'll take attack. Bookshelves?"

She nodded. Donovan returned the nod.

Carter's frantic nerves had stilled, her mind clear and focused. Crouched just out of sight, they tracked the man's path. At one point they caught a glimpse of him. He was made of muscle and dressed in a workman's uniform, a handgun strapped to his hip. Covering half his face was a gas mask similar to their own.

Carter took a spot at the end of an aisle, back pressed against the bookcase, Donovan one aisle over. She looked over at him, as the man ascended the steps.

Their eyes locked for a single second. 

The man approached and Carter's adrenaline skyrocketed.

Carter turned to face the man as he came into view

"Hey," she said.

Surprise bolted across his face, as Carter chopped his throat with the side of her hand. He raised his hands to his neck, but Donovan was behind him, wrapping his arms around the man's throat. The man was taller than Donovan and had about 75lbs on him, but Donovan didn't lose his hold.

The man reached for Donovan with two massive hands. Before Donovan's hold could be broken, Carter punched the man in the jaw, elbowed him in the stomach and kicked the side of his knee, popping it out of its socket.

The man buckled, dropping him deeper into Donovan's choke hold. Frantically, he grappled with Donovan's arms, unconsciousness pulling him under. Carter watched as the man's eyelids sagged. Donovan gently lowered him to the ground.

With a grunt, Carter flipped him over, pulling out his gun and releasing the clip. Donovan took out the man's radio and unhooked his ear piece.

"Move fast," he said. "I don't know how long we have."

Carter stared at the clip in her hand.

"You were right," she said. "This is a kidnapping. These are tranquilizer darts."

Donovan flexed his jaw, his face hard.

"We need to keep moving."

Carter reloaded the gun, tucking it into the back of her pants. They searched the man's pockets, finding a handful of items and a photo.

The photo was of Link.

She showed Donovan.

"We know their target," she said. 

Anger ignited in his blue eyes as he swiftly zip tied the man's hands and feet together, using more force than necessary. Carter hastily pocketed all the items then helped drag the man to a corner. Pulling out his gun, she shot him in the leg.

"That will keep him out long enough," she said.

Returning to where they had left Link, they gently extracted him from underneath the table. Donovan lifted him over one shoulder.

"Follow or lead?" Carter asked.

"Follow."

Her breathing was even as she guided them out of the library. At each corner they paused briefly, before hurrying down the hallway. Their footsteps sounded as one, their pace synchronized.

At the final hallway, Carter felt herself gripping the gun harder. With one final glance behind them, they rushed to the janitor's closet. She yanked the door open and raced to the back wall, punching in the code.

She didn't breathe until the wall slid back. Donovan hurried down, as she gave the closet one final look.

Only when she had stepped into the dim stairway and the wall closed behind her did she finally took a breath.

**********************************************************************

Nutty Nutella!!!

Oh my gosh! Does anyone else feel like kicking down a door and being all BA now?!? *goes through the house kicking and hacking away at things, knocks over a lamp* Oh shoot! Gotta hide!

What did you think???

Link is safe! So phew! Gosh I was worried for a second.

A secret love??

(Mine is dancing, I'm not great at it, but I completely love it!)

Spurningartími! (Icelandic) This question is from Anchor_AJ : What kind of books do you read??

Answer: The funny thing is I don't read romance or general YA (Teen Fiction) books. I usually like there to be more to the plot than the basic romance (though romance is a definite must!) So I tend towards fantasy more, I love some Sci-Fi or more classic books like Pride and Prejudice or East Of Eden. I really love anything with a great characters!

And noooooow!

Search, find, read!

This wonderful Secret Service banner was made for me by -itscalledreading- and I think it's pretty dang legit! What do you think??