Chapter 23 - THE LEAP OF FAITH
Adrenaline surged through Daniel’s veins, washing away the paralyzing fear. He didn't drop his hands in surrender; instead, he feigned a step backward as if terrified, causing both men to advance a fraction of an inch, momentarily breaking their rigid synchronization.
It was the only opening he was going to get.
With an explosive burst of speed, Daniel didn't run away from the wall—he ran straight toward it, using a heavy iron utility box as a springboard. He launched himself upward, his fingers scraping desperately against the rough, aging brickwork. Pain shot through his palms as his hands found purchase on the upper ledge. He hauled his weight up with every ounce of remaining strength, ignoring the sharp bite of the barbed wire as it snagged the fabric of his jacket.
Behind him, a loud *crack* split the air, followed by the terrifying zip of a silenced bullet chipping the brickwork inches from his ear.
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"Stop him!" shouted one of the men below.
Daniel threw his legs over the top of the wall and dropped heavily onto the other side, rolling across a bed of hard gravel in a narrow municipal parking lot. Pain flared in his shoulder, but he forced himself back to his feet, gasping for air. Without looking back, he sprinted toward a crowded public bus idling at a nearby transit stop, threw himself through the closing doors just as the driver pressed the button, and collapsed into an empty seat in the very back row, blending instantly among the oblivious commuters.
