Baptiste (What You Left Behind)

Baptiste grabbed the data pad off the desk in one hand and shoved it into his jacket. He seized Sainclair around the middle, ignoring the man’s startled shout. “Hold on tight,” Baptiste said, and activated his boots’ exoskeletons. The frames clicked into place and ropelled them upward as Baptiste jumped, headed for the stained-glass skylight overhead. He raised his arm, shielding his face.
There was a gunshot, and pain tore through his left arm. He almost lost his grip on Sainclair. He didn’t have to look to know who had fired that shot, and that he was lucky to have survived. Together, Baptiste and  Sainclair crashed through the skylight. They landed on the roof in a shower of broken, colorful glass, tumbling across the tiles. From here, the thick grove of trees behind Sainclair’s mansion spread out like a promise.
No time to rest. Baptiste tightened his grip on Sainclair and leaped from the roof, heading for the trees.