Before he can roll, I drop onto one knee beside him and bring my elbow down across his jaw. Something pops. He moans and shouts. I clamp a hand over his mouth and shove the blade just under his jaw.
I whisper-hiss, “Where are they? The women?”
His eyes are wild with rage, and he goes to move, but I dig the blade in deeper.
“I won’t hesitate to kill you. Tell me what I want to know, and you’ll live to see tomorrow. Don’t, and you die here.”
His chest heaves. Sweat beads along his hairline. Slowly, trembling, he lifts one hand and points farther down the hallway.
“How many men?”
His nostrils flare. Through clenched teeth, he forces out, “Four.”
“Four,” I repeat quietly.
He nods once.
“And the women?”
He shifts beneath me, trying again to move.
I drive the blade into his shoulder.
His scream dies in my palm as I seal his mouth shut, feeling his body convulse beneath me.
“How many?”
“Three,” he gasps, tears streaking sideways across his temple.
“Thank you.” I kill him before he can utter another word.
I’m on my feet immediately because raised voices are echoing through the corridors. Boots pounding. Men shouting over one another. Somewhere deeper inside the facility, a woman cries out, her voice breaking in raw terror.
They know someone is here.
My stomach knots as adrenaline floods my veins. I move fast, slipping into shadow, letting the darkness swallow me while I listen to the chaos building.
The first to find me is a man who moves more stealthily than the others. I spy him before I duck behind a pillar in the mess hall. He’s heavily armed and moves like he’s familiar with clearing a room. His flashlight and gun are up and held close to his face. His light shifts left to right as he searches the large space.
“I can hear you breathing,” he calls, calm and confident. “I know you’re in here.”
My heart pounds hard enough that I’m certain he can hear it.
I smile anyway and answer softly, “Is that so?”
The beam snaps to the pillar I’m hiding behind.
He chuckles darkly.
“Oh fuck. A female.” His voice turns amused, almost pleased. “Wasn’t expecting that. But I do love surprises.”
Spinning, I step into the light.
He takes me in slowly, eyes traveling over me with open assessment. “Goddamn, and beautiful. Color me delighted. We’re gonna have fun, you and I.”
“Look, I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. Those other guys attacked me out of nowhere. I didn’t know anyone was in here.”
His eyes narrow, and he takes a few more steps forward. “Drop the gun, sweetheart.”
