Page 93 of Abandoned

Brett clutched Will’s arm and wrapped an arm around Will’s neck. This guy was huge, but Will was quick and trained in grappling.

Brett slammed him into the wall. The drywall gave behind him. Will clawed for the man’s eyes and broke free from the headlock.

Using the wall for leverage, Will shoved off and pushed Brett into the procedure table-chair thing. This was the man who had tried to kill Zara, had traumatically locked her in the bathroom, and had abandoned her in that crawlspace. It took all Will was to not throw a killing blow. He needed to subdue, to neutralize this beast.

Arms flew, and they grappled with one another, but Brett’s size made it feel impossible for Will to get the upper hand. He needed distance so he could pull his weapon and hold the man at gunpoint or shoot him if necessary.

He tried to sweep Brett’s legs, but Brett countered.

Brett attempted the same, but Will was unable to counter and slammed into the ground.

His lungs froze, and air wouldn’t go in or out. Air or no air, Will grabbed his pistol.

Brett stepped on his hand, smashing Will’s fingers.

His lungs resumed proper function, and he groaned.

Brett dropped onto Will and threw a punch. Will wrapped his legs around the man. He would not let this man get the best of him.

But Brett wrapped his hand around Will’s throat and squeezed.

Will swatted at him and tried to break the man’s grip, but his vision blurred.

Chapter Twenty-Six

With the AR-15 slung across her back, Zara yanked and shoved on the door, but it wouldn’t budge. When it had slammed shut, large chunks of ceiling plaster had fallen and jammed the door. She needed to get to Will. Listening to the struggle on the other side of the door heightened her desperation.

Doug and Logan ran down the hallway. Logan yelled, “Zara!”

She pointed to the door and the floor.

Logan nodded.

Doug asked, “Where’s Wyatt?”

“I’m in here. Help Grant get to Cooper. I’m fine.”

He didn’t sound fine.

Zara slammed into the door with her shoulder, but it barely budged.

Logan grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “We’ll get the door. You go in, AR up.”

She nodded and stepped back to let the guys break through the door. She swung the rifle around and held it at the ready.

Logan met her eyes for half a second then looked at Doug. The two of them smashed into the door, breaking it free from the plaster doorstop.

Keeping her finger off the trigger but close, Zara rushed into the room.

The men were wrestling on the ground. She didn’t have a clean shot.

Brett pushed himself up and looked like he was about to punch Will.

Will spotted her, and, taking both of his legs, he kicked Brett in the center of his gut. The man stumbled backward. He reached for the butt of the gun that was sticking out of the back of his pants.

Will slid away.

Zara pulled the trigger.