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The first guard stepped within striking distance, heralded by his shadow, and Rachel sprang into action. She lunged forward, her fist connecting with the man's throat in a lightning-fast punch that left him gasping for air. Before he could recover, she pivoted on her heel and delivered a swift kick to his midsection, sending him flying backward into the second guard.
Taking advantage of the confusion, Rachel closed the distance between herself and the remaining guard, her fists raised and ready for combat. The man barely had time to react before she was upon him, her powerful strikes landing with stunning precision.
Like a panther.
An animal that would often reactfast.Or perhaps like the charging buck.
Sometimes, especially in the wild, the first strike was the last one.
A series of quick jabs to the guard's face left him dazed and off-balance, creating an opening for her to grapple him to the ground.
As they struggled on the floor, Rachel felt him trying to grab at her throat. He was strong, and part of combat was a willingness to change tact. Rachel broke free of the guard's grasp and scrambled to her feet. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for something she could use to her advantage. She didn't have long to wait – her gaze landed on an open file drawer near one of the fallen guards.
Seizing the opportunity, Rachel darted forward and grabbed the heavy drawer by its handle. With a grunt of effort, she swung it like a makeshift club, the metal edge connecting with the guard's temple in a resounding thud. The man crumpled to the floor, his eyes rolling back in his head as he fell unconscious.
As Rachel stood panting over her three defeated foes, she couldn't help but feel a momentary pang of guilt. These men had likely been sent to protect the brother's secrets– but she knew that she couldn't afford to show them mercy.
With the guards taken care of, Rachel turned her attention back to the filing cabinet. Her fingers flying over the tabs, which she now read.
And then... after a few seconds of flipping through folders. She spotted one.
Candess Hernandez.Candace.It said under a heading labeledwork name.
She let out a breath. The woman's face was far prettier in the photo, but her eyes more world-weary than the corpse Rachel had found on the Clark's farm.
Rachel's breathing was heavy, her chest heaving as adrenaline coursed through her veins, creating echoes of the fight.
She let out a shuddering breath, holding the file close. She gave it a quick once-over a final time, using her memory to hold onto bits and pieces of information.
She spotted, for instance, that the young woman was twenty-sevenyears old and had been working for the Clark brothers for six months prior to her disappearance. The file contained notes on her work performance but nothing that would suggest why she was targeted.
Rachel knew that she needed to keep digging, but for the moment, she had what she came for. With a final glance around the room, she slipped the file into her waistband and headed for the door, moving quickly and quietly to avoid detection.
As she stepped out into the hallway, she realized that her brow was still slick, and she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. She glanced over her shoulder, but the hallway was empty. Still, she felt a chill run down her spine.
She moved down the dark hall, eyes scanning the walls. There was a window at the far end. She was on the second floor, but it would have to do.
There was no way she'd want to go back down the main floor. Her shoes were stained with blood.
She took hurried steps forward when suddenly a door under a redexitsign was flung open.
It nearly slammed into her, but she avoided it by darting back like a startled hare.
Her hand was already moving to her weapon as a tall man stumbled into the hall, but a second later she froze.
"Ethan?" she whispered.
Her partner was staring at her, wide-eyed. "Shit... what happened?"
"I thought you were supposed to stay in the car!" she retorted, keeping her voice low and glaring at him.
The door shut behind him with aclick,leaving the two of them alone in the hall.
"Yeah, well, got bored," he said, his eyes full of concern.
She shook her head. "You were worried and came running? Dammit, Ethan. Can’t I trust you to stick to the plan?”
“Well, I’m here now, so… What’s going on?”
