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The small extra stop gave Brook time to think over how to handle the upcoming confrontation with as little bloodshed as possible. She didn't want to have to kill Lorena.
Brook heard the shower curtain being pulled back.
“Poor little FBI agent, all alone and bleeding.”
Lorena's footsteps finally came to a stop just outside the bedroom door. Brook held her breath, and every muscle in her body tensed. The pain in her leg gave her some clarity, heightening her senses. She had hoped that Graham and the team would have been able to piece together the path Lorena had taken to get to Erin Smith's residence, but the storm raging outside must have hindered their search.
She couldn't wait any longer.
She had to be ready to fight for her life.
The doorknob turned slowly. As the door began to gradually swing open, Brook coiled herself, ready to strike. She would aim for the hand that Lorena held the knife in first to try and disarm her.
“Ready or not, here I come…”
Lorena's silhouette appeared in the doorway, backlit by the hall light.
Brook exploded into motion before Lorena had time to react.
Brook launched herself at the woman, leading with her uninjured leg. Lorena stumbled back into the hallway with a grunt of surprise. Brook slammed into her, grabbing her hand that held the knife.
They crashed into the wall across the hall, grappling desperately.
Brook gritted her teeth against the pain that radiated up her leg as she struggled with Lorena in the narrow hallway. Brook's fingers closed around Lorena's wrist, trying to keep the knife pointed away from her body. Lorena was stronger than she looked, fueled by rage and adrenaline. She slammed Brook against the wall, knocking the air from her lungs.
"You're going to tell me where Sarah is," Lorena managed to say as she bore down on her. "And then I'm going to kill you."
Brook shoved with all her might.
With a scream of frustration, Lorena wrenched her wrist free and slashed wildly at Brook. She barely dodged the swipe, the tip of the blade catching her shoulder. She cried out in surprise, but she managed to seize Lorena's arm before the woman could take advantage of the situation. Brook succeeded in stopping the knife from plunging into her chest just inches from her heart. They strained against each other as they continued to fight for control.
Brook's injured leg threatened to give out.
"Tell me where she is!" Lorena screamed, spit flying from her lips. "Tell me!"
Brooklyn didn't waste her breath responding. She twisted Lorena's wrist, trying to make her drop the knife. She yelled and headbutted Brook hard enough to cause her vision to swim as pain exploded in her skull.
Her grip slackened for a split second.
Lorena wrenched her arm free and slashed wildly again. This time, the knife caught Brook across the ribs, slicing through her shirt and into her side.
Brook stumbled back against the wall.
Lorena advanced, raising the bloody knife over her head for a finishing blow. It was obvious to Brook that the woman had forgotten all about Sarah Evanston in that moment.
Brook reached up with both hands and grabbed Lorena's wrists in a vice-like grip just as she was bringing the knife down for a fatal blow. Using Lorena's own momentum against her, Brook swung the woman's arms hard to the side, twisting her body toward the top of the staircase.
Lorena stumbled and was thrown off balance by the sudden move. Her foot caught the edge of the top step, and she pitched forward with a cry of surprise. Still clinging to her wrists, Brooklyn was pulled along as well.
Together, they tumbled and crashed down the staircase in a tangle of flailing limbs.
Brook's injured leg exploded in white-hot agony as they bounced and rolled down the stairs. She couldn't suppress a scream of pain as the wounds caused her muscles to spasm. Lorena's shrieks mingled with hers, and it wasn't long before they both slammed into the wall at the bottom landing.
For a brief moment, Brook lay stunned on the floor.
The air in her lungs had been completely knocked out of her. Pain radiated through her body, pulsing in time with her racing heart. With a groan, she rolled onto her side, clutching at her leg as blood began to soak through her makeshift bandage once more.
A few feet away, Lorena was sprawled on her stomach.
