Pasting myself to the wall, I slow my breathing as much as I’m able.
“G, find her.If she’s a cop, you know what to do.If not, tie her up and put her with the others.We gotta get this stuff out of here.”
Their footsteps continue to charge up the stairwell, until it grows quiet.G—whoever he is—knows how to tread silently.If I were anyone else, I’d have no way of knowing where he is.
But I’ve got something no one else has.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
His tone sends a sick shiver down my spine.This does not sound like a man willing to take me alive.
He’s still in the hallway, close to the first set of rooms now.
“Too bad I’m in a hurry, princess.We could have had some fun together.”
He’s closer now.
I need to think quicker.I have no way of telling Lucky where I am.Even if he does risk heading back to the stairwell, he can’t get into this room if he’s never seen it before.
I need to get this guy to walk into a side room.I should be able to close the door behind him.I won’t be able to hold it for long, but if I can get back to the stairwell …
Maybe I’ll have a shot.
The distance between us closes with every passing second.I can’t stop it.Can’t escape it.He’s going to reach me, and when he does …
My fingers tremble.I squeeze my hand into a tight fist.
What if I’m not fast enough?What if I freeze?All it takes is a split second.Or maybe he won’t shoot to kill.Maybe he’ll take my legs out or catch my spine.Put me to sleep.
Where the hell is Lucky?
There’s nothing in here.I can’t rip open any of the lockboxes quietly.As soon as they open, he’ll know where I am.Where he can find me.
And I can’t think about what happens after that.
“Oh, I’m getting close, aren’t I?I can smell you.”
He takes a rasping breath, and my skin crawls.
“Taste good.”
I can feel him on the other side of the wall.
He’s right outside.
There’s nowhere to hide.Nothing between us except some drywall and the stench of his intentions.
I need to think.What would Lucky do?What would Sterling do?
Squeezing my eyes closed, I reach out in my mind for the room opposite me, imagining it as a mirror of this one.Concentrating.
Fear fogs over my thoughts, and I fight to clear it.Adrenaline is wearing off, leaving behind ice-cold panic.I reach out with my mind, feel the mirror of the floor, walls, and safes.There are too many doors.Too many pins to move.But I don’t need all of them.
Come on.Just one.That’s all I need.
The squeal of his shoe against the tiles claws up the back of my throat.I can almost feel the putrid heat of his breath on my skin.
He’s enjoying this.
