“Why are you doing this, Cindy?” Bree spoke softly, trying to keep her voice soothing.Keep her talking.Shit. Please Tim, get here soon.
Cindy’s face twisted and anger blazed from her eyes. “Because you don’t deserve this.” She pointed her knife at Katherine, who whimpered.
Bree flinched toward her, but Cindy only gestured with the knife. “I don’t understand. Help me understand.”
Cindy began pacing again. “I saw an article about you. When you got your medal. You’re such an inspiration. You saved those people. You inspired me.”
Is she talking to me or herself at this point?She took another small step forward.
“I followed you. In the news. There were a lot of articles about you at first, but they dwindled off.”
God, she’d hated those news stories. Enlisted hero. Woman hero. She’d just been doing her job.
“Later, I saw an article about you graduating from Physical Therapy school and going to work at Fort Bragg.” Cindy stopped again, her eyes bright with happiness. “Then, I found a job listing for a medical assistant at the hospital and I knew, Iknew, it was meant to be. I’d only hoped to work near you, but I found out I was going to be your assistant. I was so happy.” She clasped her hands together, the knife gleaming near her face. “And you’re everything I knew you’d be. So nice. You encouraged me to take classes when you found out I dropped out of nursing school. Your patients love you.” She pivoted sharply to glare at Katherine. “And those womendishonoredyou.Disgracedyou.” She took a step toward Katherine, the knife half raised in her hand. “With Chad.”
She is batshit crazy. “Cindy.” She looked at Bree, her head turning in slow motion. “It’s not Katherine’s fault.”
Cindy’s face fell. “You know her name? Why do you know her name?” Her voice was harsh.
“Chad told me about her. I know they’re dating.”
“And you accept that?” she screeched.
That was the wrong thing to say. Way to go, Marks.
“Why do you keep taking him back? He’s a liar and a cheat. He’s never going to love you!”
Calm. Calm. Keep her calm.Bree put her hands out in front of her. “Cindy, please. I didn’t take Chad back. We’re not together.”
“You are! I saw you. I saw you hug him.” She pointed the knife toward Bree. “You let him in your house. You let him touch you.”
“He apologized, Cindy. That was all. I’m in love with someone else.”
“You can’t forgive him. You can’t forgivethem.” She stepped closer to Katherine. “You have to understand. She has to pay.” She pulled her arm back. Katherine screamed behind her gag.
“No!” Bree lunged forward and raised her left arm, blocking Cindy’s thrust. The blade stung as it slid along her forearm.Grab the shirt. Spin. Shift weight. Thrust hip. Leave it up to momentum.
Forward motion and gravity threw Cindy forward. Her toe caught on the edge of the carpet and she tumbled to the floor, landing hard, and gasped. She tried to push herself up but collapsed, a pool of blood forming under her head.
“Cindy?” A wave of dizziness washed through Bree. What? Her arm. A four-inch gash ran across the inside of her forearm. Bright red blood spurt freely. Shit. She clamped her hand over the cut. Her vision began to fade, blackness encroaching from the edges.
Can’t black out. Need to stop the bleeding.
Her knees buckled as Tim rushed into the kitchen, gun drawn. “Bree?” Detective Johnson and another officer followed behind.
Only a pinpoint of light was visible through the tunnel. “Tourniquet.”
“Marks! Get your ass back here. Damn it. Cover her!”
She crossed the expanse between vehicles, sliding on her knees behind the mangled rear bumper of the Humvee, the rear door wide open. She flinched, small pieces of metal ricocheting off the corner.
“Hold on. I’ll get you out of there.”
The soldier reached down and released his seat belt. He stepped out of the Humvee, uninjured.
“What—?” She stood and took a step back.
“You don’t belong here, Bree. You have to go back.”
