“Lynx,” Garrett said into his comm. “Status on the station?”
“Evacuating now,” Lynx’s voice was tight. “But it’s going to be close, Commander. Really close.”
Forty-five seconds.
“You’re going to kill me anyway.” Claire’s voice. Steady despite everything.
“True. But their deaths will be on your hands?—”
“Hawk,” Garrett interrupted. “Do you have a shot?”
“Negative. He’s moving too much. The risk of hitting Claire or Dr. Montgomery is too high.”
Thirty seconds.
Through the cabin window, Garrett could see movement. Derek was standing and moving toward Vivi with the knife.
“I’m going to kill Dr. Montgomery first, make you watch?—”
Ian cursed, and Garrett knew he was in motion, out of sight but ready to go in.
“Don’t,” Claire’s voice was surprisingly firm. Bitter. Angry. “Let her go. This is between us.”
“It’s always been between us. But killing is so much fun.”
Twenty seconds.
Garrett was moving now, too, circling to the cabin’s blind side. Ian and Grizzly shifted positions, ready to breach on his signal.
“I’ve been looking forward to this for so long,” Derek said. “We’re going to have such fun.”
Then Claire’s voice, furious. “The fun is that you’re too stupid to see it coming.”
A crash. The sound of a chair splintering. Vivi screamed through the gag.
“Claire’s moving!” Hawk’s voice. “She’s—shit, she headbutted him. He’s down but getting up. She’s trying to get free of the zip ties?—”
Garrett ran.
The zip ties were tight,but her hands were small. She’d been working them since he’d bound her, subtle movements he hadn’t noticed while he monologued.
Almost loose. Not quite.
No time. Claire pushed off with her legs, stood despite her bound hands, and launched herself at him. All 130 pounds of her, shoulder-first, into his back.
They crashed into the table. The knife clattered away.
Derek spun faster than she anticipated. His fist caught her cheek, snapped her head back. Stars exploded across her vision. “You bitch,” he snarled.
But Claire had trained for this. Trained for fighting with her hands bound, with limited mobility, with everything against her. She kicked his knee. Hard. Heard something pop.For Lily. For Vivi. For every woman Derek and Collin have hurt.
For the fourteen-year-old girl who couldn't fight back.
Derek howled, stumbled. His hand shot out, grabbed her hair. He yanked her down.
Claire twisted and brought her knee up into his groin. Once. Twice. He let go, gasping.
She rode the anger and the rage, a raw cry releasing from her throat. She scrambled toward the knife, but Derek grabbed her ankle, hauled her back. His weight landed on her, crushing. His hands found her throat.
