Spittle flying from his mouth with the force of the words.
I shifted my weight forward smoothly onto the balls of my feet, muscles coiling like springs, about to make my carefully calculated move.
Split seconds.
Everything happening in tiny measured fractions of time.
Then the distinctive double spit of a suppressed weapon sounded clearly from the doorway directly behind me.
Thwip-thwip.
Two shots in rapid, controlled succession.
Professional. Practiced. Perfect.
Everything immediately shifted into that strange slow-motion effect that happens in actual combat situations.
So slow I could count individual heartbeats thudding hard in my chest.
Could see individual details with crystalline clarity.
Surprise bloomed in Randy's wild, bloodshot eyes first—confusion, brain not understanding yet what had just happened to him.
Then two small dark dots appeared on his forehead in absolutely perfect placement.
Kill shots. Instant death.
No suffering. Just off.
The gun fell from his suddenly slack hand, hitting the hardwood floor with a dull metallic thud.
His knees buckled as brain function ceased.
I was already reacting on pure instinct, already moving forward fast to grab Sabine before she could fall with the collapsing body or see anything she shouldn't.
But another form was somehow faster than me.
Someone who'd come into the room with a running start from the hallway, momentum already built up.
Someone with graying hair and absolutely perfect military posture maintained even in rapid motion.
Ellsworth.
Fucking Ellsworth.
He executed the next series of movements with precise balletic grace.
Kicked Randy's fallen gun away hard across the floor with one precise boot strike while simultaneously scooping Sabine up protectively with his other arm in one fluid motion.
Two objectives completed in under a second.
And just like that, with the practiced professional grace of someone who'd done exactly this kind of thing many times before in other circumstances, he immediately shielded the little girl's eyes from the death and violence in the room.
Turned her small face gently but very firmly into his shoulder so she physically couldn't see what had just happened behind her.
Wrapped his free arm supportively around Ella's trembling shoulders as he carefully transferred Sabine's weight into her desperately waiting arms.
Winked at me once with dry British humor despite the circumstances.
