I reached for her, but when she took my hand, she slipped a zip tie around it and tightened the cord. Every muscle in my body tightened.
No.
Shock flooded my system. I pulled, trying to free myself, but she'd tied the other end around a bush. I could break the branches, Iwouldbreak them, but not before she'd put her plan into motion.
"Lina, please. Please, don't do this."
"When you get free, give me a distraction. That's all I need."
"Lina, please.Please!" I yanked on the bush. It bent, but didn't break. I pulled harder and harder, trembling as I strained every muscle trying to move, to stop her, but I couldn't.
Catalina stood, circling around the opposite end of the burning SUV, going back the way we came. The flames casted her in a glow of red, yellow, and orange streaks, like a dragon ready to mow down anyone who stood before her.
But when she turned to me, she wore a soft, sad smile. "I love you, Marco Torrino," she whispered. Then she stepped out into the night.
I opened my mouth to call out for her, to scream, roar, doanythingto bring her back to me, but then she held up her hands. "Anthony! I'm coming out!"
Anthony smirked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, well, well. Now this is unexpected. I must say I'm shocked. I honestly thought you'd put up more of a fight. Where's Marco?"
"Dead."
I stilled.
Was that her plan?
"You expect me to believe that?"
"I don't really care what you believe, Anthony. I'm here; isn't that what you wanted? Let my people go."
I took a deep breath. I needed to calm down and focus. Catalina didn't have long. She needed me to give her a distraction. If I didn't do it at the right time, her plan would fail.
I patted my pockets for anything that could help me break the tie, then my fingers brushed against something near where Catalina had been lying—A switchblade.
She left it there for me.
I freed myself and circled around a tree, shrouding myself in darkness while I watched them.
I couldn't sneak up on them. Anthony was facing my direction and would spot me before I even got the chance to approach.
So how could I...
Then it hit me.
I'd have to leave her, dash toward the bunker and make enough noise that Anthony would turn toward the sound, giving Catalina the opening she needed. She was small, but her movements were quicker than mine, and damn sure faster than Anthony's.
It could work. But then why didn't she let me go out there and deal with him? Then it donned on me.
She'd told him to letherpeople go.If this didn't work, she'd take complete responsibility for their lives instead of me. Even now, even when we were so deep in shit that it had taken me a second to get my bearings, she was there, protecting me, watching out forme.
We're going to survive this, and when we do, I swear on every fiber of my being I'm going to spank her ass raw.
But for now, I had to wait. She'd give me a signal somehow, and I would not miss it.
"Remove your weapons," Anthony said.
Slowly, she dropped her guns, knives, even the grenades.
There's one missing.
