"I don't know," I say. "My intel missed this step."
She whips around, her eyes blazing.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes."
"Did I cut the right wires?" she asks in a stern tone.
"Obviously," I say, smiling. "The panel went dark, didn't it?"
"Well, don't fucking blame this on me," she snaps. "I did what you told me to do."
"I know," I say, my smile widening. "And how did it feel when you did?"
Her jaw tightens.
"Victor. This is serious. We're running out of time."
"I'm aware."
I turn back to the panel, considering our options. The retina scanner looks legit. A high-end biometric security system that can't be hacked. We'd need either a bypass code, which we don't have, or...
I get an idea. A dark, practical idea that makes perfect sense.
"Can I borrow your knife?" I ask.
Danika stares at me.
"Why?"
"I'll give it back," I promise.
She hands it over, her expression wary.
"What are you going to do?"
I start walking back down the hallway.
"I'm going to get something."
"Victor!"
"Don't worry," I say over my shoulder. "Trust me."
I step out into the main hallway where the three dead guards are sprawled on the floor. Blood pools beneath their bodies, and the air is starting to take on that scent of death.
I approach the man who had the keycard and crouch beside him.
"Sorry," I say, positioning the blade beside his eye socket. "I need to borrow this."
I slide the tip of the knife into the corner of his eye, feeling the resistance of muscle and tissue. I twist, applying steady pressure, and the eyeball pops free with a wet, sucking sound. Iimpale it on the tip of the blade and stand, turning back toward the penthouse.
Danika is standing at the end of the hallway, her arms crossed, watching me.
"Jesus, Victor," she says as I approach. "What the fuck is that?"
I shrug.
