Page 31
He came at me again, grinning as he did.
One kick after another, I even spun in a circle, reacting automatically. He finally tumbled over a bench onto the cold, hard floor.
And I thought him down and out, but I was wrong. Even though I walked closer very carefully, I’d underestimated his agility. He managed to grab my ankle, almost dragging me to the floor. Had he been able, that would have been it. I stomped on his hand then kicked him in the gut, realizing how much I loved hearing his grunt of agony.
What had the days of incarceration turned me into? At this point, I couldn’t debate if my actions were too extreme. I could feel the pressure of time running out. The man was trained, not merely a warehouse worker but a soldier in yet another army. He was quick with his actions, grabbing my arm and when he did, I reacted without thinking.
I drove the letter opener into his neck. Between the momentum of his actions and my rage, I managed to drive the blade deep inside.
Blood spurted from the wound, warm drops hitting my face and neck. His eyes opened wide and I immediately heard a gurgling sound. His grip slipped and I shoved him away, watching as he gripped his throat with both hands.
I stumbled backwards, fighting with the horror of what I’d done to keep from screaming. In my terror and desperation, I’d managed to plunge the sharp point into his jugular. He twirled like a dancing bear before crumpling to his knees, falling face first against the floor.
Enough noise had been created I couldn’t waste a second worrying about what I’d done. Every inch of my body was shaking, my mind furrowed with a thick haze, but I had enough forethought to clamber to my knees. I grabbed the knife, closing the blade and shoving it into the sweatpants I’d been given to wear, and checked his pockets.
I was hoping for identification to help with nailing the bastards after our rescue, but the asshole was too clever. At least I found a handful of money. At this point, anything that could aid our escape was a godsend.
Remorse set in even as I backed away. Hearing a noise, I jetted into action, thanking God Mina had listened to me, remaining right where she was.
“Izzy,” she whimpered.
“We’re okay. We’re getting out of here.” I scrambled onto the platform and twisted the latch on the window. “Please. For God’s sake, help us.” After two tries it opened and I was able to peer outside. For the first time in weeks, I smiled. The drop was manageable.
“Okay, honey. I’m going to lift you out the window and you need to be a brave girl and jump. Once you hit the ground, roll. Do you understand me?”
Her eyes were open wide and the way her little chest was heaving indicated she was close to having a panic attack.
“You can do this. I’ll be right behind you.” I couldn’t even wait for her to agree at this point. As I hoisted her into the air, I said a silent prayer. We could do this. I had faith, which was just about all I had left.
My arms and legs were burning, and I could taste blood on my lips, the sickeningly sweet stench of copper assaulting my nostrils. Whether the man’s blood or mine didn’t matter.
When she was in the window, her resolve kicked in and she crawled out, swinging one leg then the other over the threshold.
“That’s it. Drop and roll then stay right there.”
She nodded once.
I eased her down, struggling with the angle and her weight, releasing her at the last minute. Every fear resurfaced, terrible thoughts about all the aspects of our escape that could and likely would go wrong. But I’d never had a defeatist attitude and didn’t plan on succumbing to the terror now.
With her safely on the ground, I climbed up, praying my strength would hold. The window was just large enough for me to slip through and when I dropped, a strange and freeing feeling rushed through me.
Boosting my adrenaline.
We’d safely made it out of the hellhole, but there was no time for celebrations. I scanned the area, noticing woods as far as I could see. While there was only limited light coming from outside the building, it was enough to guide our way into the forest.
In those moments we remained silent although I could hear the echoing thud of my heart while we made our way through the shadows.
Disappearing into the darkness.
And once again, my thoughts drifted to Maxsim.
* * *
Maxsim
I pulled the glass to my lips, inhaling the rich scent of the aged scotch. The taste was flat yet smooth as it slipped down my throat. Very little fazed me at this point, every emotion as dull as the flavor.
I’d come to accept that sleep was a fevered dream, which was why I remained in my favorite leather chair. In being positioned at the window, I had a full view of the shadowed ocean waters churning only yards away.
