Page 97

Before they even see us, I let go of Annie’s hand and dart forward. Grabbing the first by the collar, I steal his Ka-Bar knife from where it’s strapped to the side of his thigh before dragging the blade across his neck.

As he gurgles, the second one turns, surprise flashing over his face. I’m already on him, though, my hand clamping over his mouth while I bury the blade under his ribs. I hold him as the strength drains from his body, and when his head slumps to the side, I lower his body to the ground.

Helping myself to his knife as well, I pass it to Annie.

Silently, she takes it, the weapon looking wrong in her hands.

I also rid him of his machine gun and put the strap over Annie’s shoulder so that I can take the other one.

This increases our odds dramatically, and I feel ninety-nine percent confident we’ll make it to the water.

Seeing the worry on her face, I say, “Just hold the weapons for me, but if you need to, point and shoot at anyone who’s a threat.”

I’m surprised when she nods, her movements jerky.

I reach for her weapon and take the safety off. “Now it’s ready to fire.”

“No,” she whisper-hisses, quickly putting the safety back on. “I don’t want to shoot you accidentally. With my luck, I’ll trip over my feet and fire bullets everywhere.”

“As long as you know how the safety works, I’m good,” I reply in a hushed tone while we push forward.

I’m very impressed with how well Annie is handling everything, even though she’s clearly scared out of her mind.

She sticks right behind me, her steps matching mine while I keep the KA-Bar ready in my grip. The strap hangs over my shoulder so the machine gun is within reach should I choose to use it. Right now, I’m using the silence to my advantage, but the moment I pull a trigger, they will all know I’m here and exactly where we are.

When boot steps sound up ahead of us, I stop and pull Annie into the shadows, gesturing for her to wait.

Just as I step away from her, a man comes through a space between the containers, glancing right. When his head turns left, toward me, I lunge at him. Grabbing his arm, I twist it until I hear the joint in his shoulder pop while driving my blade up into the back of his skull.

I let him drop, and the closer we creep toward the water, the more men we encounter.

Right now, I’m just picking off the foot soldiers who are out on patrols. As they cross paths with us, I take them down as quietly as possible.

I did this for close to twenty years. It’s muscle memory.

It becomes a dance of death where I’m the wolf, and they’re nothing but weak prey.

A snapped neck here. A knife dragging across a throat there. Blood coats my chest, arms, and fingers, the metallic scent familiar.

I keep my movements controlled, forcing myself to slow down even when adrenaline surges through me, pushing me to rush.

Mind over body.

And through it all, Annie is steady behind me. She doesn’t shriek once. Not a single sound except for her labored breaths.

A man who reminds me of Viggo, the bouncer outside Bastien’s club, comes directly from our front, a solid mass of muscle charging at me.

As he swings his fist, I duck and drive my shoulder into his chest. He only staggers a step backward before his large bulk locks into place.

A fucking mountain.

I move a few steps away, my eyes locked with his, and just as he storms me with an enraged growl, I lunge forward.

Grabbing his shoulder and pulling my body into the air, I swing myself around him and slam the Ka-Bar down on his skull. The blade goes straight through, and he falls like a tree while I land on my feet, holding my hand out to Annie. “Pass me the other knife.”

With huge eyes and a trembling hand, she gives it to me.

I wrap my arm around her, and lifting her off her feet, I carry her over the big body before setting her down again.