Page 132 of The Vigilant

I backed deeper into the aisle of containers, lifting my knife. “Where is she?”

Carson smiled, looking at my knife as though I held a magic wand or something equally as useless in his world.

“That’s right. Run. He loves when you run.”

I gritted my teeth, my legs pumping faster as bullets peppered the metal containers beside me.

As soon as I reached the end, I turned, put my knife between my teeth, and started to climb. The way the bars and latches held the doors of the container closed, I found enough holds to be able to hoist myself up on top of the container.

“I can’t wait until he gets his hands on you,” Carson snarled, his voice coming closer.

Because of the container stacked on top of the one I was standing on, I only had the thinnest ledge on which to stand, and I didn’t dare peek around the corner. There was no need.

All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable.

I took my knife back in my hold and steadied my breathing, listening to him ramble to himself like his words did anything but fuel my rage.

“After what you’ve done—the problems you’ve caused—I hope he lets you watch what he does to your friend. How he flays the skin from her bones as he fucks her to death.”

Pretend to be weak that he may grow arrogant.

“She fought, too. Ran, too. And just like her, you’re going to end up in a cage.”

I closed my eyes, let my exhale push slowly through my lips, and then listened. The last strains of his words died, leaving the thump of his footsteps and the agitated rhythm of his breaths.

He was so close…

“Sutton!”

Tynan’s roar filled the space, and I realized most of the shooting had stopped. But I couldn’t wait; Carson was right below me.

He stalked around the corner of the shipping container, and I watched his steps falter when the aisle in front of him was empty. Just as he started to turn his head, I made my move.

Leaping off the ledge, I tackled Carson to the ground, the bigger man instantly resorting to brute strength to try to overpower me.

“You stupid cunt!”

I clung to his back, trying to latch my arm around his neck. He pushed back, driving my back into the wall. I let out a cry of pain, my knife clattering from my hand.

He rammed me against the wall again, pain exploding along my spine and up into my neck. Meaty hands grabbed for me. I tried to tip my head back to keep out of their reach, but he rammed me into the wall again, and this time, the pain exploded in my skull.

“You’re dead,” he spat and managed to grab a fistful of my hair.

I clawed at his face, my nails digging into his eyes. I screamed as he ripped the chunk of hair from my scalp.

“Sutton!”

A gunshot punctuated Tynan’s voice, and then Carson went sideways.

We both fell to the ground, and the first thing I did was scramble for my knife. Beside me, Carson’s pained curses told me he was still alive.

The handle was warm in my fingers as I turned, seeing Carson kneeling on one leg, his other leg gushing blood at the knee. He’d raised his gun, but it wasn’t at me. My head cocked, seeing Tynan jogging down the long aisle, his weapon still locked on Carson, his first shot busting the man’s kneecap.

I looked back at the man responsible for Mara’s disappearance—for all of this. I felt the warmth of my blood trickle down the side of my neck from where he’d ripped hair from my scalp.

Fury choked me like a fist around my throat. Carson was mine. Two swift steps put me next to Carson.

“You’re going to fucking pay—” He stopped when my knife kissed his throat.

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