Rebecca knew deep in the yawning out that was her chest that whoever the owner was, they were in absolute terror. Rebecca herself, had screamed that scream before, a very long time ago, in a different country and in a different life. And the fact that she heard such an awful sound again made something in her body wither up and die.But even as she struggled in her throes of trauma, Rebecca couldn't help but notice that fieldman was getting away. Twenty yards ahead, his gray sedan idling at the curb, his round silhouette unmistakable even in the dim glow of the streetlamps. If she followed him now, she would have him. She would finally get the answers she had been chasing for weeks, the name of whoever had hired him to watch Noah Stone, the identity of the second operative who was still slipping through her fingers.“AHHHHH!!" Another scream. Louder this time. More frantic. It cut off abruptly, as though someone had clamped a hand over the woman's mouth.Rebecca stopped running.

Rebecca had observed the environment. The poor lighting of the alley was a factor she could use to her advantage, the darkness near the entrance so absolute that it would hide her approach until the last possible second. Her only cover was the abandoned refrigerator, a hulking rusted shape that smelled of decay and old metal, but it had served its purpose well enough. All of the hostiles were armed with either a knife or their bare hands, and none of them looked like trained fighters. They were thugs. Bullies. Men who preyed on the helpless because they were too weak to challenge anyone who could fight back.She had assessed the people around her. No one on the street beyond the alley. Just the four of them in this narrow space, three threats and one victim who was too terrified to move. Assessment done, now she needed to overcome what she had seen. She needed a plan.She assumed the one on the lookout had a gun. It was a reasonable assumption, better to be prepared for a weapo

It spun once in the air, a brief flash of metal in the dim light, and embedded itself in his right chest just below the collarbone. The blade sank deep into the muscle and stuck there, the handle protruding from his body at an angle. The man stopped running. He looked down at the knife in his chest, his eyes going impossibly wide, and then he started screaming. It was a high and panicked sound, utterly devoid of the menace he had been projecting just moments before."She stabbed me! Oh God, she stabbed me! I'm going to die! Help me, someone help me!"Rebecca walked up to him. She did not rush. She did not need to rush. He was no longer a threat. He was just a man in pain, clutching at a wound that was not even close to fatal, his bravado shattered into whimpering terror.She looked at him with cold and scorned eyes, her expression utterly without sympathy. "Take your friends and leave."She punched him in the face. It was not a killing blow. It was not even a particularly hard blo

Marie stared at her for a moment, her brow furrowing as though she was trying to figure out if Rebecca was joking. Then a small and fragile snort escaped her, the closest thing to a laugh she had probably made all night. It was not much. But it was something.It made the tension in her frame reduce and Rebecca was glad for it. With the light mood she explained that her phone was dead and asked if Marie had one of her own. Marie shook her head, her expression crumbling again. "They took it," she said quietly. "My phone and my purse. They took everything. I don't even have my keys."Rebecca sighed, a long and exhausted exhale that seemed to come from somewhere deep in her bones. "Alright. We're walking. My car is a few blocks away. Do you think you can make it?"Marie nodded, though she did not look entirely sure. Rebecca took her arm and started walking, and Marie fell into step beside her, limping slightly but keeping up. Neither of them spoke. The silence between them was heavy

Her eyes were filling with tears again, her chin wobbling dangerously, and Rebecca recognized the signs of an impending crying spell with the weary resignation of someone who had seen too many of them tonight. She gave Marie a look. ‘Really? You want to start crying again? Right now?’ it practically spelled.Marie flushed, her cheeks reddening even more deeply than before. She took a shaky breath and held it, visibly fighting to get herself under control. The tears receded, though her eyes remained bright and glistening. She cleared her throat and tried again, her voice steadier this time."Please," she said. "Please tell me your name. I need to know the name of the person who saved my life."Rebecca considered her for a moment. Then she smiled, a small and genuine expression that softened the hard lines of her face, and bent over to bring herself closer to the woman in the back seat.Marie felt her heart pound at the sudden closeness. Up close like this, she could see the detail