My anticipation is growing.
I can sense my grip on the combat knife tightening. It feels so natural in my hand. Adrenaline thrumming through my veins. My heart pounding. My entire body taut and ready to strike.
One quick scan of the area, just to be sure.
Thankfully, deserted.
I’d had an unexpected close call when a new, unknown jogger decided to take this route at this time—today of all days. It had thrown me, and compromised my plan. Predawn on a college campus meant most students were first turning in for the night. This kid was an anomaly.
I was devising the best plan to get rid of him, when he eliminated the problem for me. He stopped, glared at his iPod, and began tinkering with it. Apparently, it wasn’t functioning correctly, because he abandoned his jog and headed back to his dorm, shaking the iPod in annoyance as he left.
He shouldn’t be so angry. That broken iPod had saved his life.
Now Tyche was alone.
She came into view, ponytail swinging, her breath coming quickly as she neared her spot.
Closer.
Closer.
Now.
As always, Tina stopped beside the same knotted oak tree, and took a swig of water. Ten seconds to rehydrate and catch her breath, and she’d be off again.
He came out of nowhere, an ominous dark blur lunging out of the woods. He was pressed up behind her in a heartbeat, his right arm wrapped around her throat, a large blade glinting in his hand. She winced as the blade grazed her left shoulder.
“Don’t make a sound, Tai Kee,” he ordered in a low voice. “Just come with me. And don’t try to fight me. If you do, I’ll slit your throat.”
&
nbsp; No thought was necessary. Her Krav training took over.
Tina reached up with both hands and grabbed her assailant’s right wrist, pulling his arm out and away from her throat. She then flipped his knife-wielding hand palm side up. Gripping it with her left hand, she jammed down with her right, snapping his wrist. She heard the audible crack, followed by a sharp cry of pain, and a hiss of something that sounded like “Bow Za” followed by “Chao Ji Bei.”
The combat knife fell from his hand and dropped to the grass.
Tina was far from finished.
Still holding her assailant’s injured right wrist with her left hand, she whipped around to face him, striking him in the face with her elbow as she did. Her hair tumbled free as her hair clip flew off and fell to the ground. She ignored it. A split second’s view of her attacker told her he was tall. Broad-shouldered. Dressed all in black. Wearing a black ski mask.
Her right hand wrapped around the back of his neck and she used her forearm to twist his face to the side. In one motion, she released his right arm, grabbed his right shoulder with her left hand, and jerked him down to deliver a knee strike to his groin. Along with his agonized groan, she heard a jangle, saw two silver tags topple out of his shirt, dangling from a chain she’d felt when she’d anchored his neck.
Before he could recover from the first knee strike, she yanked him down again, this time delivering a knee strike to his face. She connected squarely, and blood spurted from his nose, oozing through the ski mask. He folded over in pain, and she followed up with a right elbow strike to the back of his neck. He bent farther forward, and she used that to her advantage, standing up and delivering a round kick to the back of his right knee as she pushed him away.
He lost his balance and fell to the ground. Two items flew out of his pocket. One landed beside him. The other sailed off into the woods.
The item beside him was a hypodermic needle.
“Ta Ma De,” he screamed, clutching his groin and rolling around in agony.
That was Tina’s cue. She turned and broke into a dead run, getting as far away as fast as she could. She didn’t stop until she reached her room.
When the door was safely locked behind her, she called 911.
Delphi slammed the front door behind him—so hard that the entire house vibrated from the impact.
Downstairs in their respective rooms, all the women leaped to their feet, fearful over what was happening, more fearful over what would happen next.