ra, who was pinned against

bag. She pulled out a cr

er right in front

just an abortion. It's a full hysterec

ted. Her eyes scanned

tler's signature. The sharp, agg

. It felt like someone had reached into her rib

ed. Pure, burning

let out a guttural scream. She threw he

e from the bo

tangled in Carli's perfectly st

Carli's head into the heavy met

arli slumped to the floor, h

d delivered a sharp, brutal blow to her solar

oor. She curled into a tight ball, wrapping both arms around her abdomen t

rom the floor. Blood dripped down

room door

e scrubs and a surgical mask. H

led with clear liquid. She w

. She jammed the thick needle directly into the side

ack. He crashed to the

scrambled backward on her ha

on, pressed a pressure point on Carli's neck. Carli's ey

de Eleonora. She pul

pered in rapid French. "The escap

herself to stand, ignoring t

the bottom shelf of a medical cart. She unscrewed the cap and splashed

nger," the n

dex finger to her mouth and bit down hard. T

sent form. She smeared her blood across Butler's signature.

ter from her pocket. She sparked the fla

the fabric, eating the oxygen in the room

nd was deafening. The ceiling sprinklers b

sized gray janitor's uniform. Ele

security guards were running in the opposite direction, shouting

ell. They ran down the concrete steps. Eleonora held her st

second basement l

urse walked over to a metal gurney ho

next to the wall. She printed a new toe t

s Jane Doe is Eleonora F

at body was about to burn in the fire u

walked out the back

rt truck was idling in the al

melling back of the truck. The doors s

merging into the busy New York City

our l

half-empty bottle of scotch stood on the table. He was staring blankly at the city lights, a

s chalk-white.

and whispered i

hattered. Amber liquid and b

back so hard it crashed into the wall. He sprint

e swerved through the Manhattan traffic, his h

cks surrounded the building. Yellow caution tape blocked the en

He shoved past a firefighter a

topped him near th

re in the VIP wing was too intense. The victim was burned

aside. He kicked open

r of the room sat a metal table. On

like lead. He walke

oked

ass of flesh and bone. The smell of

g. The visual input was

d forward. He held out a

the door, sir. It

s the divorce agreement. It was cov

at her s

. It was so sharp, so violent, he tho

erything

ished. The cold air vanished. His sensory ner

ayed, and he collapsed backward, his head hitt