Page 126 of Girl in the Water

Ian took the opportunity and lunged forward.

The little bastard was fast. He skittered back and knocked a shelf over, right on top of Ian. By the time Ian fought through that obstacle, the man had disappeared.

Too much tall shelving and other furniture cluttered the room, too dark to see.

“Daniela!” Ian shouted.

But instead of Daniela, the little bastard responded, “I have her gagged. But I’m going to take the gag out now, so when I cut her, you can hear her scream.”

Ian eased toward the voice as quickly and quietly as he could. “Why?”

His eyes were adjusting to the lack of light at last, so he avoided tripping over a wooden crate.

“For Marcos Morais, my brother.”

Somewhere ahead and to the right, Daniela gave a muffled, pained groan, as if she’d been hurt but was refusing to scream.

“If you hurt her,” Ian called out, “so help me God, what I’ll do to you will make your brother’s death look like a picnic.”

“Such love, and for a puta like her,” the man mocked. “Love her enough to take her place?”

“Yes.” Ian stepped out of the cover of the last shelf, and then he could see Daniela at last. He kept his breathing controlled. Kept his fury cold.No mistakes.

The man had her tied to an old furnace. He had a knife at her throat. A line of blood stretched from her ear to her collarbone, nearly black in the dark. A thin line. Not a deep cut. The Goat Man was playing. For now.

“Drop your knife,” he said.

Ian did.

“Go over there.” Morais nodded toward radiator pipes against the wall about twenty feet from him.

Ian followed his instruction.

A handful of plastic ties waited for him on the ground. Looked like the bastard had come prepared.

“Tie yourself to the pipes.”

“You cut her loose, I tie myself up. That’s the deal.”

The man pressed his knife against Daniela’s throat. “You tie yourself first.”

She didn’t whimper. Her eyes showed no fear, only resolution. She was ready. And Ian trusted her. So he tied one hand to the pipe.

“You let her go, I’ll tie the other hand.” Not that he could, one-handed.

But the guy didn’t seem to be thinking that far ahead—maybe he’d always had others to do his dirty business for him before. He cut Daniela loose. Or almost loose. He grabbed her by the wrist, shooting a triumphant look at Ian.

Ian just shook his head.

Even as he did, Daniela lunged into action.

With a kick to the chest, she knocked Morais back. He tried to grab for her again. She twisted like an eel. He caught nothing but air.

Rage reddened his face as he wielded the sharp blade. “Puta!”

He’d vastly underestimated her. Ian almost felt sorry for the bastard.

Daniela kicked up toward the guy’s neck, hooking her foot around his nape and yanking down, putting the man on his knees. She mixed the military techniques Ian had taught her with capoeira. She certainly was a pleasure to watch in action.