Page 82

CHAPTER 80

MARTA TRIES TO scamper backward, but Zebo moves with a frightening quickness and grabs a fistful of her hair as he kneels. She scratches his face with one hand and reaches to block the syringe with the other. He slams her head down against the floor. The carpeting does very little to soften the concrete underneath, and for a moment, Marta’s vision threatens to go black.

Zebo brings the syringe down in a stabbing motion. She moves her head to the side and manages to throw her arm in its way, and the needle slices the skin of her forearm before jamming into the floor.

He holds the syringe up and examines the needle, which is bent like an elbow.

Marta’s ears ring from the blow, but her faculties are returning to full alert. She tries again to wriggle away from Zebo, but he tosses the syringe aside and throws himself down on her with practiced dexterity. He has a lot of experience holding women down.

“No!” Marta screams, and she digs her fingernails into his face, scraping up trenches of skin.

Zebo roars in pain and throws wild punches that glance off her forearms. He wraps his hands around her throat.

She tries to breathe, but her airway is cut off.

Outside the door, more gunfire erupts. Several loud blasts, one after another, followed by automatic fire. At the noise, Zebo flinches, loosening his grasp. Marta flails, reaching for his eyes. He recoils, and she manages to shove him off of her.

She scrambles away toward the door. Zebo lunges and grabs her ankle. She kicks at him, but he manages to get hold of both legs. He yanks her to him and throws himself on top of her again. She digs her nails into his arms, but he doesn’t stop. He grabs her by the neck with both hands and squeezes.

Blackness threatens to overtake her.

Her muscles weaken. Her fingers loosen their grip on his arms.

She wants to hang on—the heroin should take effect any second—but she has no fight left in her. Atop her, Zebo growls like an animal, a long string of saliva dangling from his mouth.

His face is the last thing she sees before the darkness takes her.