“Yes. I wasn't going to let them operate on you, so I knocked out the IV, not enough to be noticeable but enough that it wouldn't really knock you out. I … didn't really have a plan for after that, but I was hoping you’d have an idea?”
Yeah, he looked hopeful all right.
Misplaced hope, because her brain was barely functioning. She’d gotten enough of the drugs to temporarily knock her out, but she’d obviously woken right as they were about to start the operation. That had to have been the pain in her stomach.
Lifting her head, Teresa looked down her body.
Saw she was mostly naked, the hospital gown she was wearing bunched up around her breasts.
There was blood on her stomach, running in rivulets down her sides, but it wasn't enough that she had to be concerned about blood loss.
“You saved me,” she murmured.
“Maybe? I'm not sure yet. We have to do something,” William said, already undoing the rest of the leather straps, then tugging down her gown to cover her as though modesty was what she was most worried about right now.
Did she want all these people to see her naked body?
Of course not.
But she’d rather live.
“Where are they? You said something about someone coming?”
William nodded. “Just as they started, there were shouts from outside. Apparently, there’s a helicopter flying over us.”
“Prey,” she murmured in relief as she pressed her palms to the mattress and pushed herself up. Her head spun for a moment, and she had to clench her eyes against the sickening feeling, but hope was also bubbling to life inside her.
If Prey was coming, then rescue was just moments away.
But then the memories of the ship Ava had first escaped came to mind. When the trafficking ring realized Ava was gone, they had slaughtered everybody on board. Not just the innocent men and women they had abducted to cut open and steal their organs, but all the doctors and nurses had died, too.
Everyone.
By the time the rest of Nathaniel’s SEAL team had reached the boat, there hadn't been a single survivor.
That wasn't happening this time around.
“We need weapons,” she said as she opened her eyes and swung her legs over the side of the hospital bed. “If they come back, there’s every chance they’re going to kill us before we can be rescued.”
The nod William gave was resigned. He knew that, too. Whether because he’d been told already what had happened on that ship a few months ago, or because the surgeon had said something before leaving, she wasn't sure, but she was glad they were both on the same page.
“Weapons, right.” William stood and walked around the room.
While the young man looked for something to defend themselves with, Teresa stood on shaky legs. She was determined to do whatever it took to remain alive, to fight for her life with everything she had. She just had to hope her body was up for the task.
After being restrained on the bed for hours, her limbs felt weak and heavy, but since there was no time to worry about it, she shuffled over to William, who was holding up a couple of scalpels.
“Best we’ve got,” he told her.
“It’ll do if we act quickly,” she said, taking one of them. The metal was cool against her palm, the blade small. If this was going to work, they were only going to get one chance at it.
Since William was looking at her expectantly, Teresa knew she would have to take the lead.
“We’ll wait by the door. We kill whoever comes through it.” She said the words confidently, like her heart was hammering against her chest. If Prey was already on board, she had no doubtthat they would be able to prevent her or William from killing them, so the safest bet for them, their best chance at living, was to act immediately.
Although he nodded, William paled, and she hoped he could do this.
No sooner had they both scurried over to stand by the door than it swung open.
