I did not know if they were going to attack me or jump out and yell “Surprise!” I doubted it was the latter.
Whattheydid not know was that I knew they were there.
So going through that door, I was the one with the element of surprise.
While I appeared calm and my heartbeat said I was, Iwas not calm.
I was the opposite of fucking calm.
I cleared the door, and Josh’s voice sounded. “Now!”
I whirled.
They were lunging for me. I could finally see them; the intruder was male. A weapon flashed in his hands, a weapon that hadnotbeen flagged by the full-body scanners.
He didn’t come from behind me.
He was right in front, and my hands were up.
I reached for him first, using my elbow to slam the weapon out of his hand. As his eyes met mine, they went wide, and I body-slammed him down to the floor.
I could not let up.
Not for one second.
I went down with him, knees to his chest, but he was twisting, trying to get free.
I let him go, but as he started to stand up, I tackled him again. A full body slam any lineman would be proud of, and I flipped him around so he was facedown. My arm went around his neck. My whole body went on top of him, securing the chokehold.
He couldn’t move.
But he tried. He fought. He tried to twist. He tried to throw me off. He tried to find a weakness. He tried to knock out my legs.
I never gave an inch. I only tightened my hold.
And then, as blood rushed through my body, my eardrums feeling as though they were about to pop, my vision blurring at the edges, his entire body jerked, strained, squeezed, and then he began to go limp.
I still waited.
There was always a lull, a time when they tried to pretend they were unconscious. I didn’t fall for it, and this time it proved true, because he came alive suddenly. He thrashed harder, more violently, rougher, and with a choking, gurgling sound, he went limp for the final time.
I released him, seeing the door opening from the corner of my eye.
Josh walked in, his weapon drawn. A line of men trailed behind him, and all came to stand in a circle as I got to my feet. It was only then that I kicked his body over and got a good look at him.
He was still breathing. His chest was rising steadily.
Josh glanced across the room. “Scanners didn’t pick up that switchblade.”
I grunted and knelt down.
I reached for the bottom of his ski mask and took hold.
“You think he knew about the security measures?” Josh asked.
I paused and looked up. “What do you mean?”
“We scanned for weapons. He was only allowed inside because it showed he didn’t have any. That blade must’ve been wellhidden on his body to get through. I’m saying maybe he knew you knew he was coming. That’s why he only had that blade on him.”