Page 35 of Condemned

Timin was still away somewhere else, in whatever world played in his brain.

Slyly, she shifted her butt, leaned in and took a small piece of cut wire then wove it into the material band of her pants. One weapon was fully assembled and loaded. It lay under Timin’s hand. Without letting herself think on this much at all, she drew it to her, lifted it, switched it on.

A fucking red ON light glowed and the thing even whined. Who used a weapon like this on the field? Startled, she covered the light with her thumb.

Nevertheless, in three shots she could be done with these men. Kill them or wound them badly and be gone. It was doable. But...

But Timin was vulnerable. Which, she told herself, was the whole entire point of this. Yet she hesitated to shoot, her finger above the trigger.

The moment became pivotal, crucial. Excruciating. Shoot him in the chest then shoot the others and be free.

Shoot Timin while he seizured and mark herself an awful person of few morals, an asshole really.

They had kidnapped her. By agreement, she reminded herself. Because otherwise she’d be dead, back in that grave, under several feet of earth, cold and dead and rotting.

There were other ways to be free.

Which sort of person did she want to be? She’d never forgive herself—maybe no matter which choice she made.

Fuck. Or fook this, as Kondio would say.

She raised her forefinger then twisted around to check on him and Zo.

Eyes looked back at her. And a gun. Kondio was watching her. He shone the flashlight at her eyes. Apart from wincing she stayed still. It seemed wise.

Her moment to use the pistol was past.

“We usually tape over that ON light. I’m glad you didn’t shoot. I was wrestling with shooting you in the back. I do like Timin. Even if he is an ass. Put that down before you, between us, slowly. Turn it first so it lands butt out.”

Heart thumping, nerves clawing at her throat, she did as he asked.

By then Zo was alert and on his feet. He tsked then walked to her and fetched the gun from where she’d laid it. “Takk is not going to be happy with you.”

“What happened?” Timin asked, voice slurred.

“She picked up a gun from your blanket, aimed it at you.” Zo shook his head. “There will be consequences, girl.”

She shrugged. “Had to try.”

“What. The bitch did that?”

“She didn’t shoot you. I would have.” Chuckling, Kondio rose, stretched. “Looks like Takk is coming back.”

Hoof beats were clopping closer.

Consequences.She wondered what those would be. She’d been right not to shoot. And wrong. “What do you mean consequences?”

“Punishment.” Casually, Zo squatted before her. “He’s big on that.”

Sounding hopeful, Kondio suggested, “Spanking? We could all—”

She snorted. Yeah, that’d convince her, not.

“Fuck, no!” She heard Timin begin to rearrange the weapons at her back. “Take her out and whip her bloody.”

“I’m no soldier from your troop,” she growled. “Nothing you do will convince me what I did was wrong. I’m huleon, not mauleon. Montague, not Snaar. Spanking? Spare me from fools.”

One of them laughed. “The kitten shows her claws.”