Page 47 (1/2)

Kara let out a pained yelp and instinctively curled her ar, but Lana didn’t bother wasting precious seconds to look for it Instead, she forced herself to her feet and gathered every scrap of anger and pain and terror Kara had forced on her She saw the face of every friend she’d lost, heard their pain-filed cries for help She couldn’t do anything then, but she could now

Lana shoved al that eht bal and let it explode inside her in a frightening rush of strength The giant bookcase moved easily as she ripped it away from the wal and pushed it over

The tal furniture toppled and books slid out, landing in a heavy pile over Kara’s torso Kara let out a high-pitched scream, but Lana could not find even a sliver of pity for the trapped woiddy wave of victory and a terrifying need to finish the job She wanted to kil Kara--to watch the light of life flicker and die behind her eyes

The door slaht He had a gun in his hand, which he carefuly lowered with slow, precise movements He turned and shouted over his shoulder, "We need an a over the scene, taking it in in a split second He puled her against hi even more difficult It lasted only a heartbeat before he released her and bent his knees, ht into her face "You okay?" he asked, his voice even

Lana was too out of breath to answer, but she gave hiround at Lana’s feet She reached down, picked it up, and aientle "You don’t want to do this, Lana You don’t want her death on your hands"

"She tortured and kiled my friends She tortured me She ordered my death She threatened my family She deserves to die"

"Yes, but you don’t deserve to be the one to pul the trigger Kiling soh because of her Don’t let her cause you any more pain"

"She would have kiled hundreds of people today, and if she lives, she’l try to do it again She already escaped once"

"She won’t get away again Look at her She can’t move Her back is probably broken She’s finished"

Lana looked down at the wo froed into her skin Her left eye eling shut Her nose looked crooked and was bleeding heavily A thick, purple bruise was darkening over her throat where Lana had choked her Her limbs were unnaturaly stil She was trapped Helpless Broken

Just like Lana had been in Armenia when Kara had ordered her death

"Please don’t kil ed Kara

Lana felt no pity for her None She would have kiled those children today if Caleb hadn’t stopped her

Al Lana had to do was er a scant inch and it would be over Sure, there were other terrorists out there, but this one would be dead Lana would know it for a fact No more worries that Kara would see the fear in her eyes and know Noher death Al she had to do was pul the trigger and take back a sliver of control Al she needed was a tiny sliver It wasn’t asking for ave Lana a defiant stare burning with hatred There was no question that Kara would try to kil her if she got the chance--if Lana let her live

Al she had to do itch Just a little

Sweat roled down Lana’s te fro seeed Caleb

"Yes, I can Watch me"

"You’re not a kiler You’re not like her"

In that moment, Lana knew exactly what she had to do She had to take back control of her life--recapture it from those who had tried to steal it away from her And there was only one true way to do that She had to let her anger go before she turned into one of the hands "You’re right I’m not like her"

She felt Caleb’s muscled body behind her relax fractionaly He took the weapon fro into the apartment

Kara tried to screale "You bitch! I should have kiled you a dozen times over I should have made you watch your family die one by one"

Lana couldn’t stay here and hear this She had to get out

"Grant, stay with Kara until the paramedics arrive, then contact Monroe," said Caleb

"I’ht up to her He shoved the disk from the video camera into his pocket and puled her to a stop "Hold on a entle "You’re in shock," he said as he rubbed his hands up and down her arms

Lana couldn’t seem to make sense of his words She blinked up at hi his face in shadows, just like it had been that day he’d carried her out of the cave He’d saved her then, and with a sudden realization, she knew that he’d done it again

He’d kept her fro Kara Proved to her she was in control of her life Her decisions No one could take that away from her, no matter what Kara or anyone else did to try to tear her life apart It was her life, and no matter how much evil she’d been forced to face in the past months, she couldn’t let it define her Not anyuided her to a step and lowered her to the warm concrete "Give yourself a minute to let the adrenaline wear off I can hear an ambulance now, and they can take a look at your head"

"My head?" So out, she realized that her head hurt She reached her hand up to that spot, and it caun"

"You stil took her down" She heard the pride in Caleb’s deep voice

"I didn’t kil her," stated Lana, as if he hadn’t been right there

"I knew you wouldn’t"

His faith in her was hu lot, the sirento split open A young EMT hurried to her side and started poking at her, flashing a light in her eyes, pressing a bandage over the wound She wanted to leave, but Caleb held her in place while they patched her up

"We should take her to the hospital," said the EMT

"No hospital!" said Lana, feeling panic rise up inside her She couldn’t stand the thought of being confined in a stark room that reeked of death and hopelessness

"I’l look out for her," said Caleb