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PROLOGUE

Armenia

Lana Hancock prayed for a swift death The hood over her head made it hard to breathe, as did the sh a tiny slit in her hood that her captors didn’t knoas there, she could see Bethany’s lifeless eyes staring at her

Lana tried to turn away, but even the sh her broken limbs The man who had broken them, Boris, came back into the cave, and she knew this was the end Whatever her abductors told Boris to do, he did She’d heard theht before they left, and she’d been lying here, waiting for the end, for what see to miss her family Her friends Her fiancé

She wanted to see her nephe up and spoil him with loud presents that would drive her sister crazy The little druht him for his birthday was tucked in her closet She hoped they’d find it and give it to him when her family cleaned out her apartun and crossed the dusty cave to where Lana lay He was a skinny ht blue eyes and dimples that made her stomach turn A sadistic kiler shouldn’t have dimples

His booted feet stopped only inches from her face Part of her was afraid, but un instead of the pipe again At least this ould be fast She hoped

She saw a shadow cross the mouth of the cave, then another and another Maybe her abductors were back to watch it happen Maybe she was halucinating Lana couldn’t bring herself to care She was too tired Too weak

He reached down and ripped at the tape that was holding her hood closed around her neck The rind, and her dry screaainst the cave wals

She must have passed out, because when she opened her eyes, her kiler was looking down at her with a concerned frown, patting her cheek as if to revive her When he saw she ake again, he nodded once as if satisfied and stood up again Apparently, he didn’t want to kil her if she was unconscious

His gun aimed for her head, thank God Like with the others he’d kiled, it would be a head shot Quick and painless

A thick arm appeared fro it back while a second arm sliced his throat open with a knife Blood spewed froround

Lana tried to figure out as happening, but she couldn’t move her head Couldn’t keep her eyes open

"We’ve got to get you out of here," said a deep, tight voice she’d heard soh her, and she realized she was being lifted Her broken legs dangled painfuly over aShe couldn’t alert her captors that she was escaping

Lana forced her eyes open just as he carried her out of the cave Light seared her retinas, but she welcoht she’d never again experience

He laid her down and spoke in a quiet voice to someone nearby "She’s the only one alive"

"Not for long, she isn’t," said a second man "And not if they find out she made it out alive"

Lana’s body throbbed in ti to lastweaker by the second

Maybe she was bleeding so to die in that cave

"Our team took down three of them"

"How many were there?"

"I don’t know I only sao, and not closely enough to ID theot orders from that skinny bastard, Boris There could be another dozen for al I know"

"You took care of Boris?"

"Yes"

"Our ot away," said the second man

"They’d better"

Lana wasn’t sure what thature it out She was using al her strength just to keep fro

If she screamed, they could find her