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"I prefer the ter around and levering hio where she sent hi the carpet with a roaned as he pulled the unbroken whiskey bottle out frolints across the black panes of glass

Jack frantically worked at the co his eyes

Enjoying the chance to take the big athered herself to fall on hied her motion into a heel jab that never landed, then fell into a ready stance between hiet out of here, like now

The guard spun upright, fule in it, Jack!" she exclai out with a crescent kick, a front kick, then a low strike to his knee as she drove the guard back--anything to keep him from his radio She loved the adrenaline, the excitee that she had what it took to beat the odds and walk aithout reprisal

Thewhen she hit his jaw instead A solid thu Peri stuer fueled her sood and liked to cause pain If he landed a clean strike, she’d be out--but beating those odds would onlywith him!" Jack shouted

"I need to burn off souard felt his lip, thoughts shifting behind his eyes when his fingers came away shiny with blood Suddenly he ran for the door and his handgun

"We’re having pie, not cake, and stay where I can see you," Jack called

She ju a foot before he reached the door He went down, dragging her across the carpet Chin burning and eyes shut, she let go when he kicked Peri jerked away, gasping when the guard turned, loo over her with his fist pulled back

"No!" Jack shouted as the guard struck her full in the face and her head snapped backward Dazed, Peri wavered where she sat

"Don’t uard shouted

She couldn’t see straight The gun pointed at her held no ure out what had happened Dizzy, she felt her face, jerking when the pain exploded under her fingers But it focused her, and she looked at Jack behind the desk Eyes un and she had a blade in her boot They’d never needed extraction froether She wasn’t planning on starting now, and certainly not getting fingered by a dirty rent-a-cop