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Jake lay unid with fear His chest’s erratic jerks up and doere the only signs of life

Transformed into a oman, she clawed at her captor’s ainst his sternurunted

The goon flipped Claire over his shoulder like a fifty-pound bag of dog food Grasping the phone and flash drive in one hand, she beat her other fist against his back She tugged up his black T-shirt and scraped her fingernails across his exposed flesh

“Keep doing that, bitch, and I’ll kill you for fun”

He lu room

She grabbed the doorfra to the beveled wood, but his forward ernails scraped across the wood Splinters e her scream out in pain

But she refused to give up He’d kill her no matter what she

did Well, he’d have a hell of a fight on his hands

She screa tiles absorbed her cries Fighting against the panic threatening to render her immobile, she knew she had to escape

Flailing, she knocked over table tents describing the week’s specials Her hand dragged across a srasped a set of silverware Letting out a guttural yell, she lifted it above her head and with every ounce of power she had, she plunged the knife and fork into the goon’s lower back They sank into his flesh like a knife gutting a suckling pig Blood spurted from the wound

“You bitch,” he roared

He threw her down Pain rocketed through her head as it bounced against the wood floor Stunned, she couldn’t move But it only took a gy, she lurched onto her feet and scurried back

Reaching around with a meaty hand, he plucked the bloody utensils froainst the pine floor

“You’ll pay for that” He thundered after her

Claire turned and ran as if the devil hi for the panic alarm on the hostess stand His footsteps pounded closer