“But he can’t save you if you’re already dead.”

He dragged me another foot backward.

My heel caught on a discarded iron pipe.

I lost my balance and fell, dragging Derek down slightly with me.

He swore loudly, pulling me up by my hair again.

The pain was blinding.

“Stand up!” he yelled.

“Get up!”

A shadow shifted near the western exit.

It was quick, barely a whisper of movement.

Derek saw it too.

He aimed the gun toward the shadow.

“Step into the light!” he screamed.

“Now!”

“Or I fire!”

My heart felt like it was going to burst.

I closed my eyes, waiting for the sound of the gunshot.

The air in the warehouse felt completely still.

The wind had stopped.

The only sound was Derek’s ragged breathing.

“I’m counting to three!” Derek shouted.

“One!”

“Two!”

From the darkness, a heavy metal object clattered to the floor.

It rolled into the circle of light.

It was a black tactical flashlight.

It was off, but it stopped right at the edge of the illumination.

“Three!” Derek yelled, his finger tightening on the trigger.