"Don't come any closer!" Miku shouted, though her voice broke halfway through.
She raised the knife, hands shaking.
They didn't stop.
One of them lunged.
Miku swung the blade wildly, nicking his arm—but the blow barely slowed him down.
Another man slammed into her from the side, and the knife clattered to the floor.
A hand grabbed her hair; another gripped her arm.
She kicked, screamed, clawed—but there were too many.
Her vision blurred as someone's fist connected with the side of her head.
The world tilted, her ears ringing.
The last thing she saw was Gage's grinning face looming over her before everything went black.
And that was the last thing they ever did in their lives.
Because a voice spoke—softly, almost conversationally—from the shadowed hallway behind them.
"Five men ganging up on one helpless woman," the voice said. "Tell me… was your mama proud of what you turned into?"
The laughter stopped instantly.
Rick turned first, scowling. "Who the hell—"
