Berlin woke up in a hospital bed. Her shoulder hurt, but not as bad as she expected.
The first thing she saw was Karlos sitting beside her, holding her hand. He looked tired, like he hadn't slept at all.
"Karlos?" Berlin said softly.
His eyes flew open. "Berlin! You're awake!" He stood up and kissed her forehead gently. "How do you feel?"
"Sore," Berlin admitted. "But alive. How long was I out?"
"About eight hours," Karlos said. "The bullet went through your shoulder. The doctors said you were very lucky. A few inches to the right and it would have hit your heart."
Berlin shivered. She had come so close to dying.
"What about Penelope?" she asked. "Did they find her?"
Karlos nodded. "The police rescued her from the basement where Victoria was keeping her. She's okay. Scared, but okay."
"And Victoria?"
