She heard herself moaning in pain.

She had to go limp. She had to force her body to relax. It wouldn’t hurt as much that way. Not this part anyway. With a whimper of surrender, vomit rising in her throat, Susan made herself soft under his grip. She let her muscles uncoil. Karim saw it instantly. He grunted and started fumbling to get her pants down, as his erection pressed against her pelvic bone.

“Say it again,” Karim said, panting.

Susan would win in the end. She would show Karim. She was going to ruin this for him. She was going to die quickly. “Fuck me, Archie,” she said again.

There was a flash of light and something hot sprayed across Susan’s face. It was in her eyes, her mouth. She blinked, speechless and immobile, as the red spray continued, spurting on her chin, her neck, her shoulders. Had Karim cut her? With a sharp enough blade it would take a minute before you’d feel the pain. Was she bleeding to death right now? She heard Karim’s gun drop to the floor. He was looking right at her, his dark eyes boring into hers. Blood gurgled from a slice on his throat, a red slash like a smile. He leaned forward, his face folding toward hers, like he was going to kiss her. She turned her head sharply and squeezed her eyes shut. He stayed against her for a moment, his nose pressed against her cheek, radiating that sour smell. She could hear a sputtering sound that she realized was coming not from his lips, but from his throat. Then his head slid wetly down her body, her chest and belly, as he sank to the floor, his face finally coming to rest between her knees. Susan kicked him off her, and heard him fall backward, his skull hitting the floor with a thud. Then Susan opened her eyes. Standing where Karim had stood, her bloody scalpel gleaming in her hand, was Gretchen Lowell.

Susan’s eyes automatically went to Archie. He was still slumped against the wall near her feet, eyes half-open, staring straight ahead.

Gretchen wiped her scalpel on her skirt. “Do I have to do everything myself?” she asked wearily.

Susan could barely breathe. She had to get to Archie, to see if he was okay. She inched around the doorjamb and lowered herself at Archie’s side. His gun was on the floor by his thigh. Susan didn’t give herself time to think or hesitate. She reached across him, picked up the gun with her good hand, spun around, and pointed it up at Gretchen.