She tried to turn the door handle, and it wouldn’t move. Of course not. The patio wasn’t open to customers, yet. It was just for an emergency exit; the door had locked behind her.

Dammit.

Heart thudding painfully hard, she looked around frantically, already knowing the left side of the building had the most bushes.

That way.

She crept around the corner and along the log wall toward the parking lot. In the dark, she peeked through the window into the bar.

Men—so many men—with guns. In the center stood a tall, thin black-bearded man…and Kit froze, unable to even breathe.

Nabera. Oh no, please no.

The PZ men were using zip ties and rope to tie up the women, then pushing them out the front door.

She couldn’t let them take her friends.

The thought got her feet moving. In the shadows, she crept to the front of the building and peered around the corner.

A white cargo van was backed up to the covered front entry. A man dragged a struggling Erica out and tossed her into the cargo space. When white-haired Lillian was roughly shoved in, fury engulfed Kit.

Focus, Kit. She could almost hear Hawk’s warning.

“That’s the last,” the man said to someone, then slammed the van door shut. “All yours, Luka.”

“On it.” One of the lieutenants, Luka had let his buzz-cut hair grow out to a couple of inches. Jumping in the driver’s seat, he started the engine, then leaned out to yell, “Ready, Captain.”

“Hold up while we do a final walk-through,” Nabera yelled.

At the sound of Nabera’s yell, Kit pressed her knuckles to her mouth to keep from whimpering. Her legs trembled so hard her knees started to buckle.

No. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—give in.

As fear sweat trickled down her back, she drew in a breath.

Situational awareness, sugar. Kit could almost hear Hawk’s voice. Mouth tight, she forced herself to look around.

And blinked in surprise.

Luka didn’t have any situational awareness. The lieutenant had his door open, his head tipped back. His fingers tapped on the steering wheel impatiently.

The van was running.

Everyone else was inside the building.

Oh, God, I can’t do this.

She had to.

Find a weapon.

The gravel path around the side of the building was bordered by softball-sized rocks. Hawk whispered in her mind, “Throw it. Or hit someone in the head with it.”

She wouldn’t let him down. Picking up a rock, she snuck to the side of the vehicle, any crunch of her steps on the gravel was masked by the women’s crying and groaning inside the van.

“For fuck’s sake.” Luka moved suddenly, and Kit froze. He turned toward the screened divider between the cargo area and the cab. “Bitches. Shut. Up.”