“I’m Hunt Knox, and you, Josh Ryman, have your hands on my woman. I’m going to give you about ten seconds to turn her loose or there won’t be enough left of you for the doctors to put back together.”

Ryman’s eyes widened. “She was going to call the police!” he said.

Hunt was getting closer. “Three seconds, dammit, or let her go.”

“For the love of God, Josh! We already called the police,” Rhonda said.

“Fine!” Josh shouted, then turned Ava loose.

She staggered, trying to catch her balance, while Josh turned his rage on someone else and began cursing and shouting at the Dillon family.

Ava grabbed at the wall to steady herself and started running toward Hunt. All she wanted was to be out of this mess.

Ryman only saw the movement from the corner of his eye. In the heat of the moment, and thinking it was an orderly going to take him down, he turned and swung, hitting Ava in the chest so hard she flew backward into the wall.

Hunt saw her gasp, grab at her chest, and then she was down. And in that moment, Hunt remembered Elliot’s message.

She’ll die and be reborn. Don’t quit.

“No! No, you stupid bastard! What have you done?” Hunt shouted, and ran to her.

Ryman was horrified and instantly abject and holding up his hands and walking backward. “I didn’t mean to hit her! I didn’t know it was her!”

Hunt pushed past him, and then dropped down beside Ava’s body and rolled her over, frantically searching for a pulse. There was none.

“She’s not breathing!” he shouted. “Is there a defibrillator?”

“Just one, and they’re using it trying to keep the Dillon girl alive,” Rhonda Bailey said.

“Jesus help me,” Hunt muttered and started chest compressions. “Tell them we need it!” he shouted and kept pushing.

Josh Ryman was in tears, and the families who’d been fighting were staring in horror at what they had unwittingly caused. The brawl was over, but for the injured girl who’d just lost the baby she was carrying, the fight to stay alive was still ongoing.

Hunt was still doing CPR when Rhonda came running back. She dropped to her knees beside him and began to help.

When the police arrived, Hunt was barely aware of what was happening behind him. His focus was completely on Ava. Her lips were blue now. Her skin had no color. He hadn’t been this scared the day he and his gunner were shot down, but he hadn’t quit on life then and he wasn’t going to quit on hers now.

Chief Pittman began arresting the people who’d been fighting, then hauling them out.

But Hunt kept hearing Elliot’s warning.

Don’t quit. Don’t quit.