“Sit your ass back down.”

“Or what?” she said calmly.

“Or I’ll put a bullet through your skull.”

He let his rifle fall to his side, still attached by its sling. Then he raised the silenced pistol hidden beneath his long coat.

“Don’t test me, little girl,” he said. “I got the balls. I’ll do it.”

In a calm whisper, she said, “I know you do. You were a soldier, weren’t you?”

“Sit down.”

“We’re just talking. I know you don’t want to hurt anyone. But your boss is another story. You’ve seen how he is. Do you think he wouldn’t betray you?”

“Shut up and go back to the others. I can shoot you in a lot of places that won’t kill you,” the gunman said and aimed his pistol toward her kneecap.

She held up her hands and said, “Take it easy. Just think about it. You’re completely surrounded. How do you think this ends? How are you getting out of this? Do you even have a plan?”

“Like I’m going to tell you,” he said.

But Gabi saw a hesitation there. A drop in confidence. Doubt mixed with fear.

“You have no idea, do you?” she said. “He hasn’t even told you the plan.”

“Shut up.” His voice shook and lacked any emphasis.

She continued, “Why would he keep that from you? Think about it. He’s using you.”

“That’s enough.”

“What are they doing in the vault room?”

“Playing cards. What the hell you think they’re doing? They’re busting into the vault.”

She laughed and shook her head. “You don’t even know how this place works, do you? The vault is buried a hundred feet under the ground. There’s no way to access it.”

The look of confusion on his face turned to fear.

“Whatever they’re doing has nothing to do with getting money out of a vault. They’re playing you for a fool.”

The look of confused fear turned to anger, and he closed the distance between them, jamming the end of the suppressor against her forehead. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. He was obviously unstable and scared out of his mind. She had pushed him too hard, right over the edge. She heard her oldest brother’s voice in her head saying, “You’re an uppity bitch, and you talk too much. Just shut up and take what’s coming to you.”

She felt the end of the suppressor shaking against her forehead. She heard his heavy breathing, felt it against her chest and neck. She had always known that she would die at the hands of some weak, angry man.

Finally, he said, “I’m not an idiot. I can think for myself. Now, you sit your ass down before I do something we’ll both regret.”

Without another word, she returned to the couch beside the others. But as she did, Gabi continued to watch the frightened young man. She could see his wheels turning and knew that she had accomplished her goal. When he glanced toward the vault room door with narrowed eyes, she knew for sure. The seeds of doubt and distrust had been planted and were taking root.