The door down the hall closed. Another one opened. He was checking each room. Soon he would be upon hers.

She glanced at the back of the room once more. She could hide behind the stacked boxes, but that would buy her little time. Surely he would enter the room and check behind them. She was trapped.

She stayed close to the door. She heard footsteps again. He had crossed the hall once more. Seconds later, he crossed back. Two rooms away. She held her breath. She couldn’t hear anything more. Had he entered a room? Was this her chance to flee?

She leaned her head against the door and started to press against it. She froze. More steps. He had crossed the hallway again.

Panic rose within her like that of an echidna cornered by village hunters. She needed a weapon. She scanned the room. Items of clothing covered its front half. Pottery and small utensils lay on a table beyond. Her eyes lit up at three small knives. She could use one if she had to. But hand-to-hand combat was her last option.

Abby heard movement. One more room, then he would be upon hers. She edged silently toward the stacked boxes, picking a knife off the table.

She heard the door close across the hall. She slid behind the row of boxes. Her eyes landed upon objects in the back corner that had been blocked from her view. Two small bows, not unlike those she had grown up using in the jungle. And beside them, three arrows.

Abby moved swiftly toward them. She picked up a bow and pulled against the string. It was stiff but could be bent. She grabbed the three arrows and slid back toward the boxes. She knelt and placed the arrows and the knife on the floor. Footsteps approached her door. It opened. He was inside.

Abby took the bow in her left hand. She inched her right hand toward the arrows. Footsteps. He was moving through the room. She picked up an arrow with her first two fingers. With her thumb she eased the knife handle against her right palm. The footsteps stopped. Had he heard her?

It was now or never. Abby raised herself to a stooped position. She swung her right arm over her head and released the knife. It sailed toward the front corner of the room. She heard a clang, then a deafening gunshot. In a single motion Abby strung the arrow, pulled back the bow, and sprang from behind the end box into the open. The man whirled toward her. She let loose the arrow. It struck the man in the right thigh just as he pulled the trigger for another shot. Abby felt the bullet whiz by her left ear. The man yelped and fell, the gun dropping from his hand.