She popped up, launching her foot into the man’s chest. He wheezed and dropped his weapon as he stumbled back. She caught a glimpse of his face as he fell to the ground.

Grady Ruben. A constant pain in her ass.

She looked quickly around the shack. Lennon Pierce was tied to a beam. He pulled desperately at the zip tie binding his hands around it, to no avail. A red handkerchief was tied around his mouth.

His clothes were dusty and wrinkled, his ridiculous hair falling in his eyes. He squinted at her through it and froze. He had a bruise forming on one cheek and blood drying under his nose.

Grady struggled to his feet, reaching for his machete. She kicked it away, jumping forward and grabbing him by the collar. She pulled her left hand back and made a fist.

“Dammit, Grady, what did I say last time?”

He looked at her fist nervously. “He’s a runner from the north! Runners from the north are fair game!”

“What did I say?” she repeated, louder.

He licked his lips. “That if you heard about us capturing and eating any more people, you’d cut off my balls.”

Lennon made a horrified noise from behind his gag.

She threw a punch straight into Grady’s face. He hit the ground hard, his nose and mouth bloody, and went still. Pain radiated through her hand, and she resisted the urge to wince.

She turned back to Lennon. He looked from her to the man on the ground.

She pulled the needle from the pouch. His eyes widened. He shook his head.

“Calm down.” She held both her hands up, holding the needle in between two fingers. “I’m here to help you, okay?”

Outside, someone fired a gun. Lennon jumped, turning his attention to the one small, dirty window. It didn’t show much.

He turned back to Maisie, gaze bouncing from her to Grady, who was still motionless on the floor.

She took a tentative step forward. Calm and friendly was probably the way to go here. He looked like a scared dog.

“Don’t worry.” She tilted her head down toward Grady. “I would never actually touch his balls. For any reason.”

Lennon’s eyebrows drew together in an expression of horrified bewilderment.

“Anyway, welcome to the Q.” She smiled. “We’re not a bunch of cannibals in here, by the way.”

Grady moaned. She kicked him in the ribs.

“These guys are just a little…eccentric.”

Lennon looked unconvinced.

She took another step closer, lifting the hand with the needle. “This will provide temporary immunity from the virus. I’m just going to stick it in your arm, and then we’re going to get out of here.”

He violently shook his head back and forth. He tried to talk, but it just came out as muttered nonsense.

She reached for him. He darted away, swinging around to the other side of the beam.

She made a frustrated noise. “Dude, I’m seriously trying to help you here.”