I had a grip on both of the man’s wrists and was trying to slide off Natty so he could breathe and maybe help me in the fight. As we struggled, the powerful man jerked his right hand free, and I felt him reach toward his leg. I figured he had a gun secured somewhere on his ankle. I had already felt the bite of his combat boot as it ripped down my shin.

I tried to stop him from reaching for what I thought was a gun. Then I learned I was wrong. It was worse.

He had a knife—and not a commemorative folding one like mine. This was a full-length, straight-edged combat knife like one a Marine would carry. He got it free of its scabbard and brought it up with his right hand to drive it into my throat.

I blocked the blade and parried it to the side. I could feel the steel edge as it grazed my ear and made a click against the hard floor.

The man twisted on top of me, bringing the knife back up. A knife is a weapon of terror and it was working. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. I had almost nothing left.

Then he slid up higher to get his weight into his next thrust. That’s when instinct kicked in. My left hand was trapped between us. I shoved it lower, then squeezed. Squeezed with all the power in my hand around his testicles. His face registered surprise, then pain. He rolled to get away, but I held on. Then it was Natty’s turn to surprise me.

As soon as we were off him and lying on the hard rock floor, Natty swung his pistol and struck the man square in the face with the butt of the gun. The blow was phenomenal and shattered the man’s nose. The fight went out of him at once, and he dropped the knife.

I had to lie on my back and stare at the low ceiling while taking in a few breaths. Between the closed-in space and the knife, I was a little freaked-out. I sat up and scanned the room to make sure he was the only sentinel. I also noticed that there was almost no noise. Our struggle had brought a stillness to the bunker.

The man was laid out, with a broken nose and split upper lip, but he was breathing.

Natty whispered, “What do we do with him?”

“For now we leave him right here. We’ve gotta search this place for Bailey Mae.”

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

We left the man right where he was on the floor of the small supply room and kept moving carefully through the dark hallway, which felt like it was closing in around us and suffocating me.