You wait until Wes lunges toward you again, and you lean your weight back slightly, arms still raised, and knee up as hard as you can, aiming directly for his vulnerable groin.

Wes folds his limbs forward in an instinctive move almost every man can execute in the blink of an eye, defending himself from your blow. Your knee strikes him in the upper thigh instead, and in the blink of an eye, he has you by the calf. He wrenches your leg forward. You fall, and your head cracks painfully against the concrete floor of the storage room.

Darkness clouds your vision for an instant, accompanied by a pounding pain. As you struggle to get your wits about you, still not quite in control of your limbs, Wes releases your leg—and takes hold of your hair instead.

He drags you up onto your knees by the hair, and your scalp and neck muscles give a tortured scream. Your instinct is to relieve his hold, so you reach up and grapple with his hand.

"Get up," Wes says. His voice is low and dangerous, and you can tell he no longer finds amusement in this chase. "You'll walk, or I'll drag you."

You stand shakily, your head bent at a painful angle, and he yanks you forward, dragging you through the storage room toward an unmarked door painted an unsettling, bloody red. He flings you toward the door, and you stumble forward. When you glance over your shoulder, shaking, you see he's drawn the knife again, and he motions for you to open the door.

"You've done enough stupid shit for one day. Be smart, Kendall. Open the door."

[[Go to Chapter 41]]