ON THE OTHER SIDE OF the closed door, a blow to the head threw Max into one of the walls. The man fell to the tiled floor. He groaned and shook his head to take his bearings.
Max felt dizzy, and the fog in his brain didn’t help him too much. Still, the pain that ran through his wounded arm didn’t allow him to lose consciousness, and he was grateful for that.
The man wondered what happened to Ariel, and the thought that the woman might be in grave danger helped him stand up.
The darkness in the hallway didn’t matter to him right then because he couldn’t focus his sight anyway. Max listened intently for the slightest noise but didn’t hear a thing.
Suddenly, some rustling came from his right, and then Ariel’s pitched scream stabbed him in the heart.
Max fisted his hands and bared his tee
