Vibration in the Dark

Panic flared in Ava’s chest, hot and blinding.

She was completely sensory deprived. In the dark, a hearing person could listen for footsteps, for breathing. Ava had nothing.

She yanked her wrist free from Dmitri’s grip—he must have been surprised by the sudden darkness too—and backed away.

She hit a wall.

She needed to think. She needed to survive.

* Take off the shoes.*

Ava kicked off her high heels. Her bare feet touched the cold marble floor.

She crouched low, making herself a smaller target. She pressed her palms flat against the floor.

She closed her eyes. The visual darkness didn't matter anymore. She focused entirely on the tactile world.

She felt it.

* Thump... thump... thump.*

Vibrations. Heavy, frantic footsteps. Dmitri was moving. He was hunting her.

The vibrations were getting stronger. He was coming closer.

Ava crawled. She knew the layout of the service corridor. There was a storage closet to her left.

She felt a sharp vibration—Dmitri had bumped into a catering cart.

He was close. Too close.

Ava scrambled into the storage closet. She felt around in the dark. Mops. Buckets.

* No weapons.*

Wait.

She had left her cello case near the kitchen entrance earlier, hoping to take it with her. She had dragged it into the hall.

She felt the hard shell of the case. She popped the latches.

She grabbed the bow.

It wasn't a gun. It wasn't a knife. But it was a rod of carbon fiber with a metal frog. It was strong.

She felt the floor shudder. Dmitri was right outside the closet. He had stopped. He was listening.

Ava held her breath, though she knew he couldn't hear her over the pounding of his own heart.

The door handle turned. A vibration she felt through the floor.

Dmitri lunged into the closet, a flashlight clicking on, blinding her.

Ava didn't wait. She lunged forward, thrusting the tip of the cello bow like a fencer.

She aimed for the light.

The bow struck Dmitri in the eye.

He screamed—a vibration that rattled Ava’s chest. He dropped the flashlight. He swung blindly, his fist connecting with Ava’s shoulder, sending her crashing into the shelving units.

Ava fell, the metal shelves raining down cleaning supplies. She scrambled back, grabbing a heavy bottle of bleach.

Dmitri was clutching his face, kicking wildly. He pulled a gun from his holster.

Ava saw the muzzle flash illuminate the room for a split second. The bullet hit the wall inches from her head, sending a spray of drywall dust into her face.

She rolled away. She couldn't hear him cock the gun. She had to feel him.

She pressed her hand to the floor again.

He was stepping forward.

Ava swung the bleach bottle with both hands, aiming for his knees.

* Crack.*

Dmitri howled and buckled.

Ava scrambled over him, running toward the light of the service elevator.