He struggled, his breath coming in desperate wheezes and his nails digging into my wrists as he tried to pry the chains loose. I yanked again until his body jerked once, twice, before going limp. I let him slump to the floor. No hesitation. No mercy. Dropping to my knees, I frantically searched his belt for keys. My trembling fingers finally found a ring of cold metal, and I pulled it free. The first key didn’t fit. Neither did the second. Footsteps sounded from the deck above. I swore under my breath, fumbling with the keys and nearly dropping them.
