Elizbeth gripped the long silver needle tightly between her thumb and index finger. She launched herself at Carlton's back.
Carlton heard the rush of air behind him. His combat instincts flared through the haze of pain. He spun around wildly, his bleeding arm sweeping horizontally to take her head off.
Elizbeth knew she couldn't overpower a trained soldier. As his massive arm swept toward her, she intentionally let her knees buckle, dropping to the floor with a sharp cry. The sudden sound broke through his violent haze for a fraction of a second. Carlton hesitated, his momentum throwing him off balance. Elizbeth seized the opening. She scrambled forward, grabbing his wrist with both hands and using his own downward force to pull him to the carpet. But his reflexes were terrifying. Even disoriented, he twisted his body. Within a second, he was on top of her, pinning her flat against the ground.
His bloodshot eyes locked onto hers. His large right hand shot out and clamped down hard around her throat.
Elizbeth's airway was instantly crushed. Her face flushed dark red. She gagged, her left hand flying up to claw desperately at his thick forearm.
Her lungs burned for oxygen, but her right hand remained steady. She still held the silver needle. Her eyes stayed locked on the back of his neck.
As Carlton squeezed her throat harder, the muscles in his neck flexed and tightened, perfectly exposing the base of his skull.
Elizbeth's eyes narrowed. She found the Fengchi acupoint. Without a second of hesitation, she drove the needle deep into the base of his neck.
The moment the metal pierced his nerve cluster, Carlton's massive body went completely rigid. His pupils contracted violently.
Elizbeth felt the crushing grip on her throat loosen slightly. She shoved his hand away, gasping loudly, sucking air into her burning lungs.
She didn't stop moving. She reached into the leather roll on the floor and pulled out three more needles.
Her hands moved in a blur. She precisely inserted the needles into the calming acupoints on his scalp and the top of his shoulders.
Carlton let out a low, heavy groan. The frantic, wild energy drained from his body as if a plug had been pulled.
His tense muscles turned to jelly. The violent red color faded from his eyes. His heavy eyelids drooped, and he collapsed forward, his dead weight crushing Elizbeth against the floor.
Elizbeth grunted under his weight. She carefully pushed his heavy shoulders off her and rolled him onto his back.
She collapsed onto the carpet next to him, her entire body soaked in cold sweat. Her chest heaved as she stared at the ceiling.
She turned her head and looked at his pale, finally peaceful face. Her heart ached. She reached out a trembling hand and gently brushed a lock of dark hair away from his closed eyes.
Thirty minutes passed in total silence. Elizbeth sat cross-legged beside him, her eyes glued to the steady rise and fall of his chest.
Suddenly, Carlton's brow twitched. His index finger jerked against the carpet.
His eyes snapped open. The wildness was gone, replaced instantly by the cold, lethal alertness of a trained soldier.
He sat up in a flash. He immediately felt the strange, sharp pressure at the base of his skull.
His hand flew to the back of his neck. His fingers brushed the metal pins. His face twisted into a mask of pure, murderous rage.
He ripped the silver needles out of his skin and threw them onto the floor. He slowly turned his head and locked his dead eyes onto Elizbeth.
Before she could blink, he lunged.
His hand clamped around her bruised throat once again. He lifted her off the floor and slammed her back against the wall.
"What did you do to me?" he hissed, his voice sounding like it came straight from hell.
