The blade paused just by her neck, the vein jumping with each breath.

“I wouldn’t move if I were you.”

Karissa stilled, arms still bound, the metal blade just grazing her dark brown skin. If he stabbed her, she would only have less than a minute to stop him. ‘Better make it count’ she thinks.

In one motion, she tilts her head to the right and back, the knife swiping where her throat used to be, slicing air. She jams her knee up and straight through his crotch.

He gasps, sucking wind as he staggers back. She scrambles to her feet and levers her foot back and unleashes all her rage, connecting with his reddened face.

He drops almost immediately, groaning, as the knife clatters to the floor. She grabs it and it’s her turn. With one movement, everything is suddenly red, a spray blossoming up the walls.

He collapses with a thud. Once a big proud villain, now a worthless lump of meat.

She the knife off on the back of his shirt, the white blooming red, and assesses the situation. Many footsteps pound up the hall and a fist slams into the locked door. “Boss? You okay?”

She smiles. He was definitely not and soon, they would be either. She adjust her grip on the knife and sprints to the door, waiting just behind it.

Several someones are kicking now. The body on the floor must have the key. She pauses, listening. Four, maybe five. She shakes her head. They should have sent more.

The door shudders open and she . . .

‘Assassin Dreams will be continued tomorrow at 8 pm. Please tune in again to see Karissa James in action.”

The screen fades to black and I stretch, my neck cracking. The pod glows a bright blue, the machine whirring overhead. I pluck the the nodes from my skull as my stomach rumbles. I still, waiting to come back to myself. The adrenaline is still pumping through my veins.

‘Good morning, Marissa. The temperature is a breezy 73 degrees. Your dream was viewed by 126 million viewers last night with an 87% approval rate.’

I nod, climbing out of the pod. Solid performance.

Owen’s waiting, gripping my hand, pulling me to my feet, wrapping his golden brown arm around mine. “Good one.” He buries his face in my neck, lips meeting my sensitive spot.

He pulls back and smiles at me, appraisingly. “The chats are going crazy. What’re you dreaming up tomorrow?”

I grin. “You’ll have to sleep and see.”