“Well, what do we have—” Instinct propelled her arms up and out, shoving the heavy bundle of metal and rope into the air. The ladder soared directly toward Rodrigo. “Catch,” she yelled. If there was one thing she’d learned from being a public school teacher, it was that distraction could be her ally. The shadows in the room worked to her advantage as Rodrigo’s expression morphed into surprise and confusion. He flinched and opened his arms wide to catch it. The rubber ends on the tips of the metal hooks slammed into Rodrigo’s chest. He howled as the ladder unlatched itself against him. Crack! The gun fired into the ceiling as the metal and ropes bounced off his chest and onto the wooden floor. She bent down and grabbed the fire extinguisher she’d set down on the ground at the foot of the bed. The weight of the metal container always surprised her. How could foam weigh so much?
