He stayed behind the door for twenty-three minutes. He heard Valkyrie arrive, which brought the tally to four against one. The odds were getting worse. There was a break in the questioning, and Valkyrie and Tanith moved to the kitchen. Another minute passed before one of them left, their footsteps getting closer. Tanith Low walked into the bathroom, already unbuckling her belt, and swung the door shut without seeing him. The first to die, then.
He stepped up behind her, reached for the back of her head, and looked into the mirror over the sink at the same time as she did. Her eyes widened. He promised to curse himself later for making such a grievous error.
She whirled, whipping the belt from her trousers as he lunged. The belt wrapped around his wrist and she tugged it, tried to pull him off-balance, but he was already adjusting.