Three worlds collide, p.38
Three Worlds Collide, page 38
“Lock them in their rooms. We can come back and get them,” ABCs replied. “Besides, they are not what they used to be. The woman and girl are worth more.”
The guard looked shocked. “What if we can’t make it back? There is sure to be some fallout from this raid.”
ABCs shrugged as if to say, So, and turned to look him hard in the eyes, red flints spinning around his irises. “Why do you care so much?”
Creeped out by the intensity of the red glow in those eyes, the guard feigned indifference and shrugged too. “Fine.”
Giving the guard a final suspicious look, ABCs took one of the guns and turned to exit the bathroom. He didn’t look down the hall as he stepped across and shoved open the door into Carmen’s room. The three women huddled on the bed around Elena.
“I thought I told you two to go back to your room.” He raised his handgun and gestured toward Frederica and Rosaria. “This time, I mean it.” The red glow in his eyes intensified.
Terrified at the sight, Frederica and Rosaria gave Carmen a reassuring glance and slid from the bed, making their way out of the room. The guard followed them out, pushed them into the next room, and shoved the door closed. He rested his hand on the door and hung his head for a moment, doubting whether he could sentence these women to be left alone in a locked room deep in the middle of nowhere. The idea of that type of death sentence disturbed even his compromised soul. He knew who they were. He had seen them perform. He believed, as many did, that they were nothing short of Incan royalty. Turning the lever to lock the bolt, he vowed silently that he would return for them no matter what, then turned to go back into Carmen’s room.
“What took you so long?” ABCs said without looking back.
From behind, the guard bristled while cutting him an annoyed look.
“Get the girl.”
Resignedly, he walked toward Carmen. She rarely saw him without his sunglasses. He only risked taking them off when they were alone. Her eyes met his for a moment and she whispered, “Miguel, no.”
He hesitated. Miguel hadn’t heard his name in a while. ABCs just called him ‘guard’. He rarely even spoke to the other guards. They had become accustomed to staying silent so as not to draw any attention from their overbearing boss. Besides, the work was often so unsavory, they didn’t even want to discuss it. They couldn’t bear to talk of home. So, silence reigned.
Hesitating for an instant, he shrugged and began to take Elena from her.
Carmen grabbed her around the waist. “NO.”
“Let go,” ABCs said as he jutted his handgun at her.
Miguel pulled Elena a little more forcefully. She tried to squirm but, exhausted from the trials of the day, couldn’t manage much effort. He gave Carmen a pleading look in an effort to let her know that it would be easier to let go rather than fight.
Her eyes hardened, conveying she intended to make her stand. She had been cooperating since her capture, biding her time. But she looked to be done with that.
Miguel could see it in her eyes. He adjusted his grip under the girl’s arms and used his strength to pull her free.
Carmen fought more intensely now, grunting as she tried to keep hold.
ABCs stepped forward and jammed the barrel of the handgun into her forehead, knocking her back on the bed.
Elena came alive as Miguel lifted her. She kicked and flailed, her soft cries growing louder, more intense. He pulled her in tight, but handled her gently, as he would one of his own children. Miguel gave ABCs a contemptuous look that went unnoticed, then turned away from Carmen, averting his gaze from the abuse she was about to take, and stepped toward the door.
𓂓
Unintimidated, Carmen looked up at ABCs with a loathing that had festered for years. His intense red eyes glared back at her. He pushed the barrel of his gun into her forehead.
“You’re a low-level demon, nothing more,” she spat at him with contempt.
The Alphabet King howled at Carmen, “I am Armando Beltrain Cardentias! No one speaks to me this way!”
“I remember the stories you shared, poco hefe, while lying in bed next to me after you finished, my arms still handcuffed to the metal rails of the headboard. What, did you think we were friends? Lovers? Did you think sharing stories of compassion after raping me would win my affection?”
ABCs paused, remembering the intimate moments he would always savor. His demeanor softened. “I—”
Carmen cut him off. “You know, we all call you Little Armando. We all know your real story,” she taunted him. “I wonder, does your monogrammed underwear still hang from the rape tree?”
ABCs’ face contorted into a mix of hurt and hatred. “That is not what happened.” He had fooled himself into thinking that some part of her did not completely despise him—that, one day, he would not need to force her. Enraged by his own delusions, his own foolishness, he pulled his hand back to deliver a lazy backhand slap with the gun. But she reared back, letting it pass in front of her. Pushing up on her hands, she got her feet under herself and sprang from the bed with surprising ferocity. ABCs stepped back in shock as she pushed his arm with the gun down and swung over in a wild arc, slapping him openhanded on the face. He stepped back as she attempted to claw by him and make for the guard holding Elena.
“Miguel!” she cried out.
He didn’t turn. The tenderness she’d shown him in the past made little difference now. Miguel knew he had no say in Carmen’s fate. At this point, he could only protect the girl. She couldn’t be allowed to see this. No one, especially a woman, defied The Alphabet King.
ABCs pushed Carmen down on the floor with his weight and swung the gun back around to bear on her. She scrambled to her knees and raised her head to face him. He didn’t want this to escalate any further. He did not want to damage his property. He profited from her being there.
With a scowl on her face, Carmen reached up for the gun and shoved it away, standing up, flailing violently, uncontrollably landing forceful blows with the heels of her clenched fists.
ABCs had to close his eyes and pull his head back a bit. He pulled both hands up to shove her away and she grabbed them, fighting to resist with all her might. Without warning, a gunshot cracked in the room. ABCs realized he’d had his finger on the trigger and the gun had shifted in the scuffle. He’d accidentally shot his greatest Prize.
Carmen fell to the ground, limp, blood pooling out from under her, a blank stare on a face that only a moment ago was so alive. The celebrated yet tragic life faded, then slipped away from the leader of the Paititi Three.
Her body spasmed for a few seconds, then, in an instant, she was gone.
Chapter Sixteen
Her leg throbbing with pain, her head pounding, it took Jackie some time to make it down the hall without being noticed. She approached the open door and heard the scuffle inside, Elena crying out loud. A woman’s defiant rage echoed from within. What is going on? She stopped, hidden in the shadows as a guard emerged from the room holding Elena tight to his chest. Jackie flattened along the wall a few paces away. She clenched the knife in her right hand, the blade pointing down, her thumb locked over the end of the handle. The guard was hunched over, looking down, and didn’t notice her. The explosion of the gunfire erupted from the room, causing a jolt of fear to pass through her. The guard’s head jerked back to the door, then his gaze fell. He loosened his grip on Elena and she slid through his arms to the floor. He gripped her shoulders to keep her there. Jackie thought she saw a look of sadness pass over him. He seemed to soften a bit.
Time to act. She charged forward out of the shadows and lifted her right arm up across her front, gripping the knife with the blade pointing down, thumb pressing the end of the handle to ensure it would go deep. She closed the gap quickly, then leaped up and, with a downward arc, drove the knife down into the soft gap between his neck and deltoid, behind the collar bone. In the gym with Evan, she had learned a few deadly techniques from him. The wound would severely debilitate him. If she cut an artery, he would bleed out internally.
The guard jerked up his head in anguish as she landed to his right and twisted the blade. He gave a guttural yell and released Elena. His right arm useless, Miguel twisted toward her and swung a powerful left open hand, striking Jackie in the face. Her head snapped to the side and she fell to the ground.
She raised a hand—dazed eyes met Elena’s.
“Momma!” she cried and reached out to her.
Miguel pushed Elena away with his left arm and shoved Jackie back with his right foot. By that time, ABCs had emerged from the room.
He gave Jackie a quick kick in her side as he pointed the gun at her head. “Oh, I love your spirit,” he sneered.
She looked up at his glowing red eyes, defiance shining through, and snarled, “You love nothing.”
He shrugged. “Maybe. But we’ll have plenty of time to discuss it. For now, I need you a bit more tame.” He paused for moment. “I imagine you’ll still be useful with a few broken ribs.” ABCs stepped back, lining up a harsher kick just as two gunshots rang out, jolting him out of the moment.
𓂓
A few minutes earlier, when they saw Jackie the first time, Sean had whispered the news to Clay, who stepped forward and peered over Michael’s shoulder. At first, he hadn’t seen anything, then suddenly, her silhouette appeared like an angel, softly illuminated from behind by the dimming lights of the SUV parked behind the main room.
She was giving hand signals.
Sean had relayed the message, “She saw two men down the hall. I think she’s going to—”
Muffled cries from inside interrupted him.
Clay saw Jackie’s attention snap back to the hallway and without hesitating, she flung the door open and, with an off-balance gait, slipped through.
The gunshot rocked Clay. He moved from behind Michael, intending to run in after Jackie, the white light in his eyes intensifying. As the amalgamation with Evan strengthened, something washed over them, like an incoming tide nourishing a rocky shore. With Evan, Clay had found his purpose. If necessary, he would give his life to save Elena. He understood that there is no higher purpose for an adult who has passed his zenith, than to sacrifice his remaining years to preserve those of a child who had not yet had a chance to live.
Michael put his arm out. “Not yet.” Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a soft white luminosity beginning to build. He turned his head to see the amalgamation take hold of Clay. His eyes glowed with a pure white fury that sent goosebumps all over Michael’s skin. The air seemed to crackle around them. The ground hummed once again like a subwoofer brought to life by the energy moving around and through them.
Michael looked over at Sean. “Take out the headlights.” Michael turned to aim at the left headlight and Sean did the same for the right. Michael squeezed the trigger first, the crack of the rifle reverberating off the walls. An instant later, Sean did the same. The inside of the main room fell dark.
“Go!” Michael said to Clay. “We’ll cover you. Stay low when you head down the hall.”
Clay didn’t hesitate. The connection with Evan, with the Wächtergeist, now surging through him, he moved deftly toward the far-left corner to the door Jackie had gone through.
Sean and Michael saw his white eyes glow as he stood, half hiding behind the column and the door. Michael put up his hand signaling Clay to pause, then he and Sean scanned the row of windows with their night scopes. Nothing.
Michael looked up and swung his hand, motioning Clay to go through. Clay pulled the door open and paused as he saw deep red eyes staring back at him from the other end of the dimly lit hall. Jackie and Elena were in a mass on the floor on the left. A guard leaned on the right-hand wall, holding his shoulder. He looked weak and pale. ABCs glowered at him from behind them all, hatred emanating from him. “You!” he snarled and lifted his handgun, taking aim at Clay.
Out of the night, two thunderous booms shook the air and the windows nearest to ABCs exploded, sending glass in all directions. Jackie reached for Elena and pulled her closer. ABCs stepped backward, instinctively pulling his arm up as shards of glass pelted him. Clay launched himself down the hallway, keeping as low as he could. Two more reports from the rifles shattered more glass. Clay/Evan sprinted through as if it was a steady rain on a warm summer evening. A pause and two more reports bought precious time to close the distance. Unarmed, he had no defense other than the speed and enhanced hand-to-hand combat skills merging with Evan gave him.
As Clay reached the group at the end of the hall, ABCs lifted his gun and opened fire on the approaching form before him. Red eyes erupted with angry sparks as he let his fury fly. He was not a good shot with his left hand, but the bullets still struck Clay one after another. The first landed in the side of his abdomen, then another further up, and another went through at the outside top of his chest. ABCs was pulling the trigger as he lifted the gun, landing those first three shots but missing from there as he continued firing. The next few bullets snapped by Clay’s head as he took the last couple of off-balance steps. He leaped between Jackie and the guard and, maintaining his momentum, Clay did what came naturally—he lowered his shoulder and drove his full mass into the gut of The Alphabet King. As they crashed to the floor, the men slid in a tangled mass of rage into the back wall. ABCs’ head was pinned against it, bending his neck at an agonizing angle. Clay lifted himself up and rained down a flurry of wild punches. Ground and pound, Evan called it from somewhere in the back of his mind.
Jackie clambered to her feet. Unsteady, she stumbled toward the opposite wall looking for an opening to help Clay. Pausing, she looked in horror as she saw ABCs working to get his left hand, which still held the gun, under Clay. She leaped at them, grabbing the hand and wrist that held the weapon. She fought his inhuman strength. Blood poured from Clay’s wounds. He slowed a bit. ABCs saw his opening and jerked his arm away from Jackie’s grasp. The gun went off again and hit Jackie on the inside of her left arm, tearing through the flesh of her triceps. She spasmed forward in pain and ABCs lifted the gun, striking her on the forehead with the butt of the weapon. Once again, Jackie fell unconscious.
Clay pushed down on ABCs’ left arm in an attempt to immobilize the gun, but it was no use. Even with Evan, his strength waned from the gunshots. ABCs forced his right hand up around Clay’s neck and push him to the side. He rolled off his back and swung the gun around, pointing it directly into Clay’s face. He paused for a moment, a wicked smile crossing his face, his red eyes searing into the fading white light of Clay’s weakening glare. ABCs squeezed the trigger, but nothing happened. He looked down to see the slide of his handgun locked back, indicating an empty magazine. He cursed and swung the gun down on the side of Clay’s head.
ABCs pried himself up from the pile of bodies, looked down at the lifeless forms of Jackie and Clay, and spat at them as he threw the gun down to the floor. Wiping his face with his arm, he looked up to see Elena balled up on the floor, peering out through her arms, unable to speak. Staring at her mother’s motionless form, she sobbed softly.
The guard had shrunk down to the floor. He was losing consciousness. ABCs walked up to him and saw the knife from his kitchen sunk deep into the inside of his shoulder. Killed him with a knife to the shoulder? He looked back at Jackie, knowing she must be something special. A feeling of admiration passed through him as he wiped his arm over his face again. ABCs reached down and took the gun from the holster of the fallen man and then grabbed Elena. Not wanting to waste ammo, he turned and left them all there to die.
He wouldn’t be able to get them both out. This one will have to do. He picked Elena up around the waist, carrying her like a bundle of sticks. She kicked and screamed as he started up the hallway, walking boldly toward the shattered windows. As he passed the first opening, a shot rang from the darkness. A bullet struck the wall above his head. He squatted, struggling to make progress carrying the little girl. He set her down on her feet and grabbed her by the wrist. She leaned away to resist him as he dragged her down the hall, screaming for her mother.
𓂓
The single shot that struck Jackie’s arm had spurred Michael into changing the game plan. He was out of ammo for the Remington anyway, so he set it down and signaled for Sean to cover him as he went for his Glock, which had been dropped somewhere near the spot he had collapsed. Michael peered cautiously at the fallen guard near the wall who had shot him before moving out into the courtyard.
Sean saw The Alphabet King emerge from the darkness of the hallway. He had him in his scope, but he was walking strangely. Small arms and legs came in and out of view and Sean understood, he was carrying Elena. Not wanting to lose his chance, Sean took aim and fired a shot well over ABCs’ head. If ABCs had seen Michael in the courtyard, he may have opened fire. He couldn’t be sure. This way, ABCs would drop down out of view and Sean wouldn’t risk hurting Elena.
Michael jumped at the unexpected shot, then moved more quickly toward the spot he thought his gun would be. He looked around in the darkness for a moment and saw the glint of the Glock. He knelt to pick it up, knocked it against his palm to get the dirt off, and pulled back the slide. One in the chamber. He was sure the clip had a few rounds left. That’s all he needed. He turned to Sean, who signaled that he had seen someone in the hall. Michael turned in his crouch and raised the gun. He didn’t see anything. He looked back to Sean, who mouthed something to him in hushed tones. He stood and tracked back to him so he wouldn’t have to shout, keeping his aim up at the hallway. When he got close enough, he heard Sean. “ABCs has Elena and he’s heading up the hall.”
Michael reversed directions and loped toward the far corner where Jackie had stood, where Clay had gone through running into gunfire unarmed. He’d heard the gunshots but didn’t know what had happened. As he approached the door, he heard Elena’s struggling cries. Staying low, he came around and through the broken windows of the main room, stopping at the same column. He leaned his head in to look down the hall and saw ABCs hunched low, clutching Elena’s hand while he pushed his handgun into his waistband. Then he saw his hand move to the handle of the nearest door and begin to open it.
The guard looked shocked. “What if we can’t make it back? There is sure to be some fallout from this raid.”
ABCs shrugged as if to say, So, and turned to look him hard in the eyes, red flints spinning around his irises. “Why do you care so much?”
Creeped out by the intensity of the red glow in those eyes, the guard feigned indifference and shrugged too. “Fine.”
Giving the guard a final suspicious look, ABCs took one of the guns and turned to exit the bathroom. He didn’t look down the hall as he stepped across and shoved open the door into Carmen’s room. The three women huddled on the bed around Elena.
“I thought I told you two to go back to your room.” He raised his handgun and gestured toward Frederica and Rosaria. “This time, I mean it.” The red glow in his eyes intensified.
Terrified at the sight, Frederica and Rosaria gave Carmen a reassuring glance and slid from the bed, making their way out of the room. The guard followed them out, pushed them into the next room, and shoved the door closed. He rested his hand on the door and hung his head for a moment, doubting whether he could sentence these women to be left alone in a locked room deep in the middle of nowhere. The idea of that type of death sentence disturbed even his compromised soul. He knew who they were. He had seen them perform. He believed, as many did, that they were nothing short of Incan royalty. Turning the lever to lock the bolt, he vowed silently that he would return for them no matter what, then turned to go back into Carmen’s room.
“What took you so long?” ABCs said without looking back.
From behind, the guard bristled while cutting him an annoyed look.
“Get the girl.”
Resignedly, he walked toward Carmen. She rarely saw him without his sunglasses. He only risked taking them off when they were alone. Her eyes met his for a moment and she whispered, “Miguel, no.”
He hesitated. Miguel hadn’t heard his name in a while. ABCs just called him ‘guard’. He rarely even spoke to the other guards. They had become accustomed to staying silent so as not to draw any attention from their overbearing boss. Besides, the work was often so unsavory, they didn’t even want to discuss it. They couldn’t bear to talk of home. So, silence reigned.
Hesitating for an instant, he shrugged and began to take Elena from her.
Carmen grabbed her around the waist. “NO.”
“Let go,” ABCs said as he jutted his handgun at her.
Miguel pulled Elena a little more forcefully. She tried to squirm but, exhausted from the trials of the day, couldn’t manage much effort. He gave Carmen a pleading look in an effort to let her know that it would be easier to let go rather than fight.
Her eyes hardened, conveying she intended to make her stand. She had been cooperating since her capture, biding her time. But she looked to be done with that.
Miguel could see it in her eyes. He adjusted his grip under the girl’s arms and used his strength to pull her free.
Carmen fought more intensely now, grunting as she tried to keep hold.
ABCs stepped forward and jammed the barrel of the handgun into her forehead, knocking her back on the bed.
Elena came alive as Miguel lifted her. She kicked and flailed, her soft cries growing louder, more intense. He pulled her in tight, but handled her gently, as he would one of his own children. Miguel gave ABCs a contemptuous look that went unnoticed, then turned away from Carmen, averting his gaze from the abuse she was about to take, and stepped toward the door.
𓂓
Unintimidated, Carmen looked up at ABCs with a loathing that had festered for years. His intense red eyes glared back at her. He pushed the barrel of his gun into her forehead.
“You’re a low-level demon, nothing more,” she spat at him with contempt.
The Alphabet King howled at Carmen, “I am Armando Beltrain Cardentias! No one speaks to me this way!”
“I remember the stories you shared, poco hefe, while lying in bed next to me after you finished, my arms still handcuffed to the metal rails of the headboard. What, did you think we were friends? Lovers? Did you think sharing stories of compassion after raping me would win my affection?”
ABCs paused, remembering the intimate moments he would always savor. His demeanor softened. “I—”
Carmen cut him off. “You know, we all call you Little Armando. We all know your real story,” she taunted him. “I wonder, does your monogrammed underwear still hang from the rape tree?”
ABCs’ face contorted into a mix of hurt and hatred. “That is not what happened.” He had fooled himself into thinking that some part of her did not completely despise him—that, one day, he would not need to force her. Enraged by his own delusions, his own foolishness, he pulled his hand back to deliver a lazy backhand slap with the gun. But she reared back, letting it pass in front of her. Pushing up on her hands, she got her feet under herself and sprang from the bed with surprising ferocity. ABCs stepped back in shock as she pushed his arm with the gun down and swung over in a wild arc, slapping him openhanded on the face. He stepped back as she attempted to claw by him and make for the guard holding Elena.
“Miguel!” she cried out.
He didn’t turn. The tenderness she’d shown him in the past made little difference now. Miguel knew he had no say in Carmen’s fate. At this point, he could only protect the girl. She couldn’t be allowed to see this. No one, especially a woman, defied The Alphabet King.
ABCs pushed Carmen down on the floor with his weight and swung the gun back around to bear on her. She scrambled to her knees and raised her head to face him. He didn’t want this to escalate any further. He did not want to damage his property. He profited from her being there.
With a scowl on her face, Carmen reached up for the gun and shoved it away, standing up, flailing violently, uncontrollably landing forceful blows with the heels of her clenched fists.
ABCs had to close his eyes and pull his head back a bit. He pulled both hands up to shove her away and she grabbed them, fighting to resist with all her might. Without warning, a gunshot cracked in the room. ABCs realized he’d had his finger on the trigger and the gun had shifted in the scuffle. He’d accidentally shot his greatest Prize.
Carmen fell to the ground, limp, blood pooling out from under her, a blank stare on a face that only a moment ago was so alive. The celebrated yet tragic life faded, then slipped away from the leader of the Paititi Three.
Her body spasmed for a few seconds, then, in an instant, she was gone.
Chapter Sixteen
Her leg throbbing with pain, her head pounding, it took Jackie some time to make it down the hall without being noticed. She approached the open door and heard the scuffle inside, Elena crying out loud. A woman’s defiant rage echoed from within. What is going on? She stopped, hidden in the shadows as a guard emerged from the room holding Elena tight to his chest. Jackie flattened along the wall a few paces away. She clenched the knife in her right hand, the blade pointing down, her thumb locked over the end of the handle. The guard was hunched over, looking down, and didn’t notice her. The explosion of the gunfire erupted from the room, causing a jolt of fear to pass through her. The guard’s head jerked back to the door, then his gaze fell. He loosened his grip on Elena and she slid through his arms to the floor. He gripped her shoulders to keep her there. Jackie thought she saw a look of sadness pass over him. He seemed to soften a bit.
Time to act. She charged forward out of the shadows and lifted her right arm up across her front, gripping the knife with the blade pointing down, thumb pressing the end of the handle to ensure it would go deep. She closed the gap quickly, then leaped up and, with a downward arc, drove the knife down into the soft gap between his neck and deltoid, behind the collar bone. In the gym with Evan, she had learned a few deadly techniques from him. The wound would severely debilitate him. If she cut an artery, he would bleed out internally.
The guard jerked up his head in anguish as she landed to his right and twisted the blade. He gave a guttural yell and released Elena. His right arm useless, Miguel twisted toward her and swung a powerful left open hand, striking Jackie in the face. Her head snapped to the side and she fell to the ground.
She raised a hand—dazed eyes met Elena’s.
“Momma!” she cried and reached out to her.
Miguel pushed Elena away with his left arm and shoved Jackie back with his right foot. By that time, ABCs had emerged from the room.
He gave Jackie a quick kick in her side as he pointed the gun at her head. “Oh, I love your spirit,” he sneered.
She looked up at his glowing red eyes, defiance shining through, and snarled, “You love nothing.”
He shrugged. “Maybe. But we’ll have plenty of time to discuss it. For now, I need you a bit more tame.” He paused for moment. “I imagine you’ll still be useful with a few broken ribs.” ABCs stepped back, lining up a harsher kick just as two gunshots rang out, jolting him out of the moment.
𓂓
A few minutes earlier, when they saw Jackie the first time, Sean had whispered the news to Clay, who stepped forward and peered over Michael’s shoulder. At first, he hadn’t seen anything, then suddenly, her silhouette appeared like an angel, softly illuminated from behind by the dimming lights of the SUV parked behind the main room.
She was giving hand signals.
Sean had relayed the message, “She saw two men down the hall. I think she’s going to—”
Muffled cries from inside interrupted him.
Clay saw Jackie’s attention snap back to the hallway and without hesitating, she flung the door open and, with an off-balance gait, slipped through.
The gunshot rocked Clay. He moved from behind Michael, intending to run in after Jackie, the white light in his eyes intensifying. As the amalgamation with Evan strengthened, something washed over them, like an incoming tide nourishing a rocky shore. With Evan, Clay had found his purpose. If necessary, he would give his life to save Elena. He understood that there is no higher purpose for an adult who has passed his zenith, than to sacrifice his remaining years to preserve those of a child who had not yet had a chance to live.
Michael put his arm out. “Not yet.” Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a soft white luminosity beginning to build. He turned his head to see the amalgamation take hold of Clay. His eyes glowed with a pure white fury that sent goosebumps all over Michael’s skin. The air seemed to crackle around them. The ground hummed once again like a subwoofer brought to life by the energy moving around and through them.
Michael looked over at Sean. “Take out the headlights.” Michael turned to aim at the left headlight and Sean did the same for the right. Michael squeezed the trigger first, the crack of the rifle reverberating off the walls. An instant later, Sean did the same. The inside of the main room fell dark.
“Go!” Michael said to Clay. “We’ll cover you. Stay low when you head down the hall.”
Clay didn’t hesitate. The connection with Evan, with the Wächtergeist, now surging through him, he moved deftly toward the far-left corner to the door Jackie had gone through.
Sean and Michael saw his white eyes glow as he stood, half hiding behind the column and the door. Michael put up his hand signaling Clay to pause, then he and Sean scanned the row of windows with their night scopes. Nothing.
Michael looked up and swung his hand, motioning Clay to go through. Clay pulled the door open and paused as he saw deep red eyes staring back at him from the other end of the dimly lit hall. Jackie and Elena were in a mass on the floor on the left. A guard leaned on the right-hand wall, holding his shoulder. He looked weak and pale. ABCs glowered at him from behind them all, hatred emanating from him. “You!” he snarled and lifted his handgun, taking aim at Clay.
Out of the night, two thunderous booms shook the air and the windows nearest to ABCs exploded, sending glass in all directions. Jackie reached for Elena and pulled her closer. ABCs stepped backward, instinctively pulling his arm up as shards of glass pelted him. Clay launched himself down the hallway, keeping as low as he could. Two more reports from the rifles shattered more glass. Clay/Evan sprinted through as if it was a steady rain on a warm summer evening. A pause and two more reports bought precious time to close the distance. Unarmed, he had no defense other than the speed and enhanced hand-to-hand combat skills merging with Evan gave him.
As Clay reached the group at the end of the hall, ABCs lifted his gun and opened fire on the approaching form before him. Red eyes erupted with angry sparks as he let his fury fly. He was not a good shot with his left hand, but the bullets still struck Clay one after another. The first landed in the side of his abdomen, then another further up, and another went through at the outside top of his chest. ABCs was pulling the trigger as he lifted the gun, landing those first three shots but missing from there as he continued firing. The next few bullets snapped by Clay’s head as he took the last couple of off-balance steps. He leaped between Jackie and the guard and, maintaining his momentum, Clay did what came naturally—he lowered his shoulder and drove his full mass into the gut of The Alphabet King. As they crashed to the floor, the men slid in a tangled mass of rage into the back wall. ABCs’ head was pinned against it, bending his neck at an agonizing angle. Clay lifted himself up and rained down a flurry of wild punches. Ground and pound, Evan called it from somewhere in the back of his mind.
Jackie clambered to her feet. Unsteady, she stumbled toward the opposite wall looking for an opening to help Clay. Pausing, she looked in horror as she saw ABCs working to get his left hand, which still held the gun, under Clay. She leaped at them, grabbing the hand and wrist that held the weapon. She fought his inhuman strength. Blood poured from Clay’s wounds. He slowed a bit. ABCs saw his opening and jerked his arm away from Jackie’s grasp. The gun went off again and hit Jackie on the inside of her left arm, tearing through the flesh of her triceps. She spasmed forward in pain and ABCs lifted the gun, striking her on the forehead with the butt of the weapon. Once again, Jackie fell unconscious.
Clay pushed down on ABCs’ left arm in an attempt to immobilize the gun, but it was no use. Even with Evan, his strength waned from the gunshots. ABCs forced his right hand up around Clay’s neck and push him to the side. He rolled off his back and swung the gun around, pointing it directly into Clay’s face. He paused for a moment, a wicked smile crossing his face, his red eyes searing into the fading white light of Clay’s weakening glare. ABCs squeezed the trigger, but nothing happened. He looked down to see the slide of his handgun locked back, indicating an empty magazine. He cursed and swung the gun down on the side of Clay’s head.
ABCs pried himself up from the pile of bodies, looked down at the lifeless forms of Jackie and Clay, and spat at them as he threw the gun down to the floor. Wiping his face with his arm, he looked up to see Elena balled up on the floor, peering out through her arms, unable to speak. Staring at her mother’s motionless form, she sobbed softly.
The guard had shrunk down to the floor. He was losing consciousness. ABCs walked up to him and saw the knife from his kitchen sunk deep into the inside of his shoulder. Killed him with a knife to the shoulder? He looked back at Jackie, knowing she must be something special. A feeling of admiration passed through him as he wiped his arm over his face again. ABCs reached down and took the gun from the holster of the fallen man and then grabbed Elena. Not wanting to waste ammo, he turned and left them all there to die.
He wouldn’t be able to get them both out. This one will have to do. He picked Elena up around the waist, carrying her like a bundle of sticks. She kicked and screamed as he started up the hallway, walking boldly toward the shattered windows. As he passed the first opening, a shot rang from the darkness. A bullet struck the wall above his head. He squatted, struggling to make progress carrying the little girl. He set her down on her feet and grabbed her by the wrist. She leaned away to resist him as he dragged her down the hall, screaming for her mother.
𓂓
The single shot that struck Jackie’s arm had spurred Michael into changing the game plan. He was out of ammo for the Remington anyway, so he set it down and signaled for Sean to cover him as he went for his Glock, which had been dropped somewhere near the spot he had collapsed. Michael peered cautiously at the fallen guard near the wall who had shot him before moving out into the courtyard.
Sean saw The Alphabet King emerge from the darkness of the hallway. He had him in his scope, but he was walking strangely. Small arms and legs came in and out of view and Sean understood, he was carrying Elena. Not wanting to lose his chance, Sean took aim and fired a shot well over ABCs’ head. If ABCs had seen Michael in the courtyard, he may have opened fire. He couldn’t be sure. This way, ABCs would drop down out of view and Sean wouldn’t risk hurting Elena.
Michael jumped at the unexpected shot, then moved more quickly toward the spot he thought his gun would be. He looked around in the darkness for a moment and saw the glint of the Glock. He knelt to pick it up, knocked it against his palm to get the dirt off, and pulled back the slide. One in the chamber. He was sure the clip had a few rounds left. That’s all he needed. He turned to Sean, who signaled that he had seen someone in the hall. Michael turned in his crouch and raised the gun. He didn’t see anything. He looked back to Sean, who mouthed something to him in hushed tones. He stood and tracked back to him so he wouldn’t have to shout, keeping his aim up at the hallway. When he got close enough, he heard Sean. “ABCs has Elena and he’s heading up the hall.”
Michael reversed directions and loped toward the far corner where Jackie had stood, where Clay had gone through running into gunfire unarmed. He’d heard the gunshots but didn’t know what had happened. As he approached the door, he heard Elena’s struggling cries. Staying low, he came around and through the broken windows of the main room, stopping at the same column. He leaned his head in to look down the hall and saw ABCs hunched low, clutching Elena’s hand while he pushed his handgun into his waistband. Then he saw his hand move to the handle of the nearest door and begin to open it.
