Essex circled. Stalking. Thick fingers massaged the knife grip, itching for the connection with flesh. A predator fixated on the long-awaited meal. The pounce. An intricate set of fast-paced attacks ensued, forcing Aaron to scramble to stay out of reach of that dangerous blade.
Shit! Well, at least I know for sure what I’m dealing with. This was the treacherous fighting style from those years ago, though beyond sparring opponents, the only recipients of that pent-up destructive fury had been the mission objectives. Or anyone who got in the way.
They both had the years and mileage since, but Essex was still quick. And tricky. Aaron ducked and rolled. A kick back caught Essex with a solid boot to the thigh. Falling hard, Essex managed to twist, and the knife slid across Aaron’s shoulder as he rolled away. That biting draw across flesh turned to dampness on his shirt. It wasn’t deep, but still. Do better.
Back on his feet, he backed off a bit as Essex regained his, the big man’s eyes beaming at having drawn first blood. Aaron would still force Essex to attack, make him have to work just that much harder.
Several more attacks. Labored breathing increased for both. A growing fatigue, though minute, displayed in Essex. Could there be an opening to end this soon? Or was it a well-laid trap? They locked together, a dangerous embrace, each striving to drive their blade through the other’s face, fateful grips struggling to eliminate life, or at least inflict damage.
“Had enough yet, boy? Ready to give up?” Essex’s hand contracted, gripping shirt fabric and what lay underneath. He snarled in Aaron’s face. “This shit body armor won’t save you in this contest!”
In answer, Aaron headbutted him.
Nose crushed, Essex howled and shoved Aaron. He backed off, flipping blood from his face. Crimson droplets splashed to the roof deck. He cackled. In a flash, he closed on Aaron again.
Aaron spun and sliced Essex across the back of the neck as the big man slid by him, then jumped back, only just saving his lower extremities from Essex’s broad blade. Very close. Too close. Essex at once sprang back in and grabbed Aaron, searching for the kill.
Aaron twisted hard. He wrenched from Essex’s grasp, flung him aside, and delivered a devastating blow to the side of his head.
Essex collapsed to his hands and knees. Attempting to shake off the lightning of pain that bombarded his skull, he wobbled as he got his feet back under him. “You little fucker! You won’t take me!” He rocked back on his heels.
Aaron moved in to end this deceitful game.
“Maybe I should have told you what happens to her if you kill me!” Essex spouted through clenched teeth.
A stifled whimper sounded from across the roof.
The tip of Aaron’s blade halted, millimeters from the top of Essex’s skull. Momentum interrupted, he stepped back, well out of reach of the large man. His gaze jerked to Alex. Enfolded in the grip of one of the captors, a large hand wrapped tight on her throat, one arm held twisted too far behind her back.
Essex’s implication ripped at his heart. With it rigged like this, there was no way he could win. No way he could finish Essex and keep Alex safe and alive. You dirty son of a bitch. Essex couldn’t see the anguish that crossed Aaron’s features. Aaron rested hands on knees, catching his breath. A short reprieve. Time to think. Where was Les?
Essex’s draconian enjoyment ruled this game. The fiend would just keep at it. If any kind of decisive play presented for Aaron, he could not act. Alex would die. Okay. Fine. Just keep on, buy the time with his pain, take the beating. At some point a real opportunity would present itself.
A resigned sigh. Aaron swiped at his eyes, straightened, flipped his knife. Catching the handle, he gripped it, blade back against his forearm once more. He nodded at Essex. Satisfaction dressed the big man’s face as he jumped back to his feet. If Essex wanted a show, Aaron would give it to him. He had more than enough incentive to keep Alex and himself alive.
Aaron stood fast near the edge of the roof. Thick black smoke rolled up in billowing waves behind him. Imperative now that he find a way to end this soon as Essex’s gaming attempt to wear him out was achieving some success. Fatigued muscles screamed for rest. Various places would soon show purple where his attacker had landed blows. An old shoulder injury renewed its presence.
A risked glance in Alex’s direction. She stood once more against the wall, the unwanted coat crumpled at her feet. Too stubborn for her own good. The two guards stood, attentive and ready to execute orders, the injured third settled next to his downed cohort, pistol lodged in his good hand. She ignored them, her arms folded in front of her, hands gripping her shoulders, anxious gaze riveted on him and his antagonist. Being witness to this encounter was taking a decided toll on her too. This is just ridiculous! If only she didn’t have those two assault rifles pointed at her…
Motion. A sudden lunge by Essex. Jarred back into combat mode, Aaron made a lateral dodge to evade the flashing blade. The hasty move cost him precious footing. In a blink, Essex switched from a torso-aimed attack, taking advantage of Aaron’s stumble and twisting low for his legs. Just catching his balance, Aaron leaped straight up. The wicked knife dissected empty air. Without the expected solid contact, a now unsteady Essex pitched sideways and crashed to the roof.
To avoid his landing placing him right back in harm’s way, Aaron kicked off from the man’s bulky shoulder. A loud huff issued as his boots struck Essex’s muscled flesh.
Essex rolled and swiveled. A burly hand shot out to grab at Aaron’s ankle. The fiend blundered a decent grip but held on just long enough to pull Aaron’s foot and trip him.
Aaron slammed facedown on the roof deck. Impact knocked his breath from him and sent his weapon flying. The knife bounced just beyond reach. He scrambled and kicked, gulping air, fighting to fill straining lungs. Pain that had shot across his chest subsided. Thank God no broken ribs. Meaty hands grasped at his legs.
Essex clawed and dragged, at last gaining a firm hold on one pant leg. Aaron responded with a twisting kick. His boot smashed Essex’s cheek, but the man just grunted a curse and held on. With a second blow producing similar results, Aaron tried rolling to twist out of the hand lock. In answer, Essex yanked and rammed down his elbow. Aaron stifled a yelp as the large joint pummeled just above his knee, and he bit down against the resultant surge of pain.
Legs now trapped under Essex’s advancing bulk, he fought to keep the man’s knife from causing him irreparable harm. He slapped away the slashing blade twice. A third deflection brought a scorching sting when the edge raked along his forearm. Essex couldn’t gain decent leverage in his current position of crawling forward on his belly, only able to raise his weapon arm so far, thus sparing Aaron worse injury. Still, it left Aaron with a deep laceration from elbow to wrist. Dammit! In stark contrast to the burning wound, blood tickled as it oozed from the gash. It dripped from his right elbow and began to slowly soak the side of his shirt as he struggled.
Essex crawled farther. “Let me see your eyes!” he hissed. “I want to watch the light go out when you die!” With that and a burst of incredible power, Essex reared up, both ample hands clamped around the grip of his knife.
He drove straight down at Aaron’s throat. Pinned on his back, Aaron instinctively shot his arms up to halt the big blade. Essex bore down with all his upper-body strength to drive the dagger home, intent only on doing severe bodily damage to the man he held captive.
Aaron pressed him back. Sharpness trapped flat between gloved palms, sides of his hands jammed against the hilt, Aaron’s grip held safe from most damage the honed edge could effect. He fought with all he had to keep that large point from penetrating him.
The blade inched closer. Essex, holding the upper position, retained advantage. And the added ballast. The savage growled and grimaced as he compressed his weight down on his quarry.
“I always win! Always!” Saliva and perspiration dripped from his ruddy face. “Time for you to end!”
Trapped on his back, sweat-soaked and blood
ied, Aaron was no match for him, remaining as he was, stuck under this beast. The muscles of his arms and chest were tasked to near collapse with the exertion of holding back the thrusting, crushing mass. The ruinous tip of that knife indented the neck of his shirt. Sharp steel pierced the material and pricked at his skin. He couldn’t maintain this tension much longer.
I can’t go out like this… And Alex… Fuck no! Not happening! With the big man’s concentration fixated on sinking the blade, Aaron managed to work one leg free. Boot heel planted… just enough leverage…
With a twist to the side, Aaron shoved as hard as he could and rolled, throwing Essex.
Essex’s pupils dilated as he found himself catapulted by a strength unexpected from his intended victim. Battling to steady himself in midair, he toppled to the side and crashed in a cursing heap on his back. Squirming and screaming, he tried to right himself. Blinded by desperation now and his fury at a perceived failure, he lashed out with his weapon arm and swung hard. A solid strike. Sadistic, sated crowing escaped his lips.
White-hot agony exploded along Aaron’s left side. A piercing jolt of cold steel. The blade had sunk just below the bottom hem of his vest. So much for the damn body armor. He sucked in a ragged breath and gritted his teeth against the impact, biting back his own scream as Alex’s echoed across the rooftop. She wouldn’t take seeing that well… Please don’t move, hon…
Hoping vital organs and anything else important had been missed, he scrambled away before Essex regained equilibrium. The giant blade plunged hard again, this time planting deep into roof sheeting as the maniac failed in his attempt at another blow.
Aaron snagged his knife on the way and staggered a retreat to near the building’s edge. Breath coming in rasps, he tried to retain some semblance of control. He took stock of his injuries. The bleeding from his forearm had slowed. A brief inspection of his side revealed the stab wound, just above and to the inside of his hip bone. It appeared more superficial than it felt, though still a sizable incision. If only that damn vest had been an inch longer…
Precious blood leaked in a stream to saturate his waistband. He lowered his shirt and pressed his hands firmly to help stanch the flow, swallowing hard against the resultant blitz of pain. Training had taught him suppression techniques, but following this grueling contest, those were proving elusive.
Those conditionings of the initiates, as they’d been termed, included enduring arduous tortures. The purpose told them being twofold; to learn control of their own pain for survival and to teach what various injuries would do to anatomy, making them more efficient at information retrieval. Aaron’s personal opinion was that some of the handlers just enjoyed abuse. Regardless, he had learned, and he drew from that now.
The severity of sensation from his wound lessened from sheer will or natural endorphins. Or shock. Remaining ever mindful, he kept a wary eye on Essex. The big man reestablished his footing, rotated his shoulders, and made quite the show of stretching and swinging his arms.
“Aww, come on! You can’t give up now. We’re just getting started!” Essex spread his hands in invitation back to the fray. “This is so enjoyable!” He turned his attention to Alex. “Nice show, eh? Quite the performance.” He grinned.
With a gaze into her furious eyes, a covetous look swept his features. He raised his blade between them. Stained with Aaron’s blood, he gave it a slow rotation, once more pervading an emotional torture. The brute’s expression personified that of a famished animal. Fixated on the red metal glistening in front of him, his eyes closed and his tongue skimmed the entire length of one side. Blade sliding down past his open mouth, he lifted his lids to meet Alex’s horrified stare. Blood dribbled off the end of his tongue. He licked his lips clean and shrugged.
Offering her a slight bow and a wink, he said, “And I am so glad you let him come out to play.”
Aaron took in the scene before him. Why, oh why, had he ever allowed Alex into this mess? Tumultuous emotions radiated from her, mirroring the revulsion clouding her face. Though excruciating, this little display from Essex did at least show him something. Essex was growing tired too. This short garrulous break was nothing but a bid for recovery time. Not that Aaron didn’t appreciate the respite as well. But now, stepped back in observation, he could read the heaviness plain as day.
Three muffled thump-cracks. The guards to either side of Alex jerked and collapsed at her feet. The man Aaron had injured earlier slumped to one side. Claret splatter painted the wall. She yanked her vision from Essex to the now prone bodies on the ground beside her—and eww!—their partially missing skulls! Helmets were no match for that kind of ammunition. Les… Yes!
A welcome jolt of hope kicked through her. In that split second, she looked back to Aaron, then knelt and grabbed her pistol off the guard she’d taken out earlier.
Without hesitation, Essex dropped his blade, produced a grenade, and pulled the pin. He spread his arms wide, his bellowing laugh echoing across the rooftop.
“This is what I live for!” He flipped the pin away and pointed a finger at Alex. “And just what do you think you’re gonna do with that?”
Alex kept her pistol aimed. Not this again! An insidious reminder of the ship, that final heartbreaking event. But this time she was armed. She stood her ground.
Essex glanced back over to Aaron with an evil sneer. “This little lady’s got some backbone! Wonder if she’ll stay as graciously in your corner once she knows everything?” A contemptuous giggle and he relaxed his stance, giving Alex a sympathetic gaze. “Let me tell you a little story, my dear, a tale of enlightenment for you that I’m fairly sure you’re not aware of. Your ‘boyfriend’ here? You see, he’s just like me. A ruthless, cold-blooded killer. Trained by the same people, part of the same elite team back in the day. The things he’s done? Oh, the stories I could tell you. You think you’re with someone honorable? You think you’re protecting something good? You really should allow me the opportunity to prove to you just how very mistaken you really are.”
Alex just stared back at Essex. No more bullshit. “Guess you didn’t get the memo that I was actually on the ship too?” She eyed him. “I know what he does. And I really don’t give a crap about anything you have to say to me. Or what you think you know or don’t know. So just don’t.”
“Ah. It’s not just about killing a few bad guys and saving some people. There’s a whole lot more to it, to why I’m even here. You have to be curious. You can’t just not want to know.”
“I know more than you think. And I know all I need to.” Alex took a step toward Essex, never wavering from her target. What she’d witnessed in recent hours had pushed her way beyond any fear. “You can’t tell me anything I’d believe, not coming from you anyway.”
Essex’s expression softened. “My dear, just why do you really think we were chosen for our previous operations? Because we are talented fighters? Because we can overcome almost any physical situation we’re thrown into? Oh, so much more!” His eyes narrowed, taunting her, and he tapped the side of his head with a finger. “You may not believe me. But I bet you have believed every single thing you’ve ever heard from him. Haven’t you? There’s a talent there that most don’t possess. The ability to convince most anyone of anything based on a quick psychological profile. It doesn’t take much time. And it’s a means to an end. I’ll guarantee that, just like me, he knew who you were and exactly how to manipulate you within the first few minutes of meeting you. How to lie straight to your face and make you believe. Make you believe anything! Beyond a shadow of a doubt. You’ll find we are both very, very skilled at that.”
Raising an eyebrow, Alex provided Essex a mocking frown. Seriously? What her antagonist failed to realize was that over the past couple of months, Aaron had confided a good part of his past to her. Nowhere near everything, but enough for her to understand the haunting reality of it. The way those events tormented him proved he could never be a willing part of anything so disturbing. He’d left it for a reason, and
that decision had shown her so much more of the truth of who he really was.
Essex went on. “You believe he loves you? I’ve seen that play before too. Setups to get us close to our targets. Extremely easy to pull off. And, to reiterate, a means to an end. You’ll wake up one day and you’ll realize fully that what I’ve told you here today is true. He doesn’t love you. You’re just a stepping-stone with benefits. Just a cover to hide a true identity. You are being used, my dear. You’re too trusting. The sooner you come to terms with that, the better off you’ll be.” His beady eyes took on a suggestive glint. “Not bothered yet, girlie? I can recount for you as many of his racy details as you’d like.”
“Don’t!”
“Oho ho!” Essex howled out at the uncommon desperation pervading Aaron’s cry. “There it is! A reaction at last! I’ll break you yet!” He spun back to face his prey. “So that’s what it takes! You really haven’t told her everything, have you? Oh my God, man! Do you even know who you really are? You were taught and trained to perform and betray and not feel a damn thing! All those entrapments and lies? You know you loved it. You’ve played so many roles I’m amazed you even remembered your real name! Nothing about you is real!”
Essex’s insinuations sent a sick cringe cascading through Alex. Not to mention the crushing wave of hurt and disgust that crashed into her from across the roof. Her mouth went dry. This was the taboo part of Aaron’s previous life, what he’d been so averse to telling her about. She clamped her teeth tight against the burn of welling tears. No! This loathsome fiend would never get to her like this!
So what if Aaron hadn’t told her? He hadn’t because of his own regret at any abhorrent actions, not because he wanted to hide secrets from her. It all sank in now. He desired faith and trust from her and couldn’t bring himself to admit what he felt might diminish her regard. And with all they were to each other, he deserved her faith.
Off the Deep End Page 27