Marsala’s hand shot up breaking the stock off with a painful crunch, freeing my head and left hand. I opened the knife in my hand and shoved it into the wolf’s gut, then I jerked the blade up through the ribs. Blood gushed out like I’d pierced a water balloon, coating us all. The knife cut straight through its heart. It collapsed half on top of Ren.
Vixen was screaming, and I saw the enforcer crawling across the wall towards me. Desperately, I jammed the blade into the lock and cut my right arm free. I jumped out of the way just in time to dodge the arachnataur as it landed where I’d been only a second ago. I crouched down and switched the blade to my right hand.
My best guns did nothing to this freak before, and now I am facing it with only a four inch pocketknife and no shields. I’m only a regular human now. . . . I don’t stand a chance.
All eyes were on me. Well almost. Looking around the beast, I could see Cassie moving. She’s alive! Better yet she still has her arm free! No one had bothered checking her restraints when they tied Vicki back up. Cassie looked around for a second taking in the situation, then reached inside the rags of her shirt. She ripped the locket off the chain and twisted the blade out. Then she went to work cutting her other restraints off.
If I could keep everybody’s attention for a bit she would be free. Time to pour on the charm.
“You are without a doubt the most disgusting, foul, creepy, ugly, annoying, putrid, freaky, sickening, smelly, horrific, fucked up monster I have ever seen.”
It stopped moving and blinked all its eyes at me. Then it raised up putting its hands against its chest. “Thank you,” it said fangs clicking together.
Wonderful! I just inadvertently complimented the monster.
I glanced at Cassie again. She had all but one leg free. Another few seconds was all she needed. I tried to force my shields to work again. Nothing happened. Doc knew just where to hit me to make me vulnerable.
I screamed and ran straight towards the enforcer for an attack.
It bellowed and charged at me in return.
I dropped to the ground and let my momentum slide me underneath it. Using the knife, I cut a line through its underside as I slid. It screamed and wavered before turning to face me again.
I scrambled to my feet. As soon as I had a clear shot I threw the knife. It hit the dead center of the creature’s throat. The thing reared up and began to thrash around as it clawed at its throat.
The distraction was enough. I saw Cassie on the other side of the room. She had my sword in her hands. Good thing I never got the chance to retract the blade since my shields weren’t working now to do it. She made it all the way up to stab the old–purple haired–Kieran in the leg with it before she was seen. Vixen howled in pain. Her shields flared to life tossing Cassie across the room like a rag doll.
“YURIC!!! WE COULD USE SOME HELP IN HERE!!! NOW!!!” I screamed towards the door we’d entered earlier. He came to me back at the Dark Towers when I’d called him before, it was worth a chance. Sadly, nothing changed.
Marsala had helped me earlier. Since no one else seemed to be coming to my immediate rescue, I figured he could help now. I ran to him and started to pull on his restraints.
“No! Let Tanaka out first! He can help you more than I can! Press the red button on the bottom of the front of his restraint.”
Why argue? Traitors or not I needed help quick. I just hope he isn’t a clone of the white werewolf and he starts attacking me.
I lunged for the red button as I heard the sound of the knife I had thrown hitting the ground. With a click Tanaka was free.
He stood up rubbing his neck with his good hand. “Thank you. Now please see to the others.”
Tanaka reached up and tore off his tattered shirt. His muscles bulged and rippled under his tattoos. And there on his shoulder, a set of claw marks deep into his flesh instead of a gunshot wound. Only his flesh didn’t look right. The muscles were grey, not red with blood.
Speaking of blood, his is, white?! White blood? What the hell am I looking at?
He rolled his head around and squared his shoulders before launching himself across the room at the arachnataur. With one hit the monster went flying into the wall with enough force to dent it.
Is it just me, or did Tanaka seem to be stronger then Marsala just now?
I rushed over and freed Emmy and Vicki. Emmy rushed to tend to the unconscious Cassie. Vicki stood a second and then started shaking. Her skin and clothes tore and split. Bones popped in and out of place as they grew. In only a single second she shifted. Much faster than I had known she could. There she stood. A cross between a cougar and a woman with a small dark heart and black stripes in her fur just above her tail. She hissed and threw herself at Doc.
Vixen was digging the sword out of her leg still. I decided to try and rush her. I was only four feet away when I hit her shields. She turned to glare at me with her face twisted in a growing rage.
Boy, do I look that scary when I’m pissed? No wonder people treat me the way they do.
She ripped the sword out of her leg and swung it at me.
I would like to say that I dodged it smoothly. However, truth be told, I tripped. I tripped on my own feet and fell backwards as the blade arced above me. That was too close. I lay on the ground waiting for her next strike. She raised the sword above her head. I had no time to get out of the way.
The sword came crashing down.
Silent gunfire filled the room. Four shots slammed into Vixen’s shields and exploded. I started to backpedal away from her as the gunfire continued. Cassie stepped up with my gun in her hand, handing me my throwing knives.
I grabbed the knives and threw two of them immediately at Vixen. They bounced harmlessly off her shields. Damn it, I knew better than that! I got to my feet as I saw movement out of the corner of my eye.
The arachnataur–Terric–flew across my vision in a blur, careening into Vixen. She stumbled and dropped the sword, falling under her own enforcers weight. I took a chance and tossed a knife at her head as she scrambled to her feet. She screamed and fell back to the ground cradling her face.
Did I hit her? Were her shields down?
Terric was bleeding all over, deep dark blood so red it was black, with two arms bent in unnatural ways. It was also missing its left fang. Tanaka sure had done a number on it. But it still lived. It raised up hissing and spitting dark blood at us.
The main doors blew open. Yuric, Ash, Sorrow, and Derrick all rushed in followed by an ocean of shifters and vampires. Apparently–by the way they were fighting–there were members of both sides in the group. The fight had spilled in to flood the room.
In the chaos Doc got away from Vicki, with a number of shredding claw marks all over his body. He ran over and threw the Jacob-clone on his shoulder then darted out the side door, moving surprisingly fast for his age.
Vixen stood next to the door a second then glared back at me. There was a cut straight up the left side of her face, splitting the cheek and eye in two with a pouring of blood and fluids.
I did hit her! If she doesn’t get to a healer soon that will be one hell of a scar, not to mention her being totally blind in one eye. Yay for me!
“I will kill you, you BITCH!!! Terric finish them!” She darted out the door behind Doc.
If Terric actually finishes me, then how exactly is she going to kill me?
The enforcer was ready to fight again. I drew the last three throwing knives and tossed them all at once at the monster. It flinched, throwing up the still working arms to block the attack. It was distracted.
I ran forward and lunged for the sword at its feet. As soon as it was in my grasp I brought the blade straight up. It cut deep, as it split the monster in two clear up to the chest before it slipped out.
They all said that most everything dies if you remove the head right? Well immortal or not, it will certainly have a hard time attacking me without a head.
I brought the bade up and severed the head clean off with a cross swing. T
he head landed by my feet, fang twitching as the rest of the body crumpled into a heap where it stood.
Yuric was suddenly staring over my shoulder. “Apparently they are not immortal after all.”
Thank goodness!
Chapter 28
The fighting continued for another hour. Then everyone either surrendered or was already dead. We won. The cost was great, but we won.
Now if only we could win once without losing so many lives on our side, or having the primary targets escaping.
Vixen and Doc escaped out a ventilation shaft in the other room. They were long gone without a trace. Everyone except my main group filed out of the room. We were left with a catatonic Ren and a still restrained Marsala. Perhaps this is a good time for some questions. Vicki tended to Ren as I interrogated Marsala.
“I bet you have a few questions.”
“Really Marsala, you think so? You said you would never betray me. You lied!” I hissed at him.
“Yes, and no. Allow me to explain. Kieran went overseas to investigate Jacob. She fell in love with his power and presence. She convinced him to return here with her, and to start building an empire for her. I loved her. It killed me to see her with him like that. But there was nothing I could do. Targ had forbidden me from becoming involved. I had to answer to him before the Council. He was my first Master. He was the one that made me. That is why I had to listen to him instead of the Council. I tried to convince Doc to help me bring her back. Instead she convinced him to help her. They knew that Amelia would never accept Kieran’s new life. So she created Vixen.
“When the time came, they presented the mindless clone as a decoy. The plan was that Amelia would accept that Kieran was dead and then no one would stand directly in the way of her empire. Then Kevin showed up. You were the kink in their plans. At first I was going to stop you, but I decided to support you instead. Vixen is extremely powerful when she wants to be. The best chance for anyone to fight her would to be to use her own powers against her. I was torn between my loyalties. I am truly sorry. I am yours to do with as you see fit.”
“Why didn’t you ever say anything earlier?”
“I was bound by honor to keep my silence.”
“Yuric, what’s your thoughts?”
Yuric floated up beside me. “I sense honesty in his words. He was a traitor in a fashion, but it was under orders. I believe he will be a faithful servant, after his punishment.”
“Punishment?”
“He defied the will of the Council by harboring information about Jacob from us. That cannot go unpunished. Do not worry, he will survive and in time will be returned to you for you to deal with. Of course we can dispose of him for you if you wish.”
“Emmy. I believe he wronged you the most here. It’s your call.”
She stepped up. She was crying and shaking. This has to be hard on her. Without a word she slapped him hard enough we all cringed.
“Take him,” she growled the whisper through tears and clenched teeth.
That was all she said.
“Alright Yuric. Take him for his punishment, but bring him back to me alive an in one piece. He helped Doc strip me of my psionics. I’m just a normal human now. He has to answer for that.”
“As you wish my child”
Well that had one of the traitorous men in my life dealt with for the moment.
I turned my focus to Tanaka. He ducked his head when I turned to him.
“My turn huh? Alright ask away.”
“Tanaka I want you to be honest with me. Are you a werewolf?”
He laughed a second, then stopped when he saw the frighteningly serious look on my face. “Sorry. Look I can honestly say that I am not, nor will I ever be a lycanthrope of any sort. It’s impossible.”
“Explain.”
I must be getting tired, my charm is slipping.
“I’m a cyborg. The only thing left of me that is organic is my brain, everything else is synthetic prosthetics. Here look.” He reached down and spread open a fresh wound across his abs. Fiberoptics blinked under the torn grey muscles and circuitry.
“You really are a cyborg?”
“Yeah, just like Charles. Didn’t you know?”
“I had no idea. I’m sorry I ever doubted you for an instant.”
It just occurred to me, if I would’ve asked him earlier it would’ve saved me a lot of hassle and worry. Oh well, that’s just my life.
* * *
It was three o’clock Christmas morning when we all got home bloody and broken.
That was officially the worse Christmas Eve party I ever went to.
We brought Ren and Emmy back with us. Yuric and Tanaka stayed behind to start the clean up on the Archives. I had reservations about leaving the vampire to clean up, but Tanaka assured me he’d keep everyone in line. We’d made quite a mess of things last night. In more way than one.
Cassie healed up fine as the night progressed. I was helping her get changed for bed when she asked the one question I wasn’t expecting.
“Big Sister? How long ago was it that you were a boy?”
“What?!”
“Arkon and others keep calling you Kevin. I heard what Vixen said. About her clone. You used to be a boy didn’t you?” Her adorable face was scrunched up with a confused look.
She’ll find out sooner or later. May as well get it over with.
“Yeah. I was a guy until only a couple of weeks ago. I’d made a few bad mistakes and the GCP Council sent me to Emmy so she could take away some of my memories. That was when Vixen dumped her clone.”
“So Big Sister Emmy took the brain out of your body and put into the clone’s?”
“Sort of. Just my memories and personality, not the brain itself.”
“That’s why you don’t act more like a girl then?”
I gave in and laughed. “Yep. I’m still just learning. You don’t think I make a good girl?”
She stood up on her bed and wrapped her arms around my neck.
“You may not always act like a girl, but you’re still the best Big Sister in the world.”
My heart melted as I hugged her. “Thanks. That means a lot coming from you.”
“Big Sister? Can I ask another question?”
“Sure. What is it?”
She pulled herself out of my arms and knelt down on the bed to stare at my stomach. Then she took a finger and poked me right in the belly piercing. “What’s that?”
I pulled up my tee so she could see the piercing and its teddy bear charm.
“The piercing came with the body. Don’t you like it?”
She flicked the bear back and forth with her finger, then lifted her shirt and stared down at her bare stomach, and then back up to me with hopeful eyes.
“Can I get one?” she begged.
Oh shit.
* * *
Mary was standing outside Cassie’s room when I left her sleeping soundly. The teenager squinted her eyes at me in an accusing stare.
“What?” I asked uneasy.
“Kevin? I heard what you said to Cassie. You’re a guy?!”
“No. That’s not–”
My words froze in my throat when she reached out and yanked up my shirt, exposing my still unrestrained breasts. She glared at them for a second before roughly grabbing one in each hand, mashing and pulling them in awkward directions to test if they were real.
“Ow! That hurts dammit!”
I pulled her hands off me and she glared at me even worse. Then her glare dropped to my crotch.
“I promise, the body is all female!” I blurted out to her in defense of my privates as I covered my crotch with my hands.
“But you’re a guy up there.” She roughly poked my forehead with a finger.
“Yeah. Look it’s a long story. You see–”
The angered glare on her face broke into a wide smile as she started laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
“It all makes sense now. You never had amnesia, you used to be
a guy! No wonder you can’t act more like a woman. Don’t worry. It’s alright. I won’t tell.”
“You’re not upset anymore?”
“No. You know why? Everyday these past weeks I kept waiting. You acted like such a guy, and you obviously liked women. I figured it would only take a short time before you started making passes at me. Stealing my underwear out of the laundry, sneaking peeks at me in the shower, a grope here and there. But nothing. You never made a move. And I’ve caught you looking. You get embarrassed and turn away when I walk out to the laundry in my underwear, and you always had an excuse so that we never ended up in the hot tub at the same time. Either you are a gentleman, or you don’t find me attractive at all.”
“You are very pretty Mary. I–” I stopped myself from blurting out the rest of how I saw her.
She smiled at my blush.
“Such a gentleman. You dirty boy!” she teased, leaning up to kiss me on the cheek before walking away. “I’m glad I got this job. Nowhere else in the world could be as interesting as the lives you all lead here.”
Interesting seems to be too tame a word for it.
* * *
Mary played the good hostess getting everyone into a bed for some much needed rest.
They put Ren in Vicki’s room to sleep off whatever Doc had done to her. No one was sure if she would come out of it unharmed or not. Cassie was asleep before her head touched the pillow. Poor kid had a rough night. Vicki crashed in my bed by herself. She was going to be furry for a few more hours. Something about changing back too soon making her sick or something. Mary made up the couches for Emmy and myself after we refused to take her room from her.
Emmy sat there staring off into space for a while before she turned to me.
“That woman wasn’t my sister,” she said chocking on fresh tears. “S-s-she . . . she wasn’t. My sister was never like that. N-never. She would never want me to think she was dead. She wasn’t like that. She couldn’t be my sister.”
Revenge's Web (Kieran Grey Psionic Hunter) Page 25