The elusive man hammered away on Rexor’s blind side. He started cutting at the enormous man’s ankles.
Rexor parried with his arms, his axe. “Fat chance, little man! You may have clipped my brother, but you’ll not clip me! Rargh!”
The axe came down hard and fast. The blow would have split a horse in half.
Smoke slipped away and unleashed a fierce backswing into Rexor’s good eye.
The giant lost his grip on the axe and teetered back, holding his eye. “Aargh!”
Thorgrim averted his attention from Sid.
She charged in and cut out his other Achilles tendon.
Flailing and roaring, he tumbled hard onto the tiles with visible blood oozing from his wounds. “You still can’t kill me.”
Rexor dashed the blood from his ruined eyes and said to Smoke, “I can’t see you, but I can smell you.”
Smoke picked up the humongous battle axe that was almost as tall as him. He hefted it over his shoulder and faced off with the giant. “Smell this!” He rushed in hard and fast, swinging. He sank the blade right between the giant’s eyes. Split!
On his hands and knees, Thorgrim abandoned his hammer and began crawling toward his brother. He bellowed. “No, Rexor! No!”
Sid tossed away the machete and grabbed Thorgrim’s hammer. She teetered off balance.
Holy bat crap, this thing is heavy!
She hefted it up on her shoulder and marched right up behind Thorgrim.
The giant man clutched his brother’s arms with tears in his eyes.
“Put him down, Sid!” urged Smoke. He was covered in sweat and down on one knee. “Hurry.”
She raised the great hammer and dropped it down hard on the back of Thorgrim’s shaggy skull. Crack!
The giant went limp.
Her legs turned to noodles. She fell, almost face-planting on the floor. The super vitamin was done for. Her stomach started to growl.
“How are you feeling?” Smoke said, resting his hands on his knees.
“I need a plateful of pancakes.”
Holding his stomach, he huffed, “Make that two plates.” Smoke’s head twisted around.
Reginald was coming down the bleacher steps. He was softly clapping his hands, but there was a look of disappointment in his eyes.
Smoke said to him, “So what were the odds on that one?”
“Fifteen hundred to one.” Reginald removed his jacket and flicked his cigarette away. He started rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt. “Needless to say, some heavy hitters lost a lot of coleslaw. Heh. Even though I expected better, I should have known. After all, giants are stupid. That said, I’m still not so sure how you pulled off what you just did. That … adrenaline surge was quite unique.” He glanced backward at Sid’s friends. “I suppose one of them will supply the answer to that.”
Can’t let that happen.
Sid groaned on her way up to her feet. Even with the suit on, her arms felt like lead.
Smoke rose up on two legs and swayed in place a little.
She’d only taken the super vitamin once before, and she’d forgotten the tremendous toll it took, not to mention what the sweetheart suit demanded of her.
At least I’m not wheezing anymore. I’m just so hungry I could eat a goat.
Reginald checked his watch. “Looks like the bets are in.” He turned and said to his men, “Keep the cameras rolling, boys.”
Even though all of the deaders were down, more men with assault rifles still remained. Half of them were operating the cameras. Two others had guns on Mal and company, and the remaining men’s eyes were locked on Sid and Smoke with barrels pointed right at them.
She wiped the blood from her mouth. “So now what? We fight you and it’s over? You let us go?” Sid asked. She nodded at Smoke. “What are the odds on that one? Two to one in favor of us?”
“Oh, no no no. Let me assure you, it’s more like five thousand to one. In my favor.”
“Why’s that?” Smoke said, lifting a brow. “Are you going to turn into a snake or something?”
“Funny, but no. It’s simply because I’m awesome. But I could turn into a snake if I wanted.” His muscular arms were covered in tattoos that seemed to slither like snakes. “Oh, and pick up a weapon of your choosing.” He picked up one of the metal pipes that the deaders had used and bent it end to end. “Make it two of them if you like. I’m ready when you are.”
CHAPTER 38
“I think he’s a terminator,” Smoke said, and he followed up with, “I’ll be back.” He stepped around the giants and picked up a pole and axe, shook his head, and tossed them away. “I think I’ll try something different this time.”
Sid balled up her fist and closed in on Reginald.
The doppelganger was a statue. Not the slightest hint of worry in his eye.
She lunged in and threw a roundhouse kick.
He ducked away from it and hid his arms behind his back.
She kicked.
He evaded. His head bobbed and weaved.
She let loose a side kick.
Reginald countered this time, unleashing one quicker and more powerful of his own.
She left her feet and landed hard on her back. “Oof!”
“Wah-tah!” Reginald unleashed a roundhouse kick on Smoke. The doppelganger had changed into some weird combination of Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. “Wah-tah!”
Wap! Wap! Wap!
Smoke countered with a flurry of his own. Hard, heavy punches landed all over Reginald’s body.
The doppelganger shrugged them off and hit back even harder. A nasty front kick sent Smoke sprawling all over the floor. “Wah-tah!”
Sid regained her feet and renewed her attack.
Reginald had changed again. He was a woman now. Not any woman either. He—or it—was Samantha.
Sid cast a quick glance over to the prisoners. Sam was bound up. One of her eyebrows was perched. “Screw it!” Sid unloaded a combination of kicks and elbows.
Sam the doppelganger swatted them aside and danced away laughing.
“Come now, Sidney. Don’t hold back.” Reginald started to shift again. He turned into Rebecca Lang. “I know you hate me.”
A new fire burned in Sid’s belly. She attacked.
The doppelganger squared up and took punch after punch after punch.
Sid hit and kicked until she couldn’t anymore.
Rebecca’s Lang’s body didn’t have a scratch on it.
Hands on her knees and gasping for breath, Sid said, “I hate you.”
“Me, or Rebecca?” said Reginald’s Rebecca-like voice.
Sid unloaded a kicked in its gut. “Both!”
The doppelganger shoved her down. “Be wise and stay down.”
Sid wasn’t sure she could get up again. She felt her face swelling. She was wheezing again.
I hate shifters!
Smoke crept up on the doppelganger with another axe in his hand and turned loose a decapitating blow.
Elation raced through Sid. Yes!
Reginald ducked with a split second to spare. The axe swished over his head.
“No!” Sid cried out.
Smoke had missed. Still chopping away, the rangy ex-SEAL fought to connect on a new mark.
Reginald skipped away. Baiting. Laughing. He shifted again. Into Sid. “I hate that thing.”
Smoke backed off. He labored for breath, and his brawny shoulders sagged. Sid could see in his eyes that he didn’t have much left.
“As I said,” Reginald added in Sid’s own voice, “I’m the greatest shifter in all the world. There’s a reason for that. I don’t have a weakness.”
Smoke spat on his hands, rubbed them together, and lifted the axe up by the handle. “Everything has a weakness.”
“Well, certainly, at least in your cases. You’re both human.” He blew Smoke a kiss with Sid’s lips. “I’m your weakness.” He pointed at Sid. “Or at least she is, and you’re hers. You’ll see soon enough what I mean.” He strolled over th
e gore-slickened floor and picked up an axe like Smoke’s. He flipped it around a few times and transformed into Smoke. Glancing at Sid, he said, “See if you can keep track of who’s who.” And then, axe high, he charged.
Axe heads collided together. The brawling men were identical, but their clothes were different. Sid wanted to help, but she barely had the strength to move.
Find a weakness, Sid. Find a weakness!
She made a pleading glance at her friends. They weren’t going anywhere. All eyes were fixed on the battle.
“Oh please, this is too easy,” Reginald said. He blocked or dodged everything Smoke threw at him. “Really, I don’t know what kind of speed you were on earlier, that was thrilling, but this will be a disaster.”
The pair of men locked axe heads.
Reginald ripped Smoke’s free from his hands, sending it skipping away.
Shoulder dipping, Smoke limped forward.
Reginald brought down a brain-splitting swing.
“Noooooooo!” Sid wheezed.
Smoke’s hands locked on Reginald’s wrist, and the pair of formidable men stood eye to eye. “Drop it,” Smoke said in his face.
“Done.”
The axe clattered to the floor.
Both versions of Smoke circled one another.
Reginald removed his shirt and tossed it aside. He had a black sleeveless T-shirt underneath it. He lifted up his fists and transformed into a hulking black boxer. “It’s time for a knockout.”
Smoke rushed in with a flurry of punches. Hard and fast, he pounded on Reginald’s face with swift, hard smacks.
The doppelganger’s bullish neck didn’t yield. His big meaty hands unloaded a pair of heavy uppercuts into Smoke’s gut and ribs. “Oh! That’s got to hurt!” Reginald said. He tore into Smoke with a rapid fighter’s frenzy.
The punches were so hard Sid swore she felt them.
Smoke was down, and the punches were still coming. Hard and fast. Wap! Wap! Wap! Wap! Wap! Smoke’s legs twitched.
Reginald reared up and shifted again, this time back into Sid. “You’re killing him, Sid,” Reginald said. Wap! Wap! Wap! “You’re killing him, Sid!” Wap! “You’re killing him!” Wap! Wap! Wap!
Sid’s heart exploded inside her chest, and she screamed, “Stop! Please! Stop!”
Reginald held back his punch. Blood dripped from his knuckles. “You have something to say?”
“Spare him. Spare them,” she said, wheezing. “I’ll come to the Drake. That’s what you wanted all along anyway, right?”
Reginald flung the blood from his fingers. “Well, not me. And I do like punching him. He’s tough. But I think he’s dead.” He rubbed his knuckles. “It’s been a few weeks since I beat my last man to death.”
CHAPTER 39
Sid crawled over to Smoke and huddled over him. His face was a battered and bloody mess. Eyes swollen. Nose broken. Lips split. She almost didn’t recognize him. “John,” she said, pushing his matted hair from his eyes. She held his head in her lap. “John?”
Smoke’s eye popped open. He rolled over on one elbow and spat blood, saying, “I didn’t find a weakness.” He coughed. “I will next time.” He eyed Reginald, who had shifted back into his normal self. Smoke leaned back onto Sid’s lap. “Don’t deal with them, Sid. It’s not worth it.”
“I already gave him my word.” She held his face in her hands. “I couldn’t let any of you die. Not on account of me.”
Grimacing in pain, Smoke forced himself to a knee and gasped. He held his ribs. His face was wracked with pain. “Don’t go.”
“She has given her word, Mister Smoke. You know how that goes. Reneging would result in the painful deaths of every last one of you.” Reginald put his jacket back on, found a pack of cigarettes, and lit one with his black Zippo lighter. He eyed Sid. “Are you having second thoughts, Miss Shaw?”
She glanced at her friends—Sam, Guppy, Mal, and Asia. All eyes were glued to her.
Smoke rubbed a knot on his head. “Don’t give them what they want.”
“I can’t watch all of you die,” she said, still wheezing. “I can’t. What else am I supposed to do?”
Gritting his teeth, Smoke rose to his feet. “I know I’d rather die first.”
“Don’t worry, Mister Smoke. I’m sure that can still be arranged.” Reginald beckoned to Sid. “We need to leave now. As in right now. Precious seconds could wipe this deal away. And remember, I still have men with two barrels on each and every one of you.”
Empty hearted, Sid got up and draped her arms over Smoke’s shoulders. There was tension in his iron limbs, like a great cat ready to spring. She expected a surprise. A last-ditch effort. A miraculous rescue. His iron jaw gave a gentle shake. His eyes said there was nothing left. He’d lost this fight. They both had. “You look like you could use some pancakes.”
“Don’t say that. I’m one of those stress eaters. They used to call me big boy when I was a kid.”
She choked out a sob.
“Oh please, don’t be so tiresome,” Reginald said. He puffed out some smoke rings. “Give him one final kiss, and let’s be gone. The things I do for humanity. Death is such a greater mercy than this sickening forlorn suffering. Rexor! Thorgrim! Get up, you two lazy bastards!”
What? Really?
Smoke’s best eye popped wide.
Sid looked over Smoke’s shoulder at the giants.
Thorgrim sat up and started rubbing the back of his head. He eyeballed Sid and grabbed his hammer.
Rexor’s great arms came to life, and with the help of Thorgrim, he wrenched the four-bladed axe from his face. The mutilated giant gave Smoke a nasty leer. Rising up to his towering height, he pointed at Smoke and then turned and walked away with his brother.
“Stupid and lazy. It’s their biggest flaw. They aren’t used to fighting so long, so they took a little nap. Pathetic,” Reginald said. “Guards, take Miss Shaw into custody and see that she’s well secured. I don’t want to come looking for her or her friends again. Not for a while anyway.”
“I guess this is goodbye,” Smoke said with a bit too much finality.
She searched his pummeled face for a place to kiss and ended up kissing his chin.
“That was awkward,” he said.
The guards started pulling her away. “Well, you shouldn’t have gotten your face all messed up.”
“If you think my face looks bad, you should see my heart.”
Sid’s own heart dropped into her stomach. Being hauled away, she yelled toward Smoke with tears running down her cheeks. “Smoke …”
“Don’t say it,” he said back. “I already know you love me.”
Epilogue
Days later, Sid was brought into a magnificent dining room, the largest she’d ever been in. Aged wood was everywhere. Exquisite china like one might see in the Smithsonian Museum. All around was nothing short of old family wealth. It was the kind of stuff you’d see in the Biltmore or the Vanderbilt. There was a grand fireplace, but no flame, no warmth. The room was cold.
Rubbing her elbows, Sid ventured in. She’d been cleaned up and adorned in the finest evening gown and jewels her eyes had ever beheld. She’d been treated like nothing short of a queen the last few days. She tried not to gape at the sparkling crystals on the mammoth chandeliers.
“Enjoying your stay?”
The strong and rich voice startled her. A man appeared in the room. He was refined, powerfully built, and wearing a dark suit. His salt-and-pepper hair was slicked back. His skin was dark, and his moustache was waxed.
Sid kept her silence.
“Please, Sidney, sit down.” He beckoned toward her seat. “And allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kane, Kane Lancaster, and we have much to talk about.”
***
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From the Author/Book List
Hello! First off I just want to thank you for reading. I’ve gotte
n a lot of feedback on this new series of mine, and it’s really keeping me going. As of March 2017, books 6-10 of this 10 book series are now complete. Please, if you can, leave a review, spread the word and subscribe to my mailing list for updates, discounts and giveaways.
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About the Author
Craig Halloran resides with his family outside his hometown of Charleston, West Virginia. When he isn’t entertaining mankind, he is seeking adventure, working out, or watching sports. To learn more about him, go to: www.thedarkslayer.com.
Check out all of my great stories …
CLASH OF HEROES: Nath Dragon meets The Darkslayer
The Chronicles of Dragon Series
The Hero, the Sword and the Dragons (Book 1) Free eBook
Dragon Bones and Tombstones (Book 2)
Terror at the Temple (Book 3)
Clutch of the Cleric (Book 4)
Hunt for the Hero (Book 5)
Siege at the Settlements (Book 6)
Strife in the Sky (Book 7)
Fight and the Fury (Book 8)
War in the Winds (Book 9)
Finale (Book 10)
The Chronicles of Dragon: Series 2, Tail of the Dragon
Tail of the Dragon
Claws of the Dragon
Eyes of the Dragon
Scales of the Dragon
Trial of the Dragon
Teeth of the Dragon
The Supernatural Bounty Hunter Files: Special Edition Fantasy Bundle, Books 1 thru 5 (Smoke Special Edition) Page 67