JUMP (The Senses)

by Cindy Paterson

  “Get the fuck out of here,” he shouted to Jedrik. “Blow this place sky high.”

  “No way, asshole,” Jedrik retorted. “Whoa, that was close.”

  Kilter saw the guards now aiming their guns at Jedrik. It was then he saw movement to the West as Keir and Balen came running towards him. Balen threw a grenade and a loud bang sounded behind him and then several animalistic sounds of pain.

  With his throwing knives Keir hit the guard in the forehead who’d taken aim at Jedrik. Not a sound as the guy went straight backwards in a heap of deadweight.

  Balen grabbed his arm and dragged him to his feet. Kilter ignored the agonizing pain in his legs as he was pulled forward. Keir and Jedrik gave cover as they staggered to the wall. His legs were useless, and his shoulder was burning like an inferno. Still, he grabbed Jedrik’s outstretched hand and was pulled onto the wall. Delara stood on the other side, her knife drawn as she stood on the defensive.

  “Go. Go. Go.” Delara slipped her knife in its holster and stood ready as Jedrik lowered him over the side. She stumbled under his weight but managed to keep the pressure off his legs. She wrapped her arm around his waist.

  “Cutting it close, aren’t you?” Delara said. She hauled him forward into a run.

  “Is Ryker safe?” he asked.

  “Yeah. Had a sweet scent of Hannah overhead. Amulet?” Delara asked.

  Kilter nodded.

  “Nice plan. Would’ve been nice to know about it. I’ve scented some strange shit in that compound. Probably CWOs and they’re not wasting any time coming after us with that cowboy stunt you just pulled.”

  “He’s safe, isn’t he?” Kilter said. He looked back over his shoulder and saw Balen, Keir and Jedrik headed in the opposite direction. Their never-lead-the-enemy-towards-a-wounded tactic. They’d make themselves visible until they were certain Delara had gotten him to safety.

  Delara dragged his sorry ass across the open field towards an area where the ground dipped into a valley. Her pace quickened and he felt like he was going to pass out. Fuck that, Delara wouldn’t leave him behind, and he wasn’t going to get her caught by those bastards.

  And neither was he, because one day he knew he’d have to come back.

  Chapter 15

  Kilter had raised hell, just as Balen predicted. The guy was known to do things his way and none too quietly. The good news was that according to Jedrik, the amulet had worked. Hannah had brought Ryker to safety. Obviously, Kilter had known what the amulet was capable of.

  “Danielle, we’re out. On my way. Stay where you are.”

  “Can’t really go too far,” she replied.

  If he wasn’t running like hell, he’d have laughed.

  Jedrik and Keir ran beside him as they weaved their way to the west of the compound towards the cliff. The bastards were trying to get the gates open, which were slow as molasses—not that he was complaining. Delara and Kilter had fallen out of sight over the dip in the hill. They’d be close to the car by now and would meet them at the destination point.

  They ran around to the North of the compound and stopped at the edge of the cliff. “Danielle,” Balen called. “Grab the rope.”

  “Got it,” she said and he felt a tug on the rope.

  “Gates open,” Keir said. “Vehicles moving.”

  Balen hauled ass, pulling Danielle up the side of the cliff. As soon as he saw her face, he breathed a sigh of relief. He grabbed her hand and pulled her onto solid ground and then wrapped his arms around her body.

  “Balen,” Danielle said. “God, I heard gunshots.” She ran her hands over his chest, searching for wounds. “Are you okay?”

  “Company’s coming,” Jedrik shouted. “One jeep headed after Delara and Kilter, one coming right at us. Five men. A walk in the park.” Jedrik readied his bow and crouched down at the corner of the compound wall. “Taking out tire.”

  Balen grabbed Danielle’s hand and pulled her to the cover of the wall. He pushed her back against it. “Don’t move.”

  The smell that came hurtling into him was warning enough to tell him they were in some serious shit. He didn’t have to tell Keir and Jedrik as they exchanged how-the-hell-is-this-possible looks.

  Jedrik took out the front right tire and the truck skidded on the gravel and then came to a halt. The five men jumped out and without hesitation came running full tilt towards them. Keir got two shots off, but it did nothing to slow them down.

  Jedrik aimed. The arrow hit one in the chest. His step faltered as he pulled the arrow from his flesh and threw it aside. “GQ,” Jedrik announced.

  “What the hell?” Balen said. “They’re all CWOs. Second on right is a Maggot, smell apples as clear as day.” He had to get Danielle out of here.

  “Two GQs,” Keir said, taking aim, firing a shot and hitting one guy in the head. He kept coming. “SOB just won’t die. Time for a little help.” The tattoo on his upper arm slithered down to his hand and into his palm.

  Balen glanced at Danielle, who was standing against the wall. Her face was pale, but she was steady with a stoic expression. “That’s my girl.”

  One GQ came plowing into Jedrik and they went flying into the air and landed in a heap. Balen pulled his knives from beneath his coat and ran at the other GQ, while Keir went after the two Maggots, who had the annoying capability of growing back injured limbs. The last guy was a Long Neck, big, burly and slow—who also had to be decapitated to die. He went straight for Danielle.

  ****

  Kilter pulled up. His legs hurt like hell, his shoulder was bleeding like a headless goat, and all he could think about was that woman’s scream. Goddamn fuckin’ shit. Did he have a medal up his ass today or what, because he couldn’t stop the next words. “I’m going back.”

  Delara was bending over at the waist, trying to catch her breath. After half carrying him for the last mile he was surprised she was still standing, and his respect for the woman grew. He didn’t give it lightly, but did when it was deserved. It sure as hell didn’t mean he had to be nice, though. Not his style.

  “You’re shittin’ me, right?” Delara gave him a sidelong glance. “Right?”

  Kilter wished he was. “A stupid woman. She’s a prisoner. I left her there.” After he had sworn to take her out. Yeah, that’s what he got for lying.

  “I just risked my butt for you, a-hole. We all did, and you want to go back? What did they do? Fry you’re brain in there?” She pointed north over the next hill. “We get to the car. Get out, re-group and then discuss how to blow this place sky high.”

  “I promised I’d get her out,” Kilter said. “If I don’t, he will kill her.” Well, he was pretty certain that was an exaggeration, but he had smelled the fear on her, heard that scream. God, she asked him to kill her rather than be left behind. Yet she wasn’t a prisoner, at least not with chains.

  “Yeah, well, that’ll be two of you. Have you noticed the two bullets lodged in your legs? Or the one in your shoulder?” She made a sudden lunge for him, kicking out her right leg in an arc and knocking him flat on his ass. He grunted as the unforgiving ground did nothing for his legs that now were screaming in agony. “And I wasn’t even trying. Do you get me? Your hero button, which I’m amazed you even have, is stuck on Off until further notice.” She held out her hand. “Let’s go.”

  Kilter hesitated. He had the urge to refuse her just because it hurt his pride to know that she was right and he was being an idiot. How on earth could he rescue someone when he could hardly walk? But he already knew the answer; because living with that scream was going to haunt the rest of his days.

  ****

  Balen swung his knife at the GQ as the guy came barging into him. The knife went straight into the guy’s stomach as they both went tumbling to the ground. He rolled to the side taking his knife with him. The GQ cursed and grabbed for his leg, wrenching it to the side. Balen kicked out with his free leg, dislodging his grip and rolling away. He climbed his feet and . . .

  Danielle’s scream wrenc
hed the air.

  From the corner of his eye he saw the Long Neck make a grab for her. “Danielle,” he shouted and threw his knife in her direction. It landed on the ground at her feet and she made a dive for it.

  His vision was blocked as the GQ came back at him. He tried to scramble out of the way as the guy landed him a fierce punch to the gut, sending him flying through the air and into the stone wall.

  “One down,” Keir shouted as a head went rolling across the ground and over the side of the cliff.

  “Balen,” Danielle shouted.

  He tried to get to her, but the resilient GQ didn’t give him the chance as he grabbed him by the neck. Balen elbowed him in the face and the guy’s head shot back and his grip loosened. He took advantage and shot an upper cuff to his chin, making him stagger back. Ten feet, he thought. He dove at the guy, a cold fury enveloping his body at the thought of anything happening to Danielle. He ducked as a fist came swinging in his direction. A kick to the abdomen sent the guy back another step. Five feet.

  His knife did nothing to the GQ, since they healed spontaneously. Already the wound to the guy’s stomach was gone. One more solid punch. He went full throttle at the guy with his fists, but this time the GQ was ready and managed a kick to his jaw, and he staggered back.

  He shook his head to clear his vision. Bastard had one hell of a punch.

  He heard the scuffling of feet around him, but had no time to see how Keir, Jedrik or Danielle were managing. All he knew was that this fucker was going over the edge of the cliff. He ran at him and then, one foot away from him, he crouched and swung out his right leg, sending the guy to his ass. He didn’t hesitate as he picked him up by the collar and swung his fist into his nose and then gave a hefty push. The GQ staggered backwards. His heels on the edge of the cliff, he teetered there for seconds before Balen gave one more shot to the head and the guy went tumbling.

  Jedrik was holding his own with the other GQ, attempting to do the same thing and getting him to the edge of the cliff.

  Balen turned just as Keir’s Scar left his palm and shifted into form. It looked half man, half panther with its body an animal and its head a similar likeness to Keir. Its eyes were solid white having no sight except to see what Keir could see. Its huge paw darted out, claws extracting as it hissed and sneered at the Maggot. Keir’s expression contorted in pain as his Scar took over. It made a dive for the enemy, hooked him with his front paws and pulled back in one sharp jerk. The Scar held the head between its paws. A low growl sounded as it quickly demolished the head in one swallow. He looked up. Hesitated. Then in a flicker of bright light, the Scar reconnected with Keir, once again a tattoo.

  “You okay, man?” Jedrik asked, grabbing Keir’s arm as he stumbled.

  Keir nodded.

  Using the Scar was dangerous. It could take over your body if you let it, and it was difficult to control. The other problem was that using it left you weak for a good ten minutes, so it wasn’t like all of them could use their Scars at the same time.

  He ran for Danielle, but stopped dead when saw she was nowhere in sight.

  No Long Neck.

  No Danielle.

  “Fuck!” he roared. “Which way did they go?” Balen had never been so scared in his entire life. She was gone. Did she fall over the cliff? Had the Long Neck killed her? No, she was alive. She had to be. He’d feel something if she were dead. He refocused and used his tracking ability, scenting her footsteps in the grass, which way they went.

  “Back towards the gate,” he said.

  Balen ran. His senses were all screwed up as blood, fear and pain were mixed together, giving him no clear indication of the scent of Danielle. He heard footsteps behind him and knew Jedrik and Keir were right behind him.

  It came barreling into him as he rounded the corner of the building. Her fear. Her pores leaking panic as the Long Neck dragged her towards the gates of the compound. He picked up speed, everything in his body at full tilt. Seeing her struggling form fighting against the bulky Long Neck was enough to send him over the edge of sanity.

  ****

  Crater Face held her against his chest, his hand holding her neck so tight that each breath was a struggle. She kicked back hitting his shins, but he didn’t even react. The guy was huge like a goddamn Mac truck with the smell of rotting garbage. The same as in the bar. That night with Jedrik when the guy with the buzzard neck had attacked her in the bathroom. Balen had told her then, go for the jugular.

  But the knife had been lost when the buzzard neck had knocked it out of her hand.

  Balen and the others were nowhere to be seen. Were they still alive? God, don’t let Balen die. The mere thought made her insides coil with dread.

  “Balen. Tell me you’re all right.”

  She waited, her fingers digging into the rotten-smelling buzzard hands that encased her neck.

  “Right behind you.”

  If she could, she would’ve let out a sigh of relief, but the buzzard guy heard the running footsteps behind them and swung her around so she became his shield. His grip tightened and her air was completely cut off. She tried desperately to pry his fingers away and her feet kicked wildly.

  “Let her go,” Balen said, his voice a low growl of fury.

  Danielle looked at Balen. Her struggles stopped because her air was slipping fast from her lungs. She had nothing left.

  “If she dies, you’ll have no hostage,” Keir said.

  The pressure on her neck loosened a minute amount, and she sucked air into her lungs. Each breath was a painful struggle as they stood at a standoff.

  “I die if I let her go. I die if she dies,” the Long Neck said. “Therefore she comes with me and we all live.”

  “Not a chance, asshole,” Jedrik said, with his bow and arrow ready to plow into the guy’s forehead.

  “Danielle, I’m going to release Talu. The Scar on my back.”

  “The what?”

  Shit, he should’ve told her about the Senses’ Scars. “Just do as I say. A tiger will come at you both. When you see it leap, move to the left. Talu will go straight for his neck. Get out of there. Okay? You understand? I can’t always control Talu, so do whatever it takes to get out of his way.”

  “Umm, okay,” Danielle replied, wondering how on earth she was going to move her head when the hand around her neck was unrelenting. But she’d try anything to get out of the hands of this crater-faced bulk of steel, even if it meant facing this Talu tiger thing.

  She had thoughts poring through her—Balen’s, Keir’s, Jedrik’s—but the worst was the buzzard’s. Her brain was Play-doh, molding into each man’s thinking patterns until it reshaped and began again. She couldn’t control it, and she swore the first thing she’d do if she got out of this alive was learn how to fade out the thoughts of people around her.

  ****

  Balen looked to Keir. “Ready?”

  “You sure?” Keir asked.

  Balen nodded. “We can’t take the chance of harming Danielle with a bullet or arrow. Talu has scented Danielle all over me. He will not harm her.” The question was what he would do after he killed his victim.

  “Talu, adeo vita quod servo quis est mei.” Talu only understood Latin so Balen said the words—Come to life and protect what is mine—in his language.

  A burning began in his lower back as the tiger sought life, crawling through his skin so quickly that Balen fell to his knees and roared with agony. Another reason a Senses detested using what they were born with.

  “What the . . .” the Long Neck said just before Talu came into a magnificent black and orange form and went straight for him.

  The tiger had piercing green eyes that stuck out against his luscious striped coat. His large paws covered the ground easily in three strides, and then he leapt into the air with a low growl.

  Two screams of panic tangled together as Danielle and the Long Neck struggled to get out of the way of Talu’s long white fangs. Balen held his breath, praying that he’d done the right thing
, that Talu would hunt the Long Neck instead of Danielle. It had been fifty-four years since he released Talu and he was bound to be starved for blood.

  ****

  Talu’s front paws hit her in the chest and knocked both her and her captor to the ground. She heard Balen’s voice in the background shouting at Talu in a language she didn’t understand. With the wind knocked out of her, she struggled to breathe as the tiger stood massive and magnificent above them. She felt Talu’s drool drip onto her face, and she froze for seconds, staring into eyes that looked exactly like Balen’s.

  Fear dissipated as she realized that this animal was a part of the man she loved. They were connected on a level that was beyond any human’s comprehension. She wanted to reach out and touch the beautiful animal, run her hands through its coat and ease the fury that swam in its eyes.

  She raised her hand, just as she felt her body being dragged out from under the tiger and away from the Long Neck’s grasp. Within seconds, she saw what Talu was capable of, and it horrified her to think that she had wanted to touch him.

  The beast made a low-pitched growl just before he sank his fangs into the Long Neck’s jugular. The CWO screamed with a horrid cry, his face a mask of terror. With a sharp jerk of his head, Talu ripped a chunk of the flesh away. Blood spurted everywhere and the tiger reveled in it as he continued to eat the Long Neck until his head was decapitated from his body.

  Danielle gagged, turning away from the sight. Balen pulled her up against him and rested her head in the crook of his shoulder. She could still hear the sound of tearing flesh and bones breaking as the wild beast devoured the body.

  “Talu,” Balen called. The tiger lifted his head, growled and then went back to eating. “Talu!”

  Jedrik said something like “This sucks,” and Keir took a few steps back from Balen and Danielle.