Page 109 of Burn Like An Angel

He shrugs, grinning ear to ear. “I’m just doing my job. It’s a generous pay cheque. What excuse do you have?”

The lunatic actually thinks he has the moral high ground. This is the same man I saw attaching spike-laden handcuffs to Patient Three. His fucking pay cheque is saturated with spilled blood.

“Ripley stays with us.” Xander strokes his blade.

“Is that your final answer?”

“Yes!” Lennox roars.

A sinister grin curls Harrison’s lips. “Very well. I played nice.”

Clicking his fingers, Harrison gestures for his men to advance. I’m preparing to throw myself in front of the rifle’s scope to protect Lennox when Xander strikes.

Like a coiled python going in for the kill, he glides through the air with graceful precision. The pocketknife strikes faster than a whip as he jams it into the first assailant’s shoulder.

The scream that spills from the man’s lips is ear-splitting. He drops the rifle, the red glow spinning out of control. Xanderpulls the blade free and sinks it into his exposed neck before the others can react.

Lightning fast.

Savage.

Deadly.

Blood erupts in a tidal wave, spitting out of the wound and spraying across his face. Xander continues to jab over and over. Wet, stomach-turning stabs that turn smooth skin into shredded flesh.

“Take them!” Harrison jumps into action.

Stepping in front of Raine, Lennox holds his own glinting blade. He faces the two men coming for him, elbow cocked and switchblade poised. His wide shoulders hunch in preparation.

I can’t step in to help him before I’m faced with my own attacker. Harrison has set his sights on me. Perfect. I’ll be the one to kick the shit out of him this time around. Retribution for the beating he doled out.

“Afraid to face me now that I’m not handcuffed and half-dead?” I taunt.

He pulls a baton from his belt. “On the contrary, I’m going to enjoy this. I don’t mind losing a few thousand for turning you over in bad condition.”

Ducking the baton’s swing, I surge at him. Harrison grunts when I slam into his midsection, throwing him backwards.

It’s easier than anticipated to throw Harrison off his feet. Being confined in his own filth has dissolved much of his strength. I follow him down, my fist cracking across his gleeful face.

Blood and spit somersaults from his mouth. My pleasure is short-lived as he rolls us, the inflexible metal of his baton smashing into my back, sending pain shooting up my spine.

As the breath flees from my lungs, he rolls to crush me beneath his weight. The baton sails towards me, but I dodge at the last second, causing him to strike the ground.

Frantically searching for anything to defend myself with, I seize a handful of wet dirt. He curses when I throw it in his eyes, buying me precious seconds to punch him in the throat.

“You should’ve died in that basement!”

Harrison clutches his throat, gurgling beautifully. I shove him off me, searching around for the others. The gloomy night clamours with punches, cursing and yelps.

Raine is still on the ground, cupping his ankle. In front of him, Lennox is able to put one guy in a headlock while the other rolls around at his feet. I follow the heavy scent of blood to the culprit.

Oh my god.

Xander is doused red, locked in a hand-to-hand knife fight. He discards the still-bleeding corpse of the first man he disarms, turning his focus on gutting his current opponent.

I’m dragging myself up to intervene when a hand latches around my leg. Yanked backwards, I fall on my chest, nails painfully digging deep into the ground. Grunting tells me who’s got me ensnared.

“Little bitch.” Spittle blasts past Harrison’s lips, his amusement spent. “You never could obey.”

---