evening. However, I am holding the gun and I will not go with you.”
“You will, you know,” said Fang 1 too loudly, but Fang 2 ruined it by twitching. I talk too much when I should be listening, but I can read a tell.
I ran; up the side of the brick building. Enough to give me height and confuse Fang 3 who had snuck up, really quietly, behind me. I backflipped over his head and tried to kick down with my boot. It was Hollywood style and it wouldn’t have worked, but anyway, Fang 3 had already moved. Damn, but he was quick. Quick, but not quick enough to avoid tangling up with Fang 1 and 2, who’d come in like a pair of Dobermans.
I landed unbalanced, which gave them time to turn on me. The first one I punched in the jaw and he reeled back, grunting in surprise. I was punching left hand because the right was keeping my options open with the HK, but I’m strong with both hands. The second suit lashed out and half caught me in the ribs, making me grunt in turn. I whipped his face with the HK, but a third painful punch from the other side clipped my jaw and I saw stars.
If it’s not working, do something different, Top would have said to me. I backpedaled to get free and brought the HK back up.
“I will use this if I have to,” I said, aiming at Fang 1’s face, and they slowed up. “Call it even, guys. Back off and leave me alone.”
Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to work either. Either they didn’t believe me or they didn’t care, which was really scary. Fang 3 started to edge to one side and in a few moments they would be spread out and I couldn’t handle them like that. I had to find a way of getting them to come to me one at a time.
I turned and sprinted down the alley into the gloom. Assuming they had been together to start with, if Fang 3 had gotten in that quickly behind me, there was a way to get out quickly too. I was betting one of the few doors off the alley led into a building that was being converted. I could hear them running right behind me. I got the horrible feeling they could have run much faster if they wanted and all they were doing was herding me. That would mean there was another black suit up ahead somewhere. As soon as I thought it, I saw him come around the corner at the far end, silhouetted by the streetlights. He start sprinting towards me. One more option gone.
One of the doors opening onto the alley looked as if it wasn’t fully shut and I shoulder-charged it. It slammed open and I was through. I was right, this old warehouse was being converted to apartments. Partition boards stood stacked against walls, boxes of tiles and cement littered the floor. This had to be the way Fang 3 had gotten in behind me. It was long after work hours and he must have disabled the alarm, so I couldn’t expect any help. I got the door shut and slid the bolt home just as the first black suit crashed against it. The door was a temporary fixture made of plywood and it would hold them awhile, but there wasn’t anything else to secure it, other than a bench, which I shoved up against it.
I ran inside the darkened building and up the stairs as a foot kicked right through the door. A hand followed and started scrabbling for the bolt. Note to self: avoid being kicked full-on by these guys.
I was going up the steps four at a time when I heard the door heaved open, scraping the bench along the ground. I reached the third floor before I spotted what I needed, some solid timber poles. I grabbed one about five feet long and another short offcut and made the next floor, checking down the stairwell. I could see all four black suits—moving shadows on the stairs, shown by zebra bars of light shining in through the streetside windows. They were eerily silent, except for the panting and the slap of their shoes on the bare wooden steps.
At least they were panting. That suggested that they could get tired.
The HK was back in the bag when they started up the last flight. I stood in plain sight, holding the
“You will, you know,” said Fang 1 too loudly, but Fang 2 ruined it by twitching. I talk too much when I should be listening, but I can read a tell.
I ran; up the side of the brick building. Enough to give me height and confuse Fang 3 who had snuck up, really quietly, behind me. I backflipped over his head and tried to kick down with my boot. It was Hollywood style and it wouldn’t have worked, but anyway, Fang 3 had already moved. Damn, but he was quick. Quick, but not quick enough to avoid tangling up with Fang 1 and 2, who’d come in like a pair of Dobermans.
I landed unbalanced, which gave them time to turn on me. The first one I punched in the jaw and he reeled back, grunting in surprise. I was punching left hand because the right was keeping my options open with the HK, but I’m strong with both hands. The second suit lashed out and half caught me in the ribs, making me grunt in turn. I whipped his face with the HK, but a third painful punch from the other side clipped my jaw and I saw stars.
If it’s not working, do something different, Top would have said to me. I backpedaled to get free and brought the HK back up.
“I will use this if I have to,” I said, aiming at Fang 1’s face, and they slowed up. “Call it even, guys. Back off and leave me alone.”
Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to work either. Either they didn’t believe me or they didn’t care, which was really scary. Fang 3 started to edge to one side and in a few moments they would be spread out and I couldn’t handle them like that. I had to find a way of getting them to come to me one at a time.
I turned and sprinted down the alley into the gloom. Assuming they had been together to start with, if Fang 3 had gotten in that quickly behind me, there was a way to get out quickly too. I was betting one of the few doors off the alley led into a building that was being converted. I could hear them running right behind me. I got the horrible feeling they could have run much faster if they wanted and all they were doing was herding me. That would mean there was another black suit up ahead somewhere. As soon as I thought it, I saw him come around the corner at the far end, silhouetted by the streetlights. He start sprinting towards me. One more option gone.
One of the doors opening onto the alley looked as if it wasn’t fully shut and I shoulder-charged it. It slammed open and I was through. I was right, this old warehouse was being converted to apartments. Partition boards stood stacked against walls, boxes of tiles and cement littered the floor. This had to be the way Fang 3 had gotten in behind me. It was long after work hours and he must have disabled the alarm, so I couldn’t expect any help. I got the door shut and slid the bolt home just as the first black suit crashed against it. The door was a temporary fixture made of plywood and it would hold them awhile, but there wasn’t anything else to secure it, other than a bench, which I shoved up against it.
I ran inside the darkened building and up the stairs as a foot kicked right through the door. A hand followed and started scrabbling for the bolt. Note to self: avoid being kicked full-on by these guys.
I was going up the steps four at a time when I heard the door heaved open, scraping the bench along the ground. I reached the third floor before I spotted what I needed, some solid timber poles. I grabbed one about five feet long and another short offcut and made the next floor, checking down the stairwell. I could see all four black suits—moving shadows on the stairs, shown by zebra bars of light shining in through the streetside windows. They were eerily silent, except for the panting and the slap of their shoes on the bare wooden steps.
At least they were panting. That suggested that they could get tired.
The HK was back in the bag when they started up the last flight. I stood in plain sight, holding the
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