Part 23- ‘The Point Of No Return…’
Marie raised her hands slowly above her head, the universal gesture of surrender. She stared at the mirror as the woman with the gun approached slowly from behind, her Magnum handgun now held in her extended arms, pointed directly at the back of Marie’s head.
‘A woman…makes sense, women in an armed unit, a covert op like this women can blend in easier, ask questions, more approachable…the fairer sex and all that. Women are more likely to trust another woman…good thing ya don’t trust anyone right kid…?’
Marie sighed gently as the voices assessed every angle of the situation, her mouth twisted in a cold knowing smile she watched as the woman came within barely a few feet of her. Her gun arm was steady, not the slightest twitch, she was a pro, from the steady gaze in her heavy mascara lined eyes, her widened stance, even down to the clothes she wore.
She would have blended in perfectly out there, just another bar fly, looking for another john, the only thing marking her out now was the way she cocked her gun, and raised it slowly jutting it into the base of Marie’s neck, standing close enough for Marie to catch the whiff of her perfume.
‘Too easy…’ she whispered, and Marie simply laughed out loud, nodding her head she agreed, ‘ya have no idea…’ she smiled back.
She felt the gun slip a little, the woman’s grip slacken slightly as Marie’s reaction threw her a little. It was only momentary; a single lapse in judgement but it was all Marie needed.
She turned quickly, a quick flick of the arm and Marie bought down her fist on the woman’s wrist, the force of her hand and the speed of her reaction throwing the soldier off guard, she stumbled backwards slightly as the gun fell from her hand.
Marie kicked the weapon away, the Magnum skidding away with a sharp screech across the tiled floor. Barely giving her attacker a chance to recover Marie grabbed her forearms and pulled her towards herself; pulling her head back she slightly, she suddenly snapped her head forwards and slammed her forehead into the woman’s nose.
She screamed clutching at her bloodied face, Marie smiled as she stepped behind her grabbing a fistful of the woman’ dirty blonde hair, she pulled her head back, before ramming her into the mirror.
The glass shattered at the point of impact, Marie untangled her hand from the woman’s hair and watched as she slid slowly to the floor, barely conscious and bleeding heavily now from both her nose and head.
Marie watched as the barfly moaned and rolled onto her side, she revelled in the obvious gasps of pain from the woman now lying at her feet. Turning around she went looking for the gun.
Raising the Magnum in her right hand, she regarded the weapon curiously; deadly steel, fitted and shaped it seemed to sit perfectly in the palm of her hand. Stepping quickly across the tiled floor she knelt down to the woman, gun held tightly in one hand.
She yanked her head up with one hand, ‘now look at that darlin’; ya barely even got a chance to bleed on me…’ she slammed her head back to the floor, a loud guttural groan accompanying the force she used and the damage Marie had inflicted.
Marie lifted her hand, the gun gleaming under the single fluorescent bathroom light; drawing her arm back she swung the butt of the gun firmly across the woman’s jaw. It connected solidly as she saw her body twitch violently before it stilled altogether, she was knocked out.
Marie stood up and stepped over the body, walking steadily to the bathroom door, barely glancing back at the mess she’d made.
‘Shit…that’s cold darlin’…’ Marie heard them smile, knowing the voices in her head approved.
Marie stepped out into the crowded bar once more, walked into a cacophony of noise that now just seemed to drift over, the world had drifted into a series of monochrome shades, black and white, with the occasional shade of violent red. She shook her head swiftly from side to side and watched the colours fade back into existence.
Every one of her senses were heightened, adrenaline and energy coursing through her veins, heart thumping a hundred miles an hour, anticipation and hunger, the ache for a fight growing into an unbearable itch. She could smell them, hear them, feel them in the room; her eyes scanned the faces wilfully seeking them out.
The unnecessary noise of the bar, the cheering, drinking and talking she drowned out around her until she was aware only of the sound of her heels tapping across the floor. Purposefully striding out to the middle of the bar, she stood in between the tables, quick glances left and right, watching and waiting for them to betray their positions.
They stood up almost simultaneously, at least three of them; she smiled, stretching her neck left and right, an audible cracking of the bones as she did so. She stood feet shoulder width apart, one hand placed defiantly on her hip, the Magnum handgun tucked into the back of her skirt, pulling her hair up and into a messy ponytail.
‘Time to make them bleed…’
Logan watched as she stepped out of the bathroom, something was different, he saw the cold smile she wore, the distant far away look in her eyes, he’d seen that look before, in the forest, when he’d watched her limp over to the SUV, that deadly look in her eyes, that look that swore she was in the middle of a war.
He remembered that look, those words, in that madness that had seen her hold a gun under his chin, an aching, bitter voice, that other part of her that Marie had promised him was gone.
Logan stood up quickly, pushing his stool back as he saw her stand in the middle of the bar, smiling and hand on her hips. He saw three others do the same, standing quickly they were scattered across the bar, tall men, caps pulled low over their eyes, their chests padded out unnaturally. Kevlar clad soldiers, trained experts here in a crowded bar. Logan growled low, talk ‘bout a shit load of trouble.
His eyes snapped quickly to meet hers, he saw Marie nod, that cold smile, those calm collected darkened irises holding his gaze, and he realised that hell she was talking about, it wasn’t just coming, turned out it was already here.
He evaluated the risks, they wouldn’t compromise their mission, whatever that was, and they wouldn’t risk an open fire fight, this bar was too full, too many witnesses, too many people willing to ask too many questions. Nope, they’d have to do this carefully, take her outside without attracting too much attention to themselves, and with the three of them they sure had her outnumbered.
Logan was the first of them all to move, taking his chance, he watched as a heavy set man in a trucker hat staggered past in front of him, bottle of beer in hand, slightly unsteady on his feet, seeing as he had already had one too many.
Logan lowered his shoulder, head tucked low, throwing all his force he took a few quick steps and without warning he rammed straight into him. The guy was picked up clean off his feet and sent flying. Somebody, one of the dancers screamed as suddenly everything happened at once.
The man landed heavily at the feet of one of the soldiers heading for Marie, making him lose his balance. The soldier in turned toppled backwards sprawling over the table of leather bound and heavily drunk bikers with bad moustaches and an even worse temper.
Not appreciating having their drinks spilled all over their laps they pinned the soldier to the table and began to pound the crap out of him.
The whole bar erupted into a mass brawl; with just about everyone throwing punches, waitresses jumping on guys and pounding their backs, bottles smashing over heads and tables being overturned, it was something straight out of a movie.
Logan headed towards where he had last seen Marie, but now in the mess of flying debris he looked around the bar and lost sight of her. He quickly stepped forward eyes scanning the room quickly…but nothing.
Distracted he only caught the sound of someone stepping behind him, he heard them snarl, could smell the beer on their breath, turning quickly a blur flashed before his eyes before something solid connected with the side of his head and the arm he had raised in defence.
More caught off guard than anything else Logan went down, bracing himself on his knees, he shook the ringing out of his ears and watched as the splinters of wooden chair fell around him.
Marie saw Logan go down, before she was shoved herself, pinned against the far back wall, she felt the pool cue pressed tight against her neck, and found herself staring into the wide eyes of one of the three soldiers that had followed her into the bar.
She struggled to breathe, sharp rasping sounds caught in her throat, and she stared at him, pushing against his hands, she could feel her face redden, the blood pounding behind her eyes, as she pushed back, her fingers already beginning to slacken against his grip as the lack of oxygen burned her lungs.
He pressed harder, his face twisted into manic smile; she slipped down the fall, her back scraping against the bare brick, she sunk downwards, her arms flaying madly outwards, she reached for the table desperate for some leverage against this asshole who was choking the life out of her.
Every second spread out into an aching length of desperation, until at long last she felt her fingers wrap around the neck of a beer bottle, tightening her grip quickly around the glass, she gathered every last ounce of strength left in her body to raise her arm quickly, swinging widely and quickly, she smashed the bottle over the soldiers head.
He groaned loudly, the pool cue falling from his hands as the glass embedded deep into his skull, the wound opening up and blood pouring down the side of his face. Marie doubled over and bracing herself against the wall, breathed in deep, large gulps of grateful air, she watched red eyed as the soldier clutched his head.
Recovering quickly she stepped towards him quickly, the Magnum in her hand, and all at once the muzzle pressed firmly against his forehead. He stared up at her, blood pouring into his eyes, down on his knees, eyes wide in fear as he met her cold gaze, she was a red blur on his vision and he was completely at her mercy.
She snarled down at him, the bulging blood vessels in her eyes giving her an almost devilish look, she thumbed off the safety of the gun, ‘That’s right ya fucker…’ she whispered, ‘ya look…ya look at me…’
He did as he was told, unable to help but stare at her; hand rock steady as she gently and slowly pulled the trigger…
‘They would beg for mercy…and you will offer none…’
Logan pushed himself to his feet quickly, growling loudly and finding he was staring at a monster of man, heavily muscled and grizzly faced, he watched as the guy pulled a large serrated blade from behind his back.
Logan stared at him sceptically, noting the cap he wore and the name he had monogrammed onto it, ‘Big Jim.’ The biggest and meanest looking guy in the bar, Big Jim had obviously gone looking for the next biggest and meanest looking guy he could find to fight….that had meant Logan.
He grinned madly at Logan as the cold steel gleamed in the lights, ‘Come on boy…’ he slurred drunkenly, ‘let’s dance…’
Logan could only stare, before he started to chuckle, low and deep in his chest finally letting out a deep throaty laugh. Big Jim waved his knife menacingly under Logan’s eyes, ‘You think this is funny boy…?’
Logan shook his head, ‘Nope…I think this is funny…’ As he spoke Logan extended his knuckles and slowly extended the adamantium claws, on one hand first, each blade slowly appearing, ending with a sharp swish. Three claws on one hand and three for the other, adamantium sharp blades, sharp and deadly.
He watched as Big Jim’s face fell, and could almost swear he saw the big guy’s serrated blade go limp. His face lost all colour, eyes wide and mouth falling open in shock, Big Jim stammered as he staggered backwards, ‘Holy fuck…’
Logan grinned, ‘we can dance…but here’s the thin’ I ain’t into the two-step…so think you can keep up…?’ He watched as Jim shook his head, ‘fuck this…’ he muttered before turning around and practically running out of the bar.
Turning back to the room he saw Marie, barely a few feet away from her now he saw her holding the gun to a man on his knees. His brow furrowed in anger, she wouldn’t be that stupid, no way could be so reckless as to use a gun in the middle of a crowded room, she wasn’t ready, she couldn’t be willing to cross that line.
But she was, the steadiness of her hand, the cold look in her eye, she was ready and willing, to take a life, to step across the point of no return. He scowled, dammit Marie, looking around him wildly, he growled thinking quickly, and ending up doing the only thing he could.
He couldn’t jump her, she was still far enough for him to be late, and she would have pulled that trigger long before he even got close. Propping his foot on the edge of the nearest table he, balancing carefully he kicked the table towards Marie and the soldier.
The furniture sailed across the floor screeching as it went and connecting solidly with the side of the man’s chest knocking him to the floor and out of Marie’s aim. She looked around startled only to see a smug looking Logan smiling at her.
She stared at him across the floor as the bar brawl carried on around them, she shook her head slowly, cursing him for his interference, he just carried right on smiling, before she turned around and he barely got a chance to shout out a warning before he saw her tackled, that third soldier had managed to get to her off guard and now they were rolling across the floor, clambering up the stage as he punched her across the face and she fell backwards.
Marie could feel the blood trickling down the side of her face, running her tongue across her lip the sharp cut across the bottom of her lip stinging. He was strong, this one, heavily built, and not just because of the Kevlar jacket, broad shoulders, thick neck, and this guy was a pro.
She had barely scrambled to her knees when she heard him grunt, his leg drawn back he kicked her in the stomach, his heavy toed boot connecting solidly with the softness of her belly, sending her falling back to the floor, the air from her lungs forced out with a painful moan.
She shut her eyes tight at the searing pain, the sharp stab to her gut; rolling to her sides she clutched her stomach. He was on her in a minute, turning her onto her back, pinning her arm down and pinning her legs beneath his own.
He growled sneering down at her as she stared up at him, his army issue knife was at her throat, she could smell the beer on his breath, his weight threatening to crush her, she gritted her teeth and he smiled.
She snapped her head up quickly hoping to head butt him the same way she had done the woman in the bathroom, but he drew his face back and she missed, he increased the pressure on her chest, one arm pinned by her side, she struggled, trying to kick her legs, but he held tight.
‘I always figured you’d fight dirty…’ he smirked down at her.
Marie swore at him, before she nodded, ‘Baby, ya jus’ don’t know how dirty ah can get soldier boy…’ her voice purred, the Southern lilt prominent, her words dripping sweetly as she smiled up at him.
‘Oh yeah…?’ He brought his lips within inches of hers, ‘sounds like a promise…’
She smiled, ‘bet ya thought it was pretty good idea this morning to get suited up in that Kevlar jacket of yours huh?’ His eyes narrowed in confusion, she smiled wider, her voice barely a soft whisper.
‘But ah reckon ya should have gone for the whole body armour thing, ‘cause guess what? That jacket of yours leaves some pretty important weak spots,’ her eyes glinted, ‘like that thick neck of yours, that space jus’ where you jacket stops, your gut…but ah’m thinkin’ even lower, like your balls…’
It was now that the soldier felt the sharp metal prodding at his crotch, he lifted himself up from Marie slightly, only to see her other hand free, the Magnum held tight in her enclosed fist and the muzzle tapping away at his dick.
He looked back up at her, his eyes wide in fear, a bead of sweat running from his brow, she laughed slightly, ‘How ‘bout it big guy…?’
He shook his head at her, nothin’ to frighten a man like the idea that he might have his balls blown off. He sat up slightly, releasing the pressure on her legs and arm, she grinned at him, never moving her hand, the gun nestled firmly between his legs.
She scrambled backwards slowly and at the last minute she drew up her knee and connected solidly with his crotch. He went over, bent at the waist and writhing on the floor.
She returned the favour and kicked him sharply in the stomach, she kicked and kept on kicking until she was out of breath, leaving him a bloody pulpy mess, she stopped at last out of breath and brushing away at the blood on her face.
Marie turned around only to find herself facing an audience, some of the drinkers had stopped fighting long enough to watch as she had unleashed her fury on the soldier, she stared them down, ‘What can ah say, he’s a lousy tipper, and that goes for all of ya, these girls work damn hard dancin…,’ she turned around and kicked him once more, a savage blow to the head, ‘so how ‘bout next time ya show your appreciation and leave a decent tip, ya bunch of tight…fisted….cheap…fuckers…!’ Every word was emphasised with another kick.
Marie was ready to do and say more, but she found herself being pulled off the stage, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and Logan shouting in her ear. ‘For fuck’s sake Marie…we have to get outta here…’
‘Send in your skeletons
Sing as their bones go marching in... again,
The need you buried deep
The secrets that you keep are ever ready
Are you ready?’
They moved about the room quickly, they were the backup, just in case things didn’t go according to plan, two of them, standing either side of the door, ready for her. The sound of the radio filtered over to them.
‘I'm what's left, I'm what's right
I'm the enemy
I'm the hand that will take you down
Bring you to your knees…’
It was a cheap room, fading wallpaper, neon sign flashing in the window, the electrical clock blinking, its red LED display flashing, he peered at it closely, it was wrong, the time was wrong.
And then he noticed it, the back stripped away, its wires exposed; he followed the leads, down along the wall, past the power outlet and underneath the bedside table and saw what the wires had been attached to, an open gas canister hissing away.
‘What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?’
‘Oh shit…!’ Was all he managed to say, before the alarm clock beeped and everything went to hell.
He pushed her in front of him, out of the back exit and back underneath the metal stairs, he started up the steps, ‘Let’s get your things and get going…’
She hung back, pressed against the bare wall, she dabbed the back of her hand at her busted lip, and she shook her head slowly, ‘No…’ She smiled up at him, ‘Not when they’ve got the same idea.’
She was staring back at him, her eyes dark and her smile wide, ‘Wait for it…’ she whispered, holding up three fingers she seemed to be counting down. ‘Three…two…one…’
As she closed her fist it happened, a huge explosion rocked the building, Logan was thrown clear off his feet, landing heavily, he watched as an enormous fireball blew out what had been Marie’s room.
The door flying off its hinges he watched what followed, two charred still burning bodies coming to land barely a few feet away. He stared at them wide eyed, dragging himself to his feet, he heard screaming and the far distant rumble and howl of sirens.
They had to go, right now, tearing his eyes away from the corpses he looked around for Marie, only to realise he’d lost her again. ‘Fuck it…’ he shouted loudly, whipping his head around frantically, the inhabitants of the bar already filling up the street, putting off their fight, wanting to see what the hell was going on.
He pushed his way past the crowds, and heard the sound of tyres squealing, he looked down the street to see a black motorbike racing towards him, it didn’t slow down and he stared as Marie braked hard coming to stop right at his feet, the bike resting at an angle, she smiled wickedly as she scooted backwards over the seat.
‘Ah think ya should drive…’
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