Finding Darkness

Chapter 45 Closer

Tamar could hear the questioning tone in the young man's voice from where she squatted. Once again, she closed her eyes. She didn't need to touch their shared power to take these men out. This time, she was closing her eyes for another reason.

I need your guidance. These men are only following orders, so please guild my hand, make sure I don't kill any of them. Opening her eyes, she slid down the wall, getting lower as she went. When she got as close as she thought she was going to, she took a long slow breath, quieted her pounding heart, then sprang.

The fight was short, taking no more than ten seconds. Once again, the men seemed like they were wading through pudding. Most went down with her first strike, a spear hand here, a single knife. There was enough to take all but the last down. That one had some training.

Her first strike was paired with a high section block which opened her mid-section up to a powerful rising jab. Feeling a rib crack, Tamar back flipped, disengaging to give her some room to maneuver. Growling, she came in again, this time taking no chances. Moving so fast, she flowed across the floor like a black wave. The man never knew what hit him. Leaping on his chest, Tamar locked a forearm under his chin, continued her spin around his body until she was on his back and grabbed her arm from the other side with the other. By pulling with both arms, she began to exert a pressure the man could not escape from. Futility. He pawed at her. With each passing second, his struggles weakened.

"Don't fight it. You showed yourself well. Now it's time for a nap. There you go." The man's body jerked violently for a few seconds as his oxygen supply was cut to his brain, then went limp.

As soon as his body stopped moving, Tamar released her grip, check his pulse, and moved to the lift doors.

"Captain, as I told you, the ten-man security team you sent to secure the lift doors has been neutralized, sir."

"How many of them did that thing kill?"

"None sir, she hasn't killed anyone since being on board. I said neutralized, not killed."

"How? That thing looks like it's about twelve. Those were ten grown men."

"I'm not sure, sir. But why don't you have a look at this?" Central brought up the security camera from outside the lift.

A holograph of the brief but intense action built itself above the bridge. From the camera angle, all that could be seen was a black blur moving from man to man. Murmurs of pain, and a lot of winces spread across the bridge as the men of the watch looked on, until from the footage Tamar could be seen wrapping both arms around the last man's neck then, with the utmost care, lowering him to the deck.

"Central, what is that thing?" Captain Prey pointed to the on-screen Tamar. "What the hell did Malachi bring back to my ship?"

"That is a discussion for another time, Captain. For now, I would advise that if you want to stand any chance of stopping her, I would reinforce the men you have outside that medical wing. I don't think twenty-five will be enough."

"I believe you're correct," he nodded at his security chief of the watch, who turned and busied himself issuing further orders to the rest of shipboard security.

"Joshua, you might be getting some more company." Tomas spoke inside his suit, making sure with a thought that the rest of the bridge could not hear him.

"The guys outside can take care of them if needed. I'm needed in here right now." The exasperation in his voice was plain.

"Whatever your brother brought back with him has somehow managed to find its way down to the medical wing he's in right now. It's carved, its was through everything I can throw in its way. I'm reinforcing the security team outside, but that might not be enough. So be ready for action, remember, this thing cannot be allowed to get near him, under any circumstances. For all we know that thing might have done this to him and is back to finish the job."