Born of Chaos and Grace

Chapter Three: Capture - Part II

There are less dead bodies littered around her house than what there are outside and on the highway. Each body is missing a limb or two – some arms, a few hands and fingers, one ear – but all of them have their necks slit with precision.

Her foot flies up and lands squarely in the gut of a Cambion, sending him flying backwards and crashing onto the wooden coffee table. He manages to get back up with ease and takes a leap towards her, his fist grazing her cheek. Laine tries to side-step, but his arms grab her waist and then they are tumbling to the floor, her head smacking against the laminate.

Black stars dance in front of her vision. She wants to curl up and close her eyes, but she doesn't, instead moving a foot to the left just in time to avoid a fist to the face.

Hands grasp her neck, tightening with each passing second, and a pressure builds behind her eyes. Luckily enough, the monster has forgotten about her blade, giving Laine the opportunity to make use of his occupied hands to raise it and knock it against his temple. Her hands push against his chest and her legs wrap around his torso to give her enough leverage to flip them over.

With the Cambion now on his back and still stunned from her previous attack, Laine places the blade on his neck without hesitation and applies force. The blade slices downwards, successfully removing his head from his body.

After the sound of the fighting and objects breaking floats away, nothing but silence ensues.

Laine contemplates calling out and asking where everyone is, just to make things fun, but thinks better of it. If Zach and Dean knew she tried to instigate the enemy, she would never hear the end of it. Instead, she opts for taking the stairs one at time, muscles tense and blade at the ready to hack at anything that gets in her way.

When she reaches the top of the stairs, she sees the door of the guest bedroom is slightly ajar – she most definitely did not have it open this morning.

Laine does a quick once over of the upstairs area before making her way towards the room, body in fight mode once again. Tapping the door open the rest of the way with the toe of her boot, she steps inside with the utmost caution, one hand reaching out to flick the lights on.

When she enters fully and is presented with a full view of the room, Laine almost drops to her knees right then and there.

Hung from the roof by nothing but his hands and some rope is Zach.

His shirt has been removed, showcasing multiple deep, angry red lacerations running along his chest and arms. Blood drips from the wounds in a steady flow, indicating the recent application of the gashes. His head hands low, blood-soaked hair obscuring his face from view.

A sob escapes Laine's lips as she rushes over to Zach, not bothering to pay any mind when the blade slips out of her hand and clatters to the floor in a puddle of Zach's blood.

Without hesitation, she pulls a chair towards him and climbs atop it, beginning to untie the bonds around his wrists. His body sags and she barely catches him as he falls to the floor, the last of the ropes coming undone. Laine hoists him up as best she can and drags him over to the bed, laying his unconscious body on the cream coloured duvet. Her eyes wander across his abdomen and she flinches at the sight of the bone deep crevices carved into his skin.

Laine pulls his head into her lap, cradling it and brushing stray pieces of hair away from his face. Her fingers dance across his face and make their way to his throat, pressing gently to feel for a pulse; it's there, but barely.

"Zach?" Her voice cracks on the simple word, tears beginning to cloud her vision. "Hey, you need to wake up. We need to get outta here, and I can't drag you all by myself. I might be strong, but I'm not that strong."