Dead Connections

Chapter 14 - An old friend

Crap! I thought as my heart threatened to burst. Unseen grinned, a gun loosely in his hand. Drew gasped, stepping back so his back was flat against the wall. His breathing was ragged and his eyes fearful and scared.

“You just can’t get rid of someone like you used to,” Unseen grinned at me, already raising the gun. I wouldn’t let him get away with it again. Not in front of Drew… again. As Unseen adjusted his grip around the gun and leapt at him, completely catching him unprepared. My primary aim was simple. Get the gun out of his hand and into my own. I smacked his square in the jaw with my right fist and his stumbled backwards.

If there was one thing I remembered from Embers training it was attack again when your opponent isn’t looking. I shuffled forwards, fists clenched, shielding my face. Jabbing my left hand out directly in front of me, my hand collided with his stomach and he doubled over, groaning.

“Run,” I yelled at Drew who ignored me, standing against the wall, frozen to the spot. “Go!”

Unseen caught be unaware and shoved his hand around my neck, clenching it tight. I gasped, but not much because I could get the oxygen to do so. My hand went up to his hands to try and pull him off of me but his pale gloveless hands were very strong.

He pushed me back into the corridor wall, leaning forwards at a 45 degree angle so that his whole body weight was pushing into my neck.  Struggled, closing my eyes as I spluttered, choked and coughed. With the other hand, Unseen took my wrist and pinned it against the wall.

Sharply, I lifted my knee, whacking him in the chest. He gasped, but didn’t let go. Both of us were sweating, and I was seconds away from passing out. Not now. Concentrate Skylar. What did Ember teach you?

I had one spare hand. This was the hand that I’d dislocated a little while ago. It still stung but I didn’t need much strength for my next move. I brought my hand up, stretching out my thumb and clenching the rest of my hand together tightly.

I stuck my thumb out and then poked it against his eye. He groaned loudly, his eye closed, clenched in pain. I pressed my thumb against his eye harder. Unseen’s grip on me got looser as I dug deeper into his eye lid, threatening to blind him forever.

Eventually, he stumbled away, bringing both hands to his eye and whimpering in pain. I brought my fist up, hitting him in his left floating rib (the bottom rib. They’re not attached to anything at the front so they’re easily broken. Ember taught me that.)

Crying out in pain, Unseen collapsed on the floor, defeated. A wave of pride washed over me as I saw him lying weakly on the wood, blood oozing from his mouth, chin, nose and ribs. Maybe I had broken his rib. That would have helped.

“Come on Drew,” I yelled, rushing into the room and taking him by the arm, literally pulling him out of the door. As I passed Unseen one thought seemed to overtake me. One think I had to do. “Actually, hang on.”

“Huh?”

“Just wait there for a second,” I told him. Unseen seemed to be oblivious of everything around him. One hand was on his ribs and the other lightly cupping his eye. He wasn’t alert.

The answer was right there. He didn’t look at me. Both his eyes were closed. It would be so easy to grab his balaclava and yank it off of his head. I’d find out exactly who he was.

I charged towards him, both hands outstretched. By the time I wrapped one fist around the fabric that was his balaclava, his hand shot up also. Suddenly, he was alert, gripping onto his mask and pulling it down. He wasn’t yet ready to give up his identity. He wanted to stay hidden.

I jumped back, shocked by his sudden change of energy. I had blown my only chance to discover who had killed me, and now there was only one thing left for me and Drew to do. I spun on my feet, my mouth open wide.