Art of Defiance [Discontinued]

Intro

The Art of Defiance

© 2014 EncoreDeZiza 

All Rights Reserved

The Art of Defiance

Introduction

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Her breath hitched, eyes flashing about every possibility until she found it. Her one escape. On queue, her knees buckled, boots grinding against the tiled floor, she dropped to her knees, kicking the remains of a corpse over her scuff marks before tucking around the corner. She hesitated only a moment to regulate her breathing, suppress her pounding heart. It barely took half a beet before she continued her search, eyes scanning every square inch, brain racing through every plausible ending. It wasn’t until she heard the faintest of sounds, a mistake not often made by her colleagues. A dainty, and very much appreciated hick up had her eyes flashing to a concrete box. She drew a breath, making sure all her systems were in check before diving across the space, gathering her limbs about her and pressing her back to the concrete. 

She made no sudden movements, regulating herself before turning to her wounded colleague, and of course, it had to be the one she cared about. Her fingers coiled, biting into the flesh of her palms, knuckles whitening as her eyes narrowed on her little sister. She should know better by now. How long had she been in training? Years. She’d gotten nearly double the time as everyone else, and here they were. The entire sabotage was her fault. She fought the urge to scream at her, nostrils flaring. She could’ve gotten them all killed. Hell, right now, they were as good as dead.

The team had given up, claiming anyone left to be a lost cause. But Hazel had volunteered, because she’s such an outstanding citizen. Her breathing faltered with the creak of a floorboard, eyes snapping to her younger sister. If she made a single noise, Hazel would kill her with her bare hands. Even if it meant bringing her back from the dead.

It was like the little dweeb had a book entitled ‘104 Ways To Wipe Out An Entire Government Agency’. As if it’d been read straight from the book, Luce chose now to open her mouth and scream. Hazel cringed, every muscle contracting before her eyes snapped open fingers encircling the weapon on her belt. Her jaw flexed, eyes flashing to her sister, burning with rage. She was beyond dead. Unfortunately, Hazel wasn’t the only one who’d targeted the loud mouth. She saw the flash of silver and acted, leaping into the line of fire and taking a hit to the stomach. Enraged, she chucked her grenade, watching the beast swallow, lasting only seconds before it imploded. She turned to her sister, pressing her hand to the hole in her stomach. “Go outside,” She growled, “NOW.” Lucinda Renee Riley, unlike her sister, was a stereotypical blonde, and now, she was frozen in horror. And they were going to die. Because this fucker had two more lives, and only needed three seconds to regenerate. She knew for a fact there were three more, and she didn’t know how many they had left. Her eyes flickered about the room, giving her sister a well deserved shove. She stumbled, tripping over her own two feet and falling to the floor with a heavy thud. She lasted about two seconds before she burst into tears, sobs echoing down the corridors. Hazel ground her jaw, eyes settling on an old wooden window sill. Her lips thinned, twisting in delight. She made it a step before her vision began to fade into black. She blinked, pushing the illness aside, the grip on her wound tightening as she pulled her sister to her feet, and rushed to the window. Her speed was the first to go, their last minute escape not as efficient as she would’ve liked. Freeing a gun from it’s place, she thrust it through the window, shielding her sister from the shattering glass. She didn’t need to yell orders, the act almost routine when she saved someone. Without hesitation she shoved her sister out the window, glancing behind her and shoving her left over explosive into the beasts mouth before launching from the window.

Her heart pounded against her ribs and skull, blood pulsating through her veins, only to pump straight out of her wound, coating her fingers and dripping through the air. Her colleagues caught her, some shouting for assistance as she cringed against their blaring lights. This would be a huge mess, and she’d undoubtedly be pulled off the force for recovery. No matter how she spun it, it looked like her parole had been extended. Again.

Damn..

© 2014 EncoreDeZiza 

So for those of you who read Arrogance, you already know this version has an entirely different spin. Luckily, I find it twice as addictive as the original. As a result, this is the FIRST book I don't want to ruin with my huge ass mouth. So it seems the hint will be few, and far between. Keeps the suspencion up, that's the hope, anyway. 

I hope you enjoy this. Because she's not comin down until she's finished. Non-negotiable. Enjoy the insanity, everyone.

Dedicated to my friend Kaitlyn, who I desperately need to whip my ass into shape from time to time. Thanks, love- consider Defiance your payment.