Dark Destiny

Chapter 9 - Battle at the Motel

CHAPTER 9—BATTLE AT THE MOTEL

"Okay, honey," Jeremiah comments, looking over at the lovely Althea, who returns his look, with concern on her face. "It looks like we're in the wrong room." So saying, he moves his hands back onto the suitcase, reaching for the handle. She watches him closely, looking for any sign to help her determine her next move.

"How silly of us," she responds, with an innocent-looking smile that she flashes at the five armed men in front of her, who are even now walking into the doorway, their eyes averted for the moment to her, watching her with prurient interest. "Maybe we should just be leaving now?"

"I do not think so," the leader of the small band responds. "We have become aware that you have been tracking us, and have had some measure of success at keeping us from our goal. However," he adds, directing his gun directly at Jeremiah's head, as his face reflects his cold, determined expression, "it ends now."

"You know, you're right," Jeremiah responds, as Althea looks on with surprise, following his movements, her eyes watching closely for any sign of what to do next. "We do have some of the tablets you wanted so badly. Your madman leader won't achieve his insane goals, unless he can get those tablets from us."

"I have little doubt that we can extract the tablets from you," the leader responds, walking forward, and pressing the gun barrel against Jeremiah's forehead. The others in his band look on with interest, their weapons trained on the pair as well. "Unless, of course, you place no value on your lives."

"Yeah, right," Jeremiah silently considers, keeping his eyes trained on their assailants, watching their movements and preparing for his own. "That's the best way to make sure that we don't leave this room alive. Taking away our only bargaining chip would take away our only insurance." "That's funny," Jeremiah responds, turning his head slightly towards the man holding the gun to his head, as he nods at Althea, "I see our situation a little differently."

"Oh?" the leader asks, looking over at Jeremiah with interest, while keeping his gun against his foe's head. He is surprised by Jeremiah's words, but warily keeps the gun trained against his head. "In what way?"

"In this way," Jeremiah responds, moving his hand so quickly that the leader is unable to pull the trigger before Jeremiah grabs his wrist, twisting it into an impossible position, which creates a tell-tale snap, as the gunman's face contorts with tremendous pain, even as his knees involuntarily buckle under him and he goes to the ground, howling in pain. The gun falls from his now limp hand, bounces off the bed, and lands at Althea's feet. She quickly bends over, kneeling behind the side of the bed, picking up the gun and crouching beside the bed, even as the leader of the Arabs drops to his knees, the pain from his broken wrist bringing him to the edge of unconsciousness.

As the other four Arabs train their guns, two on the right side of the doorway fire their weapons, sending bullets flying through the air. Althea stays down, ducking her head behind the side of the bed, holding the .45 in her hand, as she waits for an opportunity to raise her head and return their fire. The hail of bullets pierce the bed linens, and are imbedded in the wall behind them, shattering the glass in the tall floor lamp near the outer wall, sending shards of glass and other debris all over the room, and onto the bed linens on the bed behind her.

With a fluid movement, Jeremiah rolls forward onto the bed, using his momentum to carry him forward, towards the other attacking Arabs. They in turn involuntarily move back, preparing to fire their guns at him. Before they can do so, however, he has reached them, after landing on the floor on the other side of the bed and bounding up towards them. They are caught off-guard by his sudden movements, and distracted by the wailing of their leader, who is still kneeling on the ground, suffering from the pain of his broken wrist.