This Cat Has Claws

19: Goodbye Jillian

Landon successfully undid the knot completely and I shifted back to my original position. I looked at the guy closest to us. He wasn't really paying us any attention. It's no wonder I was easily able to escape last time. The people Jillian hires are not good at their job. Sure these guys were big and buff and all, but I could still take them out. He wasn't even watching us. Amateurs. I jumped up from my spot on the couch and kept my hands behind my back as if they were bound. The rope was bunched up in my hands. I ran at the guy closest to us and before he had the time to react, I threw the rope around his neck, grabbed both ends and slid between his legs so he couldn't grab me. Then I yanked on the ends of the rope as hard as I could so that Buff Guy #1 would lose his footing and faceplant into the ground.

By this time, Buff Guys #2 and 3 were aware that I was loose and had already taken out #1. Just for good measure, I punched #1's face to make absolutely sure he was passed out. I didn't need him springing up on me while I was already dealing with two other guys. As the other two came running at me, Landon moved quickly from the couch to in front of the coffee table so that he could trip one of them. I looked over and tried to figure out the best way to deal with these two. The guy that Landon tripped got up and glared at him, hard. Landon ran in the opposite direction back towards the front door and then turned abruptly and ran up the stairs. Buff Guy #3 followed him. That wasn't great.

Before I could help Landon, I'd have to focus on the beefcake in front of me. I looked to the side and saw the kitchen out of the corner of my eye. That works. I turned and sprinted in that direction. If I wasn't in such a hurry, I could have taken the time to admire how beautiful Jillian's kitchen was. First off, it was huge and I wanted it. Anyway, back to the task at hand. I ran to the magnetic knife strip that was hanging above the sink. I wanted one of these, too. I grabbed the biggest two and held one in each hand.

Beefcake saw the knives in my hands and backed off a bit, just enough so I wouldn't be able to cut him up by extending my arms. Distance did not matter for me, at least not while we were in the house. He couldn't get that far away from me. I jumped on the island that separated us and swung my right arm which held the smaller of the two knives. I slashed his shoulder, and while he focused on that, I dropped the knife in that hand and grabbed the back of his head. With a quick glance in his eyes before dealing the final blow, I watched as his eyes shone in horror. He thought I'd kill him, probably. I wasn't that terrible, to just kill someone because he was following orders to guard me so that I wouldn't leave. I bunched my fist in his hair and pushed his head down into the side of the island. He fell to the ground and I picked up the knife.

Now I had to find Landon and Buff Guy #2 upstairs. I ran out of the kitchen and through the living room we were kept in just three minutes ago to the stairs. There were two ways they could have gone: left and right. If not for the broken vase I saw laying a ways down the right hallway, I would have been making blind guesses. So I went to the right. I opened the first few doors and quickly closed them before hearing a grunt followed by another and another until I was in the right room.

On the ground before me was Landon and Buff Guy #2 on top of him. Landon was using all his strength to keep #2's knife from his face. And here I thought they were just supposed to recapture us, not kill us. You really have to be mindful of the people you hire in this line of business. #2 had his back facing me and he never noticed me walk in, so he was surprised when he felt my foot connect with his stomach and fling him off of Landon and onto the ground. I pulled Landon up and behind me. The blood that covered my hands from Beefcake downstairs now covered Landon's hand.

"You better back the fuck up, man," I said in a menacing voice. He wasn't just trying to capture us and keep us downstairs like the other two. I doubt he cared at all that this wasn't part of his job description; he just wanted to have some fun while killing someone.

"Or what, little lady? What can you do to me?" he asked with an arrogant tone.

"Are you curious?" I asked back, giving him a slight grin while thinking of what I'd do to him if he pushed me too far. From the look on his face, he could tell whatever I was thinking of could become his reality and he backed up a step and dropped the stupid smirk that plastered on his face. Smart move.

#2 raised his hand, getting ready to attack, and before he could make so much as a full step towards us, I let the smaller knife in my hand fly in his direction. He stopped and gaped at me, now noticing that my other hand still held a knife. Then he reached up his cheek. I aimed more for his ear, but that worked too. My knife had grazed his cheek and it looked like it had cut his earlobe as well. Yeah, that worked out nicely, in my opinion.

"I still have another knife. Wanna be my target practice? It looked like I'm a little rusty; I was aiming just for your ear," I said coolly, bringing the other knife up into the air.

He didn't say anything but gulped. I pointed to the ground for him to kneel down. He reluctantly followed my instructions and I made my way over to him so that I stood a little less than a foot away. I smiled briefly before bending down enough so I could grab his head and bring it into my knee. He was lucky my cute face was the last thing he saw.

"Are you alright?" I asked Landon as I grabbed his face in my free hand and looked at it from side to side.

"I'm fine, thanks. What about you? This isn't your blood right?" Landon asked skeptically.

"It's not."

Satisfied that he was alright and that all three guards were knocked out for awhile, I took Landon's hand in mine and pulled him along with me. It was time to go to Jillian and get my parents so we could finally go home. Landon laced his fingers in mine, which I wasn't expecting at all, so for a split second I felt my body jolt. I looked out of the corner of my eye at Landon and saw he looked very pleased with himself. I was very pleased with him, too. There was no way I'd complain about this, now or ever.

I abruptly opened the door to Jillian's office where they were all having the meeting. Mom and Dad jumped a little and turned around to face me. Jillian looked surprised, but she hid it well and remained as calm as possible. I walked right up to her desk and then stopped. She eyed me, not knowing what I was about to do. I raised my free hand, with the knife in it, and brought it down into the table, right between Jillian's folded hands. She gasped.

"That will be the end of your negotiations. Thanks for your hospitality, Jillian. I'll never forget it," I said and walked away with my parents behind me and Landon beside me.