The Basement

Part 10

Taylor focused his gaze on the Senator's handgun, which was still on the workbench next to the machine.

He bounced on his left foot several times as he worked up the courage to throw himself through the window. If he landed on the stump that was now the lower half of his right leg he was bound to pass out.

He bounced one last time then hurled himself through. He twisted his upper body as he fell and landed on his back. Once again the air was knocked from lungs, however this time he was ready for it.

He was in the process of getting to his foot when the Professor reappeared from behind the machine. He stopped and starred at Taylor.

Taylor hopped towards the bench.

The Professor pivoted his head so he could look at the bench and saw the gun. He dropped the screwdriver and ran towards it.

Taylor reached the gun first, but the Professor crashed into him and they both fell to the floor as one tangled mass.

Taylor pushed off with his good leg and rolled on top of the Professor. He pressed down on the Professor's head with his left forearm and used his right fist to hammer the Professor's kidneys with several powerful blows.

The Professor cried out and tried to thrash his head from side to side but Taylor continued to pound away at the Professor's kidneys and the when Professor's body went limp he wrapped both hands around the Professor's throat and squeezed. However the Professor made one last desperate thrash and Taylor lost his balance, the motion throwing him to his right.

Taylor stuck out his leg to balance himself, only there was no leg to balance on and his stump hit the ground. He screamed in agony as a burst of white light filled his vision and he let go of the Professor's throat. His survival instincts rolled him away from the Professor who lay on the floor sucking in deep breaths.

Taylor rolled onto his back, panting as he tried to control the intense pain that shot up from his stump. Through gritted teeth he let out several controlled bursts of air and opened his eyes. Everything was blurry and the white light lingered at the corner of his vision, but he'd operated with worse.

He rolled to his left intending to push himself up from the ground, but the Professor kicked him in the stomach and he flopped back to the concrete.

The Professor kicked him several more times, each more controlled than the last, and more powerful.

"You little fuck," the Professor said. "I'm not going to let you stop me now, not when I'm this close."

Taylor lay on the floor and wheezed whilst he tried to fill his lungs with air.

The Professor bent over Taylor and grabbed him by the hair. He lifted Taylor's head off the ground then smashed it back into the concrete.

Again Taylor saw white.

The Professor tried to stand up straight, but the pain in his kidney left him stooped. He grimaced as he scanned the room for the gun which he saw on the floor next to the bench, and he hobbled over to retrieve it.

Taylor's lifted his head and rubbed the impact point on the back of it. Through squinted eyes he could just make out a blurred Professor bend over and pick something up from the floor. 

He blinked rapidly in an attempt to clear his vision and pushed himself along the floor, away from the Professor. His hand nudged something, and he looked down to find the Professor's screwdriver next to his hip. He grabbed it as the Professor hobbled back.

The Professor stood over Taylor and aimed the gun at his head.

"Don't worry Captain, once I activate the machine this moment will never happen, so killing you will just be temporary."