Friend and Foe

Chapter Eight

The address lead me to an empty house on the beach, north of the city. There were no henchmen, like I'd come to except from him, keeping surveillance of the property so under the cover of dark I was able to sneak up to the house and peer into the windows. The house was unfurnished, even the walls were unpainted. There was nobody in any of the rooms, so I lifted myself up to peer into the second-floor windows.

Hazel and Abb were bound and unconscious on the floor in the most western facing room. There was nobody in the room with them but a light in the hall was leaking under the door, showing the shadow of two feet.

Letting myself drop back to the ground, I pulled out my Companion from the pocket at my hip. Magnet had missed my call earlier and hadn't gotten back to me. I sent him a message with the address and a simple statement.

Help me.

Shoving my Companion away, I glanced over my shoulder at the surrounding houses. There were glowing lights from windows but nobody, loitered outside. Nobody innocent or suspicious.

The front door was locked, I had tried already. It made my dramatic entrance all the better.

The door shattered under one kick. Debris rained down in a clamour that rival the sound of it shattering.

In seconds there was dozens of guns pointed at me. The entry way loaded with muscle, metal and testosterone.

I raised my hands, "I come in peace."

They didn't lower their weapons.

I shrugged, "I hear you guys want to swap me?"

They glanced at each other in question. Clearly they weren't privy to Mr Hearsts' plans.

They didn't even know what was happening until the first man hit the ground with a gratifying thump. By then, I was already on the second guy. I pulled his gun down in his unrelenting grip, using his own force to fling it back up to wack himself in the face. I slammed a palm into his nose, flinging his head back. The resulting strike against the wall left him out cold and a hole in the plasterboard.

A danced around in a rapid twirl as bullets began to fly. Three more men fell before I copped a bullet. It grazed my skin, tearing my suit and flesh on my shoulder. The shooter received a fist to the gut and a heel to the nose. He fell like a stone. My shoulder stung like a bitch.

After I tossed the last man out, sending him tumbling across the porch and onto the cement pathway, hitting his head with wet crunch, I surveyed myself. I'd taken a bit of damage, covered in blood that was both mine and not. There was a hole in my leg, a bullet had gone clean through and a painful display of the power of weapons and their ruthless wielders.

I tore cloth off one of the unconscious henchmen, wadding the wound before winding more around to hold it there. I'd have to clean myself up properly when I was done.

Every step up the stairs had pain shooting through my body, radiating from my left leg. Favouring my right leg made the process slower but I climbed determinedly. There was nobody in the hall upstairs. The light was still on as I made my way to the most western room. I waited outside the door, listening for anything before entering. I heard nothing and pushed the door open boldly.

Hazel was wide eyed and gaged, starting at me with fear. Abbs was still unconscious. I rushed into the room, forgetting my wound, and dropping to my knees by Hazel's side, the pain spiking so sharply that I almost collapsed on her. Fumbling with the knots, I untied her wrists and then ankles before working on the gag.

In a whisper, I asked, "Are you okay?"

She nodded, sitting up and rubbing her wrists, "Yes. Please help her."