Eden's Root (21 page)

“Is that so?” a strange male voice drawled behind her and she froze, the hair on her neck standing up. “I do believe I found some good stuff myself,” the voice growled. Fi spun to face her attacker and her hand flew to her holster. Shit, she thought, her gun was in her freaking pack. Jesus, she was losing her edge. The man was tall and thickset by today’s starvation standards, with a ruddy complexion. His clothes were soaking wet and the alcohol on his breath was so strong that she’d smelled it even before she turned. Great, she thought, a drunk. Easy to beat in a fight, but hard to take down permanently.

“Well Fi, I’m just happy to get out of the…” her mother’s voice trailed off as she came through the door with Kiara right behind her. “Rain,” she finished quietly as she stopped, staring at Fi with wide eyes. The raindrops slipped off her coat like quicksilver.

“Well looky here,” the man scoffed, “It’s my lucky day, three for the price of one! I expect you,” he sneered at Fi. “Will put up a fight. But if you don’t, I promise that I will be easy on the little one and your sickly ol’ Ma here.”

Fi gagged and then bit her tongue and breathed to calm her raging mind. This was strategy, she knew. Sensei Bob had taught her to anticipate emotional warfare as well as physical. The man was using ugly language to enrage her, to throw her off her guard. With her Sensei in her mind, Fi said a prayer. Feigning fear, Fi widened her eyes and moved her hands behind her, to grip the edge of the kitchen counter. She knew her attacker would see this as a sign of weakness because she looked like she was backing away from him. It was sure to draw him forward.

“Kiara baby?” she said through gritted teeth. She tightened her grip on the counter as the man began his surge toward her. “Close your eyes!” she yelled and using the counter to steady her, she pushed off the floor with all her might and kicked out with both feet. Her knees jarred as her feet slammed into the man’s chin, throat, and chest.

“Ungggh!” His body folded in two and he fell backward with a loud crack as his head struck the heavy wooden table. Kiara screamed, but Fi was on him in an instant. The man squirmed beneath her, shocked by her swift attack.

“Don’t move a muscle you pig,” Fi hissed in his ear and the man stopped moving beneath her. Her heart was pounding but she could tell that he had felt her buck knife at his throat. Her wet fingers curled around the hilt and she knelt on his chest with her right foot digging into his crotch. His breathing quickened as he began to panic. She smiled down at him, her wet curls hanging down and dripping on his face. “That’s better,” she jammed her foot further into his groin.

“Aggggh!” he screamed. “That hurts!” he yelled up at her.

“Shut up!” she snapped. “That’s the point, pig. Now, it’s your lucky day because I’ve decided not to kill you. Don’t want to traumatize my baby sister that way.” Fi gave a tiny nod toward her cowering sister. She felt him stir and she pressed harder on the knife. He froze. It took everything in Fi to stay her hand when she thought of Kiara’s terrified face.

“But,” she emphasized, “It’s important that you know that if you move a single millimeter, I will slit you from ear to ear.” She leaned over to his ear and whispered. “And I don’t care who fucking watches. Understand pig?” He nodded, a tiny little motion against the shining edge of her knife.

“Mama,” Fi commanded. “Get my pack and dig to the bottom. Find the thick cable ties.” Maggie scurried to do her bidding.

“These Fi?” she asked her, holding out the thick plastic strips. Fi used her peripheral vision to glance over.

“Exactly,” Fi nodded. “Now, I want you to cable-tie this pig’s ankles together for me first. Make sure to place his feet tight next to each other and then pull it as tight as you think is AP-PRO-PRIATE,” she pressed on the knife and he grimaced. “Given his plans for Kiara.” She smiled down at him, knowing the impact this direction would have.

“Will do,” Maggie growled and got to work. Fi never moved from her position on the man’s chest, her gaze locked on his face. A second later Fi heard the telltale ziiiiip of the cable tie followed by the man’s tortured howl.

“Agggh!” he cried, his face twisting in pain. “Shit, that hurts, it’s practically cutting my feet off.” Fi smiled.

“Sorry,” she feigned innocence and then leaned in again. A tear of pain and fear slid from the corner of his eye to the floor. Good, she thought. He’s truly frightened of me. It’s about time he got a clue. “Ok pig. Now we are going to roll you over onto your belly and you’re going to put your hands behind you for us like a good boy. If you give me even one sign of trouble I will kill you and not lose a moment’s sleep. You got me?” She pressed on the knife.

“Yes,” he agreed, resigned.

Fi carefully stepped up off his chest, keeping her knife to his throat. She could feel his relief to have her weight off his chest as he drew deep, gasping breaths. Maggie and Fi rolled him over, with Fi taking care to keep the knife close enough to his throat to keep him terrified. He dutifully put his hands together behind his back and Maggie applied the second cable-tie. Fi could see Maggie pull it with all her weight in one swift, cruel yank. Ziiiiiiiiiiip! The sound came with another moan of pain from the pig. Maggie was pissed.

A loud crash and shouts from outside startled them and Fi jumped up and grabbed her gun from her pack. With her knife in her left hand and her gun in her right, Fi leapt down the stairs and then froze. A huge man lay on the ground, unmoving, with John and Sean standing over him. John gripped his walking staff like a weapon and his nose dripped blood. Sean was crouched in his fighting stance with a black eye and fat lip swelling up. Fi whirled and saw that Doc Ron, Aliyah, and Aldy stood huddled against the wall of the house.

Though her heart did flip-flops seeing that they’d taken blows, she realized that they had won. The man on the ground remained motionless and the rest of the Skillmans huddled by the side of the house with Doc Ron. Everyone looked ok.

“Mama!” Fi shouted, turning to find that Maggie was right behind her on the house stairs. “We need more cable-ties, quickly,” she urged.

“I’m on it,” Maggie hurried back inside and then emerged quickly with ties in hand. Sean and Fi got to work cable-tying the giant’s hands and feet. He was unconscious so it was no struggle, but Fi wanted him contained before he woke up. Even with the relative levels of starvation this man was big. He had to be 6’6” and 200 pounds, minimum.

“Good grief,” Fi exclaimed when she saw Sean’s face up close. “We need to get you both some ice packs. But first let’s drag this giant pig someplace where we can keep an eye on him. She motioned for Doc Ron to join them. “Think you guys can get him onto the porch with help from me and Sean?”

“Yeah, I think all of us can do it without you Fi,” Sean said. Fi balked, but then the four men each grabbed limbs and started dragging the large man across the ground. They were able to lift him enough to work their way up the stairs, grunting and puffing all the way.

“Nrrrrgggh!” All four groaned as they finally slid his unconscious form onto the floor of the front porch.

“Whew!” John dropped into on a chair on the porch. “Holy Cow, that guy is a load! Sheesh.” His nose no longer dripped but his voice sounded oddly muffled.

“Uncle John, you should go inside and get an icepack from Maggie,” Fi urged and Sean agreed.

“Yeah Dad, we’ll be right in.” He looked back at Fi after John disappeared through the door. “I agree with him though,” he smiled ruefully at the giant man at their feet. “We should have left him to rot in the rain like he deserved.” He nudged him with his foot. Doc Ron sat on the steps holding his lower back and twisting.

“Oof,” he sighed. “Wish I could have seen you guys take him down,” he nodded at the dark, wet heap on the porch. He and his family had been behind the house when they heard the noise and had come around just at the same moment when Fi had appeared.

“Me too Doc,” Fi smiled. “I’m sorry guys,” Fi apologized, crouching on the stairs with them in the moonlight. “But I don’t want to draw any attention to us and I want him guarded, even while he’s tied up. We will put him with his little pink buddy,” she said with a sardonic smile. Sean’s eyebrows went up and then he winced, his black eye squeezing. Regardless of whether it was spoken, his question was clear. Fi nodded at the unconscious man.

“We have one inside as well,” she said. Sean’s one good eye widened.

“What happened, Fi?” She smiled.

“It’s ok, Sean. He was a stupid drunk. It was an easy take-down.” He smiled wryly.

“Yeah, you managed it without busting up your face.” He touched his bleeding lip with his tongue. “Ow,” he grimaced. “That’s gonna leave a mark.”

“Well mine wasn’t a freaking Mastodon Sean! Of course your guy put some hurt on you,” Fi glanced at the giant pile of man at their feet. “I’m very impressed actually. How did you take him down?”

“He surprised us and lunged at Dad. I guess he saw him as the main threat out of the two of us,” he laughed at the irony. “He managed to sucker-punch Dad in the face so fast that Dad just went down.” It was Fi’s turn to wince as she thought of John’s sore face.

“I didn’t think, I just rushed him,” Sean explained with regret. “All Sensei Bob’s good training down the drain,” he shook his head. “I paid for it, though. He caught me with a left hook that made me see stars.” He stopped. “You know,” he said with a look of amusement, “that saying is completely inaccurate. What you see is a single bright flash of light. Like lightning in your brain,” he said as he touched the tender side of his face with fingertips. Fi suddenly remembered that he needed care and interrupted.

“Let’s go inside and get you some ice. You can tell us the rest in a warm, dry place at least,” she added. The group left the unconscious man on the porch and walked inside. Maggie was in the kitchen with John. A red flashlight glowed on the countertop while she helped John adjust the icepack he held to his face.

“Is it broken?” Fi asked her. Maggie frowned.

“I don’t think so, but I don’t know. Doc?” she called. Doc nodded and moved forward to examine John.

“We will have to get the swelling down to know for sure,” he said, touching John gently, “but I also think it’s not broken.”

“That is a relief,” Fi smiled. “You had such a beautiful nose.” John smiled and then grimaced.

“My son was the hero really. Thank you Sean. You saved us all.”

“C’mon Dad, it was a team effort.” He sucked air through his teeth as he applied the icepack to his own face.

“Keep that on there, Sean,” Fi commanded him. “Ice is magic if you just stick through the pain.” He nodded. “So tell me the rest,” she encouraged him. “It will distract you until it’s numb. You said you rushed the guy.” Giving him a sideways glance she admitted, “Again, I’m impressed. You may not like your technique, but your bravery is without question.” Sean’s blush was visible beneath his wounds.

“I couldn’t let him hurt my Family,” Sean said with pride. “I’m not much for offense, but I believe in defense.” He shifted his icepack. “It seems to be getting through the worst pain now,” he breathed, his expression softening.

“Yeah, so I rushed the guy and caught the left hook that rung my bell. I’m pretty sure Dad and I both have a concussion from that guy’s fists,” he shook his head at his father. “I realized that I’d made a mistake obviously, but I was confused. I felt like I was underwater almost. I tried to break into fighting stance to get my bearings. The guy was hulking, practically growling at me and behind him I saw my Dad, sneaking up on him, so I decided to distract him. I taunted him. I said, ‘Tough guy, huh? Beating up the old men and the girls? You’re just a pussy!’” Aliyah covered Aldy’s ears out of instinct and Sean half-smiled an apology.

“You did NOT!” Fi protested, punching his arm.

“I DID!” he grinned. John nodded and Lucy and the girls huddled behind him did as well.

Doc Ron chuckled, “Sorry I missed that.”

“Wow Sean. That’s pretty crazy!” Fi sat on the kitchen table and put her hands on her knees, leaning in to listen. “What happened next?”

“Well the guy was focused on me. He starting calling me,” he stopped and glanced at the kids. “Uh, the same thing,” he explained for the adults, “and other names too, but Dad was right behind him and he did the sweep thing with his walking staff, Fi.” Sean turned to her excitedly in the dim light. “Took the pig’s giant legs right out from under him. And right at the same time I spun around and caught his face square with my roundhouse. He passed out cold before he hit the ground.” Without warning, he started laughing, his shoulders shaking so hard that he had to remove the ice pack from his face. Fi smiled in confusion.

“What’s so funny?” she asked. Sean was now completely shaking with laughter and Fi saw similar mirth in the eyes of Lucy and Rachel. Zoe was giggling, but Fi wasn’t sure if she really knew the joke. Sean gasped as he laughed.

“You missed Dad’s Hollywood moment Fi. He stood over the guy once he hit the ground and poked him with his staff and said, ‘The bigger they are…” he started and then Lucy and Rachel chimed in.

“The harder they fall!” They all dissolved into waves of giggles, dispersing the nervous energy left over from the attack.

“Oh my God, Uncle John, you didn’t?” Fi said, tears of laughter streaming down her cheeks. Though, she tried to picture it, she just couldn’t imagine John Skillman as an action hero. John nodded, holding his stomach and grimacing from the pain the laughter caused his nose.

“I did Fi! I did. It was stupid, but I couldn’t help myself.” Fi and the Family continued in fits of laughter with cries of, “Oh oh oh, my face hurts! My stomach hurts!” all around her. They laughed freely, tears streaming down their already wet faces. They were safe. This was their first real “test” in the field and they passed. They won the fight. Now they could rest in safety. Fi and Sean worked out the plan to watch the two men. They carried the smaller man to the porch and laid him out there as well.

“Hey, are you just going to leave us out here?” the smaller man asked as Fi was about to disappear inside the door. Fi turned back to him.