The Rise of Io (35 page)

E
lla crouched
in the center of the smoke-filled room, like a spider, waiting for her prey to wander too close. For the first time, she worried that she would run out of knives. She was already down to three throwing knives and her long knife. Fortunately, there didn't seem to be too many soldiers and policemen left. At least she didn't think there were. She could hardly see past her outstretched hands.

Ella had unloaded all six of her smoke grenades in here, which honestly was probably two grenades too many. The smoke was so thick and suffocating, a soldier could have been standing next to her and she probably wouldn't have noticed. She knew she had already cut down several though.

Breathe out. Hold and focus.

The crashing sounds of battle dulled and the loud thumping in her chest became muffled. The smoke stung her eyes and her hand throbbed from a small cut, but she pushed them all to the background. Her nerves hardened as her awareness of her surroundings grew.

A dark object neared. Two legs. Wearing the dark camouflage of the Indian military. She slashed. Once horizontally along the back of the calf. Once upward at the arm that dangled too close to her. She shifted to her left and brought the long knife down on his foot, through the boot and into the flesh. The man howled and fell onto his side. Ella kicked his rifle out of his hands and poked him once more in the shoulder. Then she disappeared, just like Manish had taught her.

Several shouts echoed in the room, pulling her toward them. Ella prayed she wasn't the only Prophus left standing. For all she knew, she could be. She hadn't seen the others when she first charged in, except for Lam briefly when she had jumped on a policeman's back and pulled him to the floor in a nasty-looking headlock.

Ella also saw an older Asian man in rags take a rifle and swing it like a club down on a soldier's face. Ella almost stabbed him before she realized that he wasn't dressed like the others. Her instincts told her to stab him anyway, and she almost followed through, but Io had warned her that the man was one of the Prophus.

“Why did you warn me?” she asked.

One day, you will learn that we are on the same side. If I have to prove it by saving you one mistake at a time, I will.

“It's like you're on everyone's side, you crazy alien.”

I am on my own side, which you will discover more often than not will be yours as well. Do not forget to breathe in again.

Ella continued, hoping to either find a friendly face or the minister. She would be happy with either. She found one more soldier struggling with someone over a rifle. Since the military was bad, that must mean the other person was good, so she stabbed the soldier in the butt. It wasn't until after she pulled the knife out and came face-to-face with the person who now pointed a rifle at her that she realized it was Bijan.

She tackled him in a hug. “I'm so glad to see you. I'm sorry.”

“Ella? What are you doing here, child?” he asked.

“I came to find you.”

He pulled her in behind him. “We can catch up later. Right now, we need to clear this room and escape before more come.”

The smoke was beginning to dissipate, and Ella could make out Cameron leaning against the wall near the front door holding a pistol in his hand. She ran over to him. He looked half-dead. His face was swollen with bruises, cuts and angry red marks. One of his shoulders was drooping, and he cradled his arm close to his body.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

He coughed. “Let me tell you. This is the worst vacation ever. I'll live. Thanks for… Hey, where are you going?”

Ella had seen Nabin slumped in the corner and was making a beeline to the Nepalese. She stood over him and froze. There was so much blood. Half of his left side was red, and she couldn't even tell where he was hurt. His eyes were closed and his face looked pale. He seemed so weak, she was afraid to touch him. Was he dead?

His chest is moving. His breath is shallow.

Ella reached for him, and was shoved aside by Lam. The Prophus agent pulled out some bandages from a kit and began to work on his shoulder. She turned to Ella. “Give me some space, girl.”

“Hey, Ella,” Cameron beckoned. “Do you have your earpiece? Mine fell off while I was getting my ass kicked.”

She took hers off and lobbed it to him. Cameron hooked it over his ear and began to bark out orders. “This is Cameron. Package retrieved. Everyone rendezvous at the extraction point.”

He took a step and fell to a knee. Ella backed away from Nabin, grabbed Cameron's good hand and helped him to his feet. He grimaced, took a deep breath, and seemed to push all the pain out of his body. He straightened up. “We can tend to the injured later. Everyone be ready to go in ten seconds. Patch Nabin up along the way, or we're all dead. Bijan, you're going to need to walk on your own. K2, take point. You're the only one with two good hands.” He put his earpiece back on. “Jax, rendezvous up the coast three hundred meters north of our location. We have to meet up with Dana–”

He suddenly kicked out and swept Ella's legs. She crashed into the ground with a startled oomph and then a crack punctured the air. Cameron fell back, groaning, clutching his side. Ella looked the other way and saw Surrett climbing out of the hole with a pistol in his hand.

Instinct took over and a blade flew out of her hand, striking Surrett's shoulder. He grunted and fumbled his pistol, dropping it back into the hole. He was about to reach for it when their eyes locked. Instead, he got to his feet and fled through the double doors into the darkness.

Ella patted her chest and thigh for blades, but she was dry. With a growl, she drew her long knife and took off after him. She charged out of the building and saw Surrett half-stumbling, half-running north along the shore, fleeing toward a stockyard just on the other side of the parking lot.

You need to learn to retrieve your knives after you use them. You are not going to catch up with him in time. You have a blade left in your left ankle sheath.

Ella sure as gods was going to try anyway. She checked her ankle and was pleased to discover Io had told the truth and she still had a knife to throw. She would need to close some distance before she had a chance to hit him with it. She ran across the parking lot, briefly losing him when he turned behind a cement mixer and between several stacks of wooden beams. She saw flashes of body in the openings as she ran down a parallel aisle. She raised her arm and readied a throw.

No. You will not hit him at twenty meters with your weaker hand while you are both moving. You need to be within ten.

Ella ignored Io and loosed the knife anyway. It missed Surrett by a mile, ricocheting off two cement pipes and falling into the groove between them.

That was your last throwing knife. Pick it up as you pass. Remember Manish's training. Release while exhaling.

She lost precious seconds pawing the gap between the beams for it in the dark. “Damn black throwing knives.”

You wanted cool blades.

“Why are you trying to help me nail Surrett?”

Surrett has made many promises to me and has yet to deliver on them. Also, I am starting to realize that my fate may be more tied to yours than I thought. If that is the case, you might as well succeed.

Ella was able to cover the distance she had lost as Surrett tired. He looked back several times, desperation painted on his face. He began to zig-zag, as if trying to throw her off. She wasn't sure what the gods he was trying to do, since that only made it easier for her to catch up.

She switched the knives in her hand, moving the long knife to her left and the throwing knife to her right. She gave it another go, this time aiming for square in his back. She missed again, but managed to strike him in the ass. He screamed and fell, skidding along the ground. Ella closed in for the kill.

Look out to your left!

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash, and then felt a hard impact, and then she was flying in the air. She landed on the gravel with a hard thud and rolled along the loose rocks. She groaned as a large figure approached.

“Black Cat, always causing problems,” a voice said. A moment later, Inspector Manu's face appeared in the dim light. “Why am I not surprised?” He raised his feet up in the air.

Roll left.

Io's voice in her head was deafening. Ella followed the order on instinct even as she tried to clear the cobwebs from her head. Manu's foot came down with a crunch, followed by another, and then his baton struck the ground.

Ella found a bit of space between her and the rampaging inspector and scampered to safety. She reached for her long knife in her waistband. It wasn't there. She must have dropped it when Manu ran her over.

“Kill her, inspector,” Surrett barked from off to the side. He was lying on the ground still holding his thigh, struggling unsuccessfully to stand. Ella scanned the ground and retreated as Manu swung his baton.

Your knife is to your right four meters away.

She tried to make her way in its direction, but the inspector cut her off. He was faster than he looked. She dodged as he came in, this time diving to the ground and coming up with the knife in her hand. She wielded it like Manish had taught her. In a way, the familiar stance helped calm her nerves as she zeroed in on her opponent.

Watch his eyes. Remember his reach. He is also wearing an armored vest.

“Why are you helping me get him?”

Because I do not relish having Surrett or Manu as my host. You are not as weak as I thought you were, and at least I know what I am getting with you.

“Little cat has claws,” Manu chuckled. “Be careful, or you'll cut yourself.”

He lunged. She juked right. Upward slash on his left triceps. Downward stab on his shoulder, and then a parting thrust against the back of his vest that didn't do any damage as she stepped out of range.

Manu looked at his bleeding arm and growled. The inspector attacked again, although this time, it wasn't nearly as aggressively as before. Their weapons clanged together, and he surprised her with a left-handed slap that stung her face, sending her tumbling to the ground.

Hang onto your knife!

Ella did, and got back on unsteady feet.

Move left. Back, back! Watch for the stack of concrete blocks behind you.

Ella did as she was told until she could clear the ringing in her ear. She and Manu began circling each other. He came at her with a jab. She sidestepped. Downward slash to the right wrist. Upward stab across his armpit. Finish with a follow-through across his hamstring. Manu staggered on his feet and dropped his baton.

Ella went in for the kill, putting both hands on her handle and thrusting the knife into his chest, right above the armor. It sunk in and Manu howled. He managed to get a beefy hand around her neck. She pushed harder. He squeezed.

Ella felt the world blacken as she gasped for air. She could feel her strength ebb away, but she could feel him weaken as well. As a last-ditch effort, she summoned what little strength she had left before passing out and twisted the blade. Manu screamed, his throat gurgling as he let go of her. He smacked her across the head a few times, each time weaker, until he finally collapsed to the ground.

Ella heaved forward and fell on top of him, driving the knife deeper. They both fell over, and she rolled off, gasping and coughing for air. She felt woozy and tired. A nap sounded wonderful right about now. She closed her eyes.

Ella, you have to get up. Get up. Surrett is still nearby.

Io had just said the magic words. Ella's eyes flickered open and she sat up. Her breathing came in short, hard gasps, and her arms shook when she put any weight on them. She looked at where she had last seen Surrett. He was no longer there. He couldn't have made it too far with a knife stuck in his ass.

No. Let him go. It is not worth it. You still have to escape. Get up. Go.

Ella rolled onto all fours, and got to one knee. A blur came at her just at the edge of her peripheral vision, and she felt her body crunch as Surrett kicked her in the ribs. He hit her so hard, she lifted off the ground. Ella fell onto her back, stunned, the breath knocked out of her. She could only watch helplessly as Surrett walked over to Manu and pulled out her knife. He came at her slowly, limping.

“So much trouble caused by one little street rat,” he growled. “Well, I would have preferred a Holy One with higher standing, one that hasn't been tainted by the betrayers, but yours will have to do.”

He stood over her and raised the knife. She saw the glint of the metal and the sharp point in the air above her. He brought his arm down at her chest.

There was a loud crack and Surrett spasmed. The knife fell from his hand and nearly skewered her anyway, but it managed to fall harmlessly to the side. Surrett looked down at the growing red stain on his chest, clutched it, and fell over.

The last thing Ella remembered before passing out was Jax running over and scooping her in his arms. She managed to mutter something about not forgetting her knife. She faintly remembered being jostled as he ran, carrying her like a babe, and then she saw flashes of faces, the swaying of water, and the wind as darkness swept over her.