Chapter 5

The windows in the room shatter inward as armed and armored men come bursting through. Regina is out of bed and on her feet just as the men’s boots touch the floor. Naked, she rushes the SWAT officer. She throws a steady fist into the man’s solar plexus then an elbow into the back of his head. Before the man even hits the floor his team mate that came through the other window is at her back.

Katia is fast to intercept him. She drops low and comes up underneath, catching an arm and hooking his groin to send him flying up and over. The man hits the floor hard, though his armor absorbs the impact. Before he can roll up to his feet, however, Katia is bringing a chair down onto his helmeted face. The force of the blow is enough to knock him unconscious.

Katia drops to the floor at the end of the bed. Almost on the heels of the other woman, Regina slides to the edge of the bed just as Katia is coming back up with an assault rifle in her hands.

Quickly, Regina throws up her hands and says, “I sure as hell didn’t bring anyone here.”

Katia smiles at her kindly. “I know you have no part in this. Can you handle a gun?” As she asks she produces a forty caliber pistol.

Regina grins. “Of course I can.”

“My men will give their lives to protect me, try not to get in their way,” Katia explains. Then almost as an afterthought she says, “And please, no prisoners.”

The two quickly scoop up their clothes and dress before Katia rushes to the door. As soon as it is opened she is through it, blasting away. Regina grips the sword tight. Not one to run from a fight, she considers slipping away through a window. The board wouldn’t want any unwanted attention drawn to them. A shadow sliding across the window sets her mind. In three seconds, Regina is rushing through the door as well.

The scene before her is like a battlefield. Furniture is overturned with Katia’s men hiding behind it. Katia fires a burst of fire toward the entrance Regina had come through earlier. She turns toward Regina and says, pointing, “Down the hall is exit.”

Regina rushes down the hall, through the door to the outside and into a group of SWAT officers. The one closest to her intercepts the gun, driving it up and out of her hand before she can even fire it. Working quickly, Regina reaches forward to pull free the knife sheathed in his tactical vest as she spins away. When she completes her spin, the knife flies free from her hand and into the man’s chest.

He stumbles back a couple steps and Regina launches herself at him. Her knees drive into his chest, taking him to the ground. Using the momentum, she rolls off the officer, taking the knife with her. Regina rolls off into a kneeling stance and slings the knife into another oncoming officer. This time, the blade hits through the officer’s mask, slinging his head back.

She springs to her feet, catching the arm of the next just as he pulls the trigger of his assault rifle. The shots go wild, catching another officer before she snaps his arm and flips him over to his back. Grabbing his knife, Regina quickly stabs it through his chest and then stands and spins to drive it up through the bottom of the next attacker’s jaw.

Without losing momentum, Regina spins, pulling the knife free and deflecting the aim of a pistol. The knife slides down across backside of the gun and then smoothly across the owner’s throat. Regina spins, grabbing hold of an available knife from the officer as he drops to his knees and as she comes out of her spin, she sends both knives through the air.

The first blade strikes another unfortunate officer in the chest, knocking him down. The other, the next officer in line is able to maneuver and it hits him in the shoulder. She grins and rushes the officer with determination. At the last possible second she leaps over his head, landing with her knee on either side of the man’ head. Her suddenly weight and momentum knock him off guard and to the ground backward and by the time his back hits, Regina has his neck snapped. She quickly pulls out the knife from his shoulder and rolls to her feet.

She uses the reacquired knife to once again deflect an assault rifle and then across the inner thigh of her next incoming attacker. As he heads for the ground, Regina spins, throwing her arm outward with the knife and in through the head of the next officer while pulling a knife free of the first. She pulls her knife free, letting the trooper fall and whips the knife around over the falling officer’s head and into the next oncoming attacker. This officer catches the blade in his chest and joins his comrades on the ground.

The area falls silent, if only briefly. The sound the back door crashing open suddenly invades the silence. Regina spins around to see a large brute of a man dragging Katia by the back of her shirt with one hand and a pistol in the other. He sends Katia sliding forward onto the grass.

“My, my,” the man says with a hint of a chuckle in his voice as he points the gun at her. “Someone has been busy here.”

“Who the fuck are you?”

“Your worst nightmare,” the man says. “The name is Renus Brish and you are the second on my list.”

“I don’t know how I got there, but I sure as hell ain’t going anywhere with you.”

“Now that’s the spirit.”

“I guess I have the wrong weapon,” Regina says not taking her eyes off the man. “A knife at a gun fight doesn’t go over too well.”

“It seems you did a pretty good job,” Renus comments. “But now you’re a cop killer, multiple times over. I’d be surprised if I could even arrest you.”

“If you’re going to shoot me, you better not miss,” she says defiantly.

Renus laughs and tosses the pistol to the ground. “I’m all for being fair. I’ll give you the chance to kill me.” He smiles at her maliciously as he draws out a knife.

Regina growls and leaps at the man. As her knife comes down at his head, Renus brings up his knife and deflects it. The blade harmlessly skips off his while he brings his other fist around, hammering the side of Regina’s head. The blow starts to send her toward the ground but at the last possible second Renus’ deflecting arm shoots out and catches her by the wrist. Then with a simple twist, he rolls her wrist around and up, forcing Regina to release her grip on the knife.

He sends her to the ground and looks down at her. “You are going to have to do much better than that if you wish to kill me. Your friend here had a hard time trying.”

“Mock me if you wish,” she says as she pulls free a knife from one of the fallen officers and then gets to her feet and into a fighting stance.

Renus smiles once again as he steps back into a stance of his own. “Let’s play,” he mocks waving his knife through the air. “By all means, let’s play.”

This time it is Renus that initiates the attack. He throws out a short jab which Regina quickly deflects before stepping back. Renus does it again, drawing out the same result. This goes on a couple more times before he switches it up, taking the fight to a higher level.

Regina stays on pace with him, their knives clanging, the only sound. Then the first blood is drawn as Renus’ blade cuts smoothly across Regina’s left arm. The cut isn’t deep, but it is enough to drop her confidence a little, and a little is all Renus needs to gain a larger gap over her.