Chapter 22: Who's on first

"Guys, I think we are being followed." I alert the Kin as I feel a trickle of fear and blood lust coming up behind us.

"Good call" Seattle nods at me. "He started on our tail a couple of minutes ago."

"Want me to take him?" Holiday asks.

"No." Saber, hisses out his command. "let's see what he does."

We continue moving as if nothing is different. The person following us is getting frustrated.

"Soon" I whisper to myself as I sense the anger building. There is no noise as the Brute breaks out of the bushes and runs full tilt, at me.

It is squint eye Rawlings, He manages the rush so that both Gunga and Camulus are out of reach. Holiday draws his guns, but Gwen is standing in the way.

I turn as soon as I hear him rush me. Two steps forward, I close the distance. Timing it just so. I step into his reach, as he grabs my arms and knee him in the groin. He releases me and lets out a high pitched squeal. I draw the two knives from my waist band and drag them across his throat with enough force to split his neck in half.

I get spurted with blood, again. His body drops to the ground, dead. I can not say I feel any remorse as I was taught not to leave an enemy behind.

"Yuck!" I cry out as the blood hits me in the face. I turn my head to avoid any more. "Now I really need a bath." I spit some out and wipe the rest off with my Cyborg hand. "Why does it have to be blood, Now I will smell like a tasty treat for those hounds." I shake my hands, to get the blood off of them.

"We all bleed." Says Gunga. "What were you expecting?" His eyes have a twinkle in them that tells me he is laughing at me behind that calm facade.

"I know, but with my sword's power. The wound get cauterized before it can bleed." I seem to have forgotten. I am not carrying a power sword. "I never have to deal with the clean up, at least on this scale."

"At least now we match" Gwen takes pity on me. She too has been covered in blood for the past 20 minutes.

"A small comfort, my lady." I give her a flourishing bow.

"He is dead." Camulus gives the body one last check. "lets move."

"A moment." I say and walk back over to poor Rawlings. I kneel down and give him a final prayer. "Find peace, sad one." I kiss my fingers then I touch my finger tips to his angry eyes. The hard glint of his eyes soften and he smiles.

"Ready now." I bounce to my feet. "One should always ask for peace for a fallen foe."

"You're an odd one Chronos." Holiday says to me puzzled by my actions.

"It was what I was taught." I smile at him. Secrets, that only I know about any more, I am the only one to carry them on.

We move with some urgency after that, I think everyone wants to be away from the violence.

We come upon a small stand of trees, all was quiet. the wind shifts and blow through the trees, then strong sunlight glints off the Kindreds Vehicle.

It is black and blocky with shiny window and a chrome grill. It looks like a jeep and a mini van that has been mated together. It has been squashed flat and pulled out. Seating more than the uncomfortable 4 in a jeep and less storage then a min van. I bet the dam thing would have gotten terrible gas mileage in the last century.

"What the hell is that thing" Are the first words that pop out of my mouth.

"A Hummer." Saber answer proudly.

"A Hummer." I am so amused that I just has to stop and stare. "You brought something called a hummer?"

"It was described as being the best value, for highway driving." Gunga sounds as if he is quoting a TV commercial.

"It has a prototype engine and power system. Some kind of weaponry that we have not used yet." Saber informs me with much dignity.

"Well, I guess it is better than an SUV." I wiggle my nose at the thought.