Gideon and Joshua took running leaps over the leather sofas, snatching knives from their waistbands as they flew and landed atop the MetaMonarchs bracing themselves at the other side of the room.
Gideon’s knife was stopped from slicing the throat of Scarface by the man’s own forearm. He was pinned beneath the last of the Perficio Rez, but fearless in his aggression. Yanking the knife with a vile sucking sound from his forearm, Scarface moved to stab Gideon in the gut with it.
Joshua was staring into the mouth of a shark as he and his opponent fought over their own knife. Just when Joshua was about to overpower him, the MetaMonarch’s razor-sharp teeth ripped into his shoulder. Joshua screamed as Sharkface spat the chunk of flesh out of his mouth and reared his head back for more.
Chapter 63 Say Goodnight
“Well, aren’t we resourceful?” Fredrick Bjorn sniffed at his own comment. “Farrow, my love. I’m so happy to see you. I’ve missed you.” His wet tongue darted from his mouth like a reptile, licking his bottom lip.
Farrow’s eyes darted downward in humiliation. The brown freckles on her cheeks stood in sharp contrast to the snow-white paleness of her skin. She looked as though she were about to be sick.
“Step away from my brother and I’ll kill you quickly, Bjorn.”
Fredrick sniffled again. “Neither option sounds palatable to me. How about I kill you and take Farrow back to my quarters? Now, that sounds delicious.”
Alik risked one more glance at Farrow and whispered just loud enough for her ears only, “I keep my promises.”
In the length of a heartbeat, Alik reached into his belt, pulled out a six-inch blade and threw it with precision at the monster’s groin.
Farrow watched with righteous loathing for the man who was her abuser for more than a decade.
Bjorn’s face paled instantly.
The gun slipped from his shocked fingers.
His eyes dropped slowly as though terrified to see what he knew to be true.
Gracefully, Alik moved from his prone position to standing. He reached his hand out for Farrow, who needed help standing on very shaky legs. Together, they walked the ten paces to the shocked pedophile. Alik looked to Farrow for direction. “Farrow, did you want to say something before we finish him?”
She nodded, her short, silky hair moving like black sand as she did.
“I hate you. I hate your touch, your smell, your mouth and your attentions. I hate everything you are and everything you have ever done to me. You will never touch me again. You’ll never hurt any little girl ever again, you sick monster. God will be your judge but if He’s asking for opinions, I’d send you to a hell where demons do to you what you did to me every second for all eternity.” With that, Farrow grabbed the handle of the knife and twisted it hard to the right, then to the left.
Bjorn screamed and collapsed holding himself, shaking pathetically.
Then she leaned down, picked up the gun he dropped, cocked it and fired one clean shot into her abuser’s skull.
One shot, one kill, Farrow recited the sniper’s truism as she dropped the gun and walked away from the body of the man who’d traumatized her for years. Never again, she pulled her shoulders back and tipped her pale face upward. Never again.
Chapter 64 Hunters
The feral cats that lived in the barn behind the compound watched from their hidden perches as dozens of soldiers moved with stealth across the lawn, stomping through the candidate-maintained gardens.
The soldiers approached the back of the compound and used the butts of their guns to break windows, throwing tear gas inside. The cats lost interest in watching the soldiers once a flurry of skittering noises were heard from the back of the barn and they knew rats were to be on the menu. The feral cats turned and began a hunt of their own.
***
Arkdone held a broken shard of glass from the bottle of Scotch that crashed to the floor during the brawl to Williams’ throat.
“I am sick of your shit, Kenneth. You are a cheap trick, you and your pathetic musings—those bodies you leave around the country—collecting their eyeballs so you can play with them like a marble collector. You’re a tragedy! Your wife killing herself for what you did to your daughter. The creation of Naya so you could heal your mistakes by killing perfection? You sick piece of shit. I have always known how pitiable your antics have been, but I put up with you so I could get my hands on the metahumans. Well, I don’t need you anymore! I have the originals—the Winters—and they will make the ultimate MetaMonarchs! I am unstoppable while you wallow in your simpleminded sentiments.”
“I may be pathetic, but I am not simpleminded.”
Shattering glass distracted Arkdone, his startled eyes following the sound.
Williams used the moment of confusion to shove the liquor bottle’s shard into Arkdone’s tanned cheek and shove him off.