Highway Part 39

Highway Chapter 21

 

            I opened the door, surprised to see Veronica and another man standing opposite the sides of the desk. She seemed beaten up, but relatively unharmed.

When I entered, they stopped, both turning to stare at me. I winked at Veronica as a look of relief came upon her face.

“Sorry I’m late,” I said, smirking, “you wouldn’t believe the storm out there.”

She smiled. I’m here to save you, I thought.

The man across from her was staring at me curiously, and I wondered who he was. It was too dark too see him clearly, but as he turned a bolt of lightning lit up the room.

On his face was a long a jagged scar, rendering his eye useless and grotesque. Something about it seemed like I should recognize it. It didn’t dawn on me at first, but as I saw Veronica’s eyes look towards him again, they were filled with hatred and fear. Suddenly, it clicked. This was the man who had something wrong with his face back at the town, and he was none other than Veronica’s father. She wouldn’t have been that scared if it had been anyone else.

Why was he here? He was holding a sharp kitchen knife. What an odd choice of weapon.

He was tall, almost as tall as me. He seemed to be later in middle age, but he still appeared to be fit and strong. But his eyes were not entirely healthy, for they held a sense of madness in them.

I glanced at Veronica, who was wearing a blue ball gown and had her hair put up. She looked beautiful, but it was strange. Had they made her change? She also hated her hair up, so I came to the conclusion that my guess was right.

Armed with only a pocket knife, I was concerned about his weapon. I was sure the men of the complex would hear fighting, and would come to engage in the fight. I needed to make it out with Veronica, even if that meant leaving the man who had caused her such pain behind. She was my number one priority.

I thought I could at least ground him for a few minutes, just enough time to get away. If I needed to, I would toss Veronica onto the horse outside and tell her to ride away as I stayed behind. She wouldn’t be very happy about it, but she would go anyway. Her survival instinct was strong.

“I hate to interrupt,” I said, keeping a calm voice, “But I think you have someone who is important to me, and I’ll be needing her back. So if you could just let her go, I would be much obliged.”

There wasn’t a chance he was going to, but I needed him to think my guard was down. The man’s body posture suggested he was an excellent fighter, and I needed to get the first blow to surprise him. I wasn’t sure if I could win in a one on one fight if he got the first hit.

He was bleeding from the shoulder, and wondered what happened. Could Veronica have stabbed him? With what? He laughed, a low chuckle filled with dark malice.

“My, my, my,” he said to Veronica, his face twisting into amusement, “You’ve got all sorts of friends, don't you? Didn’t you learn the first time that people can’t protect you?”

She looked to me, and then back at him.

“He’s better than you ever were. Besides, I already took a chunk out of your shoulder. It’s not too hard to harm you.” She said, her head held high with disdain for him.

That’s my girl, I thought, spunky even when scared.

“Veronica,” I called, keeping my eyes trained on the man, “Why don’t you come with me? That is, unless you’re having a good time.”

She scoffed, and I was pleased she could keep a level head in such a situation. The man moved, and Veronica flashed to the other side of the desk, avoiding his lightning quick blow. She was trapped behind him now.

“I think she was mine first,” he said, “And I’ll be keeping her.”

He turned to her, telling her he would deal with her in a second. Pivoting on his heels, he faced me, holding up the knife.

“You picked a bad man to mess with, my friend,” he said, smirking.

I didn’t reply, only reaching for the small knife in my pocket. Mine wasn’t nearly a match for his, but it allowed me agility where his gained strength. It was awkward and clumsy, and would slow him down.

I circled around him, engaged in a dance of predators. He lunged, fast like a snake, and I barely dodged. The first few seconds would be the hardest, for I couldn’t pick up his fighting pattern. He bobbed and weaved crazily, but I dodged each swing before it reached me. I attempted a few quick jabs, but he was just as fast in body movement. Here was someone who was well versed in fighting.

Suddenly, I tripped on a stool behind me. I lay still, acting as if I had been hurt, in order to draw him in. But as soon as I was ready to strike, he lurched forward, dropping. I looked up to see Veronica perched atop his shoulders, pulling back on his hair. It looked a bit ridiculous with her in the dress, but she was absolutely vicious.

He snarled, shaking her off. She landed on the floor with a hard smack! Taking the opening as he went for her, I kicked out his knee, bringing down my elbow on his neck. He fell, landing face down. He wasn’t dead, only down, and I didn’t know how long it would take for him to get up.

“Veronica! Run!” I shouted.

She leaped over him, only to have him catch her ankle as she came down. She tripped, landing face first. I rushed to help her, but she had other plans. She screamed in fury, ramming something into his leg. It was a hair comb, now embedded into his flesh.

I pried his hand away from her leg, and picked her up.It wasn’t the best situation, but she was in heels and I didn’t want her barefoot. I could only hope nobody stopped us on the way out. The man was shouting into his radio, calling out orders.

“That’s your father?” I asked as we sped through the complex, taking the route I remembered.

“Yeah!” she called, “He’s great, isn’t he?”

I scoffed at her sarcasm. We came across the room I had entered before, a very sleepy man waking up to violent radio calls. He looked astonished when we came in, but I hit him before he could react. Fainting, he slumped back into bed.

“Come on,” I said, gesturing to the window, “Through here.”

She slid through with my help, and I followed as quickly as I could, hearing shouts rise up inside the building. Frantically, I took her face in my hands.

“Listen!” I called, raising my voice over the ever increasing storm, “There’s a horse just a little ways away from here, in the nearby shed! Get on it and ride to town. Get away first, and then find some help. Tell them I’m at the second storage unit south of town. Don’t look back, don’t stop, and don’t let anyone catch you. All right?”

She was already soaked, the rain pelting on her body.

“Have you gone crazy?” she asked, furious.

I shook my head.

“You’re the most important Veronica! We don’t have time to make it out together just yet. They’re already coming, and I can’t fight when I’m worried about you. Go!”

She could hear the voices from inside, and she looked torn.

“Okay!” she called, “But I need to get the other girls from out of the shed! I can’t leave them here to fend for themselves!”

I was frustrated, but she looked untenable.

“Fine,” I said, “But do it quickly! If you can’t get it open, then I’ll do it later. Now go!”

I stressed the last syllable, hoping to nudge her along.

She suddenly pulled me into a crushing hug, shouting, “Don’t you dare die on me now. I’ll never let you rest in peace.”

I smiled. She ran off into the storm, and I focused on the voices. I could use the darkness for cover, but I needed to keep them away from Veronica until she left.

A man stuck his head out the window we had just exited. I struck out with quickly, smacking his head into the window, and pushing him back inside.

I hadn’t killed anyone yet, and I wouldn’t if I could do anything about it. Still, it didn’t mean I couldn’t give them major headaches.

Two down, six to go. Seven, if you counted Veronica’s father.

I snuck around, hiding myself in a bush. I heard two voices come around the corner, their flashlight beams sweeping around the storm. When they passed me, I leaped onto one of them, knocking him down.

We wrestled on the ground, my extra height my advantage. The other man jumped on my from above, trying to get his arms around me. I lifted my arms so he had my torso, leaning back so he was pushed to the ground. I kicked the man that I had previously tackled, knocking him back as he tried to assault me from the front. I slammed my elbow back, catching the man’s face behind me. I leaned back again, crushing him against the ground. He flailed, and I flipped so I could hit him again. I hit his jaw, and his face went slack.

The man left was getting up, so I dropped into a low stance. He lunged forward, and I caught him arm. Jerking it forward, his head collided with my own. He looked dazed, and I swept his ankle out from under him. He fell back, landing with a thump. He went limp, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

These men weren’t nearly as good as their boss. Perhaps they were just hired help. With these two down, it meant I had cleared half of them already, without me sustaining any serious injuries. I heard shouts, high pitched ones that rose above the storm, and I gathered that Veronica had freed the others. Please hurry, I thought.

I stalked the building, sidling along the wall and peeking around the corners. The storm made it hard to see, but lightning was flashing sporadically, lighting up the area every minute or so. I hoped Veronica’s father was still downed, for I did not look forward to fighting him again.

Suddenly, I sensed a figure around me. The storm made my ability to sense others fuzzy, but I could still feel their presence. Hoping I was concealed enough, I waited, the small knife clenched in my pocket. The man came around the corner, and just as I was about to strike, he shined his light on me.

“He’s over here!” he called, and I cursed.

So much for staying hidden. Still, if they couldn’t find him they couldn’t find me. I took him by surprise, lunging at him. I grabbed his arm, twisting it backwards. I removed the flashlight from his possession, arcing it down so that it hit the back of his head. He stood shakily, and I kicked him in the stomach. He landed against a wall, and went limp.

Hurrying, I dragged his unconscious form over to a bush, and bolted. Three men were somewhere around the complex, not counting the boss. Hopefully they wouldn’t find the man I had just knocked out.

The rain was coming down at a sharp angle, stinging against my skin. My clothes didn’t have a chance against the cold, but I wasn’t shivering. The heat of the battle warmed up my muscles, keeping them loose and ready. I resolved to make it out as soon as possible so Veronica didn’t have to worry.

She must be on her way to town now, but wouldn’t be there yet. I would just need to hold off these men until help arrived, or until they were no longer threats.