possessed, sounds of maniacal rage growling in his throat like an animal.
She had never seen a real fight before, just the Hollywood staged version, never realized how much dirtier and noisier it was. This wasn’t standing toe-to-toe and slugging it out, this was kicking and punching and gouging and anything else the two combatants could do to hurt each other. There were grunts and curses, the sickening thuds of gloved fists against flesh, the icy ground crunching beneath them. Their heavy winter coats prevented any significant damage to their bodies, prolonging the fight and increasing the odds that Darwin might land a lucky punch.
Maybe she could help. Lolly eased closer, raising her stick so she was ready to strike if the chance presented itself, but holding on to the flashlight handicapped her because she had only one free hand to hold the stick. She couldn’t worry about Niki; the woman was either there or she wasn’t. All she could do now, Lolly thought, was help Gabriel in any way she could.
The grappling men rolled almost out of the light, and when they stopped Darwin was on top. He drew back his hand and something was in it. Lolly didn’t hesitate, didn’t try to identify what he held; she simply leapt forward, swinging the stick with all her might,and began trying to beat the hell out of the man who’d tried to rape her. She dropped the flashlight, gripped the stick with both hands, and hit him again and again, on the head, the shoulders, anywhere she could reach.
With a howl he launched himself off Gabriel, straight for her. She staggered back, sick terror blooming in her stomach, her chest. Her feet went out from under her and she went down, Darwin on top of her and his hands fumbling for her throat. He began squeezing.
Then he was gone, lifted off her as if he were a child. Gabriel’s expression was cold and fierce as he hammered his big right fist over and over into Darwin’s face. Darwin was too stunned by the blows to fight back; he threw his arms across his face to protect himself and began sobbing. “Don’t hurt me, man, don’t hurt me,” he pleaded. “I ain’t done nothing to you, have I? Huh? What’d I do?”
Lolly struggled to a sitting position, staring at him in disbelief. He’d changed from enraged animal to pathetic loser in the space of a few seconds.
“Shut the fuck up,” Gabriel snarled, breathing hard. He wrenched Darwin’s arms behind his back, shoving them high, and looked around for something to secure them. “Get the laces from his boots,” he said to Lolly.
She didn’t want to get anywhere near Darwin, didn’t want to touch him in any way, but she made herself half-crawl to where Gabriel held him, takingcare to stay to the side so he couldn’t kick her in the face. Gingerly she began picking at the leather lacings. They were wet and hard to handle, and she had to use both hands.
Gabriel’s head swiveled as he looked around. He was still breathing hard and fast, and his expression … he was really pissed, to put it mildly. “Where did the other one go?” he asked Lolly. There was a savage note in his tone.
“I don’t know,” she replied. She was doing some hard breathing herself, and she paused a moment to take a few deep breaths. “She turned off her flashlight, and I guess she ran. I haven’t seen her since then.”
Gabriel turned his attention back to a weeping Darwin. He wrenched Darwin’s arms harder and higher, putting agonizing strain on the shoulder sockets. “Do you have more ammo or weapons back at the house?”
“No,” Darwin said, shaking his head. “I swear, we don’t. Buddy, please, you’re tearing my arms out of my shoulders!”
“I’m not your fucking buddy,” Gabriel said. “And if you lie to me, I
will
tear your arms off and beat you to death with them, got it?”
“I’m not lying!” Darwin shrieked. Snot was running from both sides of his nose, dripping in his mouth. “Niki and me, we just have the two guns and
She had never seen a real fight before, just the Hollywood staged version, never realized how much dirtier and noisier it was. This wasn’t standing toe-to-toe and slugging it out, this was kicking and punching and gouging and anything else the two combatants could do to hurt each other. There were grunts and curses, the sickening thuds of gloved fists against flesh, the icy ground crunching beneath them. Their heavy winter coats prevented any significant damage to their bodies, prolonging the fight and increasing the odds that Darwin might land a lucky punch.
Maybe she could help. Lolly eased closer, raising her stick so she was ready to strike if the chance presented itself, but holding on to the flashlight handicapped her because she had only one free hand to hold the stick. She couldn’t worry about Niki; the woman was either there or she wasn’t. All she could do now, Lolly thought, was help Gabriel in any way she could.
The grappling men rolled almost out of the light, and when they stopped Darwin was on top. He drew back his hand and something was in it. Lolly didn’t hesitate, didn’t try to identify what he held; she simply leapt forward, swinging the stick with all her might,and began trying to beat the hell out of the man who’d tried to rape her. She dropped the flashlight, gripped the stick with both hands, and hit him again and again, on the head, the shoulders, anywhere she could reach.
With a howl he launched himself off Gabriel, straight for her. She staggered back, sick terror blooming in her stomach, her chest. Her feet went out from under her and she went down, Darwin on top of her and his hands fumbling for her throat. He began squeezing.
Then he was gone, lifted off her as if he were a child. Gabriel’s expression was cold and fierce as he hammered his big right fist over and over into Darwin’s face. Darwin was too stunned by the blows to fight back; he threw his arms across his face to protect himself and began sobbing. “Don’t hurt me, man, don’t hurt me,” he pleaded. “I ain’t done nothing to you, have I? Huh? What’d I do?”
Lolly struggled to a sitting position, staring at him in disbelief. He’d changed from enraged animal to pathetic loser in the space of a few seconds.
“Shut the fuck up,” Gabriel snarled, breathing hard. He wrenched Darwin’s arms behind his back, shoving them high, and looked around for something to secure them. “Get the laces from his boots,” he said to Lolly.
She didn’t want to get anywhere near Darwin, didn’t want to touch him in any way, but she made herself half-crawl to where Gabriel held him, takingcare to stay to the side so he couldn’t kick her in the face. Gingerly she began picking at the leather lacings. They were wet and hard to handle, and she had to use both hands.
Gabriel’s head swiveled as he looked around. He was still breathing hard and fast, and his expression … he was really pissed, to put it mildly. “Where did the other one go?” he asked Lolly. There was a savage note in his tone.
“I don’t know,” she replied. She was doing some hard breathing herself, and she paused a moment to take a few deep breaths. “She turned off her flashlight, and I guess she ran. I haven’t seen her since then.”
Gabriel turned his attention back to a weeping Darwin. He wrenched Darwin’s arms harder and higher, putting agonizing strain on the shoulder sockets. “Do you have more ammo or weapons back at the house?”
“No,” Darwin said, shaking his head. “I swear, we don’t. Buddy, please, you’re tearing my arms out of my shoulders!”
“I’m not your fucking buddy,” Gabriel said. “And if you lie to me, I
will
tear your arms off and beat you to death with them, got it?”
“I’m not lying!” Darwin shrieked. Snot was running from both sides of his nose, dripping in his mouth. “Niki and me, we just have the two guns and
Similar Books
