Page 74 of Taming the Demon

The explosion of the gunshot happened just as Darrow readied to kick down the door.

“No!” Darrow roared as his foot connected with the cabin door.

The door jolted off its hinges and fell to the inside of the cabin. Darrow and Slade walked into a bloody scene of hell. Darrow saw Fitz standing there with a gun in his left hand and a knife in his right hand. Blood on the floor. Blood on Fitz. Blood on the couch.

And there was Mara. On the floor, cowering and shaking, screaming… Screaming was good. That meant she wasn’t dead.

“It’s over, asshole,” Slade called out to Fitz.

Darrow was already on the move toward Fitz.Fuck Dr. Smile, Darrow thought. Darrow would lose his cut and black out his ink and never ride a Harley again if it meant saving Mara and ripping Fitz’s head off with his bare hands.

Fitz turned and slashed the knife at Darrow. It cut his arm. Darrow threw a fist and punched Fitz in the jaw. Fitz stumbled back and pointed the gun into the air and started to shoot. Darrow dropped down and threw himself over Mara.

“She’s bleeding everywhere, Slade!” Darrow called out as he looked back at Slade.

Slade had his gun drawn. He watched as Fitz put his own gun to his head. Fitz gasped for deep breaths.

“You don’t have the balls to do it,” Slade said. “You won’t kill yourself.”

“True,” Fitz said. “But…”

Fitz moved the gun fast and shot at Slade. Slade dropped down. The bullet missed him. He wasn’t even sure if Fitz actually wanted to shoot him or not. Now Fitz was on the run through the cabin. Throwing tables and chairs behind him. Throwing his own body into the door off the kitchen, making his escape.

“Fuck,” Slade growled.

He scrambled to his feet but then saw Darrow looking at him. Darrow’s hands were covered in blood.

“Help me, brother,” Darrow said. “Call someone. She’s… he cut her…”

“Darrow,” Mara whispered in a weak voice. “Darrow…”

Darrow looked at Mara. “It’s okay, babe. We’re here. You’re safe. Everything is okay.”

Mara’s chin quivered. There was so much blood, Darrow didn’t know where to start to check her. Mara reached up and touched Darrow’s cheek.

“I… I got him,” Mara whispered.

“What, babe?”

“I got him,” she repeated.

Slade was on the phone with Cyrus, screaming that Mara was hurt badly and that Fitz had gotten away.

“What do you mean?” Darrow asked Mara.

She started to smile.

Her chin shook. “Tracking… him…”

“Huh?”

“I’m tracking him, Darrow.”

“Who?”

“F-f-fitz,” Mara said. “I brought one of your trackers. I slipped it into his boot when he was attacking me. You can… track him…”

“Are you fucking crazy, babe?” Darrow asked.

---