Page 55 of Mad Max

I’ve never been smacked before. You’d think I’d have, especially since people don’t always get me, but not even my parents believed in corporal punishment. I’m surprised at the amount of ringing in my ears from the backhand he gave me, but it’s soon replaced with my need to just get a breath as he grabs my shoulder and punches me in the stomach.

Pain radiates through me as he tosses my bent body on the floor. Not sure when the other guy released me. Don’t even know what he looks like or where he came from. My focus was always on Duke, but I should have been watching my back. My own life lesson that I’m now getting as I’m kicked hard in the back, my body spasming before a kick to the chin sends me rolling over a few times.

I just focus on breathing; it’s the only thing that makes sense. I don’t call out to the Hounds, more because I don’t want Duke to hear me, and the ringing is still going on in my ears. I have no idea how loud I would be even if I whispered. My whimpers alone hurt my head. But I know this is going sideways, and I’m not dumb enough to think I can do this on my own.

“Please.” It’s all I can say, all I can ask for. Please help me. Please stop. I don’t care who hears me, just as long as one of them does.

“Oh, I love it when they beg.”

I swallow through the pain as I adjust till my fingers find my belt. Might look like I’m trying to push up, but all I’m doing is grabbing one of my knives. The Hounds never knew my knives were in my belt, and I almost jumped up and spun in circles when I found them untouched when I was getting ready earlier this morning.

Duke grabs the back of my hair and pulls my face up to his as he crouches over me. “You’ll be begging a lot more before I’m through with you.”

“You first.” Then I roll into him and swing wide with my knife, knowing I’ve cut him by the way he jumps back.

I don’t think, just react, only taking half a second to locate the other person in the room. Clint. I don’t even have to focus that much before I throw my knife at him, knocking him back dead the second it impales his forehead.

I grab the second knife from under my belt and then feel the earth shake.

“What the fuck is that?”

I shrug, even though I have no clue if Duke’s question was directed at me or not. I’m assuming he’s referring to the ground moving and not me throwing knives. That seems a bit obvious to me.

“Earthquakes aren’t common in this area. Usually happens every forty years or so.”

He looks at me like I’ve grown a third eye, but facts are facts. As I watch him from my position on the floor, I think he’s reacting to my talking as if I didn’t just kill a man even though I’d been threatened. Guess not many people do that. Oh well, you get what you get. And he gets me and all my crazy ways, as they’re often referred to.

The screams and gunfire filling the air make the girl on the floor on the other side of the barn start to cry as she hunkers down. Duke pulls a gun from behind him, the one I noticed he had tucked in the back of his pants when he was pacing.

He points it at me, and I just react, throwing my knife and slicing his hand. He instantly drops the gun and shouts, “Bitch!” But he doesn’t move as I grab another knife from my belt. I don’t have my full stash with me, but I’ll use everything I have if I need to. And I need Duke alive. He might know where Candy is, and that’s the person I’m after.

“We’re coming in, Fairy. You left or right of the door?” is whispered through my ear.

I’m more than half surprised I still have the earpiece in with everything that’s happened. The movies always show that thing falling out of a person’s ear right when they need to communicate with someone. Guess the Hounds buy the good brand and not the movie props.

“Right.” I don’t care that Duke can hear me talking to the Hounds anymore. He already knows I’m not alone. Might not know who’s on the other side of the door, but his men aren’t firing at nothing.

“What the fuck do you mean, right? I ain’t moving for you, bitch. You think you can come here and take over my business? I will gut you clean through before I give anything over to a woman.”

“Up or down, Fairy?”

“Floor.”

“Fuck you.” Duke spits in my direction, and I flinch even if I know he can’t reach me. Just the thought of anything from him getting close is revolting. “I ain’t doing shit. You think you got me? You think you can just take what I built? Fuck that and fuck you. I ain’t getting on the floor other than to fuck you into submission. Call off your people before I get pissed off and kill you.”

I giggle. I know I shouldn’t, but I think it’s kind of funny. He has no gun. No backup seems to be knocking at the door to get in. He’s just standing there, blood dripping from his hand and chest where I cut him. He’s nothing but an easy target I could hit blindfolded. And I’ve practiced that ’cause it was a challenge, and I love challenges. But there’s no challenge here. He’s lost; he just doesn’t get it. So I laugh, since all he has are words to throw, and I find that hilarious.

He doesn’t like that, and he roars at me before charging.

He doesn’t get far before the door explodes and sends him crashing into the wall on the far side of the barn as the Hounds breach the building.

I, of course, wave in greeting as they arrive.

Chapter 24 – Mad Max

I

make sure I’m the first in after Jumper blows the door. I don’t give it half a thought as I rush to the right and find Fairy on the ground, holding a knife. She looks rough, a fucking mess, but beautiful at the same time.

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