Going Down Swinging
Summary: I may be going down, but I'll be damned if I'm going down without a fight.
He bursts through the door not twenty seconds after the kid says it. "He's here!"
Without quite knowing what comes over me, as I am not exactly known for my chivalry, I yank the knife from my pocket and flick it open as I yell at the girls to go. The kid and her mom seem to be frozen in fear and shock, so I grab them and push them toward the door. Trish and the blonde pull them through the bathroom door and I hear them scrambling through the tiny window.
Wakefield and I stand there, staring each other down. I can tell he's trying to intimidate me…and I wish I could say it wasn't working. But never one to back down from a fight, I growl, "You don't scare me." A half-grin appears on his face, a grin both humorless and slightly proud, like he's glad to finally have someone who will give him a bit of a challenge.
Not about to let him get first strike, I slash the knife toward his face. He eludes it easily…too easily. For the first time, it occurs to me that I may not be able to take this guy down. Doesn't mean I won't try my damnedest all the same. No guts, no glory.
My eyes flicker to the boarding knife he's holding. Good thing, too, as it shoots toward my ribcage half a second later. I'm able to avoid getting stabbed, but he gets a good slash off my left arm. I immediately change hands and make a jab for his chest.
He moves to avoid the blow, and cuts my other arm. Not much, but enough to put a good slash in it and make it almost unbearable to lift.
I know it's probably over, but I don't care. I still hear scrambling in the bathroom, which means the girls haven't gotten out yet. Least I can do is get them another minute or two.
I make another couple of wild slashes at him, none of which manage to cut him. I decide to change tactics, throwing my right arm up to knock him across the face, but he grabs my arm and gives it a hard twist; I know it's over as I feel the shoulder dislocate. He uses my moment's hesitation to throw the boarding knife up into my stomach. The pain cuts through me like fire, and I look over at Jimmy's body on the couch, praying that somehow he makes it through this. I haven't lost hope for him just yet…he's always been a lucky bastard, after all.
Unable to let me just die, Wakefield pulls me in and mutters, "You didn't save them, you know. They're sheep, and they'll follow Henry all the way to Hell before believing it's him." I close my eyes as I think about Kelly, not allowing the tears to fall. Wakefield knew what he was doing, going for my stomach. I won't die before I have a chance to remember that I didn't save her. I hope to God that I managed to do better by Trish. Just as that thought crosses my mind, Wakefield twists the knife one last time and pulls it out. It's like being stabbed all over again. Then he throws me to the ground behind him, his job done.
I hear him make his way to the back, going after the girls. Two gunshots hit the door, and I hope one of them killed the bastard. I know it didn't happen when the door is kicked in. The gun clicks empty a couple of times, and I realize that one of them didn't get out. Closing my eyes and forcing myself not to think about the blinding pain, I pull myself to the bathroom. I have to warn her that it's Henry.
I fall against the bathroom door and see Trish there, staring at Wakefield in fear. I try to say it, but the words drown in the blood filling my mouth and I can't. It's not a complete loss, though, as I manage to surprise Wakefield and Trish is given the opportunity to climb out the window. Wakefield watches her go, doesn't even try to stop her. Instead, he turns to me and grins again.
I know it's over. But at least I went down swinging.