Forrest ducked aside as Hammer opened fire at the doorway. He counted five shots before Hammer stopped firing. He poked his head around the corner and saw Hammer holding Linda in front of him and pressing his gun to her head. His blood boiled within him, but he kept still.
"One bullet left, Taft," Hammer said. His eyes were wild and his smile was like a death's-head grimace. "Should I make it count? I bet you'd like to see that." Forrest didn't even bother to respond. He examined Linda and saw she was unharmed, though the red mark on her cheek cut straight to his heart. There were no tears in her eyes, though. She looked back at him, completely unafraid.
"Drop it," Hammer said. Forrest laid his gun on the ground and stepped silently into the room. He advanced slowly, watching Hammer for any reaction.
"What makes a man hate, Hammer?" Forrest whispered. "Is it written on his soul before he enters the world? Is it learned from others, passed down as a dark legacy? Hate poisons the soul. It darkens the spirit." As he drew closer, Hammer stepped back. When he backed against the leather couch, he smiled and shifted his arm.
"A savage would know about hate," he said. He pointed the gun away from Linda's head and straight at Forrest. "Let the meek inherit." His finger tightened on the trigger. Linda slammed her head back into his face just as he pulled it. The shot went wide, ripping through the skin on Forrest's arm but barely scraping the flesh. Hammer's head snapped back and he spread his arms to catch his balance. Linda darted away from him and ran for the phone on his desk. Forrest glanced at her to ensure she was all right and Hammer ran out the back door of his office. Forrest ran after him.
Hammer was quick. When Forrest ran out the door after him, he couldn't see him. He came out in a hallway that lead to another door. He burst through that one and found himself in the great room of the casino. Roulette wheels are card tables stood throughout the space, and a pool table sat in the corner nearest Forrest. He swept the room with his eyes as he entered, straining all his senses to find Hammer. As it turned out, he didn't need any of them. As he passed near the bar, Hammer screamed and burst out from behind it, swinging a pool cue at Forrest's head. Forrest ducked the blow and shot his flattened palm at Hammer's arm, batting it away with a stinging strike. He parried Hammer's forrest of strikes and danced between them like he could see each one coming. He bore down on Hammer's arm and pinned it to the bar, snapping the cue in half. He grabbed the ragged end and stabbed it at Hammer's eye. It glanced off the socket and tore a hideous gash in his cheek and temple. Hammer slammed forward into Forrest and knocked him back a step. He grabbed a glass from behind the bar and threw it at Forrest's head. He brushed shards of glass off his cheeks and shirt as Hammer darted behind the bar for more ammunition. Forrest grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him over the bar, tossing him further into the room. He pulled him to his feet and threw him into a slot machine, which shuddered and beeped in disapproval. Hammer cackled and licked blood from his lips as he rose like a disheveled zombie.
"Gonna scalp me, red man?" he asked. He aimed a fist at Forrest's throat, but Forrest caught it in his hand. He squeezed until he heard the fingers crack. Hammer screamed and tried to pull away, but Forrest reeled him in and used his other arm as a fulcrum, slamming Hammer's upturned arm over it and pressing down until it cracked smartly and his hand pointed at the ground. Hammer's scream turned to a shriek and he desperately yanked away from Forrest. His breath was ragged as he staggered back and looked for an escape. But it was too late for that.
"Nowhere to run? Now you know how we felt," Forrest breathed. Hammer's eyes widened desperately and he threw whatever he could reach at Forrest. All he could find was a container of chips, and multicolored pieces of plastic littered the air. Forrest stalked through the rain and zeroed in on Hammer mercilessly. Hammer's face hardened and he charged at Forrest with a wild cry. Forrest turned and threw out an arm, flipping Hammer over onto his back. He landed flat out on the pool table with a smash and a pained grunt. Forrest picked the discarded half pool cue up off the floor and slammed it down through Hammer's chest until it wedged into the table and stood straight up. Hammer gurgled as the lifeblood oozed out of him, standing stark against the green felt of the table. Forrest walked to a nearby table and examined its contents. A siren wailed in the distance, mingling with the noise of the shrieking alarms, no doubt summoned by Linda's call. He picked up a deck of cards and squeezed them in his hand, spraying an arc of of red and black over his fallen enemy.
"Aces high, Hammer."