The usual disclaimers. The story is mine. The characters are not.
***
The characters belong to Top cow and TNT as do all their toys, accessories and appliances, including the Witchblade.
Tenebrous
chapter 18
**************************************
Ian swerved onto the road, banking heavily to the side so the bike wouldn't flip. None of the Sufult's shots found purchase in the assassin as they left the cover of the gas station but during the turn, he felt Gabriel give a sharp jolt. Though the young man made no discernible noise over the roar of the engine and gravel spraying, Ian worried that he'd caught one of the bullets meant for himself.
Picking up speed and widening the breach between him and his pursuers, Ian yelled over the roar of the motor, "Gabriel! Have you been hit?"
His only response was a muted, "Ow."
Racing down the unfamiliar road, Ian deduced from the sounds of the pursuing vehicles that there were at least five still following them. He needed to get off this lonely road and back to the interstate as soon as possible. Spying a crossroad, he took it.
Nottingham could feel that the young man's grip on his waist was white knuckled. The boy was either in pain, frightened or desperately clinging to consciousness. None of these conditions bode well for an extended ride. He was hoping it was just fear but realized that was being a bit optimistic. Spotting a deteriorating barn on the left side of the road in the distance, he chose it as the location for the showdown.
Glancing briefly at his pursuers as he headed for the barn, he noted with satisfaction that they were distanced apart, depending on each driver's ability to make the turn. *The first must be taken out immediately,* he determined. He turned off the road and entered the barn. Slamming on the brakes and shutting the engine, he let the bike skid and fall as he grabbed his charge and dragged him to the back of he barn. He easily found the drop-space and lifted the cover. Gabriel watched him pull it away with a horrified look on his face.
"You're not going to-" is all he got out before the assassin seized him and forced him into the burrow.
"Silence," Ian pleaded and pulled the heavy wooden slats back into place, trapping the young man below. Hopefully, they would not find Gabriel, even if they managed to conquer his protector.
Ian raced to the entrance and placed a well-aimed shot between the eyes of the first Sufult to approach before the others had a chance to arrive and bring the battle to chaos.
Gabriel lay in his shallow grave, the stinging burn on his back ignored as he listened intently to the gunfire above. He heard a single shot, the squealing of tires and then the thunderous sound of many vehicles approaching. Some stopped, while others seemed to circle. He was having a hard time placing anything, as sounds of violence seemed to erupt from every direction.
After a bit, the sounds of gunfire grew farther and farther apart. *Nottingham must be winning,* he thought to himself. Just as he thought this, he heard a pained growl, unmistakably Nottingham, come from somewhere to his left. In a bizarre gut reaction, his hand flew to the four by eight wooden slats that pinned him. He stopped himself just in time to realize that he would be of no help out in the open, even if he could get out.
Another round of fire and then he heard the sound of wood cracking. A few shots and then what sounded like metal swishing and making contact. At the same time, he heard a heavy thud and grunt. *He's fighting two hand to hand?* Gabriel mused.
The sounds of fighting between what sounded like five men seemed perilously long before Gabriel heard a gasp of pain, followed by a sickening sound, like a knife pulling out of a slab of meat... and the dull thud of a body hitting the floor.
Silence filled Gabriel's ears, he wondered if his hearing had failed until he heard the squeak of the wooden floor. Someone was prowling around the barn.
Fear and dread exploded in Gabriel's chest. *Had they killed Nottingham?* He wasn't overly fond of the maniacal killer but at the same time it was horrifying to think that he was slain. Although he had reason enough to resent him, he still seemed to be 'a good guy', so to speak.
As the footsteps drew near, Gabriel held his breath, trying not to make a sound. The sound of footfall stopped right in front of the latch to his prison, as if taunting him. Ridiculously, he hoped it was Nottingham, toying with him, as he seemed wont to do for his own amusement.
*
*
*
**************************************tbc
~
Hm, Aren't I just the posting fiend all of a sudden. What can I say, I actually had a day off from chaos and decided to post this before I revised it to death.
Getting an email box full of reviews instead of work was also a nice prompt.
Roguegal17 gets a break once again as she didn't have to re-beta this. It has had a few small tweaks since the first beta, so if any of this seems wrong, it's not her fault. (I will, however be harassing her about the next parts very soon). Sorry Roguegal. I noticed your silence over a certain ah, linen incident. Should I remove it?
It does seem a bit optimistic for Ian to have hoped that they wouldn't find Gabriel, but I figured they may have assumed he'd made a break for the woods or elsewhere during the fight if they weren't aware of drop spaces in some older barns.
Thanks again, for humoring me by reading this little jaunt. Actually, I can't really call it little anymore. This thing is turning into a monster. Sorry, the muses must like to drag things out.
***
The characters belong to Top cow and TNT as do all their toys, accessories and appliances, including the Witchblade.
Tenebrous
chapter 18
**************************************
Ian swerved onto the road, banking heavily to the side so the bike wouldn't flip. None of the Sufult's shots found purchase in the assassin as they left the cover of the gas station but during the turn, he felt Gabriel give a sharp jolt. Though the young man made no discernible noise over the roar of the engine and gravel spraying, Ian worried that he'd caught one of the bullets meant for himself.
Picking up speed and widening the breach between him and his pursuers, Ian yelled over the roar of the motor, "Gabriel! Have you been hit?"
His only response was a muted, "Ow."
Racing down the unfamiliar road, Ian deduced from the sounds of the pursuing vehicles that there were at least five still following them. He needed to get off this lonely road and back to the interstate as soon as possible. Spying a crossroad, he took it.
Nottingham could feel that the young man's grip on his waist was white knuckled. The boy was either in pain, frightened or desperately clinging to consciousness. None of these conditions bode well for an extended ride. He was hoping it was just fear but realized that was being a bit optimistic. Spotting a deteriorating barn on the left side of the road in the distance, he chose it as the location for the showdown.
Glancing briefly at his pursuers as he headed for the barn, he noted with satisfaction that they were distanced apart, depending on each driver's ability to make the turn. *The first must be taken out immediately,* he determined. He turned off the road and entered the barn. Slamming on the brakes and shutting the engine, he let the bike skid and fall as he grabbed his charge and dragged him to the back of he barn. He easily found the drop-space and lifted the cover. Gabriel watched him pull it away with a horrified look on his face.
"You're not going to-" is all he got out before the assassin seized him and forced him into the burrow.
"Silence," Ian pleaded and pulled the heavy wooden slats back into place, trapping the young man below. Hopefully, they would not find Gabriel, even if they managed to conquer his protector.
Ian raced to the entrance and placed a well-aimed shot between the eyes of the first Sufult to approach before the others had a chance to arrive and bring the battle to chaos.
Gabriel lay in his shallow grave, the stinging burn on his back ignored as he listened intently to the gunfire above. He heard a single shot, the squealing of tires and then the thunderous sound of many vehicles approaching. Some stopped, while others seemed to circle. He was having a hard time placing anything, as sounds of violence seemed to erupt from every direction.
After a bit, the sounds of gunfire grew farther and farther apart. *Nottingham must be winning,* he thought to himself. Just as he thought this, he heard a pained growl, unmistakably Nottingham, come from somewhere to his left. In a bizarre gut reaction, his hand flew to the four by eight wooden slats that pinned him. He stopped himself just in time to realize that he would be of no help out in the open, even if he could get out.
Another round of fire and then he heard the sound of wood cracking. A few shots and then what sounded like metal swishing and making contact. At the same time, he heard a heavy thud and grunt. *He's fighting two hand to hand?* Gabriel mused.
The sounds of fighting between what sounded like five men seemed perilously long before Gabriel heard a gasp of pain, followed by a sickening sound, like a knife pulling out of a slab of meat... and the dull thud of a body hitting the floor.
Silence filled Gabriel's ears, he wondered if his hearing had failed until he heard the squeak of the wooden floor. Someone was prowling around the barn.
Fear and dread exploded in Gabriel's chest. *Had they killed Nottingham?* He wasn't overly fond of the maniacal killer but at the same time it was horrifying to think that he was slain. Although he had reason enough to resent him, he still seemed to be 'a good guy', so to speak.
As the footsteps drew near, Gabriel held his breath, trying not to make a sound. The sound of footfall stopped right in front of the latch to his prison, as if taunting him. Ridiculously, he hoped it was Nottingham, toying with him, as he seemed wont to do for his own amusement.
*
*
*
**************************************tbc
~
Hm, Aren't I just the posting fiend all of a sudden. What can I say, I actually had a day off from chaos and decided to post this before I revised it to death.
Getting an email box full of reviews instead of work was also a nice prompt.
Roguegal17 gets a break once again as she didn't have to re-beta this. It has had a few small tweaks since the first beta, so if any of this seems wrong, it's not her fault. (I will, however be harassing her about the next parts very soon). Sorry Roguegal. I noticed your silence over a certain ah, linen incident. Should I remove it?
It does seem a bit optimistic for Ian to have hoped that they wouldn't find Gabriel, but I figured they may have assumed he'd made a break for the woods or elsewhere during the fight if they weren't aware of drop spaces in some older barns.
Thanks again, for humoring me by reading this little jaunt. Actually, I can't really call it little anymore. This thing is turning into a monster. Sorry, the muses must like to drag things out.