Chapter 13
Lisa's eyes adjusted and she saw two silhouettes combating in the snow. She tumbled. Her shoulder seared with electric pain. She cradled it with icy fingers as dark blood pooled on the white ground. Her worthless gun lay in the ice. She heard slaps, kicks and punches.
The two figures before her fought furiously, kicking snow in her face. The pain dulled her vision and clenched her teeth. Finally, the female shadow kicked the male in a choice area, dropping him to his knees. She fled. Jackson's apparition choked painfully in the snow.
Lisa felt a rough grasp yank her to her feet. The spotlight glared once again, to reveal Jackson doubled over, spitting on the ground with tears in his eyes. His mouth was bloodied and his clothes were tussled. He panted, and looked at Lisa in dismay.
"Don't move asshole…" Jill snapped, her breath still furious. She snatched Lisa and held the gun to her skull.
"You can't kill her, but I can." Lisa shook and squeezed her eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks. A metallic taste poisoned her mouth from the burning pain in her shoulder. Jill jerked her arm, the agony stabbing her further.
Jackson caught his breath. He laughed. "Same old Jill, always hitting below the belt," he wheezed.
"Hey, fuck you Jackson. I loved you once, before she came along. Now, I don't know. I might just kill you too." With that, she pulled the gun from Lisa's head and pointed it at Jackson. "How poetic, you can die the same way Mason did."
With the gun away, Lisa stamped Jill's foot, brutally crushing her ankle. Her useful elbow drove into Jill's stomach, forcing the wind from her body. Jill bent forward. Lisa whirled and drove an uppercut into the attacker's ready jaw. Jill fell. Lisa knowledgably followed her, and struck her vulnerable ribs. Jill lay unconscious on the ground. Lisa gasped for breath, removed from herself.
As Jill remained motionless, Lisa dashed to Jackson's side. He waved his hand dismissingly.
"I'll be fine, she just took a cheap shot," he assured her. The two rose, battered and watching the sedate Jill cautiously. Snowflakes fluttered, encapsulating them.
"Not bad." Jackson commented to Lisa, wiping the sweat from her brow.
"Well, I am going up for my belt test in a few weeks." She smiled back. Jackson acknowledged her silently.
"We should call the paramedics for you, and the police for her," Jackson noted, motioning to each woman respectively.
"Yeah…" With that, Lisa wrapped her working arm around his shoulders and pulled him to her. She kissed him. He froze. Awe consumed him. The pair stood in the gentle snowfall, locked in their embrace. The ghosts faded, the world faded…
Jackson broke away and twirled Lisa behind him. His gun flared, and shot a conscious, fuming Jill in the chest. Lisa watched as Jill silently dropped, her gun, trembling and worthless. The redhead fell forward, her face in the snow, and bled. Jill was dead.
Lisa buried her sullen, tired face into Jackson's coat. She nuzzled there, comfortably. He watched Jill, panting as if she would get up again. Resolute, he tossed the gun into the snow and enveloped Lisa in his arms.
"Jack and Jill?" Lisa chuckled. Her exhausted smile turned up to Jackson.
"Shut up Lisa...," he said, smiling back.
END