Fighting Back
Chapter Four: Jack's Demise
Less than an hour had gone by when Katie heard two knocks at the door.
"Flash!" Katie challenged, just as Blitz had instructed her, pistol ready.
"Thunder!" Came Blitz's voice, & Katie opened the door. "Is it over? Is it safe?"
"Not quite!" snarled a different voice as Blitz began to shift into someone else.
"Blitz! What's going on?! What's happening to you?!" Katie shouted.
"I'm not Blitz." Katie recognized him; it was the man that had been rescued from the Lorelei. "I am going to kill you though." Jack gave an evil chuckle.
"You did all of this!" Katie deduced.
"Well aren't you smart?" Jack said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"How did you know the password? What did you do with Blitz?!"
"How'd I know the password? Simple. It's been around since the Second World War. As for that idiotic would-be hero Blitz? He's dead." Jack's eyes gleamed.
"What…? But how?"
"You ignorant little twit. I killed him." Jack smiled at the fear in Katie's eyes.
"No! You couldn't have! You're lying!" Katie didn't want to believe her friend, & the only person that she thought could save this ship, had died at this monster's hands.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm telling the truth." Jack smirked as he pulled out the knife Blitz had thrown into his hand.
"I don't believe you!"
"Oh well. You'll see him again shortly!" Jack said & lunged at Katie with the knife, not expecting her to either have enough wits or be collected enough to use the gun she had. He was quickly & painfully proven wrong.
"NO!" Katie shouted as she raised the pistol & fired. She could hardly handle the recoil of the pistol, not having shot a gun before, & Blitz hadn't taught her how to aim the gun, so she was just firing wildly into Jack's upper body, but with him being so close, she didn't miss. With every round that came from the pistol, Jack was driven back a couple inches, the last round setting him just outside the doorway. He looked as though he would collapse, & began to lean backwards, but…
"Gotcha, kid. You can't kill me with that little pop-gun you have." Jack sniggered as the realization that she was going to most likely be killed hit Katie like a ton of bricks.
"Stay back!" Katie shouted as a warning, as she began backing away.
"Or what?" Jack called her bluff; then felt something sharp poke him in the back.
"Or you'll have to deal with me." Came Blitz's confident voice in reply.
"Blitz! I knew you weren't dead!" Katie beamed happily at Blitz's voice.
"Is that what he told you?" Blitz asked as if another child had lied to her.
"I killed you! I even Marked you!" Jack shouted, but stayed facing forward.
"You stabbed me with a knife & slit my throat. Bit deal. You wouldn't die from that, how could you think that I would? And you call me foolish!" Blitz smiled.
"Touché Krieg. Touché. But now, really. There must be something you want. The reward for my bounty perhaps? How about this: If you leave right now, I'll let you have all of the gold that's stored down in the hold & anything else you want, we have a deal?"
"Hm… Tempting offer…" Blitz began, & saw the horrified expression on Katie's face, knowing there was only one thing on her mind: 'Would he? Would he betray us all for some gold? He couldn't! He wouldn't! Please Blitz, don't! We're friends!' He knew she was horrified, & he knew what he'd say. "Sorry Ferriman, no deal."
"There must be something!" Jack argued.
"No way! Ferriman, you're done here." Blitz said, a paper scroll in hand, & his cutlass pressed against Jack's back, ready to run him through his heart should he try anything.
"Maybe, but this isn't the last you'll see of me." Jack smirked.
"I know. You just remember this Ferriman: No matter what you do, no matter what ship you're on, you'll never win. For you sir, have made an enemy this day."
"So that makes us what? A Collector & a Ferrier, locked forever in combat? Ha. You and the entire Ferrier Fleet couldn't stop me from accomplishing my objectives. All you've done is slow me down Krieg." Jack said as he rested his hands in his pockets.
"That may be, but I've always been faster than you." Blitz smiled
"Really?" Jack asked smugly. In the blink of an eye, Jack pulled out a slender dagger from each pocket & spun on Blitz.
"Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, sai, sen, Akuryō Taisan!" Blitz chanted out & in a flash Jack's daggers were thrust into Blitz's chest, & Blitz had slapped an ofuda on Jack's forehead. For less than a moment all was still, no sounds at all, not even breathing. Then what looked like golden lightening began cracking from the ofuda on Jack's forehead. He screamed, shouted, & dropped to his knees; he was now feeling all of the pain that he'd ever caused anyone all at once.
"Damn…you…KRIEG!" Jack roared between shouts of pain.
"I told you…you're done here Ferriman…" Blitz groaned as he too dropped to his knees, but still clutched the cutlass. "Now get off…this SHIP!" Blitz shouted the last as he skewered Jack through the heart, the cutlass' blade erupting from his back.
"YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" Jack roared, & in a column of fire & puff of smoke, Jack Ferriman, the Soul Collector, was gone; the cutlass & ofuda dropping to the ground.
"That'll teach 'im." Blitz smiled, & dropped to his side, unconsciousness taking him as everything went black.
Curious? You'll just have to keep reading…