Pride, Mates, and Past Mistakes

In Which We Abandon a Million Dollar Car in the Middle of a Park

*Sierra*

All around me, fighting exploded. The shouts, grunts, and cries of pain from my friends behind me made me yearn to turn around, but I knew that wouldn't help. That wasn't my job. I had to take down Jacob.

Jacob gasped, winded from me throwing him to the floor. Not wasting any time, I knelt over him, reared my arm back, and swung a punch at his face. His head snapped to the side from the force of my blow. Recovering from the punch, Jacob gave me a sloppy grin, his eyes dazed and unfocused, a little blood on the corner of his mouth. "Nice," he mumbled breathlessly. "You fight like a true IPKA trainee."

I reached for my Stun Gun.

"But you know," Jacob continued. "I was once an IPKA trainee, too."

There was an abrupt blow to my stomach, and then I was the one on my back.

I gasped for air, winded from the blow. Jacob moved faster than I'd expected, and he sat on my legs, pinning them down. I tried to jam my elbow into Jacob's stomach, as he had done to me, but Jacob caught my arm before I could carry out to blow. He gave a dark laugh, and spat out some blood. "And since I'm an ex-trainee," He reached over and grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked upwards. I cried out, thrashing my legs around to get him off of me.

"I know all your moves," he muttered, his long fingers entwined themselves around my neck and squeezed. "But I have a few new ones, too."

My fingers flew to my throat, scratching, hitting, slapping, doing anything to get his hands off my neck. I tried to draw in a breath but his tight grasp made that painful, and I choked.

"C'mon, Sierra," he whispered gruffly in my ear. He squeezed tighter, and I flailed even harder, black spots erupted in my vision. "It doesn't have to be this way. I only take down those who stand in my way." He dug his nails into my skin.

I needed air. I needed it soon, or I was going to pass out.

The lack of oxygen was slowing drawing my strength away, and my attempts to stop him were growing feebler and feebler by the second. I faintly grabbed at his hands wrapped around my throat, but he was too strong, and my strength was nearly gone. My hands fell, limp and weak.

"I know you see the logic in my idea. I know you understood the persecution your government enforces on the citizens," he gruffly whispered in my ear. "I could see it in your eyes."

Everything began to fade.

"Join me," he whispered gruffly. I choked again. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't see, I couldn't feel, I was going to die, I knew I would, there was no way...

"Join me, and you'll be free...we can show those bullies of yours a taste of their own medicine..."

The little part of my brain that was still functioning coursed with emotion at his words, and I forced my eyes open. Drawing every little last drop of strength I had left, I jerked my leg up and slammed my knee into his crotch.

Jacob gasped, his mouth forming an O, and letting out a low moan in pain, fingers slipped and freed the noose that he had had around my neck. I rolled out from under him, coughing and drawing in air like I'd never breathed in my life. Moons, had it never felt so good to breathe. My vision was swimming, and my head was severely disoriented, but I had no time to waste— I grabbed my Stun Gun from the inside of my boot. Slamming it into his leg, I pulled the trigger.

His neck muscles strained and teeth gritted, Jacob thrashed and writhed with the electricity coursing through him. When I finally released the trigger, it was way later than when I should have let go of it. I only needed to touch him with the Stun Gun to knock him out, but I'd held it into him for at least five good seconds. Jacob's head dropped to the ground. His body fell still and his mouth lolled open—well, he was knocked out for sure, alright.