Linda Andrews - The Meltdown

He set his hand on the small of her back.

She shoved it away. Rage bubbled under her skin. Those bastards who had kidnapped her touched her without permission. No one would do so again. “The buses belong to my group. We’ll be taking them when we leave to join the soldiers.”

The oily mask melted from Trent Powers’ face. Hatred flared in his shark eyes. “I don’t think so.”

She stopped. “I don’t care what you think. I’m taking what is mine and offering a ride to any of Stuart’s people who wish to join us.”

Trent grabbed her hair and shoved her face-first toward the dirt. “I’ve had enough of bitches like you.”

Audra planted her hands in the slush. Enough was enough. She mule kicked her attacker in the knee. Bone crunched and the joint bent backward.

He yelp and released her hair. “You cunt!”

“That is it.” She laced her muddy hands together and came up swinging. The back of her hand collided with his jaw when she was halfway up.

His head snapped back. Blood poured from his nose. He shook his head, spraying her with droplets. “So you like it rough?”

Hopping on one leg, he jabbed. His fist collided with her nose.

Stars burst in her vision and warmth cascaded down her face. Blood tainted her mouth. Her training surged to the fore. Pain had been expected.

“I can play rough.” He leapt on her. His forearm tightened on her throat.

The aggressive stance was lethal and predictable. She didn’t waste time trying to pull his arm off her. That wouldn’t work, but something else would. Thank you Daddy for those combato self-defense lessons.

“After you pass out, I’m going to fuck you in ways you only dreamed about.”

In his dreams. She pushed with her feet, shoving her body into his.

Off balance, he stumbled backward.

She gathered her fingers and thumb into a hard point and jabbed his eye. The soft tissue burst and goo coated her fingers.

“Bitch.”

She wrapped her feet around his. And they fell. Her stomach fluttered in her throat as they continued to fall. She reached for something to grab on to and closed her hands around air.

A heartbeat later, they landed with a thud and crack of bone.

The hand around her neck loosened. She shoved it away and rolled off him. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she raised her fists. Ready for round two.

Trent Powers’ head lay at an odd angle.

She shifted back. Was he dead?

“What the fuck did you do to me?” His eyes glanced left then right. “Why can’t I move?”

Audra slowly straightened and dropped her hands to her side. Her heart pounded in her chest. She’d done it. She’d won. “Your neck is broken.”

Someone skidded to a stop beside her.

She jumped and took a swing.

Eddie ducked. “Sorry it took me so long to get here.” Two dead rabbits dangled from his fists. “But damn, you’ve got some excellent moves, Warrior Princess.”

Pride shoved her tears to the surface. She wrapped her arms around her chest. She’d done this. “What do I do now?”

Her self defense teachers told her to run away and call for help. That didn’t exactly apply now.

“You going to fucking help me, bitch.”

“Mind your language, asshole.” Eddie kicked Trent in the ribs. Despite the crunch of bone, Trent didn’t flinch. “We don’t do anything. He’ll either suffocate in a couple of minutes or the coyotes will eat him.”

“You can’t do this.” Trent twitched.

“Yeah, I can.” Eddie pulled her bra from his pocket, wadded it up and stuffed it into Trent’s mouth. “But I don’t have to listen to you. Sorry, babe, but you’re not getting your boulder holder back.”

A vein throbbed at Trent’s temple. His shouts were a garble of noise.

“It’s okay.” Tremors traveled up and down her spine. Hot tears mingled with the blood pouring out her nose. How was she going to live with this?

Eddie kissed her hard.

She blinked and sniffed. Blood and snot hit the back of her throat. “What did you do that for?”

“Because I’m proud of you.” He daubed at her face with the hem of his shirt. “Do you think Tina or Becky or anyone else would have been able to take out this piss ant?”

“No.” She shook her head. They hadn’t been drilled like she had.

“Exactly. You protected your people like a leader does. You did the shit work leaders do.”

“But I killed him.” Leaders didn’t do that. She blinked. Leaders ordered it done. Did that make her better or worse?

“You didn’t kill him.” Eddie wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “See, he’s still breathing.”

His body heat chased the cold from her marrow.

“And he’ll go on breathing until the coyotes get here.” After one last squeeze, Eddie walked over to Trent. Using her sharpened underwires, he slit the rabbits’ bellies. Their insides tumbled out and splatted on Trent’s stomach.

Audra covered her mouth. Good Lord, the smell was horrible. “What are you doing?”

Standing in the middle of the baseball diamond, a coyote sniffed the air. Another soon joined it. Then another.

Eddie milked the blood from the cuts and dribbled it over Trent. “Garnishing the main course.” He scooped out the heart and lungs and dropped them onto Trent’s groin. With the gutted carcasses swinging from his hands, Eddie strolled toward her. “Let’s go cook these up and leave the coyotes to their meal.”

“Eat?” She swallowed the vomit in her mouth.

“You think I’m going to waste this fancy bit of tail on him?”

It wasn’t right, letting the animals eat another human being. She glanced at Trent. Hatred blazed in his one good eye. She shivered and held onto Eddie. Then again, Trent would have done far worse to her if he could. She turned her back on him.

Trent Powers wouldn’t hurt anyone ever again.

From the corner of her eye, she watched the coyotes lope closer. She rested her head on Eddie’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”

The bastards! Using his tongue, Trent shoved at the gag in his mouth. Did they think they could just leave him? He was Trent fucking Powers. As soon as he got the gag out of his mouth, he’d yell for Stuart.

Stuart would help him.

That loser didn’t like being under a woman’s heel. They were kindred spirits. And Trent would use him until he regained the use of his limbs again. That asshole who’d dumped guts on him would pay first.

Then that bitch, Audra.

A door slammed shut.

Fuck! Stuart must be done shitting his brains out. Trent rammed his tongue into the gag swelling in his mouth. Fabric looped around his tongue. When he tried to yank free, the material slipped deeper into his mouth. Son of a bitch!

The wind carried the scent of crap and the voices.

He picked out Stuart’s from the lot. What was the bitch and her lover telling him?

Sweat pricked his temples when he tried to raise his head. Dead grass met his eyes. Dammit! If he couldn’t see them, Stuart wouldn’t be able to see what those two had done to him.

Stuart had to see him!

Trent couldn’t end this way. He was too smart, too good looking, too talented. He dug the back of his skull into the embankment. Maybe he could pull himself up. Maybe then Stuart would see him.

Engines started.

What the fuck? Trent’s heart beat faster. This wasn’t happening to him. He worked harder but didn’t seem to go anywhere. His eyes burned and his vision twisted. Fine. He didn’t need Stuart. The man was pretty much useless anyway.

More people would come through this site. The soldiers had set it up as one of the points on their stupid evacuation routes. Someone would find him. And they would be worthy of his leadership.