That
’
s going to get infected, and it hurts like hell. I
’
d better see if the doc is still around.
Zarfa filled his glass a third time, drank it down as fast as he could, and prepared himself to go back to the clinic. He had no idea if Max would still be around, but he had to try. He felt the inner seam of his pocket. He had passed out with the gauss pistol still holstered there
. Stupid
. If the gun hadn
’
t have been empty, he could have blown his leg off in his sleep, or worse.
He went over to the bed
,
picked up the two devices that the assassins had been wearing
,
and put them in a small backpack lying by his bed. He assumed them to be cloaking devices and probably of some value, even if he didn
’
t know how to activate them. He had never seen some of the technology that prevailed in Alexarien. He couldn
’
t be faulted for being ignorant
as
to how it functioned, but one thing he knew well from his home was the art of bartering.
Zarfa slung the backpack over his shoulders and winced. It hurt moving his left arm. He was glad he hadn
’
t been shot on the right. He was ambidextrous, but he did tend to favor using his right. He looked around the make sure there wasn
’
t anything else he thought he might need to take with him. He didn
’
t see anything. Considering his condition and the part of the city he was in, he began to wish he did know how to use the cloaking devices.
“
Oh well.
”
He sighed to himself as he walked out the door.
* * * *
“
Where ya goin
,
’
docta?
”
questioned the leader in a group of five men approaching Max.
They were obviously a gang and out seeking some easy money. Max thought he could hold his own against one if he was in peak condition, but right now, his body was wracked with the effects of a boost addiction.
His heart began to pound; he was afraid. It felt as if there was a stone beating against his rib cage. He no longer worried about getting to his house on time; he was now worried about getting there alive.
Why did I lock the door behind me? Why didn
’
t I look around more carefully? I know it is dangerous out here.
“
Only
trying to get home and see a girl, gentlemen. No need for violence and robbery.
”
He didn
’
t stand. He stayed in the position ready to sprint, wishing he had
done so
only moments earlier.
“
Who said anything about that sort o
’
nonsense, doc?
”
the leader questioned, approaching Max at a calm pace.
There was still some distance between Max and the gang. He didn
’
t recognize these men as any of the junkies he had shooed away. He didn
’
t know them at all
. The only reason they know I
’
m a doctor is the big, stupid neon sign right above me. Curse my luck.
These men feigned innocence
,
but they
had a
threatening
semblance
. They appeared as a pack of wild hyenas smiling, laughing, goading as they approached, waiting to encircle their prey. Two of them were fat,
merely bloated
bodies to add intimidation by numbers. The leader, however, was well muscled and
carried himself
like a leader
of vermin would
. He
appeared to be
fast; h
is stature
seemed
strong. The other two men in the group appeared to be his support, and all of these three
apparently had
seen their fair share of fights
, or muggings anyway
.
“
Looks like you should see a doctor,
”
the leader said with a chuckle, his eyes resting on Max
’
s right hand.
“
You
’
re right, I should. Why, I hadn
’
t even realized I was injured,
”
replied Max sarcastically.
The men in this gang wer
e
grinning wide, evil smiles. Smiles of destruction, smiles of executioners. Despite the playful banter, Max could tell they weren
’
t in the business of leaving men alive.
Enough games, it
’
s time to leave them in my dust.
Max took off in a sprint, running to the right of this pack of evil men; he was trapped on his left because the buildings lined the sidewalk. But to the right was the broad, open space of the road. Hovercraft passed by at an alarming rate, but the streets were far from crowded right now and he felt safer taking his chances there than on the sidewalk with those five rabid dogs who claimed human suits.
The burst of energy let forth from his leap off the ground was enough to get him going at a good running pace from the get-go. He ran down the street, avoiding the men entirely. A hovercraft passed between the group and Max
right
as he had started his run toward freedom.
Hopefully
,
they won
’
t chase.
Max turned his head to look behind and saw he had no such luck. The two fat ones stayed behind, but as for the leader and his two cronies, they were in hot pursuit of what they saw as easy prey. In only seconds, Max had made it to the end of the block and hooked a sharp left at the intersection. This turn would take him toward the direction of his house and a better part of town. One where there would be a police presence that would stop an unseemly affair such as what was going on here in the slums.
Only three more miles of this. I can do that.
Suddenly, his optimism left him as he felt a rope wind around his feet. One of the men was an expert with throwing weapons and had a shiruken
-
type device with a rope on it to catch a person
’
s feet. As the rope wound and twisted around both of Max
’
s feet, he tripped. Everything felt slow motion as he began to fall.
His head, face first, struck the concrete with a strong force. The blow dazed him and he felt as if someone had kicked him in the head. He tried to shrug off the pain and get back up; it was hopeless. His feet were bound and he barely managed to roll over onto his back by the time the three had caught up with him.
“
Here
’
s for trying to run,
”
one of them said as he dropped to the ground beside Max and punched him square in the nose.
The man then climbed on top of Max and proceeded to hit him in the stomach. If he wanted Max dead quickly, he would keep working his head. He didn
’
t. This sadist wouldn
’
t be happy until Max
’
s internal organs were liquefied from his intense pummeling.
Then suddenly, a crack
. It sounds like lightning. Great, I get rained on when I die.
And new pain was no longer upon Max. Just the dull ache from falling and taking several blows. The man who had been hitting Max was now lying on top of him, limp. Lifeless.
Max had no idea what was going on. He was confused by the unpredicted onslaught of the ambush right outside his clinic. He was baffled by how quickly he had been caught. He was thrown into utter bedazzlement by the rain of blows he had suffered, and now, the man dead on top of him didn
’
t make sense.
Did I kill him with my mind? What
’
s going on?
“
Unless you all want to die like your friend here, I suggest you leave. He makes the third life I
’
ve taken today.
I
’
m not afraid to go as high as seven!
”
The voice of a guardian from the void, of a stone cold beast, of a dark mystery that had seen horrors Max couldn
’
t even imagine. A voice of
familiarity,
even though he had only heard it a few times earlier that day.
“
Zarfa?
”
“
Yea
h
, Max. Stay down until I tell you.
”
Max peeked out from under the corpse of the man on top.
How did he kill him so quickly?
Zarfa stood like a gargoyle ready to fend off any evils that may approach. Max couldn
’
t have had been more grateful in that moment.
Another crashing crackle came and the sky lit up with magnificent white light that revealed to Max that Zarfa was injured. This time, it was lightning, which meant one thing.
Rain, great. I do die in the rain.
The remaining four approached Max and Zarfa, intent on killing them both. They most likely weren
’
t going to let Max live before Zarfa
’
s intervention. However, any chance of a peaceful resolution was completely gone from sight. Zarfa took a relaxed stance and seemed to be leaning back with his hips jutted forward and his shoulders slinking back. Max thought it was a bizarre way to be standing if you valued your life.
The leader of the gang and the other fit one were rushing at Zarfa with murderous intent. The two fat ones were trailing behind. It had only been a block and a half run, but they were already winded. As the two fighters closed in on Zarfa, they split directions at the last second, one to Zarfa
’
s right
,
the other to his left in an attempt to flank him and sandwich him in an attack.
It failed. Zarfa jumped straight into the air and did the splits, sending fierce kicks with his boots into both of his enemies
’
throats. His movement was so fast, so elegant, so graceful, even a martial arts master wouldn
’
t have seen it coming. The two men dropped to the ground clutching their throats, gasping for air. He had no doubt crushed their wind pipes, but Zarfa wasn
’
t the kind to take chances.
He quickly dropped on top of the leader
’
s neck with both of his knees, then in one quick movement, jerked his head to the side with all the force his legs could muster. One loud pop as rain began to pour on them all. The leader was dead and the two fat men who had caught up began to slink away. There was no way they were going to fight Zarfa if he didn
’
t press the issue.
“
Four,
”
Zarfa said matter-of-factly as he walked over to the other man he had dropped with his double kick counter attack.
This man was obviously the throwing weapons expert who
had managed to entangle Max. Anyone
could tell by the variety of objects he had strapped to and hanging from his outfit. Knives, axes, darts, and tools of entrapment. He was still gasping for air; the blow must have collapsed his windpipe.
Zarfa removed the gun from his inner seam pocket and shot an evil stare over at the two fat cowards still worming their way backward. Rain poured down on all of them and lightning flashed again.
“
Five!
”
Zarfa screamed as he pistol whipped the back of the man
’
s head.
The first blow made a thud, the second a wild crunch, and the third revealed blood, bone
,
and grey matter. Zarfa removed two throwing axes from the man
’
s body and stepped toward the fat henchmen. Terror consumed their faces and death had already glossed over their eyes. They knew their fate was close at hand.
Zarfa dropped the pistol and kicked it straight up in the air, sending it launching into the sky. In almost the exact same instant, he threw an axe with each hand. Both axes hit their marks nearly simultaneously right in the center of the henchmen
’
s flabby chests
, burrowing through the sternums
and splitting their rib cages. The gauss pistol came falling right in front of Zarfa
’
s face and he grabbed it midair and shoved it back into his pocket.
He walked over to the two fatties laying practically side by side, and after clubbing them both in the throats
for good measure
to be sure they were dead, he stood and triumphantly, proudly stated,
“
Seven
”
loud enough for Max to hear despite the noise of the rain drops falling all around them.