"Kohnuh," a voice mimicked cruelly, "oh God, Kon—"
Conor moved again, fast as lightning. The second assailant went down, his mouth opening and closing as he gasped for air, his arms wrapped around his jackknifed body.
Conor laughed. He was on the balls of his feet as if he were dancing, his body loose, his arms out and his hands open. There was a smile on his face and a terrible coldness in his eyes and Miranda could smell base, animal rage in his sweat.
"Okay," he was saying to the third of her attackers, his voice very soft, "okay, dude, come and get me."
The boy's eyes shifted from side to side. Something glinted in his hand.
"He's got a knife," Miranda screamed.
The boy moved fast, the knife coming in gut-low. But Conor moved faster. There was a scream. The knife went flying and then Conor was standing behind the boy, who must have outweighed him by fifty pounds, with his right arm wrapped tightly around the kid's neck.
The fourth assailant turned and ran.
"Don't, man," pleaded the one in the arm-lock.
Conor yanked back, hard. "Give me a good reason why I shouldn't."
The boy rose on his toes. "We was only funnin', man."
"The truth or you're dead, scumbag."
The boy grabbed Conor's arm and hung on, trying to ease the choke hold that was cutting off his breath.
"Please, man, let go!"
"Who set this up? You?"
"It was just some fun, is all. A little fun with the lady."
"I asked who set it up."
"James did."
"James?"
"The guy who took off."
"Why?"
"I told you, man, it was for fun."
"You've had fun like this before?"
Conor jerked back and the boy lifted on his toes.
"On my mother, man," he babbled, "we never did! Never!"
Conor flung the boy from him. His pals scrambled to their feet and the three of them stood huddled together.
"If I ever see you again," he snapped, "the rats will be eating your eyeballs. You got that? Now, get the hell out of here before I change my mind."
The trio turned and ran.
Conor swung towards Miranda. She was still on her knees. There was dirt on her face and terror in her eyes and all he could think about was how close he'd come to losing her. If he hadn't taken over from that idiot, Breverman, if he hadn't followed his instincts and been waiting for her when she'd come out the door tonight...