The Squad

My thoughts got my blood pumping, and sleep was the last thing on my mind. I might as well get a move on since there was nothing left for me to do there. I usually stick around and lay low for a few days after a hit, just in case things get sticky and more so, especially with the last few in case one of them put two and two together and figure out that it was me behind the kills.

Now with the last one down, there’s just a bunch of businessmen and housewives to worry about, and none of them have the clout to come after me, not unless they wanted to tell the world who and what they are. Of course, there are still others out there who I have to watch out for. But I’d taken care of all those who might look in my direction. I heard the sound seconds before I saw the shadow and went into fight mode.

Jason

“Fuck!” I didn’t have time to tell her that I wasn’t here to hurt her before she came at me. The move was so unexpected that I stood in shock and barely moved out of the way in time. I felt the wind from her blade as it sailed by my face, but instead of defending myself, which would’ve entailed hurting her in some way, I went into retreat, gliding back on my heels and out of the way.

She came in fast, and I had no choice this time but to ward her off, but still, I did the least amount of damage I could in the circumstances by hitting her wrist with the heel of my hand in just the right way to get the results I wanted. The blade clattered to the old cement floor with a clanging sound. “I’m not…” I started to explain myself, but she came in low and fast, and this time both hands held the blades she’d grabbed from their hidden place at her sides. Stupid me watched in fascination, not quite believing what I was seeing.

I didn’t think I was going to need backup when I told the others I was coming in on my own. I didn’t want them in here with her, didn’t want them that close. They hadn’t questioned me when I told them to go around the block a couple times until I came out with her, and I released the breath I’d been holding when I expected an argument.

I’d planned to come in and wake her up as gently as I could once I ascertained that she was definitely in here. I hadn’t expected her to be awake and waiting. She must’ve heard the engine outside, which would mean she has excellent hearing since this floor was a ways up from the street.

Now I’m second-guessing my decision to approach her in the dark abandoned space like this, but I hadn’t been thinking when I made the choice. I just didn’t want her alone here like this for a second longer, the thought of it broke my heart. I didn’t know though that I’d be facing a hellcat set on murder and annihilation.

She came at me again, and I deflected the hand that came at my gut and barely moved my head back out of the way of the other that was aimed at my throat. She made a sweeping move with her feet and spun up into the air before flipping herself over to land a few feet away from me crouched in a fighting stance, both blades poised and ready to strike.

What the fuck? I recognized a mix of the two very powerful fighting styles of Taekkyon and Krav Maga in her movements. But this was not the Krav Maga or Taekkyon, an ancient Korean Martial Arts that was taught in any gym; nope, whoever taught her had been taught by a master or was a master themself.

While I was being fascinated, she was on a deadly course. She hadn’t made a sound since I came in. All her attention was solely focused on one thing, survival, so like any cornered animal, she struck out. My heart hurt for some fucked up reason at why she’d have to be this way. Meanwhile, I’m the one in danger of losing my guts on the floor.

I didn’t approach but waited; there was no point in me telling her that I wasn’t here to hurt her because she’s in that zone where the words would not penetrate, not until after she’d eliminated the threat, and by then it would be too late. So I waited for her to make her next move until I realized that she wouldn’t, not until I made a move towards her. Fighting one oh one.

I took a step as if to go after her, and she flew into action. Some people think that that flying shit they see in Asian fight flicks is just men being held up by strings of rope; they’ve never seen real acrobats in motion. This one was literally flying through the air dead set on taking me out.