Chapter 36 #2
Growing up how we both did, I couldn’t understand how she could perform such atrocities.
Men already held so much power. Women should stick together.
Although, I’d seen time and again too many women only out for themselves and would step on all other women to get what they wanted.
I knew I had a great level of privilege, but I still wouldn’t be able to send another woman to be used as nothing more than a piece of meat by disgusting men for money.
While I never thought I’d want to kill anyone, in the matter of minutes, a deep rage had grown within me.
She wanted revenge, but I wanted justice.
And in our world, justice wasn’t decided by a group of strangers in a courthouse. It was decided by us.
I was stewing over the ways I’d love to distinguish her pitiful excuse of a life when I thought I heard something familiar. Loud. Rumbling.
Looking over at Mama Hen, her eyes lit up.
Jeannie ran towards the front window and peeked out. “Shit. Get her!” she shouted.
The man’s footsteps rushed me and I glanced at Mama Hen. “Now.”
We both jumped from the sofa and Mama Hen ran towards Jeannie. I turned, the man just feet away.
They struggled behind me and a thud shook the floor as they landed.
I had to act fast, though, so I couldn’t look back.
I rushed him, going straight for his groin with a strong kick.
He doubled over with a grunt just long enough for me to pop him in the jugular in two quick shots of the side of my hand.
He was still bewildered when I spun and sent a kick right to his diaphragm, hoping to knock the wind out of him.
He stumbled toward me, trying to grab me with one hand and his pistol with the other. But I grabbed his left wrist, then gave a high kick to right hand and sent the pistol out of reach.
He finally tried to call out for help but his voice was broken. There was a commotion outside, gunshots firing what sounded like all around us.
His free hand went to my throat. Gritting my teeth, I stayed calm and fought the urge to wiggle free. That would only make me lose steam and not free me. With my feet still on the ground, I had just enough leverage to send another swift kick to his balls. His hand loosened and I spun around.
Still holding his other wrist, I used all my force with my other hand to hit his elbow. He let out a wail. I kicked the backs of his knees. Once he was on the ground, I whipped behind him and gripped his shoulder with one hand, his jaw with the other, and twisted hard and fast.
His body went limp and he crumpled to the ground. I reached into his pocket and pulled out the knife, then grabbed the assault rifle before draping the strap across me.
Mama Hen had Jeannie on the floor but she was still putting up a fight. I grabbed the gun on the floor, then went to help her.
Right as I was crossing the window, glass shattered. I hit the ground, hoping it missed me. Shards fell around me, but I didn’t feel anything.
“Katya!” Mama Hen shouted.
I stayed low, practically crawling across the floor. “I’m okay, I’m okay.”
When I got to them, I used the butt of the knife to hit Jeannie’s temple. She stopped struggling and Mama Hen looked down. “Shit.” She put her fingers to her neck. “Still kicking.”
“We gotta move fast. We need something to tie her up with.”
“Go check his pockets for more zip ties. I don’t think she’s smart enough to know how to break free.”
Crouching, I went back to the man’s body as shots continued to ring outside. Feeling around his pockets, I found a few more zip ties in the cargo pockets and grabbed two. “Got some.”
I stayed low, hustling back, when the door flung open. A man had a pistol aimed at Mama Hen. I couldn’t get a shot on him without hitting her, so I plowed into her instead, rolling her out of the line of fire. A searing pinch sent a scream from deep in my throat.
Still, I’d already turned the safety off the rifle and flung the barrel in his direction and squeezed the trigger. My body shook from the impact, but he went down.
Mama Hen pushed the door and laid me on my back. “Oh my God. I gotta move you. We can’t be by the door.”
“I can try to stand,” I gritted, trying to fight through the pain burning my chest.
“Just stay down.” She grabbed me under my arms and pulled me further inside, through the kitchen and laid me between the island and the counter. I held my breath to keep from crying out. “Can you manage the pistol?” she asked.
“I think so. It hurts really bad,” I said, fighting tears. “I know I shouldn’t say that, but it does.”
“Honey, if I had my cut on, I’d rip my patch off and give it to you right here. You’re a first lady, not a fucking robot. Here,” she said as she grabbed a towel off the counter. “Give me the rifle.”
She pulled the strap off carefully, then pulled me to her lap. “I’m gonna press on this. I gotta press hard. It ain’t gonna tickle.”
A garbled laugh escaped me. “It’s okay.”
She squeezed both sides where the bullet had gone through. She was right, it did not tickle.
“Looks like it’s a through and through,” she said. “That’s good. Won’t have to dig it out.”
“Is it bad?” I asked, trying to look up at her but it hurt to move my head that way.
“You’re gonna be just fine, hon. I promise.”
The door flew open and she let me go to ready the rifle but then I heard Hawk.
“Kat! Ma!”
She lowered the rifle. “Over here. We need help!”
Lots of heavy footsteps and shouting filled the cabin.
Hawk’s face turned pale as he rounded the corner and looked down at me. He fell to his knees and his voice cracked. “K–Kat. My Kitty Kat.” His hand pressed over Mama Hen’s and he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my lips.
“Katya, Katya,” Niko said as he flew inside and knelt next to Hawk.
“Hey brother,” I said, coming out more quietly than I intended.
Hawk’s face distorted and while a tear didn’t fall, his eyes were watery.
“Hey, no crying, remember?” I joked weakly.
“It went through, but she needs a doc,” Mama Hen said.
“Where–is–Shiv–when–you need her?” I tried to be funny. The look on Hawk’s face showed me he didn’t appreciate it. “Wait. The women!”
“Shh, shh, shh. Kat, don’t talk.” His hand was shaky as it pressed my cheek. “I love you, Katarina. I’m sorry I dragged my feet. But you can’t leave me now, Goddammit.”
Tears quickly filled my eyes, leaking from the corners. “Hawk–”
“Stop talking like that,” Mama Hen said. “She’s gonna be fine, but we gotta get her out of here.”
He said he loved me. I had to tell him. “I–lo–” I coughed as it got harder to pull in a breath and things went blurry. I was so sleepy.
Hawk shook me, but I couldn’t speak, and I couldn’t keep my eyes open.
Instead, I listened as he and Mama Hen shouted my name over and over until everything went dark.