Brandy and the Hijack

Chapter 17: the fight

The gang was at the table getting stuck into the food and wine.

"This is so fucking good, Issy you old prick"

"Shut your face and pass me that bottle. You fuckers can have the others."

Laughter and, "Slow down, Issy, we all want our share."

Kurt called out, "Hey, Brandy, you'd better take Sam's food up to him. Be quick."

"Shall I take him a glass of wine?"

"No, he's on watch," Vern snapped immediately.

"Ah, come on, Skip," Jock pleaded. "He could have one, couldn't he?"

"Yeah, all right, but just one."

Sam tried to be playful with her.

"Come on, babe, give us a feel."

"No, I've got to go back. Eat your dinner before it gets cold."

She escaped.

They were on the dessert before Brandy noticed any signs of the effects of the drug. It was Ruby first; she was a bit drunk but was beginning to yawn and sway about. Others started to follow: clumsiness and head shaking.

Then Ruby slumped down onto the table. Kurt looked at her, blinked perplexedly at the others, and realised.

"You fucking bitch, you've doped us," he shouted, "Get her."

He struggled to his feet and Brandy saw that she had made a mistake; she shouldn't have stayed in the kitchen. Kurt had her trapped.

Vern staggered to his feet and followed Kurt. Jock tried but couldn't get up. Issy just stayed where he was.

Vern stood in the doorway while Kurt advanced towards the terrified Brandy. She retreated, looking wildly from one to the other. Vern appeared to be wobbly but was still on his feet.

Kurt was holding the bench to steady himself as he closed in on Brandy. One of Issy's cooking knives was on the bench near her; it had a thin blade about twenty centimetres in length. Impulsively, she snatched it up and hurled herself at Kurt.

She tried to stab him in the stomach, but he lurched and the knife went into his side. Swearing and cursing, he tried to grab her but missed as she slipped and fell back. Sobbing desperately, she scrambled away from him and regained her feet. She still had the knife in her hand.

Blood was flowing from the wound and Kurt was pressing on it with his left hand as he steadied himself with his right hand on the kitchen table.

"You fucking whore, I'm going to skin you alive."

Without thinking, Brandy launched another frenzied attack. This time she did stab him in the stomach, but he grabbed her left forearm and held on. They stumbled against the bench. Brandy pulled the knife out and began slashing wildly at Kurt's face and neck.

Issy kept his knives razor-sharp; there were cuts all over Kurt, and then a long gash opened up on his forehead. It bled profusely; blood was running into his eyes and down his face. He looked like something from a horror movie, but he kept hold of her and was forcing her to the ground.

Brandy desperately twisted her body as they slid to the floor and managed to avoid being pinned under him, but Kurt had now got hold of her right wrist and prevented her from wielding the knife anymore. Both of them were covered in blood.

Struggling and squirming, she broke away as his bloodied hands slipped off her wrist, but she lost the knife. Gasping for breath she rolled away under the table.

Vern was slumped down in the doorway and made a half-hearted attempt to grab her as she leapt over him and gained the relative safety of the saloon.