Falling Up

53. Ambush

"Don't even think about it." Jason's voice caused them both to break away from each other as she nervously turned her eyes away from them both.

The awkwardness of the moment was broken when they heard a noise coming from outside the door. Riley jumped out of Kain's lap as fast as she could, her heart beating a million miles a minute with nerves as Kain stood up just as fast. Jason moved over to the door with Kain standing on one side and Jason on the other. Riley remained standing in the middle of the room, as previously planned.

The outcome of this ambush would be anyone's guess, and it could go either way, but she wouldn't just stand there and do nothing. They would either win this fight or go down trying. As her heart beat fast in her chest, she heard the unmistakable click of the lock and watched in slow motion as the doorknob turned, bringing with it the first guard who entered the room.

It happened so fast as Kain slammed into the guard's back with his shoulder, sending him and the tray of food he was holding flying to the ground. Before the guard could get back up, Kain grabbed his gun from the back of his pants and it took only a split second for the guard to swipe at Kain's feet, sending him sprawling to the ground.

As the two men scrambled, fighting each other on the floor, the second guard came into the room, the sound of the scuffle alerting him to trouble. Jason was quick to move in and punched the guard in the face, causing him to stumble backward. A struggle ensued between the two as they fought for the weapon in the guard's hand.

Riley watched from the middle of the room as both Kain and Jason fought against the guards. Kain was having an easier time than Jason, who was already fatigued and worn down from being locked up for so long. She was worried about both of them, but her footsteps took her closer to Jason as she realised he needed the most help.

Just as she was about to pounce on the back of the guard, her eyes did a double take towards the door as a third, unannounced guard entered the room. They had only ever discussed two guards being on watch, so the third guard took her by surprise as he advanced towards her. With Kain and Jason being preoccupied in their own fights, they had yet to see the third guard heading towards her.

Riley stepped backward, one step at a time, as the guard advanced. He was bulky and tall, with a dark beard that covered the sinister smile he sent her way. The more she moved backward, the closer he got until she was completely backed up against the wall. She cursed herself for being stupid enough to back herself into a corner and, a mere moment later, the guard had curled his thick fingers around her throat.

Her breath was cut off in an instance and she panicked when she was lifted with little effort off the floor and into the air with her legs dangling and thrashing against the wall. Before she even realised what was happening, her mind stilled for a moment, providing an odd sense of clarity. Perhaps it was the adrenaline running through her veins or the lack of oxygen that caused her body to move on its own but she found herself lifting her right arm up straight, turning her body slightly to the left and forcing her elbow to come crashing down on top of his arm, breaking her from the hold she was in. At this point, she was thankful for her online research into self-defence moves.

Riley came crashing down to the ground with a thud before thrusting her knee up, right into the guard's groin. Within less than a second, he was down on his knees, hands cupping between his legs as he let off a high-pitched screeching noise.

"You fucking bitch," the guard choked out, trying to get back on his feet but failing to do so.

Without hesitating, she scrambled forward, past the guard and over to the other side of the room, where Kain and Jason were still fighting. Kain put one last blow on the guard he was fighting, which knocked him out as he fell cold to the floor.

"Are you okay?" said Kain as he rushed towards her, pulling her into his arms before pushing her behind him to protect her from the incoming threat.

"I'm fine," she huffed out as she rubbed her neck to ease some of the pain, already sensing that there would be some bruises from the choking she just escaped from.

She glanced behind her for a brief second, noticing Jason getting the upper hand on his own personal fight, then turned her attention back towards her incoming problem. The guard which had been curled up in front of them was now getting back on his feet and heading straight for them. He looked pissed.

As the attacker drew close, Kain balled his hands into fists and positioned them in front of his face, ready to engage in combat while shielding her as best she could. The aggressor rushed forward with surprising speed, but Kain remained poised. He dodged the first punch aimed at his face and retaliated by delivering a powerful blow to the ribs. Despite Kain's impressive fighting abilities, she couldn't help feeling anxious as he faced off against a larger and more imposing opponent.

In just a few moments of fierce fighting and wrestling, Kain emerged triumphant while the guard lay unconscious on the floor.

"Are you guys alright?" said Jason as he walked over to them, leaving the other guard knocked out on the floor behind him.

"Yeah, we're fine," said Riley, walking over to the unconscious guard that Kain left in his wake as she pulled off his boots before measuring them up against her feet. "Where to now?" Riley didn't really want to wear the oversized boots, but it seemed like a better option than getting her feet cut up on the way out of here.

Before anyone could even respond, Kain's face washed over in fear, leaving Riley momentarily befuddled before she followed his line of sight.

"Riley! Watch out!" shouted Kain as he lept in front of Riley, spinning her around to protect her with his body as she closed her eyes in fear. She didn't have time to see the threat, but she heard it a moment later when a gunshot went off, echoing through the room.

Riley's heart stopped in her chest before she forced her eyes open, fearing the worst. Kain was looking at her in panic before he turned to the dying sound of the gunshot.

To her horror, she saw Jason, with a firearm in hand, stumbling backwards, a lifeless guard lying before him. Her attention, however, was drawn not to the fact that Jason had just killed someone, but instead to the sight of blood spilling out of Jason's stomach.