Above the Law

Chapter One

"Hey, bitch, we're talking to you," a second guy slurred.

She drew in a shaky breath and continued on, her eyes darting nervously around the grimy alleyway for a makeshift weapon she could use if they tried something. They almost always tried something.

Eden's eyes locked onto a pipe just as she heard the shuffling footsteps behind her, she bent down and snatched up a bent pipe, then spun around fast, swinging the metal pipe violently at the oncoming footsteps. She hit one of the men in the stomach who swore on impact. She took a few steps back, distancing herself from the man before spreading her feet for a better stance and gripping the pipe tighter in her trembling hands.

"Stop," she spit out, her hands shaking more noticeably as she rose the pipe above her head. Blood was pounding in her ears, her breathing erratic and loud.

"I get it," the man said mockingly, "you're too good for us now that you're off duty." He took a step toward her, digging in his pocket, he pulled out a couple crumpled bills and threw them at her feet. "There, I paid. Now come here and let me show you a good time." He took another step toward her; she backed away, fear eating her alive, knowing she wouldn't win this fight, knowing it was about to happen again.

"Just grab the bitch already," one of the men shouted, pushing off the alley wall and stalking slowly towards here.

The other whistled his approval and brought a cigarette to his lips.

Three against one. She wouldn't even be able to knock one of them out. She didn't have any self-defense training; all she had was what she'd seen in action movies and later executed in her locked bedroom at night.

The man took several more steps toward her, a sinister smirk playing on his lips in the dim light, then he reached out for her. She swung the pipe like a baseball bat and hit his forearm, he make a noise between a grunt and a laugh and kept coming, she swung again, this time aiming for his chest. It made contact and he stumbled back, but one of his friends was close behind. She crashed the pipe again, more viciously this time, and aiming for his head. The sound it made as it connected with his head made her stomach churn, but he crumpled to the ground and she had one less predator to worry about hurting her tonight.

"You're really gonna wish you didn't do that," the nearest man spat. The adrenaline was coursing through her veins, but this man was built like a wall and small blows to the arms didn't seem to do anything to help her. She swung the pipe back then smashed it into his stomach, but as she went for the another blow, he snatched ahold of the pipe, pried it from her hands and threw it to the ground with a clatter. Her eyes widened and she backed up.

He roughly gripped her face with his hand so she'd look up at him; he grinned like Christmas had come early and she was the present he'd asked for. He backed her against the alley wall and moved his forearm so it was crushing against her windpipe, she gulped for air but none would come. Not again, please, not again, she thought desperately, hands clawing at his arm helplessly.

"Grab the fucking pipe, Greg," he spat. "Just in case the whore tries something." His free hand worked his belt, Eden jerked against him, one hand coming up and clawing at his throat, the other trying desperately to pry his arm off her neck. "Quit struggling," he panted as he yanked his pants down. She froze. Held her breath. Willed him away. But he was still there. He was still too strong.

His hand freed the button of her jeans and everything in her screamed. She thrashed against him, raising her knee to his groin. He scowled and tripped backwards enough for the air to fill her gasping lungs once more. She stomped her foot against his kneecap, causing him to take stumbling steps backwards. The man glowered down at her, his hand already ripping her closer by her hair when a blade pierced through his chest, shinning with moonlight and blood, before disappeared back out just as quickly as it had come. Dark, gushing blood followed. The man's lifeless body wilted at her feet, the pool of blood already seeping through the toes of her cheap heels.