Phoenix13: Resurrection (Phoenix13 Book 3)

Part #13: Not Easily Conquered: Chapter Four

Maybe not, Kalligan thought, but he played along. After all, there were more lives than his own at stake here. Lowering his chin and faking fear, he stammered, "Look, I knew where she was, but I don't know now! Last I saw her, she was at Stonehenge. She was used in a ritual, then just... disappeared. I don't know!"

Smoke escaped in silky spires as the leader of the attackers opened his mouth. He pinched the cigarette between his thumb and forefinger, removing it with deliberate slowness. He blew a foul-smelling cloud into Kalligan's face. "Do you know how to find her? To contact her?"

Kalligan hesitated, pretending to consider. "I... I mean, maybe? She did give me a way to contact her if I really needed to, but... it would be hard. And it would take a while." The lie slipped off his tongue easily: he'd had plenty of time to figure out a plan while this show-off city slicker was wasting time on intimidation tactics.

The rough man's eyes lit up. He nodded, his snarl turning to a sneer. "Good! That's what I like to hear. Now, important question: do you need to be alive, or can I get the information I need out of you and slit your throat?"

Kalligan fought the urge to roll his eyes. Frightening someone into obeying was one thing, but going full-on over-the-top supervillain was a bit much. "I need to be alive," he said firmly. "But once you find her, I promise I'll never tell anyone about this. I won't go to any authorities or anything!"

The leader laughed. Behind him, his thugs echoed the cruel, harsh sound. "Of course you won't. You know why?"

Kalligan thought he did know, but instead of popping off (his first instinct) he held his tongue and shrunk back under the red-jacketed man's intense stare, playing scared. "No," he said softly. "Why?"

"Because—" the man reached out and pressed the still-burning tip of his cigarette into the fabric of Kalligan's dirtied, blood-soaked Defense League jacket, leaving a smoldering hole, "—one I get my hands on the Nythriam and drink the power that flows through its veins, I'll be the king of the world."

Okay, that was a bit more oddly specific than I'd expected, thought Kalligan. Outwardly, he flinched, shrinking away farther. He pretended to wince at the burn of the cigarette as the live coal touched his skin. "Of course. Right. I can help you do that, okay? I'll help you find her. Just let my friends go."

The gang leader threw back his head and laughed again. When he was done, he wiped one hand over his mouth, eyes bright with cruel mirth. "Funny, aren't you? You know I won't let them go. They've overheard too much already. Besides, I know how to 'take care' of witnesses. Dropped my share of useless tidbits back home, and that was under the eyes of the finest authorities in all New York. Here, in the middle of Bumfuck, Nowhere, there's no way in hell I'm letting a single one of you shits live."

Well, thought Kalligan, that settles it, then. Standing up to his full height, he looked over his opponent's shoulder, meeting Bree's watchful eye. "Bree," he said, his voice as calm as a windless autumn morning. She nodded once, face set in a wary, hostile expression. Saying a mental prayer that his companions knew at least enough Amandinian to understand his next words, he said, "Lan kraksan dyrim! (Get away right now!)"

Before the gang leader or his cronies could react, Bree and Sterling had pushed away from one another, leaping toward the nearest thugs. Within moments, they'd relieved their opponents of guns and knives, and, in the case of two unlucky men, their lives. While the remaining four guards were scrambling around trying to get their bearings, Bree and Sterling seized Ariel by the arms and legs and carried her swiftly out the back entrance of the hall.

The gang leader roared with anger. "Go after them!" He gestured wildly at his thugs; they took off after the Phoenixes like rats chasing a chunk of cheese. He kept his gun trained on Kalligan's face, hand shaking with barely suppressed rage. "You," he snarled, "are a dead man."

Outside, from the direction that the Phoenixes and their pursuers had gone, came a series of sharp, loud reports. Gunshots, Kalligan thought. For a moment, he was terrified for his companions. But then a familiar voice rose in a high-spirited cry of victory, and the weight on his chest lifted: Roxanne must've crept around back to pick off the rest of the gang before they could get to Bree and Sterling.

Realizing what had just happened to his men, the gang leader let out an inhuman shriek of fury. Reaching out, he wrapped one hand around Kalligan's throat, squeezing like a furious constrictor. "You Amandinian fuck!" he screamed. His breath smelled like old smoke and even older liquor. "I'll kill you!" He stuck his gun against Kalligan's ribs, panting with fury. "I swear to God...!"

Kalligan pulled away with more strength than his lithe body should have possessed. He took hold of his opponent's wrist, twisting until he heard something snap. Then, with the quick, brutal fluidity of a hurricane, he leaped into the air and kicked out hard at the other man's chest. He watched with satisfaction as the gang leader flew backward and landed hard on the stone tiles with a pained oof!

The counterattack had lasted all of one second, but it had been more than enough: the New York man lay prone and weaponless, gasping and cradling his arm, as Kalligan advanced on him.

For a long moment, Kalligan stood staring down at his defeated foe. He thought about picking up the gun and finishing the job, but somehow, it felt wrong. The guy was down and out. There was no point in killing him, Kalligan thought. Kalligan had had enough murder for one lifetime... or a hundred.

Instead, he tied his opponent up with a length of old, discarded docking rope and left him in the middle of the hall. Without another word, he crossed the enormous pillared building, following his companions back out into the rainy night.     

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(Question of the Chapter: How do you think the gang found out about the Nythriam?)

Hey, y'all! Thank you so much to everyone still reading/voting/commenting on this story, I really hope you're enjoying it so far! I can't believe we're almost to the end of the first Part of the last book; there's still so much of the story to tell! :)

Anyway, thank you to all my wonderful readers, and I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! <3

- Kewona