Dentelle Read Free Page B

storm, I wondered? A brilliant
flash of light whizzed not ten feet away and ripped through a tree, generating
a spray of bark and splinters. Taken by surprise, and not realizing Laci had
stopped moving, I cruised right past her at full speed. Before I could apply my
own brakes, I skidded into a clearing where three guys, all built like Dwayne
“The Rock” Johnson, were escaping with Izzy. Sliding my way across a rather
large, flat granite surface, my grand entrance was neither quiet nor
controlled.
    “What the hell?” one of the voices rumbled, and
they all turned around at once. Clouds cleared the moon at that precise moment,
giving me a clear vision of the three ugly dudes. Normally, I didn’t judge a
book by its cover, but the three ratty faces looking back at me were definitely
those of hard-core criminals. Death penalty candidates, for sure. And if I had
to guess, I’d say the guy with the squashed nose and closely-set eyes rejoiced
in his profession.
    My thoughts, on an uncontrollable rampage,
conjured grisly images – ones with Mr. Squashy Nose pleasurably dismembering a
body with blunt instruments. I slapped my cheek and told myself to snap out of
it. “No more Dexter episodes,” I
mumbled under my breath. Drawing quick short breaths, I bounced on the balls of
my feet as if preparing for one of my Tae Kwon Do sparring matches. Luckily,
I’d re-enrolled in martial arts and had shot to the top of the class in
sparring techniques. Of course, in class I always held back – didn’t want to
hurt an Innocent – but not today. I was ready to kick some butt all over this
granite mountain. And with a defensive Flair that allowed me to anticipate my
opponent’s moves, I had an even greater advantage. I also had Laci. Speaking of
that girl, where was she? As if reading my thoughts, she waved from behind some
bushes. The guys couldn’t see her because their backs were to her.
    The tallest guy, who had a comatose Izzy swung
over his shoulder, shook his head in annoyance and directed the other two,
“Take care of this little nuisance and then meet me at the van.”
    “Do you want her dead or alive?” the one with
the fat face and protruding ears asked.
    “Neo said no witnesses. So take care of her and
get rid of her body. Throw it over the cliff or something. But be quick about
it.” After he finished talking about me as if I was nothing more than a thorn
in the side, he turned and walked away. Straight towards Laci’s hiding spot.
    Good, I thought. She’ll shut him up soon enough.
Laci might be dealing with the ringleader, but I’d be fighting in a two against
one battle. While that hardly seemed fair, I knew I could take them both with
my eyes closed. A chilly smile of satisfaction spread across my face; I was
pumped up and in rare form. As Ash would say, “It’s ninja time.” If he’d taught
me anything, it was that a little arrogance went a long way. And he would know.
    Loud rumblings intensified from the mountain
top, but I paid no attention, because my two opponents were advancing from both
sides – ready to attack. My Flair kicked in, and with sudden clarity I knew Mr.
Fat Face was going to dive for my feet in hopes of knocking me to the ground.
Leaving my fighting stance behind, I shot several feet through the air,
pivoted, and executed a side-kick. My speed, combined with the force of my
kick, sent Mr. Fat Face sprawling backwards onto his butt. With his obscene
amount of body weight, he crashed to the ground with a loud thud. He looked
stunned. I could almost see the dizzy symbols rotating around his head like
they did in cartoon shows.
    “Why you little…” Mr. Squashy Nose yelled and
then continued with a stream of expletives as he stalked towards me.
    Knowing he was coming in with a left hook, I
ducked and then rolled across the ground – just for fun. Bouncing to my feet, I
stood tall and smiled at him. Grunting in frustration, he came at me
tight-fisted with both arms swinging. I