Saint (Gateway Series Book 2) Read Free

position opposite him. Once both were ready, Stone turned back toward Mori.
    “Ready,” he reported.
    Mori placed an electronic entry box on the control panel, holding the pistol grip of her riot gun in her right hand. “Stand by,” she warned.
    Stone gripped his rifle tightly and took a deep breath.
    “Firing!” shouted Mori as she flipped the switch causing the armored door’s circuitry to be overridden.
    The door slid open.
    Someone burst through the hatch toward Mori. A shot from Mori’s gun rang out and the assailant tumbled backward. Stone’s heart jumped as he recognized the uniform; it was a Guardsman. Dumbfounded, he almost failed to notice a second man step into the opening and swing his sword toward Stone’s head. Falling backward, Stone heard the metallic singing of the sword and the brush of air as the blade missed his head by millimeters.
    The Guardsman stepped toward Stone. Over his attacker’s shoulder, Stone saw Thay stand to fire his pistol only to be attacked by another Guardsman. Refocusing on his own defense, Stone swung his rifle above his chest to block the Guardsman’s next attack. The attacker instantly recovered and positioned his sword for a downward stab.
    “It’s the Traitor!” shouted the Guardsman as he recognized Stone.
    Then the face registered with Stone. It was Lieutenant Ghant from 2nd Battalion. The two warriors locked their gaze on each other. Stone could see nothing but hatred in his opponent’s eyes.
    Ghant shifted his weight as Mori lunged toward him, her sword drawn. From his back and with his reflexes stunted from the shock of seeing Elite Guard troops, Stone could only watch as Ghant parried Mori’s thrust and countered with a strike to her right jaw. Mori grunted from the impact and stumbled but quickly regained her balance and lowered her shoulder into the man’s rib cage. Slamming the man against the bulkhead, Mori landed two blows to her opponent’s rib cage in rapid succession. The Guardsman curled his body inward in pain but responded with a series of elbows to Mori’s shoulder blades, knocking her to the ground. Hitting her knees, Mori reacted to block the Guardsman’s knee and punched the inside of his right leg.
    “Tyler!” shouted Mori as she struggled with the skilled combatant.
    Mori’s cry was like a bolt of electricity to Stone. As Mori and the Guardsman continued their fight above him, Stone grabbed Mori’s knife from her waist belt and plunged it into the man’s thigh.
    Ghant let out a moan and fell on top of Stone.
    “I’m going to kill you,” grunted the injured Guardsman. Pain erupted in Stone’s ribs and radiated toward his spine as Ghant crashed an elbow into his side.
    Grunting, Stone felt the weight of the Guardsman’s body and wrapped his right arm underneath Ghant’s chin and locked his left behind his head. He struggled to maintain his grip as Ghant worked to pry Stone’s left arm loose.
    The weight on top of Stone increased as Mori landed on top of Ghant, crashing her right knee into the Guardsman’s sternum. Stone heard Ghant’s ribs crack, quickly followed by a painful grunt from the Humani warrior. Ghant loosened his grip and Stone capitalized by locking in his choke hold, squeezing tightly as he planned to choke the man unconscious.
    Mori’s weight shifted and Stone looked over Ghant’s shoulder to see Mori jerk the knife from the Guardsman’s thigh and raise it above her head.
    “No!” shouted Stone.
    Mori drove the long knife into the man’s chest with a primordial grunt.
    Ghant’s body began to spasm and Stone felt a reduction in pressure on his body as Mori leapt to her feet. Stone rolled Ghant’s body onto the floor and pulled himself up against the bulkhead. As he stood, he looked toward Thay, who had joined them. The right side of Thay’s face was swollen, blood trickled from a gash on his right cheek, and the left sleeve of his uniform was slashed and soaked in blood from a flesh wound.
    “You