Water Read Free Page A

through, making contact with the other assailant’s nose.  A sickening crunch followed, and his blood splattered my face. 
    While both of them were busy looking stunned and trying to comprehend what had just happened, the other guards moved forward.  I grabbed the syringe and emptied half of it into the thigh of the guard behind me.  He staggered back a few steps and looked at me like I just killed his cat; his face contorting in shock and anger.  The other guards seemed to be hesitating, moving toward me, stopping, looking at the leader, and moving again.  Before they could decide what to do, I turned to the one bent over, nursing his broken nose, and emptied the rest of the syringe into the most easily accessible part of him, his butt.  Just like a bad action movie, they both fell over at the same time.
    I was still panting, half from the fight, half from the run, but I made an effort to stand tall.  The three other men just stood there, not bothering to hide their expressions of shock.  Apparently I had just proven myself a worthy opponent.  
    Shawn recovered first, quickly masking his expression.  "Kaitlyn Alder - drop the syringe."  Hearing my own name made me hesitate.  They knew me.  I had no idea if that was good or bad.  He saw me waver with uncertainty and tried to strengthen his case.  "It is empty anyway."
    Never one to listen to reason, I shook my head, "Can't give up my only weapon." I spun the syringe in my hand once, for effect. 
    Shawn's eyes widened only slightly, "You don't need a weapon."
    "I would if my life depended on it.  And right now I’m getting the feeling my life depends on it," I said, gesturing to the two unconscious men on the ground.
    Shawn casually took a few steps toward me and I got my first good look at him.  He was maybe a foot taller than me with sandy-blonde hair, tousled by the run.  A smooth face, with clean lines – perfect boy-band material.  His attractive qualities were betrayed only by two cold blue eyes, which gave away too much.  His half-smile did not touch them.  They were malicious – as if they had seen pain he was only too eager to return.  Whether I was the appropriate target or not mattered little to him.
    He kicked one of the men on the ground.  The man stirred, jerking slightly before becoming still again.  "See?  We weren’t trying to kill you, just put you back to sleep."
    "Pass."  I held his gaze but my fingers twitched at my side.
    His condescending look all but told me what a silly girl I was.  "Unfortunately, you don’t have much say in the matter."
    "Two down says I do."
    "You don’t have any more serum," Shawn said.
    "Still," I depressed the syringe until it was fully extended.  "It can poke an eye out."
    He smiled his malicious little half smile again, reached into his back pocket, and pulled out a knife.  "Not as well as this."
    Shit.  I silently cursed myself for letting sarcasm escalate the situation.  It was a poor self-defense mechanism.  I hadn’t even considered the consequences.
    The fact that I knew I was at a distinct disadvantage must have been evident on my face.  He puffed up his shoulders and chest.  "You should have taken the needle, it would have hurt less."
     "En garde."  Before my mouth finished uttering such a cheesy line, I had already shrugged it off.  No one ever accused me of being quick-witted.
    Shawn closed the remaining distance between us.  The other men backed off, giving him his space.  As soon as he was close enough, he thrust out the knife, aiming for my chest.
    So much for not killing me.
    I leaned sideways, leaving my hip in front of him.  Grabbing him at the wrist and bicep, I used his own momentum to flip him over my hip.  He landed hard on his back.  I paused, stunned at my newly discovered talent of fighting.  Keeping a tight hold on his wrist, I twisted his arm giving his body no choice but to follow.  He was forced to lay face down on the ground.  I gave his wrist