The Killing Touch

Shoot out

The shots rang out. I ducked, but wasn’t fast enough. Tucking the small form into my side, I felt the bullet rip into my muscled flesh. I swore as the pain gripped me. The kid sniveled in my arms.

“You’re shot!” He stated in an almost bored tone. His snotty face inches from the new hole in my body.

“You’re observant.” I muttered flinging us behind a pillar.  “How the hell did Cherry get here so quickly?” I hissed.

“Wait, you know that girl?” The kid asked running his hand over his snotty nose. It only made the snotty spread. I tried not to groan at how disgusting it looked. At just over thirteen years old you would think he would know how to blow his nose. I tossed him a napkin from my pocket.

“Shouldn’t you do something about that?” he asked pointing to my wound.

“Later.” I waved for him to shut up. I could here the clicking of her boots. She thought she hit me better than she did. Switching the gun to my left hand, I leaned out.

Tall, lean, a flash of cotton candy pink hair, it was all I ever got a glimpse of. I fired, not at her head, why would I want to kill my biggest rival? I loved our little cat and mouse game we had going on. I just wasn’t sure if I was the cat or the mouse.

“Ouch, stupid Gorilla that fucking hurt!” I heard the delectable tones of my arch nemesis. Laughing I scooped the kid up.

“Blossoms down I’m bringing the prize out.” I said into the microphone in my cuff link. I yanked the kid back to me.  Bending over his small body, I dashed for the exit of the underground parking garage. My team wouldn’t come inside, not with the biggest dickhead from our rival agency inside with me.

Another gunshot range out. It missed. I knew once she was hurt, Cherry Blossom’s aim faltered. She didn’t have the presence of mind to lock the pain away. Not right away any how. If I waited, she would be better than before. I times she didn’t like our game as much as I did. She had tried to kill me many, many times.

I dashed up out of the garage. The car swung past the end of the ramp. I ran for it. The space between it and I open. If Blossom got this far, I was a goner. I reached the black SUV. The door opened. My partner sat there a grin on his youthful face. The gun in his hand pointing past me. I tossed little mister snotty into the back.

Reki laid down blocking fire to keep Cherry Blossom at bay. I dove inside the front seat. Reki slammed the door shut at the same time as me. Tires squealing we raced away.

“Package retrieved. Repeat, package retrieved.”  Shadow called into his headset, even as he drove us as far away as we could get. I sighed.  Leaning back in the seat I closed my eyes.

“Don’t fall asleep!” Snotty cried. “He’s been shot!”  He yelled at the others. I felt my body being shoved forward. Reki was checking my shoulder. His finger pressed into the wound. It was enough to jolt me back awake.

“Stay with us, big guy. Snow is coming in to take us home.” He cried. Snow, the final member of our team. I smiled nodding to Reki to indicate I was good.

The helicopter swerved before us. Shadow drove into the abandoned gas station. He swung the car around as the copter hovered inches above the sandy ground.

“Go, I’ll lay cover.” Reki yelled. I dove out of the vehicle. Snatching snotty up, I ran toward the copter. Snow’s light blue eyes watched us. Reki’s cover fire swirled around our sides.

Shadow shoved me into the helicopter. I rolled wincing as my wounded shoulder made impact with the floor. Snotty climbed up onto the seat. I pulled myself up with my uninjured arm. Shadow moved to watch our far side. Pointing the gun in my hand at the car I yelled for Reki to run. He did.