So You Used to Be Human - Book 3 (Original Version)

Chapter 19: The Lady of the Dance

-2-

I was amazed at how far and how fast I was able to make it, but of course shoving off from an excellent starter position doesn't not help. I was almost parallel to the ground and for a second it felt like I was flying, more like superman than Beatrice's version of flying, but damn it felt so awesome. I felt like a complete badass... at least until Beatrice quite easily stepped aside from the missile that was me and literally punched me right out of the air and directly into the ground.

"Bad Bob!" She snarled as she punched me down. Jaime staggered backward away from Beatrice and I thought just for a second that she was going to actually make a run for it. Stupid me.

I was no longer feeling badass, more concerned about the fact it was now difficult to breathe since Beatrice's punch had either caved in my chest or she had caught me right in the solar plexus.

I tried to stagger up, to move, do something, but Beatrice was already jumping on top of me with that manic look in her eye that she was going to fucking kick my ass. I'd forgotten just how fast Beatrice was, but even as she rained a flurry of blows down on me, blows that came at a speed that would cave in an ordinary person's skull, somehow my self-preservation instincts were now screaming at me and taking over operation of the body. To simplify: I found myself blocking every single one of Beatrice's blows. Well almost every single one. When I realized what I was doing, around the same time Beatrice realized, I could only stare at my hands in total awe. Beatrice, as confused as she was, was a creature of opportunity and popped me one, right in the nose and I felt something shatter even as blood spewed from my face.

"Damn. You went and got yourself an upgrade Bob, and you didn't even tell me."

Beatrice froze as Jaime shoved the barrel of the gun against the side of her head.

"Hit him again and I'll blow your fucking brains out."

Beatrice rolled her eyes and turned, one hand coming up to grab the gun--

Except Jaime was much faster than Beatrice or I had ever anticipated. Jaime pulled back the gun and turned as Beatrice reached, so fast she was just a blur to anyone watching. Jaime was just as fast and moved to match Beatrice as she swung and blocked and then-

BLAM! The gun blew a hole through Beatrice's hand as she grabbed the barrel in the wrong way.

Beatrice gasped and pulled her hand away, looking incredibly at her hand. Things like this just didn't happen to Beatrice, ever, especially not from someone like Jaime.

Jaime held onto the gun with both hands, a wild look in her eyes and I knew the adrenaline was hitting her hard right now along with a healthy dose of disbelief, awe and significant quantities of what-the-fuckedness. The shakes would hit her in a moment, but right now, she was riding high on the adrenaline and the fact that she had gotten the best of Beatrice.

"Try that again. Please."

I pulled myself to my feet, a little annoyed for all of the wrong reasons.

"Hear that sound? That's the sound of my thunder being stolen. Holy shit Jaime!"

Beatrice eyed Jaime deviously and then tried on a charming grin that was ruined by the eyepatch and the hand that was dripping blood onto the ground.

"Bob, you and I need to talk. Like right fucking now," Beatrice said, keeping her eye on Jaime.

"You're not taking him anywhere. You can talk right here."

Beatrice leaned her head to the road where twelve vampires were approaching cautiously, possibly because of Jaime's gun. None of them appeared to be armed.