Parador (Juggernaut #2)

Forty Six

Typhon dragged Ellie to her feet again, this time by her hair. The gauntlet on his right hand crackled and sparked. Ellie twisted away in panic, pulling at his left hand with strengthless fingers. Typhon touched five fingers of his right hand to her belly and released her hair. Lightning flashed again, wrapping her in light and pain and flinging her away from him to crash into the wall.

'Tell me, where are your friends?' Typhon demanded. He took one step toward Ellie then paused at the sound of pounding footsteps behind him.

'Right here,' said Tila, and she swung the pool cue in a perfect arc. It smashed into the side of Typhon's face. He staggered, caught his balance on the side of the bed, and spat blood.

The other agent in the room had just hauled Jayce to his feet with one hand. Cuffs dangled from the other, ready to put them on Jayce. Tila pulled out her stolen stun stick and threw it at the agent. He dropped the cuffs and caught the missile with expert reflexes. The agent lowered the stick. Jayce, thinking quickly, reached for the switch and turned it on. A pulse of energy surged up the agent's arm and into his skull. He stiffened, his eyes rolled back and he fell. Jayce rose on unsteady feet, wishing he could help.

Typhon lunged forward and punched Tila in the face, a wickedly fast and powerful strike.

Tila's head whipped into the door frame with a crack. She dropped to one knee. She saw stars and tasted blood. Clouds crept into the edge of her vision. She blinked once, squeezing her eyes tight shut, and willed the clouds away. She tasted copper and steel. She lifted a hand to push herself upright but it slipped on the smooth paintwork and she fell forward. She saw boots, and tangled sheets. Somewhere Jayce was talking. Tila couldn't hear Ellie.

Typhon's gloved fist wound into Tila's long hair and pulled her to her feet. He shoved her against the wall with one hand on her throat.

'You must be the other girl, Tila Vasquez. The one with all the questions. Quietly or not, backup or not, you and the princess are under arrest and coming with me. We'll find the other fugitive soon enough.'

Tila struggled and coughed, her two arms straining against his one. She avoided his eyes, Typhon noted with satisfaction. He was in control here. She looked across the room and choked out four words: 'Don't be an idiot.'

Typhon laughed. 'You are in no position to make demands, Miss Vasquez. No position at all.' Typhon squeezed his thumb into her neck. Tila clawed at his fingers but his grip was unbreakable.

'I... wasn't talking... to you.'

Jayce leapt from the bed holding a sheet like a parachute and threw it over Typhon so it enveloped his head.

Typhon threw Tila to the floor and tore the sheet away with one hand with a snarl. It ripped easily. He turned on Jayce. Typhon clapped his hands and both gauntlets sprang to life. both fists clenched and crackling with power.

Jayce retreated toward the bed, eyes wide with fear and a new appreciation of what those gauntlets could do.

'You got it?' he said in a high voice, eyes fixed on Typhon.

'Got what?' said Typhon.

'This,' said Tila. She snapped open the staff.

Tila jabbed the staff at his face. Typhon dodged, caught the staff with both hands, and the electricity flared.

And Tila felt nothing. The energy surged harmlessly into the unknown alloy of the staff and vanished.

Typhon blinked in surprise and relaxed his grip. Tila pulled back the staff, jabbed him low in the belly and kicked him in the face - a strike that would normally drop someone to the floor. Typhon only took a half-step back.

'Ellie, come on!' shouted Tila, as she readied her weapon again. But Ellie wasn't looking at Tila, she was looking at Jayce. Tila followed her friends gaze.

'Oh, you idiot,' said Tila.

With a grunt, Jayce flipped up the large mattress and charged it into Typhon by leaping from the bed. Caught off balance by this unorthodox attack, Typhon misplaced his footing and stumbled backward into a bookcase. He shoved the mattress from him with both hands, sending Jayce back across the room.

Tila, thinking quickly, rammed one end of the staff into the space behind the bookcase and kicked hard against the wall. The heavy wooden shelves tipped, passed through their centre of gravity and fell onto Typhon. Books rained down around him as he fought back against the awkward weight. He held the shelves up with one hand with the other braced against the floor so he wouldn't be pinned by the heavy furniture.

Tila slid forward. She kicked away his arm holding up the bookshelves, spun on her knee and whipped the staff into his other arm. The shelves crashed down and pinned him head to the floor. Unable to reach his communicator he roared threats at Tila and shouted for his agents.

'Time to go, Ellie,' said Tila, but it was Jayce that took Ellie's hand. She scampered over the back of the bookshelf as if it burned her feet.

'I'll find you,' bellowed Typhon as they ran. Tila heard the threat and savoured it. It fuelled her, inspired her, made her angrier.

But as they fled down the corridor toward thestaircase, Ellie trembled at his words.