The Dead Fleet (Juggernaut #3)

Thirty Eight

Neither one of them moved. Their eyes locked in the air over Malachi's groaning body. Typhon saw Tila's chest rise and fall and she filled her lungs with oxygen for the fight to come. Tila saw Typhon's jaw muscles clench as he waited to attack for the last time.

Instead Typhon took one slow step back out of Tila's reach and raised a communicator. He pressed the transmit button.

'Units on my position. Upper decks. I have them.'

He released the button and the communicator fell silent.

Tila shifted uneasily. Malachi was down, Ellie was still missing and time was running out. She adjusted and re-adjusted her grip.

Typhon tugged the gauntlet securely on to his right hand.

'Where is your friend?' said Typhon as he made final adjustments.

'You don't even get to talk about her,' Tila said through clenched teeth.

'Oh I see. She's all alone out there.'

Tila said nothing. Would give him nothing.

Typhon looked around, seeing the ship beyond the walls of their room. 'It's a big ship, isn't it. Big and old and full of dangers.' He locked his eyes on Tila again. 'Anything could have happened to her.'

Tila couldn't resist the taunt any more. 'She's safe from you.'

'For the moment. But why is she alone? Was that deliberate? Were you separated?'

Tila indicated the communicator, a way to deflect the verbal attack.

'You need backup?'

'Only to dispose of the bodies, Miss Vasquez.'

Malachi groaned again. Tila's eyes flicked down, then back to Typhon.

'What are you thinking about Tila? That you should help your friend. Or that you should go for the blaster he dropped?'

Without looking away from Typhon, Tila lowered one end of the staff and hooked the pistol's trigger guard. She moved it away from Malachi, being careful to keep it out of Typhon's reach, then flicked it behind her. It clattered across the floor until it bounced off the airlock console.

Typhon took a sudden step forward. Tila stepped back, staff raised again.

'You should have helped your friend.'

Typhon took one more step and planted the heel of his boot on Malachi's hand, and ground down.

Malachi screamed. He grasped Typhon's ankle with his other hand and tried to free himself.

Tila brought the staff up like a spear and stabbed it into Typhon's face. He rolled his head to one side, stepped off Malachi's hand, and fought Tila for the third time.

Tila retreated, goading Typhon forward to allow Malachi to escape. At the same time she used the staff to force him to keep his distance. She couldn't afford another stalemate. This time she had to win.

But how? Typhon was stronger, fresher, better armed, and reinforcements were on their way. Tila had one injured friend and Ellie, if she was lucky.

But that's why I have to beat him now. He can't find her again.

Tila attacked with a weird sense of desperate calm. She had to win, but she couldn't lose control. Go smart, not hard, right?

The staff became a blur, and the sound of every shout with every strike drowned out the crackle of Typhon's gauntlet.

Typhon ducked or dodged or blocked every attack. Though his gauntlet was impotent against the staff's ancient metal, he had other weapons.

He retreated slowly, forced gradually back by Tila's desperate attacks, waiting for his moment. Staff jabs and strikes were punctuated by knees and elbows and feet. Typhon blocked them all.

His could feel his moment was coming. The backup he called would have nothing to do but stand and watch by the time they got here. It would be an education.

Unable to break through, Tila grew more desperate. She spun faster, kicked harder, swung more wildly.

Tila realised too late she had overstepped. The staff whipped around and bounced off the lockers. Typhon was ready. Tila was open.

Typhon ducked the final swing and was behind her. The glove flared. He grabbed Tila by the neck and threw her to the floor.

Lightning arced through the room and crawled up the walls.

Tila's back arched in agony but she refused to give in. Somehow she kicked free and rolled into the corner. She felt for her staff as Typhon advanced on her again. It wasn't there.

Typhon knelt and punched. Tila threw herself to the floor. The locker behind her head caved in under the blow.

She crawled forward. There was the staff! She reached for it, fingertips almost brushing the surface.

Typhon lunged for her ankle with his left hand and yanked her backward. With his right he pulled her by arm. Tila twisted and felt her elbow dig into something soft. Typhon grunted more in anger than pain. He lifted Tila off the floor and threw her across the room. She crashed into the console.

Typhon tightened his glove once more and followed.

Malachi was stirring so Typhon gave him another kick as he passed.

Tila pushed herself up against the console. The room span. Her body was on fire. Sharpness stabbed into her shoulder, ribs and back.

But Typhon was still coming. He held her staff in his bare hand.

Her hands reached for the blaster nearby. Her fingers disobeyed her but she forced them to listen. She rolled to the side, swinging the blaster across the room, waiting for it to line up with her target.

Typhon rammed the staff into her thigh. Her arm swung against the staff and her fingers gave up. The blaster tumbled from her hand.

Typhon knelt down and holstered the weapon. He leaned on the staff, stabbing it harder into Tila's leg to watch her cry.

Typhon leaned over her and placed the staff on the console, then he sat on his haunches and looked at her.

She was beaten, obviously, but she still hadn't given up.

'Painful?' he asked.

Tila only glared.

'Don't worry,' he said, 'It will get worse before it gets better.'