Silent Heroes: Wildcat

Chapter 49: The Chase

I shifted into cat form, strength rippling through my body.  With Reza at my side, we exploded through the swinging doors at the back of the van.  Dazzling sunlight assaulted my eyes.  A wave of intense heat swept over me, biting into the numbness that had settled under my skin.

In the split-second before I landed, I heard a shout and saw a dark blur of movement.  The next thing I knew, there was this blinding, electric pain shooting through me.  My muscles contracted.  I screamed involuntarily.  My body twisted awkwardly in mid-air and I hit the ground on my left shoulder, hot pavement biting into my flesh.

I lay there for a moment, dazed... lost... confused.  Tremors shot up and down my legs like a million static shocks. 

I looked up.  Lucas stood over me, a long, metal rod gripped in one hand.  It had two evenly spaced prongs at the end, sparks jumping back and forth between them.  Lucas resettled his other arm—which hung uselessly in a sling—and grinned smugly down at me.  "Going somewhere, O'Connor?"

I growled with as much ferocity as I could manage, which didn't make much of an impression with my body jerking and shuddering beyond my control. 

Lucas's expression twisted into an ugly scowl.  He jabbed the prongs towards me.  I braced myself.  Had I been in human form, I would have winced...

Then a roar cracked through the air.  A shadow passed over my head.  Reza struck with his front paws right in the middle of Lucas's chest.  Lucas crashed to the ground.  The electric prod flew out of his grip and landed several meters away, hissing and shooting off sparks.

I don't think so, horse-boy.

Lucas thrashed.  He shouted and cursed.  The veins in his neck seemed to pop out and his face turned bright red.  I thought he might shift for a moment before I realized his horse-form would be next to useless with a broken leg.

While Lucas struggled, Kerry appeared from the drivers side of the truck.  She looked absolutely livid, eyes bulging, feet slamming the ground so hard I wouldn't be surprised to see dents being left in the pavement.  She had a gun clenched in her right hand.  She raised it and took aim at Reza.

Rez, look out! I shouted.

Reza lifted his head just as Kerry pulled the trigger.  He sprang out of the way.  A tranquilizer dart shot past him and skittered harmlessly across the ground.

Kerry shrieked in rage and fired again.  Reza dropped to the ground.  The dart skimmed the top of his mane.

By this point, I could feel the strength returning to my legs.  Anger surged through me.  I lunged at Kerry with a vicious snarl.

She saw me coming and turned the gun in my direction. 

BANG!

I swerved.  A dart whizzed past my ear. 

BANG!

Another grazed my shoulder.

Eve, over here! Reza had taken shelter on the other side of the truck, where Kerry wouldn't be able to see him.

No, Rez!  I'm gonna kill her! 

She'll just put you out again!

I'll take that risk!

Eve, don't!

I wrestled with myself for a moment.  I hated the thought of running away.  I wanted to stay and fight.  I wanted to tear both Kerry and Lucas limb from limb.  But, in the back of my mind, I knew Reza was right.  It was too risky.  Better to get out of here while we still had the chance.