Out of the Black - Lee Doty [131]
Nobody was probably listening, but Dek shouted "Bullseye!" anyway. That's just the kind of guy he was.
Issak was carried backward on the crest of the expelled power, hand tearing from the blade. The Cast that held Dek prisoner unraveled and he was free. He surged out of the chair, tearing the sword out of his brother's perfect table.
Well, perhaps 'surged' was the wrong word. The chair flew back, but Dek came up at the wrong angle. His body didn't work the way he told it to. By the time he was supposed to be really getting into the slaughter, he was still trying to keep from falling over. The spark-chill from Issak's Cast still crawled across his skin. The demons rushed in. Monkey crap!
His mind flew along as quick as ever, only now he was using all his faculties to compensate for his new physical limitations. By the time the first demon was in range, he had figured that he was now moving perhaps only as fast as the legendary Bruce Lee, which was to say 'Wayyyy slower'. One of his pressing problems was that the nine demons surrounding him were moving with the speed of the also-legendary Jet Li- which was just a bit faster.
Well, you gotta make do. His mind still worked at thespeed of modern supercomputers, so choreography wasn't a problem... and he did have a really boss sword.
"It is mine!" A dry whisper-scream filled the air. No one's lips had moved... or at least not to make words. Great. Now he was faced with an enemy subtle enough for ventriloquism. All hope was lost.
His lips hadn't completed the smile by the time the sword passed through the forearms of the first rushing attacker. As the blade bit through the attacker's modified flesh, sparks and ripples erupted from the wounds. Forged flesh?
Without pause, the newly armless demon altered his trajectory, bringing his knee up for a low kick. Dek saw it, but didn't have the speed to get his leg into position to deflect it and still be able to deal with the next attacker.
His groin took one for the team as his blade cut through the demon to his left, then riposted across the neck of the armless demon. Two down, seven to go. Ouch... that was going to hurt later.
His back was to the refrigerator; the other seven were giving him the same toothy grimace just outside the range of his blade.
"You hear me." The whisper voice said from everywhere. Still, he couldn't see anyone's lips move.
"You know, that devil's ventriloquist thing would really be scarier with a little evil dummy." Dek said, eyes shifting from enemy to enemy.
"You hear, Meat." The last word was derogatory.
"I here meet?" Dek asked innocently, "Perhaps you should have said 'we met here', or maybe 'meet me here', and the whole thing was barely more than a fragment... care to clarify?"
"Let us in, Meat. We will not prolong it. You are the key." The nowhere voice hissed.
"Listen, it's nice to 'meet' you, but I tell you what, you have your little puppies here hop on the elevator right quick and I won't have to introduce them to Judaism. Ok?" He gave the blade a small shake for emphasis.
"You are the puppy, Meat." The voice seethed hatred.
"You are the puppy?" Dek parroted with theatric nonchalance, "You know, attempting insult by induction isn't as straightforward as it might seem. Look, you're obviously new in town, so I'm gonna let you off easy..."
"You will die slowly!"
"Don't we all?" Dek's jaw set. This was it.
Issak groaned. Dek had to move fast now. If Issak regained consciousness before Dek either killed him or was long gone, it would all be over. Hobbled nearly down to human speed, there wouldn't be much Dek could do to defend himself against one of the most powerful Savants left in the world. Issak's overconfidence, distraction and intoxication had left Dek the opportunity to 'hand' him a little surprise, but nothing would save him if Issak woke up now.
Around Dek's thoughts swirled loaded memories: Ivo and Roy eating breakfast at the table now covered with Issak's blood. Roy gripping the severed steering wheel, Ivo in the back seat on the floor. Nine monsters