Smoke climbed up the gravel and in between the tracks. “You just ruined one of my favorite movies.”
Reginald goaded him on with large white fists. “No talk. Just fight.”
Smoke stepped in. He raised his fists. “This is weird.”
“Did you take your little pills, Smoke? You’re going to need them.”
“No pills. Just skills.”
“Heh, a fatal mistake. You could have increased your chance of survival by one percent.” The doppelganger skipped in and unleashed some jabs.
Smoke slid his chin out of the way. He blocked a flurry of punches with his arms. Reginald might’ve been smaller than he was, but he hit like a heavyweight. Smoke absorbed the blows on his shoulders.
Reginald ducked, jabbed, and punched like Rocky on speed.
Smoke dropped and took Reginald down with a leg sweep.
The doppelganger landed hard on his back but popped right back up with his neck stretched out. “Yo! What’s the deal, Smoke? Why are you fighting dirty?”
Smoke rushed in and clobbered him in the jaw. The powerful blow took Reginald off guard. His knees buckled. Smoke put his full weight on the man. He pummeled him down onto the tracks. He hit Reginald so hard his face changed.
Reginald turned from Rocky to Mister T. “Get off me, fool!”
“Shut up!” Smoke punched him in the mouth again and again.
Reginald’s arms sprang into action, swatting Smoke’s hammering blows aside. With a smile on his face, he said, “Are your arms getting tired yet?”
“No, but my eyes are!” Smoke drove his knuckles through Reginald’s chin so hard the doppelganger changed color.
Reginald twisted out of Smoke’s grasp. Like a wild hog, he scrambled away and onto his feet. When he turned, his face was back to normal. The cunning look of an English assassin returned. He spat a tooth out. “You’ve been thinking an awful lot.”
“You had impeccable timing the last time we fought. I’d just battled two giants and didn’t have much left. Made it easy for you.”
“It wouldn’t have made any difference one way or the other. You can’t hurt me. All you’ll do is tire yourself out, and when that inevitably happens, I’ll pummel you to death.” Somewhere an owl hooted. “There is no sweeter sound than bone busting up bone. I’m personally fond of the sound when the jaw gives. It has such a quieting effect.”
“Thanks for the suggestion.” Smoke waded in and threw a series of punches and kicks.
Reginald blocked and countered.
With every punch Smoke made, Reginald came back even quicker. Smoke’s uncanny knack for avoiding movement before it started saved him from getting knocked senseless. It was that special ability that made him wonder if there truly was shifter blood in him. He had no choice but to embrace it now. It was survival. Instinct.
Reginald popped him in the lips with a backfist. “You’re bleeding, Smoke. That fragile shell of yours cracks.”
Smoke took a quick breath. His lungs burned. He went at Reginald again, using his longer reach to keep the quicker man at bay. He feinted with a rib jab, pulled it, and countered with a hard southpaw uppercut. His fist connected with jaw.
The blow lifted Reginald up on his toes. His eyes widened.
Smoke locked up the man’s head. He drove the punches home. Ribs cracked. He laid into the shifter with everything he had, one nasty Rocky punch after another.
The shifter slipped out of Smoke’s grip and stumbled over the track, collapsing on the ground. Reginald was down on his knees, huffing, with a hand stuck down in the gravel. He leered at Smoke. His eyebrows knitted. “I’m tired of toying with you.” He transformed. His body filled out his loose-fitting clothes. “Let’s see how you do against this.”
Staring down at an image of himself, Smoke wiped the blood from his lip. “You’ve never looked better, Reginald.” He gave his other self an approving nod. “I look mighty fine in those Italian duds.”
“Oh, shut up.” Reginald climbed up the railway track. “Better yet, I’m going to shut you up.”
As soon as Reginald stepped over the first track, Smoke launched some furious punches.
Reginald deflected them with big hands and fluid tae kwon do moves.
Smoke changed tactics. He delivered a fierce kick to Reginald’s crotch.
The doppelganger moaned.
Smoke winced. “That sort of hurt me to do that.”
Reginald caught the next kick. He pulled Smoke to the ground.
They wrestled over the tracks in an angry tangle of muscle. In combinations of well-executed judo moves, the tussle banged heads and limbs off the metal rails. Fists smacked hard into jaws and faces. Elbows jabbed ribs. Chins tasted knuckles.
Smoke fought like a lion against this stronger and quicker version of himself. His sharp mind sensed every move before it happened, but his tiring limbs reacted a hair more slowly every time.
Reginald’s energy was boundless. His fists came down in a rain of fury.
Smoke covered his face.
Reginald went for the stomach.
Smoke guarded his belly.
Reginald smote his face.
The tremendous blows rattled Smoke’s grey matter. In a break between blows, he said in a gasp, “Wow, I really am a great fighter.”
“No, I am,” Reginald replied. He had Smoke pinned. His body grew. His visage was Smoke’s but more bestial. The seams in the fine clothing burst. Reginald became a Mr. Hyde version of Smoke and said from slavering jaws, “I’m going to break you into pieces, brother!” He started hammering Smoke into submission.
With his strength quickly fading, Smoke blocked with everything he had left.
Brother?
CHAPTER 41
Agony. Pain. The only thing holding Smoke together was the sweetheart suit. He blocked what he could but couldn’t attack anymore.
Reginald had him pinned down by the neck. His powerful hands squeezed until Smoke’s eyes bulged. “You are a difficult man to control, mortal. And frankly, I’m tired of holding back.”
“I can see you’re all puffed up about it.” Through Reginald’s steely vise-like grip, Smoke struggled to say, “It seems to me I got under your skin.”
“You know, not so long ago, Kane and I had an interesting discussion. How do you control a mortal who does not fear death?” Reginald’s eyes lit up. “You see, it’s fear that holds your kind back. Not so long ago, more of you were quite fearless. Then the ones like you show up. Like a briar in the skin between our toes. Every step we take, the nagging is there. It’s aggravating. Especially when it’s so hard to remove. Like you, brother.”
The rail vibrated beneath Smoke’s neck.
Reginald turned his head. “I think a train is coming. Isn’t that quaint?”
Straining, Smoke tried to speak.
Turning his ear, Reginald leaned down, relaxed his grip. “Go ahead. Say what you have to say, smartass.”
Puffing for breath, Smoke said through his busted-up face, “It makes me think of one of my favorite movies.” He regurgitated a supervitamin, one of the ones with a special coating Mal had made for him so it wouldn’t dissolve. He crunched down on the pill and swallowed it again, saying, “It’s called Dark Territory.”
“Never heard of it, brother.”
“Quit calling me that.”
“The truth hurts, doesn’t it, John.” Reginald watched the distant train clatter down the tracks. “Hmmm, that’s a slow one. But we might just have to take it.”
The supervitamin kicked in. The blood in Smoke’s veins caught fire. His heart pumped like a steam engine’s wheels turning. Against Reginald’s great strength, his neck popped up. He said, “Let me tell you about Dark Territory first. It’s about this Navy SEAL named Ryback. A SEAL like I used to be.” He took Reginald’s wrists and shoved them away.
Reginald’s lips curled back. Astonished, he said, “How are you doing that?”
In one fluid move, Smoke bent Reginald’s wrists backward.
It sent the shifter back on his heels. Smoke found himself free of the monstrous man. He sprang to his feet. “You see, Ryback is a master of aikido, a real bone breaker.”
“I’m well aware of what aikido is.” Reginald sneered. “It won’t do you any good against the likes of me.”
“Let’s find out.”
Fluid as water spiraling down, Smoke attacked.
Reginald tore into him. The bigger, stronger version of Smoke let loose with savagery.
Smoke moved with the prowess of a jungle cat. A flurry of punches and slaps peppered Reginald’s eyes.
The shifter now seemed determined to tear Smoke apart. He grabbed Smoke and body slammed him on the ground.
But Smoke popped up to his feet, locked up Reginald’s arm, and cracked it back. The elbow snapped.
Reginald howled.
Smoke shattered the doppelganger’s knee with a stiff, powerful kick.
Reginald dropped.
Smoke put the shifter in a headlock.
Tearing at Smoke’s arms, the doppelganger said, “My bones mend quicker than you can breathe. Your little pill will wear off. How long does it last, a minute? Hahaha—urk!”
With the muscles in his arms bulging against Reginald’s supernatural might, fueled by the vitamin, Smoke cranked back. “You’re going to die, Reginald!”
Reginald twisted his hulking frame like a bucking bull.
Smoke held him fast and squeezed with all his vitamin-induced strength.
The layers of packed muscle in Reginald’s neck slackened. His fingers clawed. He swam as if he was trying to surface for air.
Pouring it on with everything he had left inside him, Smoke let out a scream, “Yaaaaaargh!”
Reginald’s spine gave. Snap! The body went slack.
Smoke let go.
Reginald lay on his back, staring up at the sky. His form reverted to that of the man Smoke had learned to hate so long ago.
The train clattered down the tracks, racing at about thirty miles an hour. Its headlamp glowed through the trees. Smoke picked up Reginald’s body and approached the tracks. He looked down at Reginald. “So you heal up pretty fast, do you? I can’t let that happen. Let me tell you about a new reality show I’m going to pitch.” He tilted Reginald up so he could see the train. “It’s called Shifter Versus Train. And you get to star in it.”
Reginald’s eyes turned into moons.
One second before the train passed, Smoke heaved Reginald in front of it.
The powerful locomotive splattered the body all over the tracks.
Smoke watched the big coal train chug by until the caboose was long out of sight. There was little to be found of Reginald. Not even his head. Feeling his energy start to drain, Smoke trudged up the hill. The climb became harder with every step. He found the SUV, gave it a look, and kept going. He needed to get back to Sid. It took more mind than muscle to make it up the hill. When he made it to the top, a luxury sedan waited with the engine running. Kane and Allison were leaning against it.
Kane applauded. “I’ll be. You really are the one.” Dressed in a maroon leisure suit, he walked right toward Smoke, who raised his swollen fists.
“You might want to take a look at the last guy who messed with me.”
Kane hit him so hard the black sky turned red.
Epilogue
Sid held her pounding head. Propped up against the metal wall of the shipping container with people scurrying and moaning in the darkness, she said, “Everyone, be still. We’ll be okay.” Ears ringing, she pushed herself up. The bombs had rocked the building and knocked her out. She wasn’t sure for how long. All she knew was it was hot and stuffy, like the armpit of some hellhole.
I’ve got to get out of here.
She noted a slim crack of light through a seam in the metal. She stepped on and over some people, saying, “Excuse me.”
“Sid?” said a pesky woman’s voice.
She knew it immediately. “Asia?”
“Yes. What have you gotten me into now? Why do I feel so sick? Ugh! I feel like I’m surrounded by giant fish.”
“You’re in a shipping container,” Sid said.
“Damn, I knew it. That’s how I got over here in the first place.” Asia sighed. “What the hell am I doing in a giant sardine can?”
“It’s a long story. At least your mouth made a full recovery.” Sid found the handle of the container door. She shoved the lever up. It was stuck.
“What are you doing?”
Sid jumped. Asia had crept right up on her heels. “Geez, you’re sneaky. I’m trying to open this door.”
“Let me help.” Asia’s hands found Sid’s and started toggling the handle. The mechanism gave. They pulled the lever.
Sid put her shoulder into the door. It cracked open a foot. Cool air kissed her sweat-drenched face. The light she’d seen came from a lone skylight that still gleamed among the rubble. Piles of building lurked up all around. Sid squeezed through, with Asia on her tail.
Asia’s jaw hung. “Was there an earthquake or something?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Who are all those slimy people in there?” Asia took note of herself. “Uck, what happened?” She slung her arms. “It looks like Godzilla sneezed on me.”
“We need to find a way out.” Basing her direction on the doors of the container, Sid scanned the parking garage the way she remembered it. Lucky for them, part of the interior support hadn’t completely given way, but she couldn’t see any part of the stairwell or elevator. The ramp leading out of the garage had collapsed. Half the first floor lay inside the garage, covering the shipping container. It gave Sid a chill. If not for the container, they’d all have been crushed.
She climbed over the debris. A light flashed in the corner of her eye. She turned. A light beam glowed where the garage doors closed. She waved her arms and yelled, “Hey! Help!”
Asia mimicked her calls.
“Hey! Help!”
Sid made her way over the scrap-heap structure. Debris sprinkled down into the garage where the ramp dropped off from the outside entrance. Someone was on the other side scooting the rubble aside. When the chunk of cement cleared, a man poked his head inside. He shined a light in her face.
“Sid?”
“Cyrus?”
“Holy crap! I should have known I’d find you here. Are there any other survivors?”
“A bunch. Including Ted—and Rebecca.”
***
Cyrus sat beside Rebecca, who was shivering in a blanket. Mal was with Asia, and the pair of them were doing the same. Ted hunched under his blanket next to Sid, not saying much. The FBI had spent hours getting the survivors out of the ruined building. All the walls and windows had been blasted out, but the structure still stood, a skeleton frame of its former self.
Cyrus kissed Rebecca’s head. “I’m so glad you’re alive. The other you died. I thought you and the baby were gone forever.”
With a quizzical look, Rebecca said, “Baby?”
Sid’s hand went to her abdomen.
Mal eyed her. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m just worried about Smoke. Can we talk for a moment?”
Mal looked at Asia.
“Go ahead. I’m fine now,” the little woman said. “Just hungry. Don’t these ambulances have any food? I want some fish sticks. And beer. Hey, big boy, you got any beer? You look like a drinker,” she said to an agent.
After moving to a more private area, Sid caught Mal up with everything Reginald had told her about being pregnant. “And the baby? Can we run a test and find out?”
“Of course we can,” he said with a reassuring look. “It won’t take long to run it through a lab.”
Her fingers dug into her palms. Life had been turned inside out again. She was faced with more questions than answers. And Smoke was gone. Her heart ached. “We have to find him.”
“He’s resourceful. I’m sure we will.” He took her by the shoulders and squeezed them. “I can’t
thank you enough for saving Asia. For saving all of them. It’s like a miracle, Sid. A victory. I swear, you can also count on me. With the clones gone, we’ve mortally wounded them.”
“I know, but it feels hollow to me. They took Smoke. Vormus and Manson are gone. I want to know when the bodies are found. And what about A.V., Toad Man, and Night Bird? Do we still have eyes on them?”
“They were all secure last I checked a few hours ago.”
“Good. We just need to figure out what to do with them.”
An FBI sedan sped through the front gate. The tires ground to a stop on the shattered rubble and glass. The driver, Agent Jonnie Wok, exited with Smoke’s rucksack in one hand and the Arabian sword in the other.
Sid rushed him.
Agent Wok made his way over to Cyrus. His eyes widened on Sid.
“Where did you get that?” she said.
“A few miles up the road. An SUV crashed over the hill.”
“Did you see any other sign of Smoke?”
“No, but something got splattered all over the tracks. It looked like a man got hit by a train. Agents are still picking up the remains.”
Sid’s heart sank.
Jonnie Wok held out a sheet of paper folded up like a note. “I found this.”
Sid’s name was written on the note. She took it and opened it. The note read:
“Dear Sister, we have Smoke. Changes are coming. Once you’re gone, he will be mine… Forever. Allison.”
Smoke Happens: Book 9
CHAPTER 1
Sid woke up gasping. She sat up, peering through the darkness. Tears streaked down her cheeks. Her body trembled. A chill fell over her. She rubbed the goose bumps on her arms and noticed that her fingers were icy cold. She reached for the glass of water on her nightstand. Her fingers wrapped around the smooth glass, she brought it to her lips and gulped the warm water down. She set the glass back on the stand and turned the lamp on.
The Supernatural Bounty Hunter Files Collector's Set: Books 1-10: Urban Fantasy Shifter Series Page 105
