Fire Fury Freedom

by Amanda Rose

  Mack took a seat directly opposite of Genjo. Kazuo, Yu-Lee, and Kairu swarmed his sides and took their seats. Simply being there in bigger numbers, a sensation of power came authoritatively to Mack, and feeling that commanding power, Mack took a new lease on the situation. Originally, he’d planned to come in and destroy the source from which the veil spawned. Now he’d decided on a much better fate…

  “Who are you?” Genjo asked adjusting his glasses on his face. “Mack Yamamoto,” he replied from across the way. An obvious bell of recognition was ringing in Genjo’s head. He noticed Kazuo next to Mack, and then finally realised that Mack was the man that had once confronted him many years ago. Yu-Lee’s striking resemblance to Tamiko also got some wheels turning. “You’re dead?” Genjo was confused, remembering an accident report that mentioned Mack’s untimely death. “You should have listened to Yoshida,” Mack smugly replied.

  Genjo took a moment to gather his thoughts. Yoshida looked to be on the brink of exploding, fidgeting while trying not to speak. Koto just stood there nonplussed, with Tamiko near him, his arms crossed. “So, what is this?” Genjo asked raising his head. Mack was ecstatic that he finally asked. Calmly leaning forward with his elbows on the table, Mack took his time to speak, “The end of the C.D.F.P.” Mack felt a sense of relief after the words had been verbalised. Genjo couldn’t retain his laughter, but it soon faded when he saw that Mack had not flinched. No one else had laughed either.

  “You can’t possibly think a hand full of people can destroy this company!” Genjo angrily spat. “Oh, but I have,” Mack’s casual response just made Genjo ever angrier. The man slammed his hand down against the table. “How?!” he growled. So, Mack explained, “It was all a matter of time. After we learned of the documentation that finds you guilty of having full knowledge of the toxins your company produces, and still continuing production, we just had to find them. You hid Kazuo, the only man who knew where these were. But we found him, and he gave us the documents. They’ll be in the Empires hands in short order. Your organization is finished.” Glowing smiles appeared on everyone surrounding Mack.

  Genjo clenched his fists, and he looked like a spoiled child in a toy store whose parents would not buy him a toy he wanted. “You can’t possibly think we believe you,” Yoshida stood up and towered over the table. “Believe it or not, you’re ruined,” Mack articulated his last words slowly. “How the hell did you get out of your cells?” Yoshida demanded. He was still in disbelief of his opponent’s resurrection to the playing field. “You’re not the only one with friends,” Mack replied.

  Vince grabbed onto the ladder and crawled up through the doors he’d left open for himself, after having unlocked it to enter the drain earlier. He pushed up a grate, and crawled out into the cave like hallway of the C.D.F.P.’s very bottom floor. Vince was wet with filth up to his knees, and as he came up on the floor dry dirt stuck to his wet pant legs, and damp hands. He ignored the grit and got up onto his feet.

  Over to a torch he hurried, and he checked his timer. “Fifty-three minutes…” he muttered to himself as he caught his breath. One arm extended, dirty palm pressed against the dirt rock wall, he rested, briefly. Breathing in and out, slowly he tried to lower the pace of his racing heart. Common Vince… no time to rest, it’s time to go. He pep-talked himself.

  “Well then,” Mack pushed his chair back and stood up. “You’re all under arrest,” they were silent in acceptance. Genjo maintained a spiteful glare as everyone on Mack’s side circled around the table toward Yoshida to attain them as prisoners. Mack drew a pair of cuffs, which he’d gathered from the lower level’s supply room. Mack walked to Yoshida to take him down himself. Click! “Like hell!” Yoshida raged, pulling out his revolver, and pointing his gun at Mack. Mack froze in pose. He’d left his shotgun over on his chair, so he couldn’t counter.

  Mei and Kato ran from the doors, weapons drawn to reclaim the situation. Unexpectedly, Mack impetuously knocked Yoshida’s gun to the floor with a roundhouse kick. A round was fired, damaging one of the founders’ pictures. They brawled, their deep hatred, seeded from long ago, finally released. Malice and detestation fanned the flames of this dog-eyed fight.

  Genjo dove for the dropped revolver, and Mei saw him from the corner of her eye. She jumped up onto the table, and then ran over to the escape oriented man below. Her knees impacted his back as she dropped on him, causing him to sprawl out on the floor beneath her. He screamed, but then reached for the gun. A cold metal blade crept up against his neck. “Just try it!” Mei screamed, only wishing for him to keep going so she could watch him bleed out like a stuck pig. Her eyes strained open, a near insanity glazed over them; Genjo stopped cold turkey.

  A flurry of flying fists came down in smacking blows, while legs flailed, and voices raged. Battle cries and wails of inflicted pain merged into one loud blur. Yoshida had Mack on the ground, his hands squeezed tightly about Mack’s neck, which was turning purple. Mack swung at the air, but Yoshida was out of his reach. Mack squirmed for air. POW!

  Mack’s face was showered in bright red blood and brain matter, as Yoshida toppled over, dead, onto the floor. Like a fountain, blood leaked out into a puddle on the floor, it oozed out sticky and vibrantly shinning. Mack lifted himself up onto his elbows, and looked down at the accumulating sanguine fluid, which, in its purity, reflected his face as clearly as a mirror would. It was beautiful in its own morbid way, and it mesmerised Mack temporarily. He didn’t even hear Tamiko shriek.

  Mack turned his head to see Kazuo, chest heaving, with the smoking gun still aimed in his hands. He had an amazing look of satisfaction on his face, as if a great weight had finally been lifted. There were no signs of remorse. Yoshida lay there slumped over with his eyes wide open, his face had released its tension, yet kept the intense expression it last held. Eerily he looked to still be alive.

  In the hysteria of it all Genjo tried again for the gun, and his fingers tickled the tip. He wriggled it into his hand. “Mei!” Kato screamed. She looked down to see Genjo swinging the barrel up at her, and instinct took over at once. Like cutting through butter the blade sliced through soft neck tissues. Warm blood gushed out over Mei hand like water from a pipe. Genjo dropped the gun and held his neck as he choked to death on his own blood.

  Tamiko stood there looking on at the horror scene, frozen in place. The reality of the situation was hitting home. Her head swayed just noticeably back and forth, and every exhumed bit of air made a subtle sound. The bloodbath before her was the crashing of all she’d been working for. “Eh, everyone!” Kato suddenly interjected. “Where di’ Koto go?” Eyes looked around the room. Jenko saw past Kato’s head and to the open unblocked doors. Mack’s shotgun was gone. “Oh no…” Mack uttered.

  “We need to get out of here now,” Mack said. Kairu pointed his gun at Tamiko, “Where’s Okichi?!” he yelled. “I, I, I’ll take you to here!” Tamiko replied, terrified.

  Suako had finally finished the last placement, she left the bag she’d been carrying, and got up to leave. Stepping out of the office and into the hall, the coast was clear. She was only on the twentieth floor. Looking at her timer she still had forty-one minutes; more than enough time to clear the premises.

  Suako jogged toward the other side of the floor to get to the stairs, when suddenly, there was a loud bang! Then like a swish of air near her ear, she heard a blowing noise. Right in front of her line of vision, a bullet intercepted the wall, exploding plaster and chalk onto the floor. Immediately she dove into the nearest room. Holy shit!

  Gathering her wits, Suako crouched low to the floor. Her heart was pumping double time from the sudden scare. Fumbling for her pistol, Suako pulled it free of her belt holster. She trembled as a fretful shiver quivered up her spine from the thought of the close call in the hall. Taking in a deep cleansing breath, she attempted to bring herself down to a more focused state. Now ready, she listened for the approaching footsteps. With her target in her mind’s eye, she prepared herself.

  Out
the door she hung, pistol aimed at her enemy. She pulled the trigger. Tick! Nothing happened. Again. Tick! Suako pulled back. Shit! What the hell… Oh common! Not now, you can’t be… jammed? … Fuck! Suako tossed the useless mechanism aside, and pulled out her second gun. Suako checked the chamber of the handgun, it held only two bullets. She had no extra ammunition for this specific gun either. Again, Suako prepared herself, with one long exhalation…

  POW! POW! Two simultaneous shots brought down the unsuspecting officer, both bullets planted themselves directly between his eyes. Suako sunk back into the office. Now useless by itself, Suako discarded her handgun. She took a moment to gather herself, when she heard a bunch of footsteps coming the same way the officer had. Sticking her head back out to take a peek, she saw several approaching soldiers. She pulled her head back before any of them could see her.

  Desperation became Suako’s predominant feeling. Frustrated with her situation, Suako was just about ready to cry; the stress was taking its toll. Between her teeth she bit down on her bottom lip, in an attempt to focus, but her concentration was scattered. Though the footsteps had stopped around the distance back where the officer she’d shot down, Suako knew that they’d be coming toward her sooner of later.

  Step! Step! Someone was coming. Kairu… I hope you taught me right… She listened intently to place her enemy’s location. For simplicity of movement, Suako slipped her jacked off, shimmying it silently down her arms, then tossed it aside. Closing her eyes, she clasped her hands together. Spirits please watch over me… she shook in her skin. Opening her eyes, she separated her hands and curled them into white-knuckled fists. Hopping up onto her feet, she waited with her ear by the edge of the door.

  The man came up almost beside her when he entered the room. Suako could hear him breathing lightly; she could tell he was trying to be quiet, but she was wise to that game. With a courageous leap of faith, Suako jumped out from her hideaway. The soldier was taken aback by the surprise appearance, and she took advantage of it. Without pausing, Suako kicked free his howitzer, which flew away and thwacked against the adjacent wall. Scared frozen the soldier just stood there, cowering. Just as Kairu had showed her before, she used her middle and index fingers to jab at his neck. She hit the body point dead on, and the soldier dropped instantaneously upon contact to the floor unconscious.

  “Get her!” yelled one of the men still surrounding the fallen officer, who had seen the incident. He pointed at Suako as if she were some sort of animal. Three soldiers, two men and a woman who looked just as masculine as the actual men, sprinted forward past the man pointing at Suako threateningly. Each searched for their piece with their hands as they ran at her. Suako brought her guard up and, and swallowing her fear ran at them. She knew had to engage them in a fight before they could get a chance to shoot her.

  Suako could see their eyes as plain as anything else, and they came at her with an empty fury. They fought because of orders. Only one of the men showed any true depth of hatred toward her for the murder they’d stumbled upon. Like a tiger he showed his teeth, and Suako worried he just might growl and then tear her to pieces. And they came…

  Ten minutes they were still at it. The original three on one battle had morphed down to two on one. Suako had got in a good kick to one man’s temple with her steel toed boots, and the impact killed him instantly. Then the C.D.F.P. replenished itself when the rear man, who had scared Suako with his war cry to attack her earlier, took the third man’s place. Suako had managed to disarm all of them as soon as they came within her reach. Then she’d managed to keep them busy enough so that they wouldn’t have the time to retrieve their lost weapons.

  Exhaustion was wearing down on Suako. Tension had built up at the base of her neck, and her sides had taken the brunt force of the beating. Suako bled from newly inflicted cuts of her arms, legs and torso. Brutally, the feline-like woman jumped at Suako and dug her nails deep within Suako’s back, and dragged them downward, tearing away her skin. Suako arched her back and screamed in agony. Saliva flew from her mouth. Suako leaned forward and balanced on one leg as she lifted the other, and pounded it back down on the woman’s chest. The female soldier flew back and hit her head on a doorframe, falling down, she didn’t get back up.

  Every extending limb cried out, Suako burned throughout her entire body. Each time she punched out a stinging sensation buzzed where her arm folded at the elbow. Red skin poured out perspiration, and called for oxygen. Tuffs of hair had loosened themselves from her ponytail. Suako panted heavily. The world seemed to be spinning at the pace of the battle. Duck! Weave! Block! Hit! Kick! Duck! Jump! Duck! Punch! Parry! Kick, kick! Trip! Block! Throw! Signals to react released from her brain without anytime to consider.

  What time is it! Shit! STOP ATTACKING ME! FUCK OFF! Ugh… “Oww!” I can’t keep this up… What am I going to do? … Ouff! “Ouff!” Son of a bitch… It hurts… Panic was setting in. As Suako became more distracted she also became more of a punching bag. A final boot to the gut brought down Suako to her hands and knees. Now infuriated, Suako scowled at them. A second foot was coming at her head, but Suako swerved out of the way and then tripped the angered man onto the floor.

  The other guy had used the time to run and grab one of the lost guns off of the floor. Suako scurried to her feet, and kicked it from him before he could shoot. It spiralled round and round then landed in Suako’s hands. POW! She shot the soldier down dead. Spinning around she shot the one behind her as well. Her bushy ponytail came following around, sticking to her damp skin as it stung her, hitting her like a whip.

  Standing, there breathing heavily, Suako’s mind was running to catch up to her actions. Once it had processed everything she lowed the gun. She looked at the pile of bodies lying ahead of her. Suako’s pulse continued at the pace of a racehorse as she stood in stillness. Hot sweat now chilled her. Like a striking bolt of lightening, Suako remembered the time. Suako spun back around to get to the stairwell. Then without warning it came… POW!

  Suako lay sprawled out on the floor. One arm lay over her midsection, the other curved about her head on the floor. Suako’s eyes darkened, and a ridge formed between her eyebrows. The nauseating raw taste of salty fleshy goo dominated her mouth. Blood trickled down from her lips. A wide gaping hole in her stomach bleed out profusely and gathered in a growing pool beneath her awkwardly displayed body.

  Time seemed to have been suspended for Suako. She didn’t stir from where she lay. Self pity deteriorated relatively quickly as the expanse of endless time weaned away. The morbid situation she took into acceptance, as the confusion faded to dust. Unexpectedly it seemed that fate had dropped by to pay its respects; it was like a veil lifting itself up, uncloaking her clouded vision. It was spectacular enlightenment. As slow as ever her heart took a beat, and the throb echoed in the chasm of her expanded rib cage, making its way through her entire body, and causing stress on her wound.

  Seconds later Vince came up the last few stairs as skidded into the corridor. He had heard the enormous shot that followed the two prior ones. Just too late, he’d seen Koto come down the stairs from above and swivel into the hallway before him. He went to examine the situation and then he saw her; his beloved splayed out on the floor bleeding horribly. She was battered and bruised, her amber hair sticking together in a mix of her own sweat and velvet-like gore.

  An uncontrollable rage came over Vince. Like an animal, Vince jumped on Koto and brought him to the floor. In the shock of the back-attack, Koto dropped the shotgun. Koto struggled over onto his back to see who was on him. Vince pounded down on Koto with heavy unrelenting fists. When Koto tried to block his face from the furious beating, Vince came down even harder and broke his arm. Koto shrieked like a suffering animal at the crippling blow.

  Vince felt as if he was sitting back and watching it all happen, like some sort of movie. He watched as Koto’s handsome face as it migrated into a bloody, disfigured, and unrecognisable pulp. Each stroke evoked a new squealing cry. Koto had a few good swi
ngs in, but Vince had been so enraged that his body felt numb to the hits. In desperation Koto remembered a he’d had a pen in his pocked. Reaching down he pulled it out, and with substantial, force he drove it into Vince’s right arm. Vince didn’t even flinch.

  Now intoxicated with passionate ferocity Vince took Koto’s head in his hands and slammed it down repeatedly against the floor. Just three crashes down and Koto stopped moving. A rattling pair of keys slid out from Koto’s pocket onto the floor from the jostling. Vince pocketed them, then checked, and Koto’s neck, and he could feel that he still had a pulse. Regardless it was time to go, and with difficulty, Vince dragged himself away. His fists were a royal mess, already badly swollen.

  Vince’s body wobbled as the energy he’d invoked left him. He pulled free the pen that had been awkwardly injected into his arm, and now that the adrenaline was fading, he felt the pain acutely. By Suako’s side, he dropped down to the ground. His eyes consumed the scene; Suako stared up at the ceiling, a water glaze covered her eyes. “S… Suako?” he whispered weakly, holding back a floodgate of tears. “Vince…” her voice was serene. Vince pulled off his jacket and placed it on the stomach wound. He put her hand on top of it to hold it down.

  Remorsefully, Vince looked down on his sweet Suako, and caressed her face with his trembling fingers. Vince looked down to his watch, Still, sixteen minutes… they had time. “I’m getting you out of here!” carefully he swept up Suako into his arms. He could hear the trickling of blood drop from her sopping tank top onto the puddle on the floor.