Fallen Angel

Fallen Angel

DAY ONE

         Gotta run, can’t stop now. I’m almost there. Will they notice I’m gone? Have they already started searching? It feels like an eternity ago that I left. Surely they know I’m gone. Oh, God give me strength. I must get out of here!

         Frank Williams left his home at exactly 2100 hours. Not 9:00 p.m. 2100 hours. He missed the military. He especially missed the strict regulations and punctuality it provided for him. So he lived his civilian life as much like the military as he could. Although he was a rising star in the ranks of the Army Rangers, he was honorably discharged about two months ago. His back still ached from the crash landing of an Army Blackhawk helicopter. The doctors said he wouldn’t be able to participate in any more combat sorties as a result of his back injuries. Denied of combat, he felt useless, so he requested an early retirement.
         Standing at 5’10, Frank wasn’t a particularly tall man, but he weighed 174 lbs. without an ounce of fat, so at age 35, he was still a force to be reckoned with. He had jet black hair he kept shaved close to his skull, and dark brown eyes that exuded an aura that kept people from messing with him. He lived alone in a small apartment in West Virginia.
         Right now, he was driving to Pennsylvania to visit his brother, Jason. He turned onto the on ramp of Interstate 83 and accelerated quickly into traffic. He drove sitting ramrod straight in his seat, eyes ahead, both hands on the steering wheel of his modified Z28 Camaro, the last vestige of the happy life he once led in the Army. He removed his right hand from the wheel every now and then to shift gears, but once in 6th, both hands went back on the steering wheel, leaving the sports car cruising along at a steady 70 miles per hour. Not even the slightest trace of a smile crossed his lips as he absently listened to the muffled rumbling of the V8 engine. The stereo stayed silent, leaving the only sound the rumble of the V8 and the humming of the tires over the highway.


         Where am I? How far away is she? I didn’t pass her. Did I? No. Of course not. Don’t look back. Keep running. Keep going. Can’t stop now. Almost there. I think. She must be close! I can feel it! Where is she?


         Janice Swanson was a knockout and she knew it. And she hated it. Why won’t these pigs just leave me alone? she thought as she faced off against two street punks. Janice was 33 years old, stood at a respectable 5’8, and weighed 119 lbs. with long blonde hair that fell slightly below her large natural breasts. Her parents wanted her to become a fashion model, but once she discovered how fickle models were, she scrapped their plans for her and moved out as soon as she graduated from high school. She worked odd jobs until she had enough money to enroll in college. Scoring 1570 on her SATs, she had her choice of scholarships and colleges. She chose a full scholarship to Georgetown Law School. She graduated with honors at the top of her class and aced her Bar exam. She then moved on to start her own business in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. That was a few weeks ago, and she had now developed a schedule where she would walk every day to work from her apartment a few blocks away, then walk back in the evenings. Then the inevitable had finally occurred.
         She was walking back home at 11:30 at night when two men stepped out of an alley and blocked her path.
         “What do you want?” she challenged the larger of the two thugs.
         “You know what we want,” the man said, staring lasciviously at her ample bosom.
         “Then you must be crazy,” she responded, “Only fools would intentionally sterilize themselves.”
         “What?” the two blokes said in confusion.
         “If you’re thinking of raping me, allow me to make a few things clear,” she said, as she opened her pocketbook. Pulling out a Glock 7, she said, “I have a gun, and I know how to use it.”
         “Guns don’t scare us, miss,” the big man said. His smug expression turned to one of shock and surprise, then to sheer agony as she placed two bullets between his legs, hitting both his testicles. Then she did the same to his partner. Then she walked off, leaving the two thugs writhing on the ground in agony.


         Help me! I’m lost! I don’t know where to go! This was a stupid idea. I have no food and no water. How am I supposed to survive? Wait, what was that? It’s dark, but I thought I saw a light moving way fast. Did they find me already? Did they use those big loud things with wheels? Humvees I think they were called. That’s what it sounded like…wait! There it is again! No, it’s not a Humvee, it’s too quiet. That’s where I need to go! That’s how I can escape! Jump on one of the lights and I’ll be whisked away to freedom!


         Frank was tired, but didn’t let it slow him down. He had already stopped for gas and couldn’t afford to stop again to rest. There was very little traffic at 11:30 at night. He could see the taillights of a big rig far away in the distance, and the taillights of a smaller car, maybe a Nissan Maxima or a Honda Accord, a little closer, but still a good distance away. He was just about to nod off when his high beams picked up a large white object running out onto the highway. Almost without thinking he slammed his feet down on the clutch and the brake, pulling the emergency brake and forcing the car into first. With a loud Screeeeeeeeeeeeeech he came to a stop a few feet from the object. It was illuminated brightly in his headlights, and he scrambled out of his car to see what it was.
         It was a little girl. She seemed no older than six or seven years old.
         “Help me!” she cried, “They’re coming to get me!” Frank was taken aback for a second, since she wore only a white nightgown, no shoes, and looked like she was running through a forest. Finally, he decided he could use a little excitement in his life, so he picked her up and put her in the passenger seat of his Camaro.
         “Where to, little girl?” he said kindly once he was back behind the wheel. He started up his car with a load growl from the engine, which seemed to startle the young girl. She looked up at him with eyes that were wide with fright.
         “We need to go, right now!” the girl said urgently. She glanced out the passenger window towards the woods, and he curiously followed her gaze. His eyes widened with surprise at the terrifying visage that was staring back at him. It looked like Anubis from the Egyptian Pantheon. Except this thing was no god of the underworld; it looked like something engineered to be a sentry or guard. And it wasn’t wearing a mask. Its breath steamed the window each time it exhaled.
         “I agree,” Frank said, shifting into first and releasing the clutch. The engine revved and the car shot off the mark. Racing like he used to, back in the day, brought a faint smile to his face as his vehicle accelerated rapidly through the gears. The creature was nowhere to be seen, but he kept the pedal to the metal, quickly passing the Maxima and the big rig shortly thereafter. The speedometer read 200 mph as he concentrated fully on his driving. He almost missed the sign that said ‘Harrisburg 15 miles.’ Less than 5 minutes later, he took the exit on two wheels, dropping down to 150 mph, then floored it again, bringing the speed up to 190 mph for the rest of the trip. Once in the city, he slowed down to a more reasonable speed, pulled in front of his brother’s apartment complex and headed up with the little girl in tow.
         “You’ll be safe staying with me,” he told the little girl. She nodded gleefully, apparently still thrilled with the rollercoaster ride in the Camaro. As they entered the lobby, the one and only elevator’s doors were just closing on the backs of two hulking guys. Jason lived on the 6th floor, and Frank really didn’t feel like climbing six flights of steps, so he waited for the elevator to return.


         Where are you?


         It was midnight when Janice was wakened by the crash of her doors being busted open. She had just enough time to pull the covers over her nude form when the thugs walked menacingly into her bedroom. She glanced at her pocketbook by the doorway. Too far, she thought. They flipped a switch and the sudden light forced her eyes shut. She felt the covers being yanked from her grasp and off her bed. Lashing out with a punch, she felt it connect with something and heard a sickening crunch as if something had broken. A shout of pain, followed by a vicious backhanded slap that made her see stars.
         “Bitch,” the one whose nose she broke said, “You’re gonna pay for that. And you’re gonna love it, too.”
         Janice felt the hands start to paw her body, her breasts, between her legs and did the only thing she could do. She screamed.


         I’m safe. But somebody else is in danger! Did they get here ahead of me? Impossible! They don’t know who I’m with. What’s going on? Oh, no!


         Frank looked down at the little girl, and noticed the adrenaline had worn off. Something bothered him about her nightgown, but he couldn’t quite figure out what it was. They were on the elevator heading up to the 6th floor, and she seemed very restless, hopping from one foot to the other. The doors slid open and they stepped out just in time to hear a woman scream “RAPE!”
         One of the doors stood off its hinges, and Frank rushed in to see the two thugs on the elevator straddling a struggling woman. Without hesitation, Frank grabbed one of the thugs and pulled him off her, delivering a powerful haymaker that dropped him to the floor. The other guy turned toward him just in time to receive a devastating blow to his already broken nose. The woman scrambled from the bed into the bathroom as the second thug hit the ground, knocked out cold.


         “I lost her.”
         “What do you mean ‘you lost her’?”
         “I came to a highway, and she was gone. She was in some man’s Camaro. 1969 body style, Navy blue with white racing stripes. West Virginia license plate, TKB-5206. Heavily modified; very fast. I couldn’t keep up with it.”
         “Find the owner of the car, and you’ll find the girl. Now GO!”
         “Yessir.”


         “Are you alright, ma’am?” Frank asked to the closed bathroom door. He had just finished tying up the two thugs with some nylon cord from his car. He then called the police from the phone in her apartment, and was now waiting for her to exit the bathroom.
         “Are they gone?” a shaky female voice asked from the other side of the door.
         “Well, no, but they definitely won’t be bothering you anytime soon,” Frank said as he appraised his handiwork with satisfaction. “The police are on their way to apprehend them and take your statement.” He waited for a second before adding, “It’s safe to come out now; I’m not going to hurt you.”
         The bathroom door opened slowly and Janice emerged wearing a dark blue
terrycloth bathrobe cinched tightly about her waist. She went to her closet and grabbed a yellow wool sweater and a pair of blue jeans.
         “Excuse me for a moment,” she said, walking back to the bathroom. Frank heard the water running, then a few minutes later it stopped and she opened the door, now dressed in the sweater and jeans. Her hair was damp, but she seemed to have recovered fully from her ordeal. She swept past him and sat in front of her vanity.
         Tough woman, Frank thought to himself as he watched her brush her hair. Then he began to wonder what she was doing.
         “Uh, excuse me, ma’am,” he said, “But why are you acting like it’s morning? It’s midnight.”
         “I know,” she said, turning away from her vanity to face him, “but I won’t be getting anymore sleep tonight, and since the police are on their way over, I’d like to be both presentable and coherent to give an accurate account of what happened. It’s hard to do that when you’re naked, you know? Furthermore, you will obviously need my help in the near future, since it will be hard to explain your presence here with a little girl who looks like she spent the night in the forest. Either she’s a runaway, and you’re harboring a fugitive, or you kidnapped her and felt guilty, or whatever. So give me a moment, and we’ll talk some more.” She then turned back to her mirror and finished her hair. She paused and said over her shoulder, “and stop watching me.”
         Frank nodded in understanding and turned to the little girl who stood behind him. She’s right, Frank thought, Who is this girl? Why was she in the forest, and what was that thing by my window? The girl looked up at him as if she could hear him.
         “My name is Angie, I’m 8 years old,” she said. She opened her mouth and took a breath as if to say more, then made a clicking sound and shut her mouth. She blushed and turned away. Janice set her brush down and stood, looking for all the world like a Playboy centerfold on her day off.
         “I’m Janice Swanson, Attorney at Law,” she said, extending her hand to Frank, “pleased to meet you.”
         “The pleasure’s all mine, Ms. Swanson,” Frank said, taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips and kissing it lightly, “I’m Frank Williams, United States Army Rangers, Retired.”
         “That’s nice,” she said, looking slightly amused at his gallantry, “but what’s with the little girl?”
         “Um, I…I…” Angie stuttered, looking frightened, “I’m not really what you think I am…” Frank’s eyes narrowed as he eyed her nightgown again.
         Something’s not quite right with her, he thought. What the fuck is it?
         “What’s that on your back?” Janice asked, trying to look behind Angie. Angie pressed up against the wall to keep Janice from getting a good look at her. The little girl averted her eyes and glanced longingly at the open door.
         “What are you Angie?” Frank asked softly.


         Should I tell them? Oh God, should I show them? They’ll kill me if I do. That’s what they said: ‘Don’t ever try to get out, because the people out there will kill you if they discover what you are.’ And the man said he’s Army. No, he’s retired. He got out, then, and he’s not dead. Can I trust them? I have to trust them. Here goes nothing.


         Angie slowly stepped away from the wall and bowed her head in shame. Frank and Janice watched as she struggled with some inner conflict.
         “Promise not to kill me?” she whispered.
         “Of course we won’t kill you!” Janice exclaimed, “Good God, girl, what kind of monsters do you think we are?”
         “What the hell…?” Frank said as he saw two long tears in the back of her nightgown. His eyes widened and he took an involuntary step back as she lifted her head to look at them. Her eyes had changed. They were no longer light blue. They were instead a hellish red, and glowed with an inner fire that sent chills down his spine. A pair of black wings emerged from her back and pushed through the slots in her nightgown. Her lower face pushed forward slightly, forming a small snout. Her mouth opened, revealing large upper and lower canines framed by vicious carnivore’s teeth. Her toenails lengthened and formed into wicked talons and her fingers developed wicked looking claws. Her wings flexed once and beat down, lifting her off the ground until she hovered near the ceiling over Janice and Frank.
         “This is what I am,” she said in a hoarse voice.
         Outside, police sirens started wailing as the cops finally arrived.


         “I’ve found him.”
         “And?”
         “We may have a problem.”


         “So, Angie, tell us your story,” Frank said wearily. Angie had changed back before the police arrived to take Janice’s deposition. Now, it was 2:00 in the morning, and Frank had invited his two newfound companions to his brother’s apartment until Janice’s door could be fixed. His brother was happy to accommodate them, so now the four of them sat in Jason’s living room, his brother on a leather recliner, Frank and Janice sharing the couch, and Angie, sitting Indian style on the floor.
         “I don’t know what you would call me,” she began. “A freak of nature, I suppose. But it’s not my fault. My father is in charge of a hidden Army facility that is tasked with creating ‘super soldiers’ for tomorrow’s military. He knocked up this one hooker, on purpose it turned out, and kept her on base under containment. She was injected with all sorts of chemicals to change the baby in her womb. Those chemicals would kill her, but not before she gave birth to me, a genetically engineered monster. My dad was extremely upset that she would give birth to a girl, but she died before she could give birth again. So it was me who endured all their tests and challenges. Exercises that would kill me if I refused to cooperate.” She broke off and wiped away tears of anger. Janice glanced at Frank questioningly, but Frank shrugged his shoulders, I had no idea this was going on.
         “You can tell us the rest tomorrow, Angie,” Janice said soothingly. “Right now, we all need to get some rest. You especially, since you’ve been through so much.”
         “But I’m not yet tired, and you all need to know the rest,” Angie said, insistently. Janice shot a worried look to Frank, who had dark bags under his eyes. Frank rubbed his eyes.
         “Angie, I’m sorry, but I’ve been on the road 5 hours,” Frank said, “I want to hear the rest of your story, but I’m afraid I’m about to fall asleep. I need to rest.”
         “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought… never mind,” Angie said, confused. Then she yawned. “I’m tired, too.”
         “C’mon, Angie,” Janice said, picking up the small girl, “I’ll put you to bed.”
         “The couch is a futon,” Jason said, “And I have a guest bedroom with a queen size bed in it. You two could use that, if you’re comfortable with it. Otherwise, one of you would have to sleep on the floor, because I sleep in the nude, and I ain’t changin’ for family.”
         “That’ll be fine,” Janice said, “I feel safe enough with your brother anyway, Jason.”
         “Will you be alright sleeping in here, Angie?” Jason asked as he unfolded the bed from the couch.
         “I’ll be fine,” she said. Jason had yet to witness her transformation. “Just lock the door, please?”
         “Oh, it’s locked,” he said, “I always lock it; you never know when some weirdo’s gonna come in and knock down your door. Don’t worry, you’re safe here.”
         “Hey, bro,” Frank said, “Where’s the guest bedroom?”
         “Follow me,” Jason said, leading Frank and Janice down a short hallway. At the end were two rooms across from each other; in between the rooms was a bathroom. Janice went into the guest bedroom while Frank and Jason conferred about the next step.
         “Jason, what are you going to do about the girl?” Frank asked quietly.
         “What do you mean?” Jason said.
         “I mean, the Army isn’t going to let one of its experiments go so easily; especially one as volatile as she is,” Frank explained. “They’re going to be looking for her. They’re probably looking for her right now. Eventually, they’re going to find my car, and when they find my car, they find me, and if they find me…”
         “…They find the girl,” Jason finished, nodding his head. “I get it. I don’t know what we’re going to do. Tonight, I’ll keep watch over the girl to make sure nothing happens to her. You get some sleep, I have a feeling tomorrow’s going to be a very busy day.”
         “Alright, bro,” Frank said, embracing his brother, “See you in the morning.”
         “See you in the morning,” Jason said, heading back into the living room.


         They’re looking for me. I can feel it. They know where I am. Why don’t they make a move? Something’s wrong. They’re hesitating…


         Frank walked into the guest bedroom and immediately noticed Janice already under the covers. She had the quilt pulled up around her chin and she was watching him like a hawk. Her sweater and jeans were hanging on the bedpost. Frank sighed and slid into the bed next to her. Once under the covers, he removed his shirt and pants. He rarely wore underwear anymore, and tonight was no exception. He tossed his clothes onto the floor.
         “You’re naked, aren’t you?” she asked.
         “Yes,” he replied. “And you?”
         “I didn’t have any panties in the bathroom,” she admitted.
         Great, thought Frank, I’ve got a smokin’ hot woman with great breasts lying butt naked next to me. How the fuck am I going to get to sleep with that kind of distraction? Fuck it. I’m too tired to do anything, anyway.
         “What are you thinking, Frank?” she asked. He turned his back to her and curled into a fetal position.
         “I’m thinking I’m too tired to make a move, so thank whatever God you believe in,” he replied tiredly.
         “What if I wanted you to make a move?” she said softly. “You did save me, after all.”
         “No dice,” he said, “I really am too tired to do anything, and tomorrow’s going to be an exciting day. I need all the rest I can get if I’m going to be able to do my duty. Go to sleep, Jan.”
         “Good night, Frank,” she said, leaning over and kissing his cheek, “I think I’m falling for you.”
         “Hrmph,” Frank grunted, “Thanks, Jan. Maybe in a few days, but for now, keep your libido reined in, alright?”
         “Okay,” she said, turning her back to him and falling right to sleep. Frank lay awake for another hour before slipping out of bed and going over to his brother’s room. He realized that with Jason watching over Angie all night, his bed would be empty. So he climbed into his brother’s bed and promptly fell into a deep, restful sleep.

DAY TWO:

         The girl knows what she is. That’s why she ran away. That’s how she was able to get over the fence. I’ll need to be extremely careful now. She’s a force to be reckoned with, and she has no qualms about killing, as Lt. Jameson found out before he died. The Army Ranger must also be taken into account. He is very dangerous. I must be careful.


         Frank woke up eight hours later fully rested and ready to face whatever trouble the day had to bring. It was already 1130 hours, so Frank took a quick shower and dressed in some of his brother’s clothes. He then went to check on his brother and to see what kind of weapons he kept in his house (Jason was an avid gun collector).


         They’re afraid. They’re afraid of me, of what I can do. Am I more powerful than them? Mr. Jason is still awake. What a kind man. He does all that to protect me? I must repay the kindness. I will protect these humans to the best of my ability.


         Jason sat on a kitchen stool with a P-90 machine gun leveled at the door. Frank smiled in satisfaction. The P-90’s magazine was located above the barrel and held 50 rounds of ammunition. Not only that, but the P-90 also fired at a rate of 900 rounds per minute. Anyone who entered without his consent would be cut to ribbons in seconds.
         Frank himself was armed with two Glock 18C handguns that had a 17 round magazine and an astonishing 1100 rounds per minute.
         Jason’s eyes were rimmed red with fatigue, but he was still watching vigilantly. The girl was still asleep.
         “Jason, let me take over for a while,” Frank said. “You need to get some sleep.”
         “I was wondering when you’d wake up,” Jason replied, handing over the P-90, “I am beat. Janice is having her door installed right now. I guess lawyers do make a lot of money. And you got to sleep with her.”
         “I didn’t sleep with her, Jason,” Frank said with a smile, “I used your bed because I couldn’t get to sleep beside her.”
         “Smart move, man,” his brother said, “Well, goodnight.”
         “’Night Jason,” Frank said, taking his brother’s place on the stool. What a way to spend time with my brother, Frank thought to himself. He looked down at the sleeping girl and thought, I wonder what she’ll have to say when she wakes up?


         I’m coming for you, Angel.


         Jason returned from his slumber after a few hours, during which Frank and Angie had some lunch/breakfast. They talked about what Angie wanted to do with her future, but she really didn’t have an answer to that; her life hadn’t even begun yet. Frank deliberately steered clear of any questions relating to her transformation the other night. After Jason had eaten some cereal, they decided that they should go clothes shopping for Angie. Angie went to freshen up in Jason’s shower while the two men armed themselves for the journey to the mall. Frank kept his two Glock 18Cs hidden underneath his favorite black leather jacket. He augmented his guns with four spare clips that held 33 rounds each, which he placed in corresponding slots in the harness. Jason armed himself the same way. Angie came out of the bathroom dressed in a loaned pair of jeans and a sweater from one of Jason’s neighbors who had an 8 year old girl.
         Frank opened the door as Angie and Jason took cover behind the sofa. He pointed his gun into the hallway, but it was empty except for a startled janitor who was roaming the hallway. Frank apologized and holstered his gun. He gave the all clear sign, and Jason emerged with Angie in tow.
         As they emerged from the apartment complex into the bright afternoon sunshine, Jason and Frank put on their sunglasses. With their gun arm hidden in their black leather jackets and their matching black shades, the two brothers looked like Secret Service escorting the President’s daughter. They piled into Frank’s Camaro, with Angie taking the backseat and Jason riding shotgun, and rumbled away from the curb into afternoon traffic. As they rounded the corner of their block and accelerated down Front Street, a black Chevy Suburban with tinted windows rumbled around from the other direction and pulled into the empty space the Camaro had occupied. Frank and Jason were completely unaware of it, but Angie turned around and stared fearfully out the back window.


         He is here! How did he find me so quickly? He has backup…oh no. I sense more…freaks like me. I can take them all, can’t I? Why else would they bring so many? To take care of Mr. Frank and Mr. Jason? To take care of me? To capture me alive? But if they have others, why would they need me? Are they here to dispose of me like they did my mother? Dammit.


         “What’s wrong, Angie?” Jason asked over his shoulder.
         “They’re here,” she said. “My ‘brother’ and a few of his modified cohorts.”
         “Shit,” Frank said. They were approaching an intersection, so he signaled left and veered into the turning lane. The light changed to yellow, but he floored it and careened around the corner. He managed to get up to third gear before he had to brake and down shift to second to make it around another turn, then shoved it into third again. After a series of rapid shifting and turning, they could see the black Suburban sitting in front of their apartment.
         “Are they inside already?” Frank asked as he parked in the fire lane. Fine me and see if I give a shit.
         “They’re still in the truck, but they see us!”
         Just then, the rear window of the Chevy exploded as hundreds of rounds tore through it from the inside.
         “OUT OF THE CAR!” Frank said as he grabbed Angie and tugged her out after him. Jason bailed out the other side and took cover behind the open door, as Frank did. Frank pulled both his pistols and raised them over the lip of the door, hosing down the Chevy with a hail of bullets before clicking empty just a few seconds later. He ejected the two empty clips and slammed home two more 33 round clips. On the other side of the car, Jason was doing the same.
         All around them, people were screaming and diving for cover as the bullets ricocheted all over the place. The police soon arrived on the scene only to be cut down by a withering hail of gunfire through the windshields of their squad cars. Frank heard a scraping sound and glanced under his car to see a spherical object come to rest beside him.
         “GRENADE!” he shouted as he ran from the car. Bullet sparks followed at his heels as he dodged into an alley. His brother wasn’t so fortunate. Frank watched in horror as his younger brother simply exploded into a red cloud as the bullets shredded his body.
         “JASON!!!!!!!!!!!” Frank cried. A horrible roar filled his ears and he crouched down to cover his head as the grenade exploded, but the roaring continued. He looked up in time to see Angie, fully transformed with her wings spread wide, baring her vicious teeth in a challenge to the unseen enemies in the car. She flexed her mighty wings and launched herself at the Suburban. Frank took cover behind the alley wall and peaked around the corner as four similar creatures emerged from the shattered glass. Frank noted many of them were stumbling awkwardly and he could see a number of bullet wounds in them. He shrugged off his jacket and emerged from his cover.
         “Argh!” he shouted as he ran toward the monsters, both guns blazing. One creature went down immediately as its chest was transformed into a bloody mess. Another one fell with a sustained burst to its face. Frank hit one more before his guns ran dry, but it was still standing. Then it fell as Angie raked a clawed hand across its throat, nearly severing its head from its shoulders. The fourth one tackled Frank and shoved him into the wall before shoving its snout in his face.
         “Fuck off, asshole,” he said as he emptied his third clip into the monster’s stomach. Its eyes bugged out and it vomited a glob of blood over Frank’s face before it collapsed. He looked for Angie to find her engaged in a death struggle with the same creature he had seen the previous night. Frank discarded his useless gun and raised his remaining Glock. The two monsters were whirling in the air, dancing a deadly tango to the death, and Frank couldn’t get a clear shot. Angie’s sweater and jeans were stained with blood, but so were her so-called brother’s army fatigues. She slashed at his face as he kicked at her stomach. Both attacks connected, with Angie’s succeeding in shredding the flesh from her brother’s face, and his kick ripping gashes across her stomach muscles. She cried out and fell, while he stayed airborne but clutched his face.
         Frank didn’t hesitate. Raising his pistol and sighting carefully, he opened fire at the distracted monster. As the first bullet hit his wing, raptor rolled in the air, and took off to the southwest, roaring in pain when he used his injured wing.
         Frank holstered his gun and rushed over to the fallen Angie. He stopped short when he could see she had changed to her human form and was curled into a fetal position. He glanced over at where the remains of his brother lay in the middle of the street. His eyes twisted with rage and tears threatened to overwhelm him, but he turned away from the remains and gently picked up the whimpering girl. Nothing I can do for Jason now. Lord, grant him passage into Heaven. You know he deserves it. Goodbye, Jason. He hurried to one of the stalled police vehicles and pulled the dead officer out of the driver’s seat. Setting Angie down gently on the passenger’s seat, he started the car and shifted to drive. Turning on the siren, he squealed away from the carnage in a haze of blue smoke as he drove hard and fast to the hospital. He absently wiped some of the gore on his face off with his sleeve. What the hell just happened?


         Son of a fucking bitch! Where the hell did they get guns like that? Argh! My wing! We’ll need more men. But we got one of them! We need more ammunition. Didn’t expect them to have so much firepower. And the girl can fight. She knows what she can do. The boss isn’t going to be happy with this. His four prototypes dead and me seriously injured. ARGH! Gotta make it back to base to get my wing fixed. FUCK IT HURTS!!!! Where the hell did that fucker learn to shoot like that?