Mace was tough, but one more hit like that and she wasn’t going to be doing much else other than lie in a nursing home bed and dribble into a cup. She turned to the side and threw up right before she was jerked back to her feet. She stood there tottering.
Blood flowing from her nose and cracked mouth she managed to say, “One request.”
“Do you understand that I’m about to kill you?”
“That’s why I figure I better ask now.”
“What?”
“You’re a big tough guy. You just knocked me on my ass twice. You’re gonna kill me.”
“So?”
“So, let me have one punch. Right to your gut. You can even harden up the six-pack before I do it.”
“What are you, one-ten?”
“About. And you’re over two, I know.”
“So where’s that gonna get you?”
“Satisfaction before I die.”
“How do I know you’re not some kind of kung fu princess?”
“If I were, you think I’d be letting you kick my ass?” She spit blood out of her mouth and ran her tongue over a loosened tooth. “Hey, but if you’re afraid of a girl.”
Psycho reared back his fist to hit her again, but stopped when she flinched. He grinned. “You ain’t no kung fu nothing. I know, because I am. Double black belt.”
“Figures,” said Mace wearily, wiping blood off her chin with her jacket sleeve. “So it’s a yes?”
Psycho looked around at his guys, who all looked back at him with amused expressions. Mace also glanced around. There wasn’t anyone to help her. They were in a dark, deserted corner in the pits of the parking garage. She could scream her lungs out and it wouldn’t matter. But she suddenly did see one thing that might help matters. If she lived long enough.
“Okay. But soon as your little love tap connects, we’re putting your butt in that SUV, taking you to a favorite place of mine, putting a bullet in your brain, and dropping you in Rock Creek Park.”
“Tense the six-pack, Psych. I’m gonna give it all I got.”
Psycho zipped open his jacket and exposed a flat belly that Mace knew was probably hard as iron. She was actually surprised no one had noticed, but it was dark out here and so they apparently hadn’t seen what she’d done. Her blow was efficiently delivered, driven right into the man’s diaphragm. Mace had been right, it was hard as rock. But it didn’t matter. The 900,000 volts in her zap knuckles didn’t really care how hard someone’s gut was. Psycho dropped to the concrete shaking like he was holding a live wire, his mouth making little burps of sound, his eyes popping and fluttering.
His stunned crew just stood there watching him.
Mace sprinted off.
The guy who’d originally grabbed her in the station shouted, “Hey!”
Mace knew she’d never make it. Even as she ran she tensed for the shots that would be hitting her any moment now. The squeal of wheels made her look to her left. The Nissan was coming right at her. She threw herself to the side, only to watch it miss her by design and whip around and come to a stop between her and Psycho’s guys.
“Get in!”
Mace jumped to her feet.
“Get in!”
“Darren?”
Alisha’s brother had his gun out and pointed it at Psycho’s onrushing crew. He placed two shots right over their heads, and the two lead guys hit the concrete, making draw pulls of their own on the way down.
Mace ripped open the Nissan’s passenger door and threw herself in. There was another squeal of wheels and the Nissan shot forward. Mace ducked as bullets pinged off the metal and one round cracked the rear window glass. They rounded a corner and Darren floored it. Two more curves and they zipped out of the garage. Five minutes later they were two miles away and Mace finally sat up in her seat.
“Where the hell did you come from?” she exclaimed. “How’d you know I was even there?”
“Didn’t. I was tailing Psycho. Saw what was going down. Figured you needed a little help.”
Mace strapped on her seat belt. “Now I know why they call you Razor.”
“Got some napkins in the glove box. Don’t want you bleeding all over my seat,” he added in a surly tone.
“Thanks.” She pulled some out and wiped off her face. “Why were you tailing that guy?”
“Why you think?”
“There are several endings to that sort of plan, and none of them are good.”