Desert Bound

7: Brice

7: Brice

Brice

Brice had this.

In all the chaos, Brice felt calm. There wasn’t time for excitement. He saw, and listened, and felt. He took it all in, and knew what he had to do.

The enforcers weren’t going to leave them alone unless they were stopped. They weren’t going to listen to reason. So he had to make his point another way.

The alley was narrow, forcing the buggies into a single file. Only two of them had mounted weapons, and they both followed the lead buggy. Brice hadn’t planned it that way, but he’d take the advantage.

The lead buggy was only a couple of metres behind them, but Brice didn’t want to come in straight.

His whole body flared as he uncoiled. He reached out, hand grazing the wall, then a boot. A light kick and he altered his course.

It was enough.

He slammed into the first enforcer. Brice grabbed the steering yoke, twisted it violently. At the same time he slammed his foot down, forcing the man’s boot to engage the brake.

The buggy swerved and tilted.

Brice slid his fingers into the enforcer’s collar and pulled. The enforcer wasn’t ready, cried out, fell from the machine.

Blinding light smothered Brice. Engines whined as brakes dug in.

Brice jumped again, just as the second buggy powered into the side of the first. He brought his legs up, kicked. His right boot connected with the enforcer’s head. Something cracked. The enforcer jerked back.

The third buggy skidded to a halt, and the enforcer reached for his holster. Brice was on him in a heartbeat, thrusting a hand into the man’s throat, a second into his stomach. He grabbed, pulled the man to the ground, kicked. The enforcer grunted, didn’t move.

Brice turned. The front buggy lay on its side, the second embedded in it. No way they’d be shifting any time soon. The enforcer from the second buggy shuffled, moaning. The other two didn’t move.

Brice jumped on the third buggy. He twisted the yoke, opened up the throttle, spun away. He raced along the alley, out onto the main street.

He breathed. His whole body tingled, a combination of adrenaline and his screwed-up lattice. The night air hit his face, cooling his mind.

A moment of reflection. Deva would pilot her and Piran to Keelin. She had a decent grasp of the layout of this place. And Ryann would be on her way there too.

They weren’t out of trouble yet, though. The enforcers weren’t the only ones on their tail.

Brice sped through the streets, hoping he reached Ryann in time.