MICHAEL

“This ends here, tonight.” James locks eyes with Haswell, who nods.

He’s right of course. And, he may be my closest friend, but even I know that James has a dangerous side.

Her ‘Dark Angel’ she called him?

Just so.

“What do we do? One’s accounted for. It’s seven against three.”

“Five against three.” murmurs James.

“Five? Why five?”

He nods towards the window again. “She’s got her hands around the balls of one, and another’s about to shove his cock between her teeth. What d’you think will happen to them when we burst in?”

Despite myself, I cringe inside. Richard flinches, staring upwards.

“You have a point.” I concede.

“Stay there a minute,” says James. “I’m going to see if there’s a rear entrance. Klempner’s got his back to a door there. If I can get behind him….”

He vanishes into the darkness. Richard takes another quick look inside and chuckles. “I don’t believe it…. She’s got them, quite literally with their trousers down and they’ve put their guns to one side.”

“Mmmm… yes. James is going to knock her sideways when he gets his hands on her, but she’s done what she set out to do….”

“As always.” murmurs Richard.

James reappears, holding a crowbar, a large spanner and a hammer. “Yes, there’s a side entrance. I can get behind him. You want these?” He keeps the crowbar but offers the other tools. “They were in a shed to the rear. Can I suggest that you two go for the pair over by Beth, keep them from taking her hostage. I’ll take Klempner….”

“And I think we can rely on Charlotte to do as much damage as possible….” I say.

James flashes his brows, clicking his tongue, then, “As soon as you see me appear behind Klempner, get in there, and we’ll take out as many as possible while we have surprise on our side.”

Poised by the entrance, I wait. Half a minute later, the door behind Klempner opens and James appears, moving carefully, the crowbar in his hand.

Charlotte, naked, on her knees, but watching, sees him and….

There is a shriek: two shrieks.

The man face-fucking her drops, screaming. His companion drops too, curling in on himself, clutching at his groin. Charlotte scrambles up, spitting blood.

For the smallest of moments, the tableau freezes as her would-be rapists, clearly not believing what they have just seen, hesitate. Everyone is staring at her, standing naked, her mouth dripping red.

Then chaos breaks out….

James, swinging the crowbar, brings it squarely across Klempner’s head. Klempner screams, reeling, but turns to grapple with his attacker, knocking the bar from James’ hand, to clang to the ground.

Richard and I burst through the door. Caught off-guard, my mark, a spanner smashing into his temple, shrieks and falls. Richard’s puts up more of a fight, trying to go for a gun, but Beth sweeps her legs past his ankles, and as he falls, Richard, seizing him at the throat, smashes him backwards against the wall, where he drops, unconscious.

James and Klempner are still struggling, hand to hand. Stretching to reach James’ throat, Klempner’s face is contorted, twisted with… what? Hate? Fear? James’ is cold, impassive.copy right hot novel pub