She turned from the reseeding sound of footsteps to look at Jack. Though slumped against the side of the box his eyes still an intense blue glow studied her through the pain in his muscles. The inside of the box was a bit cramped but they could remove the crate’s wall on the side. The box was behind a few other crates away from the walkway by the huge shed’s wall. After sitting there a few moments in silence listening for the gang members Jack sat up and crawled over Roxanne toward the opening. He peaked over the edge of the box next to them.
“It’s clear.” He said gruffly. She crept out of the crate and peaked over the box next to him. His noes twitched, “you smell like vomit,” he said with a hint of a snarl in his voice.
“That’s a bit random,” she snapped trying not to show surprise.
Jack snorted as he crawled over the box. “You might want to quit barfing up your food before death sinks its claws in you. After that it’s rare to escape its own hunger for blood.” He growled standing slowly in the walk way, sweeping for any threats.
“Disgusting, and a strange way of putting it,” Roxy said walking into the walkway defiantly and almost without fear.
“I could have put it a lot worse, trust me.” Jack’s eyes filled with a burning fire as he looked at her then a pile of crates that almost reached the roof. His gaze narrowed as he focused on something. “Get down!” He said knocking her to the ground behind the boxes and covering her with himself. Then there was a series of explosions, the windows all shattered raining down around them, and then a huge fireball like dragons breath came through the windows. Roxy winced at the intense heat that seared her feet and arms.
Then it was over.
Jack rolled over and collapsed on his back. Roxy sat up shaken. She looked out the empty windows and saw a clear blue sky and a single bird flying in it. Jack groaned as he stood and helped her to her feet. He looked her over.
“You ok?” He asked his eyes flicking back and forth watching their surroundings. She nodded yes. “Good … the explosion was just around the perimeter meant to keep the cops and everyone busy and distracted. They wouldn’t dare risk there drugs, guns and ammo. We should start moving before they get antsy and risk it. They’ll probably be carrying guns but will try to kill with knives or something to keep the police calm.”
Jumping on a small pile of boxes Jack crouched and mapped out the route to take, the pain seemed to be gone. There seemed, to Roxy, be something animal about him and the way he seemed to pick up on the smallest things. She climbed up behind him. He jumped off again and headed down the path. Walking silently side by side, Jack slinking catlike up the path against the crates, and Roxy stepping lightly in the silent shadowy trail. At the first few intersections there was nothing waiting; but then, while coming up on a T shaped intersection, Jack, a few paces ahead, stuck his arm out and motioned for her to stop. Silently he leapt up on to the top of the crates stacked two up and slowly crawled on his toes and finger tips to the end at the intersection. He then got ready to pounce like a cat on his unknowing victim below.
Leaping on the man below, they tumbled across the concrete. Jack held the unconscious man up as a shield knowing he had a protective vest on, and also knowing that the man on the other side on of the entrance would shoot automatically on instinct. The man shot five times before he regained his sense. But as soon as the last shot was fired Jack was running on the side of the box wall at the man. Leaping again he overtook the man. With a slight pant but a small grin he motioned Roxy to come through. She met him in the middle of the intersection.
“Do you always have to do all the work and show off?” She asked half irritated, half amused.
Jack had stopped panting and smiling. He picked up the second man’s gun and handed it to her. “We’re here.” He said, picking up the first man’s gun, “I’m going to climb up the boxes and try to shoot hole we can climb out into the roof. You cover me.” There was a strange lion like roar and then it turned into a chilling howl, Jack gulped. “We better make this fast.”
“What. Jack, you knew this was going to happen … didn’t you?”
“Ya.”
“Then why did you follow me?”
“You and your ‘boyfriend’ hate each other and are only dating for the status. So, me knowing that he was in a gang and hated you and was leading you into a dark warehouse I figured you might need some back up. Anyway I needed a trill.” Jack smiled and continued up the box steps. Soon he had crept to the top box and traced out a large circle with his finger. Lifting the automatic, he shot out the circle, the booming clatter echoing throughout the building, he put the gun down. He set the ruff circle down, and gave Roxy the thumbs-up. Then a massive ball of wiry fur knocked into Jack throwing both of them off the box tower and down the 45ft drop.
Bouncing off different wooden crates and cardboard boxes they landed in a pile of boxes then rolled into the passageway. The beast, on top, was the size of a lion with grey skin and few wiry hairs. It’s huge claws dug into Jack’s ribs as he held it’s throat to keep the thing’s dripping fangs off his own throat. Growling like the animal, Jack rabbit kicked the monster then heaved, rolling over so he was on top. With sudden rage he dragged his fingers down over the creature’s rough skin, paths of blood fallowing. Slowly it’s struggles grew weaker as he held it there in it’s own pool of blood. Finally all movement stopped. Jack walked over, with his and the thing’s blood patching his body.
Another lion roar echoed as another beast leapt over a box wall. Smooth and methodically Jack punched it’s nose and grabbed in one hand on the throat the other under one of the front legs. He stared into it’s eyes and this monster slowly stopped struggling just stared back. Putting down on the floor Jack crouched next to it; whispering in its ear. Roxy wondered if the flashing in the evil black holes that were eyes were even there. Jack stood back up and the thing leapt over the box wall.
“What happened?” asked Roxy horrified by Jack’s bloody patches and the dead creature’s body down the way.
“I got the second beast to turn on it’s owners … sadly I had to kill the first.” He said in an ‘it is hard to explain’ tone. Suddenly Jack jumped on her pushing her to the floor with no explanation; then that explanation came … with gunfire. “You head up and climb out onto the roof,” he whispered in her ear. “I’ll take can of these guys.” Jumping up he raced down the walkway toward the gunmen. Roxy jumped up onto the crates and climbed up to the circle of blue sky.
She stood at the top, hands on the sharp ridged metal on the hole, looking down at Jack as he fought. Then helicopter sounds came from above her. Looking up she saw a green copter appear through the black smoke. A cop leaned out offering her a hand. Shouting, she tried to explain to them that Jack was still down there but it was useless: they couldn’t hear over the sounds of the chopper and gunfire. Climbing onto the roof she looked back down at Jack. It looked like the gunmen were trying to beat his head in with the butt of a gun. The cop grabbed Roxy around the waist hauling her up into the copter.
“JACK!” She screamed as they flew away.
A series of explosions echoed in the enclosed space the reverberated back even louder rattling the chopper even as they flew away. They circled around and away from the building and landed safely away. She jumped out and ran into her parents arms and tried to tell them about Jack but they were too worried and busy fussing over her and her wellbeing. There was another series of explosions and the roof was engulfed in flames. A police man approached her, the same one from the helicopter.
“Do you know if anyone else was in there?”
“I tried to tell you guys that there was another student in there! Jack, he was fighting off the bad guys so I could get to the roof and escape! I tried to tell you but you wouldn’t listen!” She yelled on the verge of tears know it was almost impossible for him to have survived.
“Jack you say. Jack Wolf?”
“Ya. Do you know him?”
“Most people do.” He said solemnly. “I’m sorry but I don’t think your friend will survive if he’s not already dead.” She knew it but to hear someone say it out loud made her burst into tears. Turning, she cried on her father’s shoulder.
The small front door of the shed was kicked open. Smoke billowed out and slowly a murmur rippled through the crowd of people as a shadow in the smoke took form. There was a human figure slowly making the way through the smoke and what was left of the fire outside the warehouse. The cops put their hands on their guns just in case. But the figure ignored them ducked under the caution tape and walked over to Roxy, who hadn’t even known this was going on. Smiling the figure’s head came down to whisper in her ear.
“Why are you crying?” Said a deep gruff voice. “Death has yet to sink its claws in me.”