"Oh yes," said Tanek.
"Then you remember this, dontcha," the farmer raised his shotgun and let off a blast.
Not this time, my friend. Tanek ducked sideways to escape the shell's bite. "And you will remember this," he said, firing a bolt at his enemy. It hit the man's gun hand, nicking the back but not penetrating. Nevertheless, this was enough to cause him to drop his weapon.
Tanek was up and running towards him moments later, issuing a terrifying, bloodcurdling roar. He put his head down and rammed the farmer, lifting him up into the air and launching him backwards.
This, thought Tanek, is going to be fun.
Robert moved just in time to avoid the blade, which clanked off the side of the AFV. Dammit, she was fast.
Here was he thinking that the difficult part had been creeping up and fixing The Tsar's men while Mark, Sophie and Bill created their little diversion. Or getting Mary to safety… except she wasn't yet, was she?
Mary.
Words couldn't describe how he'd felt seeing her alive. He thought the dream was coming true (it might still, he reminded himself, all of them dead; Jack probably dead already). He wasn't going to let that happen, even if he wasn't quite back to full strength — and how he'd recovered so quickly was still something Robert didn't want to question.
He recognised the woman fighting him from the dream. One of The Tsar's bodyguards. But only one, which begged the question where was the other? Would she attack when he least expected it?
Robert silenced the thoughts — he needed to concentrate, to keep dodging this twin's swipes. Over her shoulder he saw Tanek shoot Mark and go after Bill. If he could get rid of the bodyguard, he might be able to help them.
This time he met her sword with his and it sent shockwaves up his arm, across his chest and into his bad shoulder — strapped up under his coat and bullet-proof vest. He groaned, and this seemed to spur the woman on. She beat at his sword, hacking it like a woodsman chopping at a tree. Each time the pain was tremendous.
Robert waited for her to do it again, then pushed forwards, hooking their hilts together and headbutting her. He tried to wrench the sword from her grasp while she was dazed, but it took her seconds to recover and she disentangled the swords with practised ease. He was woefully outclassed. Here was someone who'd spent years studying with this weapon, while Robert — in spite of this coming naturally to him — had only been using his a little over a year. Good enough to tackle machete-wielding cultists, but out of his depth with a true professional. He had to get that thing away from her before she-
Another swipe, this one slashing his combats, almost cutting into his good leg. He was just about managing on it, but if she wounded that one as well…
Spinning round, she came at him again. No respite, no pause for breath. Robert found himself being forced backwards, losing ground. He couldn't hold her off much longer.
Suddenly, she drooped. Something had struck her from behind and when she fell to the side Robert saw what it was. Tate had bashed her over the head with his walking stick, the hard wood still wet with her blood.
"Now Robert!" For a moment he thought the Reverend was advocating killing this woman, but Tate quickly clarified: "Disarm her, now!"
Robert brought down the hilt of his sword on her clenched fist, which opened like a sprung trap.
A thought struck him. If the Reverend was here, then who was watching Mary? Robert searched for her, zeroing in on the spot where Lucy had been murdered, brought down on top of Mary. Tate had at least managed to pull Mary out from under the dead woman, but now Robert saw Adele approaching her. And she had a gun. One of Mary's Peacekeepers in fact.
Shit! He began to go after De Falaise's daughter, but before he could move, he felt a presence behind him — vaguely heard Tate's warning cry of, "Look out." He instinctively knew the other twin was there, that she'd come to save her sister. That she was bringing down her blade on his blind spot.
About to cut into the side of his neck and deliver her master The Hooded Man's head.
Mary!
She heard the voice but it was dull, muffled.
Mary, you're in big trouble again. Even worse than before! Mary, you have to wake up. Have to get up! She's coming for you!
She would have asked her brother who, but Mary didn't care. Her whole body was numb, either from the cold or because of the last thing she really remembered: things, heavy things, falling on her.
Adele, David told her, the harpy who did that to you. She's on her way over here with Dad's pistol — your pistol! — and she's going to finish the job. Mary! Mary, PLEASE!
She told him to leave her alone. The blackness was calling again, regardless of the fact she thought she'd seen a glimpse of Robert.
David wouldn't leave her alone.
Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary. On and on like a stuck record, telling her that she was in danger, telling her that she was going to die. (Funny, she thought she had already.) Telling her that Adele was coming.
Adele.
That's right. The one who was all over Robert, who led Jack on. Who tricked you all, Moo-Moo. Lucy's already dead, she died trying to save you.
Lucy? No…
Finally, an answer. Hallelujah! Now look, Adele's coming, so you have to do something or Lucy will have died for nothing!
But I can't move, David. I was blown up!
You can move, it's just that you're telling yourself you can't. You're giving up Moo-Moo, and if there's one thing I never thought you were it's a quitter.
It's so hard. Too hard.
Bull. Get up Mary. Get up, or you'll just prove Dad right. He always said that you could never do a man's job, that you were weak.
Mary felt her hand twitch.
Do you think that's what Robert thinks, as well? Does he think you're weak, not up to being by his side?
Mary's fingers began to curl.
He thinks you're a: "Useless wretch. Look at you. This will almost be a mercy killing, like putting down an animal." The rhythm of the words, the accent, changed halfway through. Suddenly Mary was listening to Adele. The woman was pretty close — close enough to fire at any moment — but she obviously wanted to vent first. "You were there, weren't you? When my father's life was cut short. You were partly responsible. You and that bastard who sleeps with dogs. Flea-ridden dogs like you!"
Mary's fingers balled into a fist.
"But both will die. First you, and how fitting it should be by your own weapon. Then him. If there is anything left after The Tsar's bodyguard has finished."
"Robert…" Mary gargled.
"What was that? Are you trying to speak? Are you begging me for your life, Mary? Is that it?"
Mary said something else that was unintelligible.
"I did not catch that. You will have to beg louder." The voice was close now. Very close.
Mary lashed out with her fist, connecting with the soft flesh that could only be Adele's cheek. She heard a surprised shriek, then a bang close to her ear as the Peacekeeper went off. There was a ringing in her head, but she said the words again, louder, not knowing or caring whether they were heard: "I said, shut your filthy mouth or… or I'll shut it for you!"
Then she opened her eyes.
It hurt like nothing he'd ever felt before. Not even having his little finger cut off compared.
Because that was quick, over in a flash and although the pain lingered, it dulled to a throb eventually. This? This was different. Every time he moved his leg it felt like someone sticking a knife into it. Not a knife. A giant splinter. Mark hissed through his teeth as he shifted position and the bolt in his thigh moved again.