Pandora kept her voice level but it carried such power that both Gravedigger and Hiroshi responded to it. “Stop this,” she hissed.
Hiroshi glanced quickly at her, trying to keep his attention on Gravedigger. “Put on the headset, my love. Use it to make her our slave!”
“No.” Pandora tossed the headset onto the table next to the ETD. She drew her sword and smiled, looking more genuinely happy than Hiroshi had ever seen her. “I will settle this the proper way. When she’s dead, we can take care of the President.”
“I command you!” Hiroshi bellowed and in his sudden anger at having his directives ignored, he took his eye off the deadly woman before him.
Gravedigger struck, whipping her sword towards Hiroshi. He detected the motion, automatically twisting away from her, but it was still a terrible blow. While his life had been saved, his body had been grievously wounded. The blade had struck his midsection, tearing open a vivid gash that leaked copious amounts of blood.
Hiroshi dropped his sword and grabbed hold of his stomach with both hands. He could feel his intestines falling forward and he struggled to keep them in place. “No… This can’t happen,” he whispered. He coughed, nearly losing hold of his insides as he did so, and tiny dots of blood suddenly spraying over his lips.
Pandora wasn’t concerned. Though she had yet to make up her mind about whether or not she should cut Hiroshi loose, his injuries at present were not so bad that he couldn’t be saved. She had learned many healing arts over the centuries and what she couldn’t repair, she was willing to bet that the marvels of modern science could. Thus, she said nothing as Hiroshi fell to his knees and began a slow, bloody crawl towards her.
Gravedigger dropped into a fighting crouch, sword at the ready. “You’ve lived a very long time,” the masked woman said. “Are you really sure you want to die today?”
Pandora attacked, having learned long ago that wasting words only expended precious energy during battle.
The two women’s blades clanged together, forming a symphony of violent music. Again and again they parried and thrust, each time blocked by the actions of the other.
Like mirror versions of one another, Pandora and Gravedigger seemed to sense the moves of their opponent. For several moments, neither of them scored a hit on the other, and the only sounds to be heard were their harsh breathing and the metallic ringing of their blades.
It was finally Pandora that made the first mistake. Her body, though quite fit, was not used to this kind of exertions. The muscles that had once belonged to Locke were aching and her body was coated in a fine sheen of sweat.
She took a step back, lost her footing, and suddenly found herself unable to block the next sweep of Gravedigger’s sword. The blade dug into her right shoulder, sending a shock of pain through her entire body. Though she was used to discomfort, the body itself was not, and she felt it seize up in response.
Gravedigger, sensing her opponent’s weakness, drove her blade straight against Pandora’s torso. The blade passed through a section of her waist but missed anything vital. Even so, Pandora was now in serious trouble.
Relishing the adrenaline that was flowing through her and temporarily numbing the worst of the pain, Pandora struck back with an elbow that caught Gravedigger on the chin. Fighting with extra passion born of her knowledge that she was near defeat, Pandora managed to drive Gravedigger back a few steps. She then whirled and ran towards the rear exit, knowing that it would open on a small parking garage where Hiroshi’s private car was parked.
GRAVEDIGGER SAW PANDORA fleeing and took off after her. By the time she sprinted into the garage, she saw that the gate had been opened. The car was still there, prompting her to wonder if Pandora’s unfamiliarity with modern technology prevented her from driving.
Droplets of blood on the ground allowed Gravedigger to follow Pandora’s path, however. The immortal had fled through the gate and from there had vanished into a hailed taxi.
Cursing under her breath, Gravedigger returned to the interior of Blair House, intending to finish off the injured men within. She came to an abrupt halt when she came face-to-face with Hiroshi, however.
The once handsome Japanese man was on his feet, his intestines hanging loose from his ruined midsection. He was near death, a glassy stare having settled into his eyes. Atop his head, however, was the strange headset that went with Potter’s device.
“I’m not strong enough to use this the way Pandora would have,” he wheezed. “But I bet I’ll be able to hurt you… badly.” He grinned, showing bloodstained teeth. “I hope this kills you, you bitch!” A fine mist of blood accompanied each word.
Tensing herself for whatever was about to come, Gravedigger raised her crossbow. She never fired it, however, as Hiroshi activated the device before she could activate the wrist controls.
Rather than projecting his psychic force, the ETD merely sparked and then burst into flame. The feedback ran straight into the headset, frying Hiroshi’s head. His flesh peeled away from the skull and the smell of cooked skin made Gravedigger retch.
Professor Potter had indeed remembered what was truly important, just as he’d told Hiroshi. His sabotage had also been the reason he’d been more than glad to be dismissed before the machine’s activation.
Gravedigger stood in the room, surrounded by death, for a long moment before she began to plan her own escape. Though shots had been fired, she doubted anyone had heard them over the steady din of traffic and voices. Nevertheless, she had no desire to remain here for any longer than was necessary.
Pandora had escaped but her allies were all defeated, their plans in ruins. Gravedigger supposed that she’d have to consider this day to be a victory but until her Other was defeated once and for all, it would be hard to feel that way.
PANDORA SAGGED BACK in the rear of the taxi, hissing as she flexed her injured shoulder. She was bleeding a good bit, even though she’d torn the bottom of her skirt and tied the cloth tightly around her wounds in a failed attempt at staunching the flow.
“Lady, you sure you don’t want me to take you the hospital?”
Pandora saw the cabbie had twisted his body around and was eyeing her with open concern. “I’d prefer it if you kept your eyes on the road.”
“Whatever you say,” he muttered, turning away. “But I’m gonna have to charge you extra for ruining the seats.”
“I will pay whatever you ask,” she said, making the mental decision to learn how to drive as soon as possible. Until she was able to do that, she was forced to make use of fools like these. The man’s mind and soul were awash with Sin. She could sense Lust, Greed and Sloth warring for dominion over him.
“So where to? It’s your dime but I can’t keep driving around aimlessly forever.”
“The airport.”
“Will do.”
Pandora closed her eyes, allowing her strained body to gain some respite by sleeping. Her dreams were troubled, filled not only with visions of her own mistake in releasing the demons but her inability to defeat Gravedigger. She burned with shame over abandoning Hiroshi even though she claimed to have no real feelings for him.
When the car came to a stop, she sat up and slipped from the back of the car. The cabbie got out, too, watching her closely. She fumbled with a wad of money that Hiroshi had given her, shoving a handful of it into the driver’s hand. It was obviously too much but she didn’t care. She just wanted him gone.
After staggering into a restroom, Pandora cleaned herself up as best as she could. She had to get out of the city as quickly as possible, before Gravedigger tracked her down. The woman would not quit. Of that, Pandora was certain.