Roen, they are going to kill you. Laura is close by; stop covering up and take her out!
Peering through his spread fingers, he saw that Laura was standing just a foot away, launching kick after kick at his head. Ignoring the blows, he wrapped his arms around both her knees and squeezed. She gawked in surprise as he lifted her up and slammed her to the floor. The crowd collectively gasped until Amber jumped over the booth and elbowed him in the side of the head. A burly older man joined in the melee. Roen blocked a punch and ducked another – before a hard kick to the chest sent him stumbling back.
They are closing off your escape. Get upstairs!
Roen glanced at the stairs and took off. His chest burned and he had trouble catching his breath; that last blow had knocked the wind out of him. The burly man moved to intercept him but was a second too late as Roen reached the stairs first.
By this time, the music had stopped and the bouncers were converging on the fight. One bouncer grabbed one of the girls by the waist and tried to restrain her until she kicked his shins and elbowed him in the face. Another bouncer suddenly collapsed face first, dropped by an unknown attacker. Several others were barreling through the crowds, knocking people over as they tried to reach Roen.
There must be at least a dozen of them.
Roen continued climbing up the stairs. When he reached the top, he bumped into the chest of a large man blocking his path. The man was bald and very muscular – and he had several scars on his face. He gripped his massive hand around Roen’s throat and pinned him against the railing.
Marc! Be wary of him. Watch out for his elbow strikes. He is also very strong.
“My God! His grip… is like steel. He’s… choking me.”
“Hello, Tao,” Marc growled. “Where do you think you’re going?” He pulled a fist back, ready to pummel Roen. Suddenly two bouncers from the club jumped on top of Marc, trying to wrestle him down. With a snarl, Marc grabbed one bouncer with his free hand and threw him over the railing. The man screamed as he flipped over to the floor below. Marc turned his attention to the other bouncer and head-butted him. The bouncer staggered backward, and Marc finished him off with a kick that sent the bouncer tumbling down the stairs.
Roen took advantage of the distraction, slipped out of Marc’s grip, and threw several punch combinations. It felt like striking thick slabs of meat. Roen retreated, holding his wrist.
“Ow, my hand! What is this guy made of?”
Tougher stuff than you. Feint high, strike low. An image of Sonya performing one of her attacks popped into his mind.
Marc turned to him and snarled. Roen threw a left jab and a right hook, followed by a low kick, hoping to take the man’s legs from under him.
“A man who cannot stand cannot fight,” Sifu Lin often quoted.
Marc moved surprisingly quickly for such a large man, blocking the jab and dodging the right hook. The kick struck his shin though with a satisfying crunch. The only effect, however, was a barely noticeable stumble in Marc’s step. He retaliated. Roen dodged the first few, but subsequently collapsed under the barrage of punches. The man hit like a tank.
“I had expected more from you, Tao,” Marc said, standing over him. “Your new host is no Blair.” He raised his fist to finish Roen off just as a beer bottle flew through the air and struck Marc in the face, exploding into small fragments. He snarled in pain and staggered backward, blood dripping down the side of his face.
“Roen! Get out of here!” Antonio yelled, struggling with the crowds trying to escape the riot.
The room downstairs had degenerated into a full-blown riot. The Genjix were busy fighting several bouncers and club patrons at the same time – and winning. Bodies lay all over the floor as the dozen or so Genjix laid a path of destruction through the packed room.
Roen saw Laura strike one of the bouncers in the neck. The man collapsed, holding his throat and gasping for air. One of the Genjix swung a barstool in wide arcs, hitting anyone unfortunate enough to be in his way. Then he caught sight of Amber making a beeline toward him.
That was when Roen decided that enough was enough. He hated leaving Antonio down there, but he had to escape. He ran up the stairs as fast as he could. Most of the club patrons on the main floor were unaware of the riot below. Roen made his way toward the main door, pushing people out of his way as he approached the exit.
At the door, a bouncer with a headset stopped him. “Hey, you’re not going anywhere. We have the cops coming right now.”
Take him down!
Without hesitation, Roen threw a punch at the bouncer’s face. When the man tried to block the punch, Roen grabbed his forearm, pulling him off balance just enough for Roen to connect with a left hook into the bouncer’s ribs, followed by an uppercut that connected to his chin. The man dropped like a rock.
Good work. I see Lin’s training did not go to waste.
“He wasn’t an agent, just an average Joe.”
That had a size and reach advantage over you.
“I’m not that short.”
You are not that tall.
Roen burst out the door and scanned the streets. People milled around, some in line waiting to go into the club, while others waited for the valet. The cool night air was a shocking contrast to the humidity inside. Several people nearby pointed at his cuts and bloodstained clothing. In the distance, the sound of sirens became louder.
Time to make yourself scarce.
“Don’t have to tell me twice.”
Roen took off running, ignoring the people yelling at him to stop. He presumed that they were bouncers or worse, the Genjix. He rounded the corner on West Superior Street and headed east toward his car. As he turned, he glanced back at the club – just in time to see a small group of people run out. One of them saw him in the distance and they took off after him.
“Crap, they saw me.”
All that running and you cannot run any faster?
Roen ran faster than he had ever run in his life. Sheer panic gave him an unexpected rush of adrenaline, so that he no longer felt the aches and pains from the melee. It was impossible to get into the car and drive away before they reached him. He sped past it to the State Street intersection with the Genjix closing fast. He’d have to find a place to hide.
Ignoring the red light, Roen ran through the busy intersection and turned south onto the densely populated main street. While it was late, Chicago still teemed with night life. Patrons were streaming out of bars and clubs, trying to make their way home or elsewhere. This time, he did not bother looking back and instead tried to blend in with the crowds.
What are you planning to do?
“I might as well lead them on a wild goose chase and head back to my car after I lose them.”
Too risky. They might have someone watching it. You better leave it there.
“The Prophus must go through a lot of cars.”
Roen turned at every other corner and moved through different crowds, trying to make his movements as random as possible. He reached Michigan Avenue and headed south. It was nearly two in the morning, and the crowds had thinned out. He was tired and desperate to get home, yet the fear of the Genjix kept him moving.
“What should I do, Tao?”
Well, you are the mark, and the only way for you to know if you are still being followed is to know where the trackers are at. Protocol is to stop moving and try to locate them.