MINA [#Wattys2014]

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

"Get up Tank, please get up!" She prodded him relentlessly, hoping that her persistence would succeed in bringing him around because she had nothing else at her disposal. What she wouldn’t give for smelling salts right now. But that was wishful thinking and she had no time for wishful thinking, just quick and sound action.

Marty was getting closer and the fear was causing the blood in her ears to sing loudly. If she didn’t remember to breathe soon she was going to pass out, then what good would she be to either of them?

She prodded him some more and was rewarded with another groan.

The missile had been a metal crowbar thrown with such perfect precision and aimed at the back of Tank's head. Now he lay groaning but not quite conscious, with Marty only fifty paces away...and decreasing.

"Tank!" she screamed and tried to pull him out of the way.

Marty was moving faster and the distance was decreasing between them just as quickly as she watched wide-eyed.

She almost missed it but there it was again. She saw Tank's eyelids flutter.

"Move Tank, Move! Move Now!"

Marty seemed to realize that Tank was coming around because he picked up speed and now he was running towards them full throttle. She struggled to rise to her feet then tried to help Tank to his. He was so large and heavy though somehow she managed but only barely.

Then Marty was upon them.

He threw her aside and brought Tank down to his knees in one motion. Not giving Tank a chance to recover he wrapped his hands around his throat and squeezed hard.

"You Son of a bitch! She's mine! You can't take what's mine!"

"Sh...shheee...does...doesn't...beelong to...you." Tank struggled. With each syllable he gasped for the breath that would not come. And already weakened and in a state of disorientation, he could only make feeble swipes at Marty.

His words and his actions only succeeded in enraging Marty further and caused him to squeeze harder. He looked down into Tank's face as Tank's eyes began to bulge and from experience, having done this so many times before, he could tell that the boy was very close to blacking out. As soon as he had him under control he’d deal with them both.

Mina, who had been struggling in the semi-darkness to recover the fallen crowbar, released her bated breath as she wrapped her fingers around the handle. She moved as well as she could towards the figures of both men and as soon as she got close enough to her target, without hesitation she swung.

All Tank registered was that suddenly he could breathe and he gulped at the oxygen greedily. It was true; one doesn’t really appreciate how precious something is until you’ve lost it for so long. The dancing spots began to clear from his eyes and it was at that moment he saw Marty pull the blade from the waist of his pants. The Ka-Bar 2-1212-3 Black Fighting Knife Combo Edge Blade. The very same one he had used on all the others. The one he intended to use on HIS Mina. He was down and a bit out of it but the rage caused the blood to roar in his ears and cleared his mind just enough.

Apparently the blow Mina delivered had only been enough to temporarily distract Marty. And she wished that she could find the strength and the courage to hit him again. But she was so tired and it was taking her last reserves to not sag to the ground.

Mina watched as Marty's crazed eyes fixated on her, "Why Mina? I love you."

Mina whimpered and tried to back away when her eyes settled on the blade. He’d showed it to her so many times. Told her the stories of how he’d used it on the others…how he planned to use it on her…no…

He stared down at the knife in his hands then back at her face, "I would never hurt you Mina. I love you..."

He had only managed to take two steps towards her before he was bowled over by the huge charging mass which was Tank. Mina slinked out of the way just in time to avoid the falling bodies and could only watch as they tussled on the ground, fighting for the upper-hand. She didn’t want to look but she found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the scene.

She was vaguely aware that the knife had fallen, but was too far away for her to reach. Would she be able to reach it in time? She knew Tank was strong, but Marty was being driven by a different kind of crazed obsession that she knew made him capable of things she couldn’t even begin to imagine. And those she could perceive made her cringe inwardly. Was this how it was going to always be…forever cowering at the mere thought of him? Her future didn’t look very promising at all.

Tank was on top now, his knees pinned the other man down as he punched him in the face repeatedly. Marty howled and screeched like a wounded animal, thrashing and bucking, trying to escape Tank's hold and throw him off, but unable to do so. Tank's fist connected with Marty's face over and over again and then there was no missing the sickening crunch which was the sound of Marty's nose breaking. The sound he made almost drove Mina to pity him. Almost. But this was an animal without pity, so he deserved none from her or anyone else. He’d done far, far worse to more innocent than his twisted mind could ever make himself out to be.

"That's for everything that you did to her, you sick bastard!"

Marty only howled as Tank continued to hit him where he knew that it would hurt. The broken nose.

Then it was too late before Mina registered that Marty's groping fingers had found their targeted destination. The knife was already in his hand before she was able to scream her warning to Tank. But she screamed never the less.

Tank however had seen the blade just in time to deflect it. He wrestled with the killer's hand as Marty fought to bring the knife to Tank's neck. It was an effort to force the knife back down and the tug-o-war seemed capable of going both ways. But with a last execution of strength Tank brought his hand down along with the knife and embedded it in his neck. It cut just like butter.

Marty gasped and spluttered as the blood flowed freely, coating the knife and preventing him from getting a firm grip on the hilt. He tried in vain to pull it out.

Watching as he struggled without success, Tank crawled off him then moved as quickly as he could to Mina's side. She was cowering in fear and disbelief at the sight of what had just taken place.

He reached out and brushed her hair away from her face as he asked, "Are you alright?"

Before Mina could answer however, the sound of a gun clicking as the hammer was pulled back and a bullet dropped into the chamber was loud enough to echo throughout the entire room.

"If I can't have her no one will!" the dying man rasped as he aimed the barrel of the gun at Mina's chest. If she’d thought him crazy before she’d made a sad mistake. He was dying it was almost morbidly comical to see him. The knife protruding at a weird angle from his neck…and yet she could see it in his eyes that he truly meant to take her with him. Despite knowing his intentions, Mina found that she was grounded to the spot…just like in her dreams. Death was slowly creeping towards her and she could do nothing to hinder it’s kiss or protect herself…was this truly going to be the end? To have come this far only to die now?

Tank saw that Mina was frozen and didn’t give himself time to think as the gun went off.

Time seemed to stand still for everyone as he only just managed to step in front of Mina, effectively blocking her from the path of the bullet.

Marty's eyes opened wide as the realization of his failed attempt dawned on him...

...and so they stayed as the gun fell from his hand and clattered to the ground. Then he fell.

Fate had screwed him over after all…once and for all...

Tank fell not moments later...