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And I’m stuck on this roof with him with my pesky mortality.
Working help me.
Hearing Lazarus approach my hiding spot, I run to the other side of the unit. Rounding a corner, I’m momentarily safe from Lazarus’s bullets. And I get an eyeful of Raptor.
I know it’s Raptor because I’ve seen this motherfucker in my visions, and Shep described him from Bernard’s point of view. He’s at the edge of the roof, standing on the barrier wall with his back to me, as if he’s preparing to nosedive off the building. In the wind, his black cape flaps, and black hair whips around his head.
The cloud of birds Target warned me about swarms him. Surrounded by squawking crows, his cape snaps out and changes shape. I swear on my life, that damn cape becomes massive, feathered wings. And when I say massive, I mean,mass-ive.The span from tip to tip is twenty feet if it’s an inch.
Escorted by his birds, he leaps from the roof, and he doesn’t fall. He flies. Those huge wings scoop the air and take him toward the Mississippi. And there goes my chance to end his sorry existence.
A shot hits me in the back while I’m mourning the loss of my vengeance. Thank the Working it hit my ballistic vest. Still feels like I took a major-league baseball bat to the ribs, but I manage to gather my wits and dive around the next corner of the unit.
Me and Lazarus are playing a deadly game of ring-around-the-rosie, but the game is stacked. He’s got the advantage, because he can’t die.
Which means, I’m toast.
But I’m not going down without a fight. I’ll put as many holes in this asshole as possible and make him chase me all over this roof. I’ll fight ’til I have no rounds left, and then I’ll fight some more. For Jud. For Cora.
Spinning around, I take aim at the place Lazarus will appear when he rounds the corner. As soon as he shows his ugly face, I fire directly at it.
It’s a hit! I blow a hole through the bridge of the guy’s nose, and right before my eyes, the bloody recess seals itself. All that’s left is a dribble of half-clotted red, making it look like he’s had a nosebleed.
We continue to parry, me ducking behind roof equipment, him pursuing me, me shooting holes through him, him instantly healing those holes. We’ve worked half-way around the roof when I run out of ammo.
Crouching, I reload quick as I can, but I’m not fast enough.
A round rips through my shoulder. Another explodes through my thigh. Lazarus has figured out I’m wearing a vest. He’s going for my vulnerable spots.
My adrenaline’s so high, I don’t feel the pain yet. But my body knows it’s hurt and hurt bad. I can’t get my leg to work, and my gun arm is useless.
“You can’t win,” he says, grinning from ear to ear as he closes in on me. His eyes blaze with the kind of madness that comes from unchecked power. “Neither could Raptor.”
“The fuck are you talking about?” I spit out between clenched teeth. I’m still trying to reload, but my fingers are shaking. “I just saw that motherfucker fly off the roof.”
Vaguely, I’m aware of the chopper pursuing Raptor in the distance. There’s an explosion, but I’m more focused on the here and now. These are most likely my last minutes. It’s my greatest honor to spend them defending my brother and leader. And my woman. Precious Cora. My Heart.
She’ll never fall into Raptor’s hands. Or this asshole’s hands. With the Working’s help, where I fail, my brothers will succeed. They’ll end these two and the rest of Raptor’s crew.
Lazarus is aiming his handgun at me, but he’s not firing. “Oh, yes. Raptor is alive and well.” He chuckles. “Well, at least alive. After a fashion. When he tried to curb my hobbies, you see, I had to take a stand. I killed him, just like I’m going to kill you. And then I raised him, just like I will raise you. And I made him my slave.”
“You sick motherfucker.”
His smile widens, showing maniacal teeth. “Yes, I am a ‘fucker.’ I fuck often. Unfortunately, the results of my handiwork—the‘mombies—'”With the hand not on his gun, he makes air quotes. “They don’t respond the way a true living female does. They don’t scream for me. They don’t fight. They just lay there like limp dishrags.” He tut-tuts. “So disappointing. It’s why I’ve decided to take the whore you share with your friends up north. Your heart, I believe you call her.”
I’m bleeding all over the roof, but his gloating makes me forget I’m wounded.
The Working gives me the strength to get on my feet.
Lazarus fires, but I make it behind the concrete stairwell in time to dodge the round.
When he clears the corner, I’m reloaded and ready to rock and roll. With my left hand, I fire four rounds into his face.“Pah-pah-pah-pah!”
His arms windmill in surprise, and I take advantage of his momentary disorientation. I lunge for him with my hunting knife drawn. My target is his throat. Let’s see how well he can heal if I slice him from ear to ear and make him bleed out before his body can heal.
But he’s too quick.
Even as his face is a mess of healing blood and gore, he raises his weapon and fires. And he hits me in the neck.
