Alien vs. Alien

LaRue was heading. I didn’t really know why. I’d have thought the trees would have looked like inviting hiding places to someone, but apparently not. Fine, it would make it easier for me, and our side needed any break it could get.
    Took off at hyperspeed. I was one with the rage at this point, power flowing through me, not having to think about running fast, dodging nimbly, hitting hard, seeing far. I caught LaRue within two seconds.
    Slammed her into the ground, hit her face into the dirt a couple of times, flipped her over, and landed on her stomach with both knees.
    “Ooof!” She didn’t make any other noise, possibly because I’d knocked all the wind out of her.
    Pulled out my phone and selected the voice recorder. “Tell me who your contacts on Earth are.” She didn’t speak. I slapped her. “Tell me who your contacts on Earth are.” She glared at me. I leaned closer. “Tell me or I’ll kill you, right now. I’ve killed plenty of evil people by now, more than I think you know about. Killing you won’t make up for even one of the innocents who died here today. But it’ll be a good start. So talk . . . or die.”
    I heard a gun cock and felt something hard at the back of my head. “I don’t think LaRue needs to cooperate with a traitor, Missus ÀusMartini.”
    “Speaking of traitors, Cantu, I was wondering when you’d show up.” I slid my thumb on my phone from voice recorder to main menu. Hit the speed dial button and hoped he was in a position to answer. “So, were you the captain in Paraguay or Paris?”
    “Paraguay, of course. South America is my turf, so to speak. Stand up slowly with your hands up.”
    Held my phone so that he couldn’t see the face. “So, Esteban Cantuof the Central Intelligence Agency, how long have you been conspiring with extraterrestrials known as the Z’porrah and known traitors and terrorists Clarence Valentino, LaRue Demorte Gaultier, Ronaldo Al Dejahl, and possibly the remnants and new beginnings of Club Fifty-One to overthrow Earth and take over?”
    Cantu laughed. “I’m here to broker our surrender to a more powerful force. For the good of the country and the world, of course.”
    “Of course. But you didn’t answer my very specific question. I just want to be sure that I’m hating you for the right reasons.”
    “And not because you hope that you’ll be able to catch me in a confession? I’m disappointed in you.”
    “As much as you’re disappointed in Senator Armstrong?”
    “Some people don’t like to get their hands dirty.”
    “Unlike you.”
    “I do what needs to be done. Carefully.”
    My back was still to Cantu, so I couldn’t tell how close the gun was to my head. Hyperspeed did nothing for you if the bullet hit, and at this range, he wasn’t likely to miss.
    Had a good view of LaRue, though. Between our little scuffle and what the Peregrines had done, she wasn’t looking too good. “Kill her, Esteban,” she said as she struggled to her feet. “And let’s get this moving.” She was in front of me but just too far away for me to grab.
    “I agree. Good-bye, Missus Martini. Unlike all the rest of the people you’ve faced, I have no ego attached to gloating about having bested you. Power and survival are the best revenge.”
    I dropped to the ground as the gunshot rang out.

    Yi

CHAPTER 98

    H IT THE GROUND, ROLLED, flipped to my feet, and landed in a fighting crouch. Did this all at hyperspeed, which was why I was still amazingly alive to channel Bruce Lee.
    But Cantu wasn’t paying attention to me anymore. He was looking at LaRue, and his expression was shocked.
    I looked at LaRue, too. She had a bullet in her brain. I could tell because there was a hole in her forehead, her eyes were wide with surprise, and she was falling backward in what seemed like slow motion.
    Apparently we were all suƀarprised. I recovered from the shock the quickest. Well, LaRue wasn’t going to recover from anything anymore. But I tackled Cantu as LaRue’s body hit the ground.
    Didn’t go for anything fancy, just broke the wrist that was holding his gun. He screamed. I shoved his gun away out of his reach but where I could still see it. Then I backhanded him.
    “Who else is involved in this?” He didn’t answer. “Tell me or I’ll break the other wrist. And that’s just for starters.”
    “You . . . won’t,” he said between gritted teeth. “You don’t . . . work like that.”
    A man’s shoe stepped onto Cantu’s broken wrist.