One of its two swords swung down as it jumped. Nina held her rifle aloft to block the strike. The Mutant’s double-edged weapon hammered into the composite barrel, saving Nina’s life but bending the rifle and sending her staggering backwards.
The Mutant landed on the floor in two heavy thumps and quickly slammed shut the front door, locking out any reinforcements
The vile creature stared along the aisle at Nina and used its massive maw to present a disgustingly wide smile. Its forked tongue slithered along its teeth in anticipation of another kill.
Nina examined her carbine. The bent barrel turned it from a powerful high-tech weapon into a fancy-looking club.
The Mutant drew its second sword and charged. Both of the deadly weapons swung at Nina. Her only defense was the broken frame of the M4.
The little girl dove between the pews as Nina backed away while desperately blocking two clumsy swings by her opponent. The M4 bent and warped even more-its usefulness as a club neared its end.
To her advantage, the Mutant did not fight like a skilled swordsman. It wielded the blades as if they were sharp clubs. No finesse. No style. Perhaps it had stolen the weapons from some unfortunate soul or alien but did not know how to use the blades properly.
Skilled or not, the Mutant aimed to split her in halves. It raised both blades high and hacked down. She held the deformed rifle up and blocked both blows in unison. With the swords against the rifle, the monster tried to out-muscle her, pushing to drive her to her knees.
Nina refused to kneel. The creature’s strength could not bend her to its will.
Frustrated, the Mutant changed tactics. In a surprisingly quick move, it pulled one sword away from the rifle and thrust at her. She twisted her hip sideways to dodge the stab. The tip of the sword ripped her pistol holster away and opened a gash in her pant leg. A solitary line of blood drizzled from the exposed flesh.
The Mutant pressed the attack, forcing Nina to retreat several steps. She managed to block one more blow with the broken carbine but the force of the swing knocked the dead rifle from her hands and off through the air.
Nina hopped backwards to avoid two more crescent strikes from her attacker. It smartly used a third weapon-one big booted leg-to kick her in the gut. She went sprawling and sliding along the floor to the base of the wooden banister near the altar.
The Mutant grinned again and closed in.
Nina reached to her utility belt as she staggered to her feet. With a flick of her wrist, a collapsible steel baton extended. She brought it forward barely in time to glance away a strike from one of the swords, but the baton wavered; it would not absorb much punishment.
The Mutant brought its second sword down in an overhead hack.
Nina threw herself over the banister.
Instead of splitting her skull as intended, the sword splintered into the wood of the railing.
Nina slammed her baton against the Mutant’s wrist as it tried to pull the blade free. She felt its bones there break like dry twigs.
The Mutant howled in pain, released the sword, and backed off.
Nina grabbed the weapon.
It was short and surprisingly light, not from a lack of density but perfectly crafted balance.
She never trained in fencing or sword fighting, but she did know how to use nightsticks, batons, and bayonets. Nina relied on that training as she went into battle with a new weapon.
The Mutant regained its composure and raised its remaining sword, but its blade wavered, as if it knew fear.
Nina attacked. Given their preference for easy prey, Mutants were not accustom to facing determined enemies; they preferred sheep.
Nina was a wolf.
It hissed as she sliced its shoulder. It responded, swinging its blade around to take her head off. She ducked and punched the creature’s gut. It felt like hitting a rolled carpet, but she did elicit a grunt of pain from the monster.
Nina stood again and jabbed toward its oversized mouth. The Mutant stepped off and brought its sword around in time to smash aside the blow.
They parried and plunged at one another as she chased him up the aisle.
The little girl peeked from the pews and watched in amazement.
Swords clanged as they met in mid air. Nina spun and brought a back fist to the creature’s tough jaw. It staggered.
She used the momentum of her spin to whip her weapon around again. The Mutant raised its sword and blocked the attack.
Surely, an experienced swordsman could have defeated Nina’s amateurish thrusts and strikes, but her warrior’s instincts kept her on the offensive. In her mind lived a natural battle computer considering moves and counter moves a step ahead of her opponent. Nina excelled as a warrior because of these instincts and the speed at which she calculated every tactic.
Frustrated and afraid, the Mutant fell back on its own natural weapon: blind aggression. It foolishly raised its sword with both hands with the aim of striking at her like a hammer, to push through any defense with pure strength and determination.
Nina closed in under the arc of the blow and sliced it in the gut.
The wounded beast hunched over and tottered forward.
Nina did not hesitate. She brought the blade again. And again. And again.
Just as it dropped to the floor, two church windows smashed and both Oliver Maddock and Carl Bly jumped inside.
They found Nina hovering over the slain body of the Mutant and the little girl gaping in amazement at the woman who had outfought the terrifying brute.
“Well ain’t you just all that,” Bly quipped.
“We thought you might need some help,” Maddock added.
Nina, panting heavily, glanced over at the little girl and winked.
“We got it covered, right, honey?”
She stuttered in search of the right words and then burst, “That was awesome!”
12. New Winnabow
Trevor stood on the second floor balcony. The August sun had descended below the mountains hours before and a thin vale of clouds obscured the stars. He heard the lapping of the lake water against the pillars of the boathouse dock.
“I can feel you out there. What are you waiting for?”
–
After viewing the scene in the cavern outside of Blacksburg, Trevor and his son had returned to the estate.
The new Emperor-a title that felt awkward but aptly described the role he had played for five years- increased the number of Internal Security at the estate. Eagle patrol ships cruised overhead while squads of both human and K9 soldiers searched for threats.
Ashley deteriorated into a nervous wreck. Her father-Benjamin Trump-stayed by her side constantly with JB never out of his mother’s or grandfather’s sight.
Adding to his troubles, Trevor received word of the delay along the coast in North Carolina. He ordered Shepherd to bribe the leaders of New Winnabow with food, clothing, and medicines to allow the army to pass, but they rebuffed every offer.
Trevor then investigated an alternative route, perhaps even backtracking toward Wilmington for Rt. 133.
