Deathbites

'That depends on whether you've bothered to get enough intelligence. Do you know when whoever you want will be there?'

'You doubt my ability to do things properly?' Jishin raged.

'After the last fiasco...' Lyons replied with a shrug.

'Teach him some manners, now,' Jishin commanded Nogi.

The karate instructor glided to the centre of the dojo and motioned to Lyons.

'All this crap because I recommend the use of basic strategy,' Lyons bitched as he sauntered toward the sensei.

Lyons was to be made an example for all those under Nogi's guidance. The idea was to make the beating short, swift, savage. Later, when there was no one to see, the victim could be killed and disposed of. The class would be told that he was too ashamed to come back.

Nogi faked a blow to the head and drove his foot toward the Able Team member's crotch. Lyons's closed fist connected with the shin bone with enough force to spin Nogi on his one foot, deflecting the front kick to one side.

Nogi backed up very quickly and stood for a moment, sizing up his disciple. Lyons stood waiting. He adopted no particular stance, deliberately looking casual, but his weight was well distributed and he was ready to react instantly. Lyons knew that he had one small advantage to offset Nogi's lifetime of training. Nogi was forced to bring the fight to him.

'You would dare to strike your sensei!'Nogi said, his voice indicating that no one in his right mind would do such a thing.

'Of course I'll try to defend myself if the bastard attacks me,' Lyons spat.

'It's hopeless,' Nogi told him.

'Get on with it,' Jishin commanded from the sidelines.

'You always listen to that stupid old lady?' Lyons asked.

Nogi answered by advancing one long pace at a time, flashing out a kick or a punch with each step forward. It would have been deadly, but Lyons stepped sideways or backward each time Nogi came forward. He retreated twenty feet. None of the blows connected. Someone snickered.

Angrily, Nogi increased his forward charge. Lyons delivered a short uppercut with his right fist to Nogi's elbow, causing the karate master's blow to go high in the air. Lyons's left fist slammed into the exposed ribs with the impact of a HE grenade. Ribs cracked.

Again Lyons did not try to press his advantage. He was out of the fight and away before one of Nogi's killer fists or feet could launch another blow.

The karate instructor was no longer a coolheaded adversary. He was losing face, and anger and humiliation combined to push him into desperate maneuvers. He rushed forward with a flurry of front kicks.

Lyons backpedaled, leaving Nogi to kick hell out of empty space. The tempo increased. A lifetime of practice meant that Nogi could move forward kicking faster than the big blond could backpedal.

Lyons suddenly reversed direction, plowing straight into the instructor between kicks. He landed a hard blow to the chest. In return he received an elbow smash that sent him reeling. Nogi waited until Lyons staggered away the right distance. Then the foot flew up again. If it had connected with the plexus where it was aimed, it would have killed. However, Lyons managed to twist. The kick glanced off his ribs, sending him whirling like a top.

Lyons knew he would not have time to recover his balance, so he harnessed his circular motion and spun back into the battle. He twisted past a flashing foot and landed a light blow to the side of Nogi's neck. Lyons stood, his body pressing against the terrorist's, his arms working like driving pistons on an engine. Nogi was blocking the constant rain of body blows, but could not free an arm to strike back, nor could he lift a leg to kick. If a leg came off the floor, the force of the blows would have upset the Japanese karateka.

Nogi went low to the ground, his feet braced so that he was stable and difficult to upset. Then he exploded upward. Lyons was pushed back, once more fighting for his balance. Nogi moved in immediately, snapping punches.

Lyons found himself covering up, trying to backpedal, but forever off balance. He finally managed to fall back into a deep cat stance, most of his weight on his left leg. Up to this point, Lyons had given no indication that he too was a shotokankarate black belt. He had fought like a street-wise tough, but street methods were only good for their surprise value.

Before Nogi could recognize Lyons's trained stance, the terror fighter's left foot flashed up in a high front kick that smashed the instructor back three steps before he fell on his ass.

Nogi was caught by surprise. He had made the fatal error of underestimating the man he fought. The moment it took Nogi to readjust his thinking was the time it took Lyons to move forward and snap another kick into Nogi's chest. The sound of breaking bones could be heard.

Nogi did his best to roll away from the assault. His broken ribs slowed him down. Before he could get his foot under him, another kick rolled him farther. Then a roundhouse kick to the side of the head jarred him almost into unconsciousness. With an effort that came from deep conditioning, rather than from conscious thought, Nogi managed to wrap one arm around the flashing leg and hang on. The fighters found themselves tangled on the floor.

Nogi tried for a short, hard punch to Lyons's crotch. He succeeded only in bruising the side of the thigh. The leg that he had hit flew up and caught him in the face. Before Nogi could recover, large arms had wrapped around his head, forcing it painfully to one side.

Lyons risked a quick glance at Jishin. She had recovered her calm and was watching the fight with clinical interest.

'Finish him,' she said.

Before Lyons could react to the order, one way or the other, Nogi made a desperate bid to break the killing hold. He kicked both feet in the air and twisted his body to relieve the pressure on his neck and spine. Lyons moved both arms toward the floor in a quick, sudden motion. Nogi did not twist in time. His neck snapped.

Lyons immediately released the head and stood up slowly, wondering where the next attack would come from.

Jishin sighed.

'I should have recognized your quality and taken on your discipline myself. We are even. You insulted me by severely underestimating my ability and I insulted you by doing the same.'

Lyons nodded. The words meant nothing to him, but if she chose to talk rather than have all her killers close in on him, that was fine.

'I understand you have taken over gun instruction.'

Lyons nodded again.

'Do you also want the post of unarmed combat instructor? You seem to have proven your ability in that department as well.'

'Depends,' Lyons answered.

'On what?'

'On two things. What does it pay? And what are you going to do about my suggestion that you get more intelligence before you act. It was bad enough when I was worried about my own neck. But if I'm responsible for training these people, I don't want them thrown away.'

It was a good speech. The others in the dojo felt that Lyons was looking out for them. He was winning their minds from Jishin. She was no fool. She could see that clearly.

'Salary is something to be discussed in private,' she answered. 'But your other point does you credit. Just the fact that you are willing to speak up in defense of those who have been put in your charge, makes you much more valuable to me. Exactly what do you suggest we do?'

Lyons was surprised by her political adroitness. She moved to the side of protecting the troops without appearing to have moved at all.

'I suggest someone go to Elwood Industries and find out whether this Lao Ti is there.'

'Then do it. We will continue this meeting when you get back.'

Lyons turned to go.

'Take your partner,' Jishin told him. 'We always use the buddy system when scouting.'