Her heart hammered wildly as sherealized how close she’d come to falling. Cadmus turned toward thecliff edge to check Michio’s progress. Toemeka spun away andstarted running. She heard him right behind her and sprinted forward,wanting to give Michio enough time to reach the top. He grabbed afistful of her hair and her head jerked backwards and she stumbled toa stop, panting for breath.
“Let her go!” Michio yelledas he scrambled onto the top of the ledge. Cadmus put a knife toToemeka’s throat and turned to face his enemy. Her knees felt weakas the cold steel touched her skin.
“Throw down your weapon or I’llslit her throat,” Cadmus growled.
Michio tossed down his blaster.
“He’s bluffing,” Toemekacried.
Cadmus tightened his arm aroundher chest. “I’d rather you were dead than belong to another man.”
“And I’d rather be dead thanbelong to you!” Toemeka spat.
“Start down, Kimes, or I’llkill her.”
Michio lowered himself over theside. Something inside Toemeka snapped as she saw him disappear fromview. She grabbed the knife blade with her left hand and with herright pushed Cadmus’ hand away from her throat. The knife cut intoher palm as she continued struggling against Cadmus.
“Let go of the knife!” Cadmusexclaimed.
“So you can slit my throat?”
“I’d never kill you.”
Panting in frightened gasps, shesaid, “Why should I believe you?”
“You haven’t much choice. Whydon’t we both let go of the knife at the same time?”
She hesitated a moment, thennodded tightly. She released the blade, but kept her right hand overhis on the handle.
Together they threw it to theground. Cadmus reached down to pick it up and Toemeka kicked him inthe side of the knee. He cursed and reached for her and she punchedhim in the nose. He slugged her hard in the stomach. She collapsed onthe ground in agony.
Michio climbed onto the ledge afew feet from them. Cadmus charged at him. The two men fought at thecliff edge, exchanging a series of blows, as Toemeka gasped for air.
Michio chopped Cadmus in the sideof his head, then swept his leg into the side of Cadmus’ leg.Cadmus’ leg buckled. He cried out as he lost his balance andtumbled over the ledge. He screamed as he plunged toward the groundfar below.
Michio squatted beside Toemekaand drew her into his arms. She burst into tears, shakinguncontrollably. He kissed her and she held tightly onto him. His armsfelt safe and strong, easing her distress.
“You’re bleeding, sweetheart.Let me see your hand.” He cradled her injured left hand in his.Blood flowed from the cut across her palm. He wrapped hishandkerchief around it and tied it securely.
“We’d better get back toBaymond.” She wiped the tears off her cheeks. “I left him in hisbaby carrier, hanging from a branch.” Then a terrible thoughtstruck her and she scrambled to her feet in a panic. “What ifCadmus isn’t dead? What if he hears Baymond crying and hurts him?”
“Cadmus couldn’t survive sucha fall.” To be sure, Michio stepped closer to the edge and lookeddown. “He’s dead. How’d you beat me to the top of the cliff?”
“I climbed up a crevice. It’llbe the best place to climb down as well.” She led him to it.
“Can you climb with an injuredhand?”
She looked down at theblood-soaked handkerchief. Her hand was throbbing and her stomachstill ached from being slugged. “I don’t have a choice; ourbaby’s down there.”
“I’ll go down first. If youslip, I’ll block your fall.” He climbed into the crevice and wentdown six feet before looking up at her. She backed over the edge andstarted down, using her right hand and left forearm.
“Are you all right?” Michioasked.
“Just keep moving.”
Toemeka hated the slow decent forshe wanted to get to Baymond as soon as possible. As soon as Michiohit the ground, he reached up and grasped Toemeka around the waist,lifting her down beside him. She looked over at the base of the cliffwhere Cadmus’ bloodied broken body lay sprawled on the ground. Shehalf-expected him to jump up and charge at her. “Are you sure he’sdead?”
Michio walked over and checkedthe body. “He’s dead all right.”
“Thank God.” She ran into thewoods and over to Baymond, still asleep in the carrier.
Michio arrived moments later. Helifted the carrier off the branch and put it on his back.
“Let’s find Erling,” hesaid. “He may need our help. I saw flashes of light coming fromthat direction.” He pointed east.
Before long they entered a deepgorge ten feet across at the base. Rainwater started pouring down thesides of the rock walls in small waterfalls and soon they wereslogging through water. Rounding a bend, they saw Erling and Zantonoff in the distance. They were fighting with death swords.
“Stay here with Baymond,”Michio said.
Toemeka helped remove the babycarrier from Michio’s back. Baymond began crying and she lifted himinto her arms. .
“Shh, don’t cry, little one.”Toemeka held Baymond close and began swaying back and forth to calmhim. “Mommy will take care of you.” Blood from her injured handstained his clothes.
“Stay back,” Michio said.“I’m not sure what kind of powers Zanton has.”
“I will.”
His intense green eyes staredinto hers. “Promise me no matter what happens, you’ll stay out ofthis fight.”
Their eyes locked and she nodded.“I promise I’ll stay here with Baymond, no matter what.”
Michio drew her and the cryingbaby close. “Thank you. I don’t want to worry about you andBaymond while Erling and I fight Zanton.”
Michio released her and startedtoward the fighting men. Toemeka held Baymond to her heart as shewaded through the water to wait under a rock overhang.
***
Michio hurried down the gorge,relieved his spirited wife had agreed to stay out of the fight. Whenhe reached Erling and Zanton, Erling called out, “It’s my fight,Mich.”
Through the driving rain, Michiowatched the two men fencing in rainwater that had risen over theirshoes. He moved closer, not willing to let Erling die for the sake ofhonor, bravery, revenge or whatever other reason Erling might havefor wanting to fight Zanton one-on-one.
In a flash Zanton’s swordopened like a pair of scissors. Erling snapped opened his own deathsword in a similar fashion, slid his blades between Zanton’s andgave a sharp twist. The sword flew out of Zanton’s hand anddisappeared into the water.
“It’s over, Zanton,”
