The sounds of his heart made everything seem unreal and unworldly and he wondered if he was going into shock.
"No," the voice reassured him. "That's going to happen AFTER they get started."
Jacob heard the protracted lisp of Connor's blade as it came free of its sheath again, mixed with the hum of a Claymore coming to life. Gray's custom Mutilator fist buzzed from the side but it was the sound of something moving behind them that caught his attention as he tried to sit up.
A silver line cut horizontally out of the darkness from behind Connor and ended in a loud clunk. His head jerked sideways, spraying bloody chunks, as he sagged forward onto his knees and the silver line came down on him again. It cracked hollowly against the back of his neck and he flopped face forward into the floor. It was Bull and his bat, trying to play the hero.
Jacob lunged backwards, straining for the pistol under the sink when Malcolm shoved past the others to get at him. His Claymore blurred down, chopping into the sink with a screech as it tried to bite through. Terrified, Jacob scrambled back further and kicked out like he was pedaling and connected with something soft. Although he couldn't see the Frother's face, he heard him yelp and saw the Claymore bounce across the tiles. Wasting no time, Jacob lunged back again for the pistol but didn't get far.
Fingers tightened on his leg and pulled him back with a jerk just before he could grab the pistol's grip. It was the Frother again and Jacob saw the man grabbing for a boot knife as he pulled him forward, so he kicked out with the other foot. This time, he struck high and caught the little bastard squarely in the face. It took two kicks to knock Malcolm loose, and Jacob lunged back under the sinks to get at the pistol. His heart was in his throat and he fought the urge to scream.
He heard the sounds of fighting as Gray and Bull traded blows. There was the sound of the bat hitting meat and the hiss of the Mutilator against the bat' s aluminum. A scream that sounded like Bull's followed, but Jacob wasn't overly concerned. If the two killed each other, that would be fine with him as long as he didn't die too.
Jacob found the pistol, ripping it clear of the tape just as something grabbed his leg and pulled him back. It was Connor, and Jacob's stomach tightened as he saw the man's face. The left eye was an empty bloody socket and his face was warped as he bared his teeth like an animal. Pink froth dribbled from his chin and the big knife was clutched in a bloody hand under his chest. The man huffed and spat as he tugged on his leg, pulling himself closer.
Jacob's kicked out frantically, hitting Connor twice in the chin without getting a reaction. He kept staring at him with that empty socket as he huffed and pulled himself up higher to pin his legs.
"GRAB THE FUCKING GUN AND SHOOT THIS PIECE OF SHIT!" Bull yelled and Jacob flinched, realizing he had dropped the pistol. Frantically, he flailed to find it and came up empty.
Another tug and the weight of Connor's barrel chest moved higher and Jacob bucked. Something rattled to the left of his head and he strained for it when he saw the pistol's profile.
"SHOOT THIS WHITE MOTHER FUCKER, NOW HARM!"
Connor moved up higher, dribbling slobber and blood onto his jacket. Panicking, Jacob flailed for the pistol again and heard it rattle away across the tiles.
"Gonna fu-fu-fuckin c-cut your heart out!" Connor lisped, now nearly on his chest. The smell of ruin and blood was heavy on his breath and Jacob nearly retched. He tried to scream, but the fear choked it in his throat.
"The other gun," the voice said, somehow cutting through the static of his fear. "Grab the OTHER gun!"
In desperation, Jacob shoved his thumbs into Connor's eye/eye socket and the enforcer yelled and shifted upward. With a push, Jacob was on top jerked the pistol out of the man's waistband as he fell backwards.
"SHOOT HIM!" Bull yelled again, pain and desperation evident in his voice. The screech of metal on metal drowned under the sound of Jacob's heart.
Kicking away, he pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. He stared, dumbfounded until he realized he had to cock it and take off the safety. He jerked the slide back and took aim as Connor began to rise. The weapon let out a sharp crack that stung Jacob's ears and he fired two more times, the rounds hitting the enforcer's face and chest. Blood and bone splattered across the wallpaper and tiles and the big man sank down and fell over.
"SHIT, HARM'S GOTTA GUN!" another voice yelled and Jacob recognized it as Malcolm. The look of surprise on the little bastard's face was tangible and Jacob pulled the trigger. A tile to the right of the small man popped apart and he cursed as stumbled for the door. Even with the man's shambling gait, Jacob missed with every round and the Frother ducked out to safety.
Gray and Bull were still trading blows, and whatever had affected the other two enforcers was now working in the bouncer's favor. Jacob realized that Angela must have spiked their drinks and watched as Bull slammed the bat into Gray's side and ducked a sloppy backhand. Meanwhile, he found the 10 mm and picked it up, breathing carefully and tucking the 8 mm into his belt. He was trembling and his insides were wracked with spasms as they tried to vacate.
The bouncer swung again, but this time Gray was ready and hooked the bat under his arm. Jacob heard the meaty sound of the Mutilator fist slamming into Bull's chest again and again and saw the spray of blood as the bouncer was smashed into the wall screaming. Wiping the sweat out of his eyes, Jacob tried to steady himself as he aimed. When Gray dropped the bouncer's limp form at the wall and turned around, a look of surprise crossed his face.
"I knew you had to have had something set up," Gray said, a smile on his swollen face.
"Fuck you," Harm mumbled back weakly with a mouth too dry to speak.
The weapon kicked in his hands three times and Gray toppled to his knees and then into the floor. With his hands trembling so much that he nearly dropped the weapon, Harm walked up to the body and aimed the weapon at the back of the enforcer's head. He swallowed the rising bile in his throat as he fired, walked over to Connor, and then put a round into his head too. The pristine checkerboard tiles were splattered with crimson and he trailed bloody streaks behind him.
"Ain't killed much, have you Harm?" Bull asked.
"No," Jacob answered, feeling the vomit rising in his throat. His insides convulsed and he lunged onto the sink to lose the little bit of food he had in him. While he may have been involved with a lot of people's deaths, he had personally only killed three people counting tonight. It wasn't as easy as it looked on the T.V.
"They comin back," Bull said again, coughing up blood.
Jacob splashed water onto his face and nodded at his pale reflection. Yes, they were about to come in guns blazing and kill everyone in here. Tearing the other pistol from the back of the stall door, he tucked it into his jacket and picked up the 8 mm. Carefully, he wiped it and kneeled down to fit it into Connor's hand.
"What the fuck are you doin?" Bull asked, but Jacob ignored him and aimed the pistol at the wall. Carefully, he fired it with Connor's hand until it went empty and stood back up. Even though the rounds had hit near Bull, the bouncer hadn't flinched. Whether it was from going into shock or him being a hard bastard really didn't matter now.
"Axed you a question," the bouncer gasped, but Harm still ignored him.
Jacob knew that the rest of the Gaff's thugs would be in here any second and they would butcher anyone living. The solution was simple - he just wouldn't be here and limped to the back of the restroom where he busted out the rear window. Bull's voice called after him as he climbed out and trotted away in the rain, but he was still close enough to hear it twist into screams. They faded into the hiss of the downpour and Jacob let what might have felt like guilt wash off him in the rain.
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