and drew his own knife.
Michaela clenched her attacker's arm and shoved her entire body back and into his legs, knocking him off balance just enough to gain the leverage she needed. She twisted his arm and twirled out of his grasp, standing and drawing her knife in the same motion.
She and Jonny stood back to back, knives clenched upside down in their fists, free hands raised defensively in identical stances. Their two attackers adopted similar stances in front of each of them, squaring off and sizing each other up.
It had all happened so quickly, Nightingale hardly had time to react. Before she knew it, Jonny and Michaela were standing in the center of the room, waiting for someone to make the first move. Her eyes were wide with panic and she backed against the wall.
“ Look away, child,” Michaela said to Nightingale, her fiercely determined gaze locked on her opponent's knife. “You have already witnessed many gruesome things this day. I do not want you to witness me killing a man.”
Nightingale trusted Michaela, and truly believed she would continue to protect her—and also that she would kill this man. She just nodded and turned toward the corner of the room, and crouched. She shut her eyes and held her hands over her ears, trying to just wait for Michaela to come get her.
“ It's been a while since we've needed to resort to close combat—still remember your training?” Jonny asked jokingly, his voice quiet and calm.
“ Do not forget who it is that trained you , Jonny...” Michaela replied. She addressed her opponent next. “We four are about to become very intimate... My name is Michaela,” she said.
“ Krauser,” her opponent replied.
“ Jonny,” Jonny said.
“ Burton,” his opponent said next.
Krauser made the first move, taking a quick step forward and stabbing square for the base of Michaela's throat—right above her collarbone, the only spot on her torso not covered by body armor. Michaela took a step back, and Jonny took a step forward to mirror Michaela's movement. He gave her room to dodge, launching his own attack on Burton at the same time.
Burton grabbed Jonny's wrist to stop his knife, and thrust his own toward his face. Jonny cocked his head to the side, just barely dodging the blade. It scraped his cheek and opened a small gash, and he felt blood trickle down his neck.
After dodging Krauser's initial attack, Michaela swung her arm up, an uppercut that brought the blade toward her attacker's face. Krauser dodged with a back step, and then a sidestep to avoid the blade being brought straight down into his skull.
He flipped his knife to hold it upright, and hurled his arm at Michaela's stomach. If he could land the blade right beside the zipper, he could hit that weak spot and pierce her armor. His blade was blocked by Michaela's, though, and instead landed home against the thick Kevlar. She threw her other fist across his face in a strong punch.
After pushing Burton's arm away, Jonny hurled his fist against his face, landing a powerful blow in the same instance as Michaela. Both their opponents were knocked off guard, and they took advantage of the opportunity to swap, rotating as one.
Jonny reached his free hand down to grab Michaela's sidearm, and as soon as he faced Krauser, he fired a bullet into his forehead. The sound of gunfire and the sight of Krauser dropping sunk Burton's stomach, and distracted him just long enough for Michaela to take advantage. She stepped forward and buried her knife in his chest, piercing his heart in one strong, swift motion.
Burton gasped and dropped his knife, and before he even hit the ground, Jonny fired another shot. The scientist from earlier stopped dead in his tracks, inches from ducking out the door when the bullet hit the ground at his feet. His hands were high above his head again.
“Hold it right there!” Jonny shouted and stormed over to the scientist, arm outstretched to keep Michaela's sidearm trained on his torso. “What
Michaela clenched her attacker's arm and shoved her entire body back and into his legs, knocking him off balance just enough to gain the leverage she needed. She twisted his arm and twirled out of his grasp, standing and drawing her knife in the same motion.
She and Jonny stood back to back, knives clenched upside down in their fists, free hands raised defensively in identical stances. Their two attackers adopted similar stances in front of each of them, squaring off and sizing each other up.
It had all happened so quickly, Nightingale hardly had time to react. Before she knew it, Jonny and Michaela were standing in the center of the room, waiting for someone to make the first move. Her eyes were wide with panic and she backed against the wall.
“ Look away, child,” Michaela said to Nightingale, her fiercely determined gaze locked on her opponent's knife. “You have already witnessed many gruesome things this day. I do not want you to witness me killing a man.”
Nightingale trusted Michaela, and truly believed she would continue to protect her—and also that she would kill this man. She just nodded and turned toward the corner of the room, and crouched. She shut her eyes and held her hands over her ears, trying to just wait for Michaela to come get her.
“ It's been a while since we've needed to resort to close combat—still remember your training?” Jonny asked jokingly, his voice quiet and calm.
“ Do not forget who it is that trained you , Jonny...” Michaela replied. She addressed her opponent next. “We four are about to become very intimate... My name is Michaela,” she said.
“ Krauser,” her opponent replied.
“ Jonny,” Jonny said.
“ Burton,” his opponent said next.
Krauser made the first move, taking a quick step forward and stabbing square for the base of Michaela's throat—right above her collarbone, the only spot on her torso not covered by body armor. Michaela took a step back, and Jonny took a step forward to mirror Michaela's movement. He gave her room to dodge, launching his own attack on Burton at the same time.
Burton grabbed Jonny's wrist to stop his knife, and thrust his own toward his face. Jonny cocked his head to the side, just barely dodging the blade. It scraped his cheek and opened a small gash, and he felt blood trickle down his neck.
After dodging Krauser's initial attack, Michaela swung her arm up, an uppercut that brought the blade toward her attacker's face. Krauser dodged with a back step, and then a sidestep to avoid the blade being brought straight down into his skull.
He flipped his knife to hold it upright, and hurled his arm at Michaela's stomach. If he could land the blade right beside the zipper, he could hit that weak spot and pierce her armor. His blade was blocked by Michaela's, though, and instead landed home against the thick Kevlar. She threw her other fist across his face in a strong punch.
After pushing Burton's arm away, Jonny hurled his fist against his face, landing a powerful blow in the same instance as Michaela. Both their opponents were knocked off guard, and they took advantage of the opportunity to swap, rotating as one.
Jonny reached his free hand down to grab Michaela's sidearm, and as soon as he faced Krauser, he fired a bullet into his forehead. The sound of gunfire and the sight of Krauser dropping sunk Burton's stomach, and distracted him just long enough for Michaela to take advantage. She stepped forward and buried her knife in his chest, piercing his heart in one strong, swift motion.
Burton gasped and dropped his knife, and before he even hit the ground, Jonny fired another shot. The scientist from earlier stopped dead in his tracks, inches from ducking out the door when the bullet hit the ground at his feet. His hands were high above his head again.
“Hold it right there!” Jonny shouted and stormed over to the scientist, arm outstretched to keep Michaela's sidearm trained on his torso. “What
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