Hearts on Fire 1: Serefina(30)

She didn’t scream. As much as she wanted to, she didn’t. She wasn’t sure how she knew not to, but her gut tightened, and she figured if she were going to die, she wasn’t going to die without a fight. There had to be a way to stop this man from hurting her or anyone else for that matter.

“You are more beautiful than the master himself had even realized,” he whispered, as spittle from his mouth tapped against her eyes and nose. Her lip was still very sore but that was the least of her worries as this monster caressed his palm up her belly to her blouse. He cupped her breast.

“Don’t. Please don’t hurt me anymore,” she whispered. He squinted his eyes at her, and she could tell he meant business. He was analyzing her response to him. He was processing everything about this moment. The only thing that was missing would be smoke coming from his ears as he stared at her like that.

His palm caressed over her breast, and she felt his arousal against her belly.

“He said you are strong, not weak. Yet you shake in fear from my touch. It’s going to be okay, angel of fire.” He reached up to cup her cheek with the hand that was cupping her breast.

“Sweet, sweet Serefina.”

In that instant a small explosion occurred and the walls around them began to burn in symbols. The heat was terrifying, until he reached down and ripped her blouse open.

She gasped and tried to move him off of her, but he forearmed her over her throat, locking her in place.

In a flash he pulled something from his waist, and it was too late when she saw the object turn into a switchblade.

“Don’t do it. Don’t hurt me.” She could tell he was out of it. There would be no negotiating. She was going to die and so she decided she had nothing to lose by talking to him and playing along with his sick game. If it bought her time, or an opportunity to get that blade away from him and get the hell out of here, then she needed to make the opportunity happen.

“The master doesn’t want you to cut me,” she stated as he brought the blade between her breasts, pinching her skin.

“I talk to him. He wants his symbol upon you before we go.”

“No. That’s not what he wants. He’s telling you that because he fears my powers.”

The sound of something falling. Something big like wood or part of the building had her shaking beneath him, but she stood her ground, and prayed she wouldn’t be buried alive with this creep on top of her. She thought about Ace, Ice, Bull, and of course her family and friends. They would find out what happened, and she would make them proud that she fought until her last breath.

“Your power? You only have what the master allows,” he told her as he lifted slightly up. More things fell around them, and she tried her hardest not to show her fear.

“You think so?” she asked.

“You lie! I serve the master and no one else.” He jumped up off of her, using her chest as leverage to shove upward.

She felt the tightness in her chest, the instant pain, but she used the opportunity to kneel up, and try to stand.

“The time has come. He says to do it now.” He grabbed at her arm and pulled her upward just as more fire illuminated the room. At this rate they would be engulfed in flames and there would be no escaping.

In that instant there was a loud sound and fire started to lessen in one corner of the building. She could see flashing lights, and her heart soared. They were coming. Her men, the firefighters, were coming.

“You’re done. It’s over,” she said, pulling her arm from his hold. He went after her and she threw a right hook hitting him in the face. Her knuckles ached but she continued on, trying to fight him and stay away from the flames surrounding them in the circle.

He held the knife in his hand. He looked so sick, so out of his mind. The makeshift tattoos, the scarring along his abdomen, the wild look in his eyes made her think he wasn’t even human. No human, no person with a heart or a soul would look like this monster.

He lunged for her and she dodged the strike of the knife and countered with another hit. Using her fist and forearm, she slammed him over his back as he struck again.

She screamed in anger when he came back again and again. This time the blade hit her side, cutting her skin, and she kicked at his calves. In the distance she could hear the spray of water, almost smell it beyond the mist of the flames encompassing them. Her only way out would be to try and run through the flames or hope that the men got to her in time to put it out. More sounds of the building crumbling in the distance made her feel the dire need to escape death, but this monster had strength and the determination to succeed in his agenda as he came at her repeatedly.

“Die. The master says you die.” He attempted to stab her in the shoulder. She dodged his move, decided in an instant to run through the fire to escape, and somehow he grabbed her leg, dropping the knife as she fell chest first to the ground. The blade was inches from her fingertips and near the fire. She could feel the heat of the flames against her fingers and her face. It was so close and so hot it could singe her hair, her skin. She struggled to reach the knife, her last opportunity to fight him when she felt the strike to her thighs and the monster trying to climb up her body. The tear in her ribs from the cut he inflicted burned as she stretched, trying to ignore the pain of his weight as he grabbed her hair to turn her just as she gripped the switchblade.

She rolled and he struck her in the eye, blinding her and she thrust the knife forward blindly, unknowing where she would hit him, but taking what she thought would be her last shot.

Screaming out, she pulled back, knife in hand and saw him covering his shoulder, blood seeping between his fingertips. His eyes widened again in pure hatred and shock for her and she lunged the knife into his chest, and then shoved him off of her.

He grabbed the knife pulled it form his chest and headed toward her. It was like he wasn’t human, and even stabbing him twice couldn’t stop him. There was nowhere to run except through the flames that would surely burn her if not kill her.

She stood her ground, prepared to continue to fight despite her swollen eye, bleeding ribs, and aches and pains surrounding her.

“Die!” he yelled out, arms above his head as he tried stabbing her again. With all her might she ducked, taking advantage of her petite size, with fists and arms locked together she swung them like a bat against his stomach and ribs. The knife pierced her upper arm and she screamed, shoving him directly into the fire.

His roars of pain and continued defiance would surely stay with her until the end of time. She looked around her, tears streaming down her face. There was nowhere to go. No way of escaping when suddenly water washed over the entire circle and a sea of turnout coats headed her way. They cleared the fire, making it to her in the nick of time. She knew they were her men, her brothers and others, as they headed toward her. Just as she realized she was going to live, to be safe, she heard the roar.

The monster lunged toward her, burnt flesh crackling, blade in hands, the stench of charred flesh filled her nostrils making her step back to retreat in terror. She was shocked as she screamed out if trepidation, instantly shaking with fear, fury, and disbelief. He looked hideous, like a true monster who just couldn’t seem to be killed. He lunged for her, and when he attacked she struck him again, making him fall back. One firefighter punched the monster, knocking him to the ground. Then others emerged and grabbed him, taking him into custody as he yelled, cried about his master and about failing his mission. “No, no, you must die. Please, master, help me, I am your humble servant, your only follower. I will kill you, Serefina. I will never give up. I’ll always hunt you just as the master will for all eternity!” He rambled on and on, babbling wild and outrageous threats and odd phrases, while they dragged him from the scene.

“Serefina. Oh God, Serefina, you’re hurt,” Ice stated, pulling off his mask, and undoing his jacket,

The fire was still roaring but sprays of water descended upon them as the building was being soaked down by what had to be multiple engine companies.

Ice wrapped his turnout coat around her and lifted her up into his arms. She closed her eyes and allowed them to rescue her the rest of the way and didn’t open them until she was outside, and placed onto the gurney.

“Oh God, baby. Thank God you’re alive. What did he do to you?” Bull asked, caressing her cheek below her cuts and bruises.

The paramedics were trying to look her over, and she was lying there in only her bra as they examined the cut to her ribs and temporarily bandaged it. Another was looking at her eyes, while Johnny Landers listened to her chest. He locked gazes with her.

“I’m sorry, Serefina. I should have kept you closer.”

She shook her head, her voice all froggy from inhaling too much smoke.

“Not your fault. He was determined. Don’t give it another thought.”

“We need to get her to the hospital,” the other paramedic stated as he pulled the blanket up over her body, covering her from view.

“We’ll follow right behind, baby. We’ll only be apart for a few minutes,” Bull told her. She could see the relief and also the fear in his eyes. She looked for Ace, and saw him standing there, looking white as a ghost. His knuckles gripped the bar by the door and she saw the blood on them.