Not if she could help it.
Jaz planted her feet and pushed backwards as hard as she could, knocking the guy off balance. His arm loosened its grip, allowing her to spin around and punch him in the kidneys. She would have followed up with a kick to his privates but the other three were still coming at her.
And then there was the rain, going about its own business.
Jaz wiped the drops from her eyes as she aimed a kick high and got one of the advancing guys in the head, sending him sprawling sideways against the tin wall of the old factory. The crack of his collision echoed out into the night like lightning. The guys swore at her, calling her names and looking very pissed off. No longer were they interested in taking her home, but wanting to seek revenge on her connecting hits and punches. Guess they weren’t expecting a fight.
Blood filled her mouth as a fist connected with her lip. The taste on her tongue ignited a primal need to return the favour. She swung a punch back and gave the yellow-eyed guy a solid crunch. Blood smeared her hand as his teeth left an imprint.
‘Get the fucking bitch,’ wailed another who was off to one side.
From her quick count, three were still trying to get up off the ground; one was holding his nose and the other she could take.
But then he flicked out a knife. An overhead streetlight glinted off its smooth shiny blade.
Oh, shit.
She saw two more blades being unsheathed beside her. Okay, the odds were really stacked against her now. An uninvited thought entered her mind. Her body drawn into the shadows, sliced and diced into bits. Who would find her body? Would they recognise her?
She had no other option but to keep her cool. This was the fight of her life. Jaz took on the immediate threat in front of her. They circled each other. Him with the knife. Her with her hands. The blade seemed only small but the damage it could inflict was great.
He struck out with the knife. Jaz dodged it. She watched his movements, saw the rain dribble into his eyes and waited for her time. He lunged again. She counter-attacked with a swift kick, using her boot to knock his knife from his hand and sending it flying to the road.
Jaz then spun around and shot out both arms to get the other two guys with knives. One blade cut across her hand, causing a red line to appear, and she wasn’t sure what happened with the other knife. The guy was still armed, she had to keep moving. The blood was slippery through her fingers, the rain making it run faster. She was hurting all over but told herself this was just like the training sessions with Tick and the others. Move past the pain and keep going. Breathe. Mind control. Jaz was trying her best but the extra knives were making it hard for her to get to them. Every time she hit one down they just got back up. Did she have a chance of running away from them? It was looking like her last option. Run for help. She should scream but Jaz wasn’t sure if she was capable. She’d never been a screamer. Wouldn’t know how to start. She’d always dealt with things quietly. Refusing to call for help. Would that now be her downfall?
Beanie Guy lunged forward with his knife and she ducked out of the way before throwing a punch to his kidneys then followed it up with another, sending him sprawling backwards. She snatched his hand with the knife and bent it back until he dropped it in pain. The knife flew into the gutter after she kicked it away. Then she pulled Beanie Guy into a tight headlock. She intended to use him to get away. Somehow. At the moment she was playing it by ear.
She said a silent prayer, hoping she would survive this. The guy still wedged underneath her arm started to fight so she tightened her grip, squeezing the air from his just like they’d done to her. She had one at her mercy, but what about the others? They’d all bounced back. Getting up and coming towards her. Blood down their faces. She had hurt them good, but not enough to stop them.
As her mind raced about what to do next, the guy closest to the road fell with a thud. It was like he had narcolepsy; he lay there, still. But she hadn’t even punched him.
Someone else had.
The remaining three were in a half circle around another person. Jaz’s jaw dropped as the rain eased off. The other person was Ryan.
‘Ryan,’ she mumbled, relieved.
Jaz watched on in horror as the blond-haired guy without a knife collected the bit of cut chain lying by the factory door and started swinging it. Ryan took off his jacket and wrapped it around his left arm. Then he faked a move and the guy launched his chain. Jaz winced as she expected the worst, but Ryan had the chain wrapped around his arm and dragged the guy in so quick he didn’t know what had hit him. He maimed the guy with a poke to the eye and a knee to his nuts before throwing him back. Two left. A guy with a knife lunged at Ryan and Jaz yelled out his name in horror. She ended up distracting the guy, making it easy for Ryan who’d held up his covered arm and attacked with the other. With a sickening crunch, Ryan bent his attacker’s hand, the knife falling to the ground.