Jedrek jumped back, spotted the blood seeping from his cut hand, and yelled, "Kill the blonde, Nadia!"
Ian glanced over to see Cora Lee, still tied to the pole, squirming and crying. Nadia was too busy avoiding Vanda's snapping whip to follow her master's orders.
Ian charged at Jedrek, but he vanished.
"Damn!" Ian spun around to see where the coward had teleported.
Dougal and Phineas had engaged their opponents, and the clash of swords mingled with frantic screams from hostages. Jedrek reappeared, standing on the bar. He drew his sword, and blood dripped from his hand.
Good, let his grip grow slippery. Ian jumped from the stage and stalked toward him. Let him grow weak from the loss of blood.
Jedrek kept his eyes on Ian as he reached down and nabbed some paper napkins off the bar. He pressed the napkins against his bleeding hand.
"Amazing how much those little cuts can bleed," Ian observed.
With a sneer, Jedrek tossed the bloodied napkins to the floor.
From the corner of his eye, Ian noticed Toni slipping from Vanda's office. Dammit, no! She had wooden stakes stuffed in her waistband and wire cutters in her hand. Staying low, she dashed to the back of the hostages.
He couldn't let Jedrek see her. Jedrek had sent her the heart pendant. He knew Ian cared for her, and that made her a prime target. By all the saints, she should have known that. She should have minded him and remained hidden.
Ian zipped quickly to the bar and leaped on top, forcing Jedrek to face him and turn his back to Toni. Ian lunged, slashing his sword with full force. Jedrek teetered on the edge of the bar, losing his balance, then vanished.
"Damn!" Ian spun around. How could he fight the cowardly bastard if he kept teleporting?
From his position on the bar, Ian could see most of the room. Already the group of hostages had dwindled from ten to six. Another vanished, making it five. Toni was obviously freeing them as quickly as she could. But her own success would be her downfall, for with no hostages left, there would be no one for her to hide behind.
Jedrek reappeared on the stage. "This one will die, MacPhie!" He lunged toward Cora Lee.
"No!" Vanda snapped her whip at him. It tangled around his sword arm.
"You bitch!" He grabbed the whip and yanked Vanda toward him. She released her whip to keep from being pulled onto his sword. "I should have killed you in Poland. You would always hide in the caves like a rat."
Vanda scrambled back.
"It will please me, Nadia, for you to kill the blonde," Jedrek ordered.
"Yes, Master." Nadia advanced on Cora Lee.
"And I will kill you, Vanda." Jedrek lifted his sword.
Ian teleported to the stage and intercepted Jedrek.
"Help me!" Cora Lee screamed as Nadia came closer.
With an angry shriek, Vanda leaped on Nadia's back. The two women tumbled onto the stage, scrambling for the dropped sword. Ian wanted to help, but he was fending off Jedrek's attack.
Behind Jedrek, he spotted Toni sneaking onto the stage. Oh, hell no. He fought furiously, attempting to keep Jedrek fully engaged. Toni ran past them and clipped the silver ropes holding Cora Lee to the pole. Cora Lee scrambled off the stage, crying. Meanwhile, Nadia reclaimed her sword, and she stalked toward a weaponless Vanda.
Toni grabbed the silver rope that had bound Cora Lee and charged, swinging the ropes at the back of Nadia's head. Nadia cried out in pain. The air smelled of burnt hair.
Ian leaped back as Jedrek's sword narrowly missed slashing his stomach. He needed to pay better attention. He lunged at Jedrek, but the bastard vanished once more.
"Bloody hell!" Ian wheeled around, searching for his opponent.
Jedrek appeared next to Toni.
"No!" Ian zoomed toward them, but Jedrek vanished, taking Toni with him. "No!" Fear seized his throat in an icy grip.
Relief swept over him when he saw Jedrek reappear on the bar with Toni. At least the bastard hadn't taken her to some secret place to torture and kill her. Ian jumped from the stage and ran toward them.
His relief was short-lived. Jedrek yanked Toni against his chest and pressed his sword to her neck. Ian froze.
"Comrades, to me!" Jedrek shouted, and the three other Russians teleported to the bar. "You see, MacPhie, we only need one hostage when we have the right one." With a hissing sound, his fangs sprang out.
He nuzzled his mouth against Toni's cheek. His fangs scraped her skin, leaving a pink mark. She squeezed her eyes shut. "I can smell her fear, MacPhie. No wonder you like her so much. She tastes delicious."