Zeb had planned to fire on the first shooter. And somehow get to the second. That part of his plan was hazy.
However, he ditched all his moves in an instant.
The killer in front of him was close, so close that shooting wasn’t necessary.
The shooter was rooted to his spot. His head snapping around.
Taking in the new arrival.
Brain not comprehending what his eyes were seeing.
Zeb moved.
Thinking stopped.
Instinct, training, and experience took over.
His right hand rose.
Blurred down savagely, the Sig’s barrel chopping the shooter on the side of his head.
A ferocious blow, with all his power and rage behind it.
His gun split the killer’s skin.
The man fell without a sound.
His rifle followed.
No clatter.
Because the carpet was thick. Soft beneath Zeb’s feet.
He wasn’t stopping to watch, however.
Because the second killer was there.
He was recovering faster than the first.
Rising. Turning.
Zeb became motion. He became speed. His body became a weapon as he arrowed out.
Hurtling, closing the small distance between them.
His left shoulder crashing into the HK’s rising barrel.
His right hand slashing at the killer’s face.
His left hand punching him in the mouth.
Jabbing his fingers between his teeth.
Choking him.
Preventing him from making a sound.
Bringing the man down.
His gun rising up.
Falling down.
Crushing the killer’s face.
Who wasn’t giving up.
The shooter tried to heave his attacker away.
The gunman bit the invading fingers.
Zeb was only dimly aware of the biting pressure.
The rational part of his mind knew his digits had burst. Blood was spilling out of them.
That the slickness down his side was more blood seeping out of his shoulder.
Animal brain had taken over, however.
It chose fight over flight.
It fired orders.
Those signals jumped across from nerve to muscle.
Muscle contracted.
Zeb’s hand came down in a blow.
It rose and fell.
More messages issued from animal brain.
Ignore the pounding from the man below.
Don’t ignore that hand reaching for a knife.
Zeb thrust his bleeding fingers down the killer’s throat.
Cutting off his air supply.
Brought the Sig down in a brutal arc.
The shooter gasped.
His eyes rolled in his head.
He groaned.
Zeb crushed his mouth.
And lay panting on top of him as the man stilled.