Page 159 of Fire Fight

This time, my grin was genuine.

“Your turn.”

Parker’s expression sobered instantly.

“I’m not sure I’m strong enough.”

“It’s not about strength,” I assured him. “It’s about timing and force and angles.”

Parker snorted. “I’m shit at all that stuff.”

“You can do it,” I promised.

Together, we took a few practice swings, with me correcting his form where needed.

“Keep your arms slightly bent and tensed,” I told him. “The last thing we need is you dislocating an elbow on top of my dislocated shoulder.”

He followed each of my directions perfectly, and when I was certain he was ready, I instructed him to give it a shot.

“Will you count down?” he asked.

“Sure. You ready?” He nodded. “Okay. Three…two…one…go!”

His arms arced high and swung down. He squeezed his eyes shut as he braced for impact, doing everything I told him exactly as I’d explained.

Another beautifulsnapechoed through the room, and the plastic tie fell to the floor.

“I did it! I did it!” Parker danced around in place, chantingthe three words over and over. Hooking my good arm around his neck, I hauled him in for a hug.

“Fuck yeah you did. Now what do you say we get the hell out of here?”

“I’m afraid I can’t allow that.”

Parker and I startled at the new voice, turning to the door. In all the commotion and excitement, we’d missed Mrs. Saunders coming inside. She set a bright orange gas can at her feet, then folded her arms over her chest and stared us down.

“Mrs. Saunders?” Parker asked, eyes wide, tone completely disbelieving.

Yeah, buddy. Me too.

God, I’dknown, and still nothing could’ve prepared me for her appearance. The black clothing, gloved hands, menacing expression. Gone was the teacher and high school principal who led the school with kindness and grace—although the crossed arms was a stance I’d personally seen from her numerous times before.

“You should stop working out so much,” she said to me, her tone full of malice. “You’re looking awfully disproportionate. I suppose that explains why you’re all brawn and no brains. Letting a little woman like me get the drop on you.”

She smirked proudly, like she’d somehow bested me.

“You knocked me over the head and tased me,” I snorted. “And threatened me with a gun. You had an unfair advantage.”

“Whatever,” she said flippantly. “You’re still here, and you’re still going to die. My final kills before I ride off into the sunset, never to be seen or heard from again.”

“But…why?” I asked.

“Because I can,” she said simply.

“There’s gotta be more to it than that.”

“You think Iwantedthis?” she asked, sweeping her arm out to encompass the whole scene. “You think I wanted to be born with this weird mental mutation that gets off on setting fires andkilling people? No, but we all make do with the hand we’ve been dealt.”

“What happened on your prom night all those years ago?”