Chapter 7 - 7 (1/2)
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P ∇ V
The last marine stood on my right, in the small enclave that offered him protection against the horde. While the goblins had been focusing on me, as I perched onto the Osprey's instrument console mid-reload; the Hobgoblin either knew he was there or mysteriously saw his attack coming. That I could have lived with, but it was the short rusty sword that been so effortlessly thrusted into the marine's lower stomach that terrified me. The attack narrowly missed the plate's protection and disappeared into the man.
Instead of appearing out the other side, the back of his carrier bulged out. When the heavy material of the carrier ran out of the little amount of slack it had, the man rose up a few inches. It was as if only those two existed in the dark world that smelled of blood, filth, and gunpowder. The screams of the hungry horde that was so desperate to kill us died away, and in its place, a menacing cackle left the goblin's sinister smile. The goblin jerked the sword side to side and the man's eyes bulged, but he didn't scream.
Blood poured out like a pool that had just sprung a leak, along with the man's organs. The wet plops as it spilled onto the floor and half onto the steps made my body run cold. Once the hobgoblin had its brief few seconds of sick fun, it pulled the sword out. The marine dropped to the creature's feet and instantly crumbled. His hands slipped off the rifle's handguard and the hobgoblin only threw it out the c.o.c.kpit. My vision became a tunnel as the monster's focus was turned to me.
Two large human-like eyes that burned red in the darkness, illuminated by the moonlight that poured through the window at my back, became upturned half-moons.
”Girl.” Its voice came out deep and raspy, almost a growl. ”You're going to be my prize for tonight.” And then it smiled, with a different kind of sick look. He was undressing me with his eyes. I had seen plenty of men look at me like that. On a normal day, I would have happily mentioned I was a boy, but the words never came. Instead, my hands raced to open the magazine pouch.
It seemed at that moment, the goblin also noticed I had a pistol in my hand. It must have known what it was because it lunged forward, grabbing the slide just as I slapped the magazine in. The goblin gripped the weapon before I could rack the slide.
My hands shook as I raced to finish reloading. The vague self-defense training my brother nearly beat into me began to play as I kicked at the goblins hard and muscled chest. My boot softly thudded, yet it only seemed to excite the monster more. It began to laugh and an idea finally slipped into my head. Instead of pushing forward here, I jerked my arms forward and I felt the click rather than heard it. The lock had been disengaged.
The goblin's laughter died as it looked to its hand, also feeling the click. Its hand wasn't over the chamber but on the front of the barrel. I took that moment to attack and drove the heel of my boot into its crotch. I didn't know if the goblin had anything below, but it certainly didn't wear anything above. Its ripped chest green was bare to the world, and as it turned out, so was its nether regions. I felt something hard, even through the hard rubber sole. I was all too aware of what I had just struck as the Hobgoblin roared in pain. His hand loosened and the slide rammed into battery on its own.
Bang-Bang-Bang!