Free Harsh Lessons by L. J. Kendall

enclosed within the Opera House.
    Which was another insult: to be forced into smoking outside – putting her delicate throat at further risk from the night air!  Almost, she forgot to lock the door behind her.
    She lit up, drawing the first soothing inhalation of her herbal cigarette, calming herself.  Already, she could feel the rare Amazonian medicine relaxing her throat, improving her register.  How dare that baby-faced-
    From behind her, back by the doorway, came a loud and ugly snapping sound.  She spun around to see a large figure, a man, step through the door and close it behind him.  She moved back, drawing the man forward from the shadows.
    'You are agitated tonight.'
    He was tall, with a heavy build.  He wore a very expensive, but also very tired suit.
    'How did you get it in here?  This is not open to the public.'
    Ice blue eyes stared at Maria, unblinking.  'You Called.  This one came.'
    He stepped forward.
    She stepped further back.  'Stop.  Do not come one step closer or-'
    She rocked back on her heels as a large hand clamped around her throat.
    'You are distressed.'  He nodded.  'Yes.  And angry.  And now, afraid.  These are phantoms, clouding your mind.'  The cold eyes burned into hers as she beat futilely at the arm holding her.  'There is no need for fear.  You will soon see.  Prepare yourself for the gift of clarity….'
     

Chapter 9 
    'Come on, James, stop dawdling .  Let's race!'
    Pulling her hand free of his, she darted ahead, deeper into the quake-twisted streets.  From doorways of the buildings on either side, several large figures watched speculatively as Leeth sprinted past them, her high heels clutched in one hand.
    Christ!  She could move !   James charged after her.  And silent, too , he noticed, realizing if he didn't catch her before he lost sight of her….  «Faster» he ordered his bio-chip, and felt power surge to his legs.
    Down two, three alleys he chased her, scarcely gaining ground, before she slowed, then stopped, standing with her head tilted to one side.
    Thank god, he thought, just as she blurred back into motion, smashing through a barricade to disappear inside what looked like a squatter's den.  From within, ply-board crashed to the ground.  He heard her scream a challenge, and answering male cries.
    When he burst into the squalid, ill-lit room, it was to see one tattooed male falling backwards, blood spurting from his neck.  Leeth's foot kicked out into another man now collapsing behind her, while throat-punching a third in front who fell, dropping a knife.  Before her, a fourth person, a terrified young woman, clothing torn, scrambled away from her on heels and elbows.
    'Stop!' James yelled.
    She didn't.  Instead, her teeth gleaming in a fierce smile, she hauled upright the gasping man she'd just punched.  Behind her, the man she'd kicked rose groggily to his feet.
    Knotting her hand in the jacket of the ex knife-wielder, she spun him around and up , hoisting him over her head to slam down into the man swaying behind her.
    James winced as their skulls cracked together.
    The young woman, still scrabbling on the ground on hands and knees, grabbed up… a credstick?  Then fled.
    James reached the tattooed ganger bleeding out from…  Good lord!   His eyebrows raised at the sight of Leeth's stiletto heel jutting from the jugular.
    As he crouched down, the man's chest stopped rising and falling, her bloody victim falling still.
    Placing her feet carefully, he saw, Leeth reached past him to wrench her shoe free.
    'Are you- what do you think you're doing?'
    The face she turned to him was alive with delight.  'Hunting for more people to rescue, of course!'  She squeezed his arm.  'Thanks so much for bringing me here – this is heaps more fun than the opera!'  She frowned at her blood-soaked shoe as she turned away.  'We can do more, right?  Just let me finish off these other two, first.'
    From behind, James tasered her.  She staggered.  But