The Outrider

But Darcy hadn’t lived for this long without being extremely careful.’ Get turned round against the vehicle’.

Niles had no option but to comply. Darcy’s search was quick and thorough and he quickly discovered Nile’s Berretta that was strapped to his thigh.

‘Ah’, he exclaimed. ‘A very clever ploy cutting your right hand pocket out to facilitate getting to your gun. I think it’s an idea I might well copy’.

As Darcy was lifting the Berretta out another chopper clattered overhead and Darcy looked up. Niles whirled to his left. Grabbed Darcy’s gun hand (his right) with his left and rammed his right knee up into Darcy’s groin. Although Nile’s knee did not catch Darcy exactly in the groin it caused him sufficient pain to double up. Niles held onto Darcy’s gun hand and smashed it against the Rover causing him to drop it. Both hand guns were now in the grass plus the two that had originally been placed on the bonnet. As Niles looked down trying desperately to locate one of the guns in the dark Darcy butted Niles in the face and he staggered back temporally stunned. This enabled Darcy to break free and he whipped out an evil looking stiletto that had been strapped to his left wrist.

Christ!, thought Niles, the man was a fucking walking arsenal.

Darcy brandished the knife backwards and forwards.

‘I don’t know who or what you are but your time on this earth is just about to end’.

Niles back-pedalled to keep space between himself and Darcy at the same time he slid his jacket off and then held it in front of him as though it was a bull fighter’s cape. This was a trick he had used during his hectic days in Caracas, Venezuela.

Darcy had obviously never come up against this kind of knife defence before. Every time he lunged at Niles he found his jacket between them. He tried to slash the jacket and although he had managed to cut it twice his knife had almost become tangled up in the jacket and he had nearly lost it. Darcy was beginning to appreciate why Niles was using his jacket as a defence.

As they were manoeuvring around each other Niles almost slipped on a pile of loose dirt that some burrowing animal had thrown up. Quick as a flash Darcy feinted with a slash to Niles midriff changed direction and cut into Niles scalp. Although the wound was not deep or serious he was starting to lose blood and unless he quickly got the upper hand he was going to weaken if the struggle was prolonged. Niles sidled round to where he had slipped on the mound of earth. As soon as he felt it he dug the toe of his right shoe into it and pretended to stumble. Darcy sensed his chance and lunged with the stiletto. Niles flicked the loose earth of the mound with his right toe up into the eyes of Darcy temporally blinding him. Darcy slashed at Niles who parried his thrust by throwing his jacket over the knife. Niles then let go of the jacket and grabbed Darcy’s knife wrist with both of his hands and clamped hard. He then twisted hard and stepped in between Darcy’s body and his knife arm which forced Darcy to double over towards his knees to prevent his arm from being broken. Then Niles delivered a tremendous kick to Darcy’s solar plexus. The blow was so powerful that it caused Darcy’s heart to arrest momentarily and he sagged to his knees. He then followed up with a vicious chop to the back of Darcy’s unprotected neck. His blow was so powerful that it crushed Darcy’s neck vertebrae killing him instantly.  The follow through from the blow was so violent it caused him