16. Alyssa

CHAPTER 16

ALYSSA

I can't believe what I'm seeing.

I always knew he was a soldier and capable of great violence, but this is something else entirely.

I freeze in place, my heart pounding as I watch Raaj move with a deadly grace I've never seen before. The first attacker lunges at him with a vibroblade, but Raaj sidesteps effortlessly, grabbing the man's wrist and twisting. There's a sickening crack, followed by a scream.

"Who sent you?" Raaj growls, his voice colder than I've ever heard it.

The attacker spits in response. Raaj doesn't hesitate. He snaps the man's neck with a quick, efficient motion that makes my stomach lurch.

"Raaj, what—" I start, but he cuts me off with a sharp look.

"Stay back, Alyssa. This isn't over."

As if on cue, two more figures emerge from the shadows. One carries a plasma rifle, the other a wicked-looking knife. Raaj doesn't wait for them to make the first move. He charges, ducking under a plasma bolt that sizzles past his ear.

The knife-wielder slashes at Raaj's face, but he catches the attacker's arm, using the momentum to slam them into the wall. The sickening crunch of bone meeting duracrete makes me wince.

"Last chance," Raaj snarls at the remaining assailant. "Who. Sent. You?"

The rifle-bearer laughs, a harsh, grating sound. "You know who, traitor. The Fist sends its regards."

Raaj's expression hardens. In a blur of motion, he closes the distance between them. The rifle goes off, but Raaj is already inside the attacker's guard. His hands move in a series of rapid, brutal strikes. I hear ribs crack, see blood spray from a broken nose.

The attacker crumples, gasping for air. Raaj stands over him, his chest heaving.

"Raaj," I whisper, my voice shaking. "What's going on? Who are these people?"

He turns to me, and for a moment, I don't recognize the man I thought I knew. His eyes are cold, calculating. The warm, gentle soul I'd fallen for is gone, replaced by something dangerous and unknown.

I barely have time to process what I've just witnessed when another wave of attackers emerges from the shadows. My heart races as I count at least five more, all armed and closing in fast.

"Raaj!" I shout, but he's already moving.

He tackles the nearest assailant, driving him into the ground with a bone-crushing thud. I hear the sickening crunch of a broken collarbone.

"Stay back, Alyssa!" Raaj yells, his voice strained as he grapples with another attacker.

I try to retreat, but strong arms suddenly wrap around me from behind. The stench of sweat and cheap cologne fills my nostrils as a gravelly voice hisses in my ear, "Don't move, sweetheart."

"Let go of me, you bastard!" I snarl, struggling against his grip.

Across the alley, Raaj's head snaps up at the sound of my voice. His eyes lock with mine, and I see a flash of pure, unadulterated rage.

"Get your hands off her," he growls, low and dangerous.

The man holding me laughs. "Or what, traitor? You're outnumbered."

Raaj doesn't waste time with words. He moves like a blur, ducking under a swinging fist and driving his elbow into an attacker's solar plexus. The man drops, gasping for air.

Two more rush Raaj simultaneously. He pivots, using one attacker's momentum to throw him into the other. They collide with a sickening crunch.

"Impressive," my captor sneers, tightening his grip. "But one wrong move and the girl gets it."

I feel the cold press of a blade against my throat. Fear courses through me, but I refuse to show it. "Raaj," I say, keeping my voice steady, "don't worry about me. Just take these assholes out."

Raaj's eyes narrow, assessing the situation. Then, faster than I can blink, he hurls something – a small, sharp object I hadn't even seen him draw. It whistles past my ear and embeds itself in my captor's shoulder.

The man howls in pain, his grip loosening just enough. I seize the opportunity, stomping hard on his instep and throwing my head back. I feel the crunch of cartilage as his nose breaks.

As I stumble forward, Raaj is there, catching me and pushing me behind him in one fluid motion. He turns back to my former captor, who's now on his knees, clutching his bleeding shoulder.

"You should have listened," Raaj says coldly, before delivering a vicious kick to the man's head. He crumples to the ground, unconscious.

The sound of sirens pierces the air, and I feel a momentary surge of relief. Mars Security is here. Maybe now we'll get some answers.

"Drop your weapons and put your hands where we can see them!" a stern voice booms through a megaphone.

Raaj tenses beside me, his eyes darting around the alley. "Something's not right," he mutters.

Before I can ask what he means, all hell breaks loose.

A group of figures emerges from the shadows, moving with military precision. They're not Mars Security. The real officers don't even have time to react before they're cut down in a hail of plasma fire.

"Shit," I breathe, my heart pounding. "Raaj, what?—"

He grabs my arm, pulling me behind a dumpster. "Stay down," he orders, his voice tight with tension.

The new attackers fan out, their weapons trained on our hiding spot. "Come out, traitor," one of them calls. "We know you're there. Bring the girl, and maybe we'll make it quick."

Raaj's jaw clenches. He looks at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of determination and... is that regret?

"I'm sorry, Alyssa," he whispers. "I never wanted you to see this side of me."

Before I can respond, he's moving. He vaults over the dumpster, landing in a crouch. Two plasma bolts sizzle past him, but he's already rolling, coming up with a knife in each hand.

The first attacker doesn't even have time to scream before Raaj's blade finds his throat. The second manages to get off another shot, but Raaj is inside his guard, driving a knife up under his ribs.

I watch, horrified and fascinated, as Raaj moves through the group like a force of nature. He's outnumbered, outgunned, but it doesn't seem to matter. Every movement is precise, brutal, efficient.

One attacker manages to land a glancing blow, opening a gash on Raaj's cheek. He doesn't even flinch, just grabs the man's arm and twists. I hear the sickening pop of a dislocated shoulder, followed by a scream cut short as Raaj's other hand drives upward, crushing the attacker's windpipe.

In less than a minute, it's over. Raaj stands amidst a scene of carnage, his chest heaving, blood dripping from his knuckles.

He turns to me, and for a moment, I don't recognize him. This isn't the man I thought I knew. This is someone else entirely – dangerous, lethal, and utterly terrifying.

"Alyssa," he says, his voice rough. "Are you alright?"

I stare at him, my mind reeling. "Who... who are you, really?"