Condition Evolution 4 Kevin Sinclair (top 100 novels of all time TXT) 📖

“Stop! I can see what you’re saying. I promise I’ll make an effort to be more of a team player. Will you let me out now?” he asked, getting to his feet and smiling pathetically.

“You’re just saying that, Rufus! I wasn’t born yesterday, you fucking tool.”

“I’ll be better, honestly.”

“Will you though? That’s what I hoped for, but the shit that's just come out of your mouth makes me think you’ll just stir up even more trouble for me, even after everything we’ve done for you.”

“I wouldn’t,” he reassured me, and I had to admit I was tempted to believe him. But the stupid bastard had to keep talking. “But I’d also love to know what you’ve done for me, exactly, apart from shit on me repeatedly?”

“There it is! Have you forgotten about being transcended? What about sending you a ton of money? Not to mention, leaving you as captain of the Seshat after your series of fuckups. That last one has backfired on us spectacularly, seeing as you’ve attempted to pull a bloody coup when we’re in a really precarious situation.”

All pretense of caring about being a team player had gone now. He glared at me with real hatred. I felt a moment of fear that he was going to attack, before I remembered that I was overall much stronger than him, despite the size difference. I primed my mind to hit his nervous system should he lunge. I’d be sure to demonstrate my thoughts clearly on violence against me. “You gonna do it then?” I said into his mind. “I’d almost like you to try. It’d give me great satisfaction, stomping your dumb ass.”

“You think you could?” he challenged back, his mental voice shuddering with rage.”

“You think I couldn’t? I don’t think you have a very high opinion of me, Rufus, and it's coming into conflict with your ability to make good decisions.”

“I was evolved long before you. You only got to transcend because of the freak show helping you!” he screamed in my head.

I had to admit he’d touched a nerve. Would I have been as strong as I was now, if not for Shaun? The answer came swiftly to my mind though. We had helped each other so much. I’d been there to stop him poisoning himself when we first met, saved him from the troll and from doing some other really stupid stuff. I had his back at all times. I looked to Rufus again. “Shit, Rufus, you really are fucked up. I honestly thought I could reach out to you. Goodbye!” I said and made to leave the room again.

“You’re walking around like he’s here, and you're worth something, rather than the useless bitch you are,” he growled.

I ignored his words, but couldn’t ignore the attack that came. I thought I was prepared, but he moved so much faster than I’d expected, thudding into my back with all his weight. I went flying forward into the wall, my head hitting it hard, before falling to the floor, dazed and with Rufus still on my back. The bastard wasted no time in following up the attack, raining down remorseless, heavy blows. Without my relatively high constitution I’d have been finished already, but even so, it hurt like hell. Blood flowed freely from my head and nose.

Worse was that he had me pinned to the floor. Arms trapped and unable to defend my head, or retaliate, I wriggled and bucked, but he was too heavy. I had little choice but to attack his mind. Going straight for his Nerve Centre, I let out a feral growl on finding it locked up tight and appeared in his corridor instead.

He appeared next to me, a snarl on his face as he spat out, “Not as pathetic as you thought, am I?” I was so stunned by his onslaught he actually managed to grab my throat as he spoke when I should have easily evaded the move.

He was right of course. I’d underestimated the bastard, just as the Fystr so often underestimated us, and now he had me well and truly on the backfoot. I felt that pang of fear rise again. Rufus had clearly been training a lot since he’d transcended, probably using the time I’d had him imprisoned, while I’d been trying to keep everything together. I knew I must still have an edge over him though. And there was no way after everything I’d been through that I was letting fucking Rufus kill me. Trying to collect my wits, I left his Mindscape, which removed me from his grip. Then without hesitation, I thrust up as hard and as fast as I could with my back, arms and legs all working together like a damn dolphin. It wasn’t pretty but it was effective, launching him mostly off me while he was still distracted.

I got to my feet in record time, flicking out a kick immediately to Rufus’s abdomen as he tried to stand. As he doubled over, I sent a flurry of wild punches, hitting his face and head from every angle. He tried to cover up before attempting to charge me again. Managing to grab me around the waist, he drove me into the door. While I was definitely winded, the fury I felt had sent me berserk. I repeatedly brought my knee up into his gut, while landing blows to his head, in an uncontrolled frenzy.

He let go of my waist, and hastily backpedaled, trying to get out of my range. “I don’t fucking think so,” I growled, following him like his own shadow, striking again and again, kicks and punches flowing from me in a continuous stream of violence and intent. When he dropped to his hands and knees, raising one hand in submission. I eased up on my assault. He panted raggedly, struggling to speak. That didn’t matter, I didn’t want to hear another word from his mouth.

“Get well acquainted with this room, because you won’t be getting out until we’re released from