The Peregrine Omnibus, Volume Two by Barry Reese Read Free Book Online Page B

don’t need training. I have rage.” Pasarin slammed his forehead into Max’s, knocking the Peregrine backwards.
    The Peregrine ducked under the next blow, a backhanded assault that sailed over his head. Max’s head was ringing from the headbutt, but he had been telling the truth in assessing Pasarin’s chances of winning: unlike Pasarin, Max was fully trained in a variety of combat styles, and he knew how to ignore pain.
    Max unleashed a karate chop to Pasarin’s legs, knocking him to the ground. The Peregrine then drove his knee into Pasarin’s nose, shattering it. The criminal fell onto his back, blood pouring from his nose.
    The Peregrine moved forward, planning to finish off his foe, but Pasarin held up one of Max’s pistols and fired, releasing several rounds. Most of them whizzed past Max’s shoulders, but two of them hit home in his right arm.
    As Max reeled in shock, van der Decken drew his sword and grabbed hold of the Peregrine’s neck, holding him tight. The zombies milled about, ready to rip Max to shreds but still held in check.
    Pasarin rose to his feet, one hand held over his ruined nose. The gun he held trembled a bit, but Pasarin pointed it straight at Max’s head. “I’m going to kill you,” Pasarin said, almost sounding like he couldn’t believe he was actually about to win.

CHAPTER X
    Blood Feud
    The Peregrine tried to remain calm, seeking a way out of this seemingly hopeless situation. He noticed that his other pistol, along with the Knife of Elohim, lay on the ground nearby. Once, not too long ago, Max would have used his burgeoning mental powers to just summon the weapons to him. But as with the prophetic visions that had once compelled him to take action against criminals, those powers were now gone, possibly forever.
    “It looks like the end of the road for you,” van der Decken hissed in Max’s ear. “You were a valiant opponent, I’ll grant you that.”
    The Peregrine took a deep breath, knowing that what happened next would decide his fate. “So… how are you going to do it, Pasarin? Let your servant slit my throat, or are you going to pull the trigger yourself?”
    Pasarin grinned cruelly. “Maybe I’ll let the zombies eat you alive. That would take longer.”
    “And it would be just like you,” Max declared. “You could stand aside and let somebody else do your dirty work for you.”
    “I’ve killed before,” Pasarin retorted. “And I’m more than ready to do it again.”
    The Peregrine tried to block out the pain he was feeling, and then he sprang into action, hoping that he’d live to see his wife and family again. Max leaned back hard against van der Decken, moving so quickly that the seaman didn’t think to cut his throat. He then leaned forward, flipping the man holding him forward and into Pasarin. The undead pirate and the businessman both fell to the ground while the zombies surged forward, ready to seize Max.
    The Peregrine dove for his weapons, coming up with both. He unloaded a dozen rounds in each zombie, driving them away from him. Then, while Pasarin and van der Decken climbed back up, Max switched weapons and slashed at the zombies with the Knife of Elohim. The mystic blade cut through their flesh like a hot knife through butter, ripping them to pieces. Two of them he beheaded, while the third took the blade straight between its eyes.
    Pasarin could scarcely believe how quickly the tide had turned. He shoved van der Decken forward, shouting “Kill him, you bastard! Kill him!”
    The sea captain roared, rushing towards Max with sword raised. The ferocity of Pasarin’s command would not allow van der Decken to hesitate. The blade fell, catching the Peregrine’s shirt as the hero jumped back. Several of the buttons off his shirt flew to the ground, and the Peregrine managed to deflect the next blow with the Knife of Elohim. The two of them performed a deadly dance, with flashing blades slashing back and forth. The pirate was far more experienced