Chapter 1
Charlie Abbott pushed her sodden hair out of her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket and wiped the sweat off her face. But she never took her eyes off him. He was planning something. She didn’t know what, but whatever it was would be swift and deadly.
Watch the eyes, she told herself as she tried to slow her breathing. They’ll tell you when he’s going to move.
It was a small motion, just a quick shifting of his gaze, and lunged at her.
Strong hands closed around her throat, choking off her air. Charlie struck back, punching her assailant in the stomach, then bringing up her right arm up between both of his. She hit his left arm, then his right, forcing him to release her throat. He backed off but she followed, kicking him in the stomach. He let out a loud oooof and stumbled backward.
Somehow, he stayed on his feet, but this time she saw the silver gleam of a knife in his hand.
He sprang at her, stabbing with the knife. She moved back, avoiding the blade. He attacked again, and once more she evaded him, wrenching her body out of the way.
He sprang at her again, but this time she was ready for him, stepping to the left as she grabbed his blade arm at the wrist. Then she slammed her right elbow into the back of his hand.
“Not enough,” he snarled, as he twisted out of her grip and buried the knife in her stomach. “You’re dead.”
Charlie lay on the floor, hand on her stomach. It hurt just to breathe. Her head flopped over to one side. The silver blade of the knife glinted in the morning light. Her eyes closed as her breathing slowed.
“Get up,” he ordered. “You’re not really dead.”
“No thanks to you. Did you have to hit me so hard?” she complained. She sat up, then climbed to her feet, still clutching her stomach.
Master Daniel laughed and helped her up. “That’s the new practice blade I told you about. Hard plastic.” He retrieved the knife from the floor, tossing it in the air and catching it. “It’s hard enough to sting, but not hard enough to damage anyone.”
“Sting, my ass,” Charlie grumbled. “I’m going to have a hell of a bruise.”
She stood and arched her back, clasped her hands over her head, and stretched. “Ow! Did you hear that pop? I’m getting too old for this.”
Daniel grinned at her. “Then you should have picked another career.” He was a tall, good-looking man, over six feet with dark hair and eyes, but his appearance belied his immense power and strength. “Let’s finish for today.”
Charlie nodded, facing her instructor and placing her open left hand over her right fist as she bowed from the waist. Then they both bowed to the American flag attached to the main wall.
Charlie groaned again as she knelt on her right knee, removed her black belt, and draped it around her neck. There were four red stripes embroidered on one end, indicating her rank as a fourth-degree black belt in kempo.
“I’ve got to tell you, Daniel, sometimes I think that earning my fifth degree is going to kill me. If you don’t kill me first.
“I earned mine,” was all he said.
“And then some,” she admitted. Daniel’s belt had seven bands.
“I just started younger than you did, that’s all. Besides, you’re almost ready,” Daniel assured her. “Probably this summer.”
“Great. More months of torture, then hours of testing,” Charlie grumbled.
“You’ll be fine. You always complain, always do the work, and you always pass.”
“I know.” She snagged the towel she’d left on a table and wiped her face and neck. “At least I don’t have to test with my own students. Do you think that this time you could put “Charlie” on my certificate?
“What’s your legal name?” he asked with a grin.
She sighed. “Charlene,” she admitted. “I guess I’m doomed.”
“How did you end up being Charlie, anyway?” Daniel asked, as he stretched his long arms over his head.
“I had no say in it. My mother named me Charlene. But my oldest brother, Joe, was appalled that Mom had the bad taste to give birth to a girl. With three younger brothers you’d have thought he’d have been happy with a sister, but no. Mom always called me Charlene, but I was Charlie to everyone else. Now it’s Charlene that doesn’t fit.”
Daniel laughed. “How about I put ‘Charlene Charlie Abbott’ on your certificate this time?” he asked.
“That would be just perfect,” she said and smiled.
Somehow, he stayed on his feet, but this time she saw the silver gleam of a knife in his hand.
He sprang at her, stabbing with the knife. She moved back, avoiding the blade. He attacked again, and once more she evaded him, wrenching her body out of the way.
He sprang at her again, but this time she was ready for him, stepping to the left as she grabbed his blade arm at the wrist. Then she slammed her right elbow into the back of his hand.
“Not enough,” he snarled, as he twisted out of her grip and buried the knife in her stomach. “You’re dead.”
Charlie lay on the floor, hand on her stomach. It hurt just to breathe. Her head flopped over to one side. The silver blade of the knife glinted in the morning light. Her eyes closed as her breathing slowed.
“Get up,” he ordered. “You’re not really dead.”
“No thanks to you. Did you have to hit me so hard?” she complained. She sat up, then climbed to her feet, still clutching her stomach.
Master Daniel laughed and helped her up. “That’s the new practice blade I told you about. Hard plastic.” He retrieved the knife from the floor, tossing it in the air and catching it. “It’s hard enough to sting, but not hard enough to damage anyone.”
“Sting, my ass,” Charlie grumbled. “I’m going to have a hell of a bruise.”
She stood and arched her back, clasped her hands over her head, and stretched. “Ow! Did you hear that pop? I’m getting too old for this.”
Daniel grinned at her. “Then you should have picked another career.” He was a tall, good-looking man, over six feet with dark hair and eyes, but his appearance belied his immense power and strength. “Let’s finish for today.”
Charlie nodded, facing her instructor and placing her open left hand over her right fist as she bowed from the waist. Then they both bowed to the American flag attached to the main wall.
Charlie groaned again as she knelt on her right knee, removed her black belt, and draped it around her neck. There were four red stripes embroidered on one end, indicating her rank as a fourth-degree black belt in kempo.
“I’ve got to tell you, Daniel, sometimes I think that earning my fifth degree is going to kill me. If you don’t kill me first.
“I earned mine,” was all he said.
“And then some,” she admitted. Daniel’s belt had seven bands.
“I just started younger than you did, that’s all. Besides, you’re almost ready,” Daniel assured her. “Probably this summer.”
“Great. More months of torture, then hours of testing,” Charlie grumbled.
“You’ll be fine. You always complain, always do the work, and you always pass.”
“I know.” She snagged the towel she’d left on a table and wiped her face and neck. “At least I don’t have to test with my own students. Do you think that this time you could put “Charlie” on my certificate?
“What’s your legal name?” he asked with a grin.
She sighed. “Charlene,” she admitted. “I guess I’m doomed.”
“How did you end up being Charlie, anyway?” Daniel asked, as he stretched his long arms over his head.
“I had no say in it. My mother named me Charlene. But my oldest brother, Joe, was appalled that Mom had the bad taste to give birth to a girl. With three younger brothers you’d have thought he’d have been happy with a sister, but no. Mom always called me Charlene, but I was Charlie to everyone else. Now it’s Charlene that doesn’t fit.”
Daniel laughed. “How about I put ‘Charlene Charlie Abbott’ on your certificate this time?” he asked.
“That would be just perfect,” she said and smiled.