Part Fourteen: The Bigger They Are

With a concentrated, determined look on his face, Nigel took the weapon in both of his hands having every intent of smashing Barry to smithereens, but he would have to get close enough, fast enough to do it! Sydney looked like she was going to crawl out of her skin with the way that vile man invaded her person, and it had to stop. Taking the final five or six steps towards her assailant, he lifted his arms above his head and lunged.

Barry only just noticed Nigel’s shadow fast approaching, ducking from harm’s way without a moment to lose as his rival came crashing down hard to the floor at his feet. The swing Nigel had taken was meant to kill, and instead of contacting the target, he hit the railing with such devastating impact that it sent him flying! Winded, he shook his head and tried to gather his bearings.

"Nigel, look out!" Sydney screamed.

His eyes popped open and Barry was directly above him with the spear poised and ready to strike. Instantaneously rolling to one side, the tip of the blade caught a small shred of his shirt, but not enough to trap him as he ripped himself away. His heart thumping hard against his diaphragm, he tumbled to his feet with relative ease, amazed he could remember and execute that small detail of Sydney’s teachings so vividly now...

"Nigel, the keys to these cuffs are in his pocket!" She yelled after him. "Keep moving, he may be bigger, but he’s not faster than you!"

"Shut up!" Barry ordered, and forcefully extracted the spear from the floorboards, leaving a rather nasty, large puncture in its place. "I don’t know how you got out of the car, but you won’t be walking out of here..." He promised.

"We’ll just see about that!" Nigel nervously held his weapon in his hands, gripping it so tightly he was getting slivers. "You aren’t going to be doing any more research Nelson, not anymore."

Barry’s insidious smile achieved its desired effect, watching the young man’s smoky eyes grow wide with self-doubt, and he rushed at Nigel once again, crying out in utter madness. Again the younger man was able to dodge out of danger, stepping swiftly into the older man’s blind spot and bringing the wooden leg down hard across his back. Nelson went careening across the stage and over the ledge before finally coming to a stop. Out of breath from the attack, he swore out loud before jumping to his feet and vaulting back up to face his opponent yet again. Oh my God, Nigel thought, the man didn’t even flinch!

Sydney watched helplessly from the floor, all the while frantically tugging at her bindings in vain. She knew Nigel wouldn’t last too much longer no matter how quick on his feet he may have been, and she had to free herself to help! Barry had transformed from a gentlemanly professional, into something frightening and ugly right before her eyes. It was like he was no longer human, he was a savage predator, and her young teaching assistant whom she cared deeply for was now his prey. "Come on Nigel, don’t let him get you! You, you can beat him!"

Barry charged at Nigel again, holding the spear at his hip and thrusting ahead full force. Once again his quarry managed to elude his assault, and once again Nigel was able to make contact, this time connecting to the man’s upper shoulder, causing him to drop the spear, shrieking out in pain. Sydney’s urgent encouragement helped to keep Nigel sharp, fuelling what little instinct he did possess to its fullest potential. "Get the spear!" She cried out, and watched as he mindlessly reached over to pick it up. He wasn't keeping his eye on his enemy..."NO!"

Barry tackled the young Englishman like a football front lineman, sending his body sailing across the stage and straight into the wall with a thud. Nigel slowly slid down the wall, his knees buckling beneath him, first one, then the other, coming to a stop at the floor. Both men were now spent, breathing heavy, and bodies drained. Barry dragged himself onto his hands and knees, crawling over to the spear in what seemed like slow motion to Sydney from her vantage point. The hideous laughter that she heard next gave her goose flesh, and straining her neck to see where Nigel was, she gasped. Barry had the spear back in his hands, and Nigel wasn’t recovering!

"I’ve had enough of this..." Barry snarled, getting closer and closer to victory.

"Nigel, wake up! Nigel, please...You have to get up, now!"

Go to Part Fifteen.


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