CHAPTER 9 - FIGHT

Linn looked at the five guys approaching his table. They are approaching in an arc covering all of his possible escape paths. Two people walked directly straight towards him. Two guys covered his right side. One of the guys blocked his left side.

Earlier this evening Linn selected a secluded corner table because he didn't want a possible attack coming from behind his back. But now his decision of selecting the corner table seems to be cornering himself and denying a possible escape route.

Linn’s eyes constantly darted between the gang members, not focusing on any one of them. Focusing at one of your enemies will result in tunnel vision, blinding you from the actions of the other threats.

‘Always keep the bigger picture in your mind.’

‘Always be aware of the changes in your surroundings.’

‘Always use the surroundings to your advantage.’

Those are the words of his wilderness instructor at the training camp. Training instructor Cho is a huge man with a bear-like build even with his asian origins. But he could move like a cat without making any sound. His huge body deceives you to believe that he would be slow. But he will cover the distance between him and his prey in a single step.

The rowing eyes of Linn found the first weakness in the team before him….

The man approaching from his left side. There is only one of them….

They should have put two people on his left side and one at his right but they made the mistake of putting two at his right and one at his left.

Linn is a right handed person. A person with his right hand dominant will act towards his left first because that is the direction to which he could muster maximum torque by twisting his torso.

Linn doesn't fault the team for not knowing that. The hit team couldn't possibly get that kind of data about the target unless they trailed the target for days and figured out his daily routine and behaviours.

But a mistake made is a mistake after all. There are no second chances or remedying after you commit to an action in a battle. The team is only as strong as the weakest link in the team.

He found the link and he is not going to let that go….

Linn extended his left leg, placing it almost half a meter towards the man in his left. Linn stepped on his left extended foot, came to a low standing position with his left knee bent and supporting his whole body weight and his right leg extended behind him. His left hand snapped out towards the neck of the man on his left side with his thumb and rest of his fingers forming an L-shape, the webbing between his thumb and forefinger stretched tight.

Linn could feel the C-cartilages in the man’s neck being crushed by the force of the blow. He looked surprised….surprised and also lost, like he didn't understand what just happened.

Yeah, Linn covered the distance between them in an unbelieving way. Stepping out with his left leg covered almost half a meter between them. Leaning his body forward by supporting his whole body weight in his left leg covered another three quarter of a meter. Extending his left hand gained him another meter or so….

So in less than a second, with a single move Linn covered more than two meters between them to strike at the man’s neck…

The man stepped backwards due to the force of the blow, tripping over a chair and went down clutching his neck. His mouth wide open trying to suck in precious air….

He is grabbing and scratching his neck trying to intake air into his lungs. Linn could see that the man is injuring himself in his panic, his fingernails breaking the soft skin on the neck region. Those wounds are looking more whiter than the surrounding skin. Linn knows soon they will start bleeding.

Tracheal collapse…..asphyxiation….loss of oxygen to brain cells….

Under normal conditions, he will lose consciousness in 40 seconds and death in a couple of minutes…

But due to his panic and more bodily movements…. He may lose consciousness in 20 seconds...or maybe 30 seconds.

He ain't coming back. He is down for good.

“One down…” Linn whispered under his breath.

Even before turning back Linn is analysing the situation in his mind.

‘Two in his field of vision….still in shock over his earlier action’

‘Two in his blind side…..’

Linn turned to face the two coming from behind. As Linn guessed they are frozen too. Standing there like two dumb idiots.

Linn sneered in his mind. “Fucking idiots…. You shouldn't have stayed there like a tree trunk….”

Linn threw the half finished beer in his table at them. Not aiming. He doesn't even look whether it hit them or not before turning to face the other two. It doesn't matter whether it hit one of them or not. It is not meant to hurt them. It is to buy him some time while he deals with the other two frozen idiots.

Linn stepped forward to the one closest to him. Linn’s action shook him out of his shock. He threw a roundhouse punch with a yell.

‘ARRGHHH’.

Linn ducked low, taking himself out of the punch’s arc and stepped inside the arc with a quick short step.

‘SMACKKK’ Linn blocked the man’s wrist with his left palm. Linn took hold of the man's arm with both of his hands. Turning his back towards the man, Linn used his shoulders to lock the man's biceps and his hip as the turning point, Linn directed the force to flip the man over toward the table.

With a huge collapsing sound the man smashed into the glass top table. Linn closed his eyes and turned his face away from the flying pieces of glasses.

“Two down…..”

Even before opening his eyes Linn is backtracking, lengthening the distance between him and the third assailant. Linn knows if the man has even the slightest of combat experience, then he will be closing on him fast using this opportunity to press his attack.

Linn opened his eyes….expecting an immediate attack...but what Linn found is the man staying at the same place without moving an inch.

But that is not what made his heart tremble. The man is staying there without moving, but he is aiming a handgun at Linn.

While Linn was busy dealing with the second man and the flying glass, the third man had pulled a gun on him. That made a huge difference….a difference that could get him killed. It is a game changer…..

Linn does not expect the man to have a gun. Logically the moment the man entered the bar through the door the alarms should have gone off. Every store and department is equipped with metal detectors, especially where military people hang out. Military is not allowed to carry weapons inside the bunker. Only police officials are allowed to carry weapons inside the bunker.

Different possibilities went through Linn’s mind in a snap.

‘The metal detectors in the bar should have malfunctioned or are faulty’. There is a chance that the owner of the bar neglected the proper maintenance of the sensors. It is most likely considering the situation of the rundown place.

Another possibility ran through his mind….the gun could be a white listed one. White listed guns are ones used by guard and police. The serial number on the gun will be registered on the directory of the police department, so that guards and cops could enter and exit without tripping the alarm.

That means…..that means the gun should be associated with the police department ….

Linn is having a bad feeling about all of these. His gut is telling him there is more going on here than what he knows.

But all of that doesnt matter at this moment. His only concern at this moment is surviving past this ordeal.

Linn checked the gun hoping that the man made a mistake while pulling out the gun in a hurry. Maybe the safety is off...maybe it is a dummy gun after all.

And his hope and expectation went away just like that as he saw the gun.

It is a Glock 17. A gun that could be trusted. Linn has used it before in the military, so he knows.

No safeties…..if you pull the trigger it is going to fire.

There is very less chance for a jam…..the gun is pretty reliable.

And at 3 meters …… he is not going to miss.

“Is everything going to end just like that ?” Linn smiled.

‘Is he afraid of dying?’ Yes he surely is.

‘Is he terrified?’ No he is not. It will take more than that to terrify him.