Embracing the Shadows Read Online Free PDF Page B

was my former dojo instructor
Phillip Aoki.
    Shit, because of me, some Adept bastard got
Phillip. Behind me, I heard Even say to the guards, "Save Mr. Aoki
the trouble. Subdue the target."
    As I quickly whirled back around and pulled
my Glock, another voice loudly said, "No."
    Crouched, I hesitated. So did everyone else
except for Evan, who was looking back at the opened glass door of
the building. Enric Tomasino stepped out from behind him with a
stern expression on his youthful face. Tomasino was a clean-shaven
and handsome guy with wavy brown hair and a predator's gaze. I knew
the look; some battle-hardened vets had it. He wore a suit without
the jacket, and a sword strapped on his back.
    "What is this, elder?" Evan asked while
Tomasino strolled a few paces out to my right. "I have orders."
    "You were going to have the human attacked
while his back was turned, Mr. Dean," Tomasino replied with a
scornful tone. "Your complete lack of integrity prompted me to step
in. If our Doyenne wants the man detained, then of course he will
be. But not by an act of cowardice."
    The guards lowered their guns. Somewhat
relieved, I turned back to Phillip. "We don't have to do this,
okay?" I said to him. "Let's just hop in the van and go somewhere
to talk it through. Hell, I even know a great little Chinese place
-"
    "No, Leo, I'm sorry," Phillip said, cutting
me off. "My Lady Le Meur told me to bring you to her." He glanced
at my gun. "Are you going to shoot me? I was told you'd given up
your honor, but I'd rather not believe it. Face me as you
should."
    Fuck, fuckity-fuck. There was no way out of
it. There were rubber bullets and a sword-wielding hemo at my back,
and my former sensei in front of me getting into an attack stance;
two crappy choices. Blowing out a sigh, I pressed one hand to my
bruised stomach and looked at Phillip. He was calm and patient and
dead-set on bringing me to the hemo bitch. Resigned, I put the
Glock away and slipped the holster off.
    Phillip wasted no time. As soon as I stepped
back with a defensive posture, he attacked. I was forced to block
or evade his initial barrage of jabs and low kicks. That flashy
aerial bullshit doesn't happen in a real fight. I threw a few back,
mainly gauging any advantage I had. His technique was speed and
discipline, while my military training was all about survival and
quick subdual. Phillip was always quick, but he was now stronger
than I remembered; it was harder to deflect his direct strikes.
    I quickly realized that I had superior
strength and position speed, whereas Phillip had smoother attacks
and better accuracy. He was using them to try to wear me down and
pick me apart. I had an opening and let it close, all because I
didn't want to seriously hurt him. I got a hard kick in the thigh
for my stupid consideration. That wasn't going to happen twice.
    Feigning a punch and leaving myself open,
Phillip took the bait. I slipped the straight kick he aimed for my
solar plexus, came in close and hooked a knuckle punch to the side
of his neck. When he winced, I drove a knee into his ribs, grabbed
under his arms and heaved him backwards at the side of the van ten
feet away. The impact was almost scary - he crashed into it a lot
harder than I intended. Oops.
    Stunned and winded, Phillip leaned against
the now-dented van for support. I rushed forward and threw an
uppercut. He couldn't quite dodge the punch; my fist caught him in
the eye instead of on the chin. The hard shot hammered his skull
back against the van with a metallic thump. Phillip Aoki dropped to
the concrete with his eyes rolled to the back of his head, but at
least he was alive.
    I didn't have time to feel sorry for Phillip
or congratulate myself. One of the guards behind me was yelling
something, and I heard a low but constant noise of unsettling
motion. That noise was growing. Turning my head to the left, I at
first couldn't quite make sense of what I saw. Under the glow of
nearby streetlights, a massive undulating and