DEGREES OF DEATH

Part 5 – The Line Thins

DEGREES OF DEATH

Chania gave a small nod, though her face was pale. “I’m fine, Niel. Just a minor impact injury from the fall earlier.”

Daniel exhaled roughly, trying to push away the anxiety creeping into his thoughts. He reached for the iron pipe still clutched tightly in Chania’s hands. “Use this,” Daniel said, weighing its heft. “Use its reach. Don’t let anything get closer than one meter to your position. Be careful. This thing is heavy. Swing it with your whole shoulder so your knees don’t lose balance.”

“Okay,” Chania replied softly.

Daniel noticed sweat slicking Chania’s grip on the pipe. “Wait. Your hands are too slippery,” he muttered.

He stepped to the equipment table and grabbed the remaining roll of duct tape. With quick but careful movements, he wrapped the tape around the base of Chania’s pipe, creating a firm, rough grip.

“Now hold it again,” Daniel said, handing it back and making sure Chania’s hands closed around the newly wrapped section. “Don’t let this go, no matter what happens. Your life is in your own hands now.”

“Xavier, grab some scraps of cloth. There are a few over there,” Daniel ordered, his voice low but firm. “Wrap your arms and calves with those shin guards. Layer them thick if you have to. Make sure there’s no exposed skin.”

They moved in controlled panic, following Daniel’s instructions without question. Daniel did not waste time. With rough, tactical motions, he wrapped thick cloth around his knees and along his forearms. He bound his palms up to the knuckles, making sure every vulnerable inch of skin was now covered by stiff layers of fabric.

Each wrap he secured with black duct tape, pulling it so tight his arm muscles bulged. The layers felt heavy and functional. When he clenched his fists now, he no longer felt soft skin, but solid support ready to strike.

He stood upright, testing the flexibility of his joints in the suffocating silence of the warehouse. His cold gaze locked onto the steel door ahead.

“Listen,” Daniel said, his voice low, almost a restrained growl. “Never let go of your weapons. If they grab your hands, you won’t get a second chance.”

Daniel took position at the front, gripping an aluminum baseball bat that now felt like an extension of his body. His eyes swept over his teammates, all wrapped in improvised armor of tape and cloth.

“Noah and Alex, you’re in the back with the practice bats. Bianca and Chania in the middle. I’ll take the front with Xavier. No one breaks formation. If one person falls out, we’re all dead.”

Daniel grasped the steel door handle, cold and damp with night condensation. The sound of fingernails scraping against the other side grated like metal on metal, but his gaze never wavered. He would not let them be cornered prey again.

“Ready?” Daniel asked briefly.

Noah, Alex, Xavier, Chania, and Bianca nodded in unison, gripping their weapons tightly.

“The moment the door opens, strike anything in your way. Don’t stop even if you feel resistance. Focus on your footing, stay low, and leave no gaps,” Daniel said, casting a glance at Bianca, who had already nocked an arrow while sheltered by the others.

Daniel drew a short breath and opened the door slowly to avoid noise. “Now!”

They surged out in tight formation. Noah and Alex swung their practice bats alternately, carving space ahead. But the mass waiting outside was far denser and more vicious than they had expected. The dull sounds of wood, metal, and bodies colliding echoed through the night air.

“Keep moving! Don’t stop!” Daniel shouted. His voice cracked, colliding with the roar of rain pounding the corrugated roof of the indoor court. His hands, wrapped in black tape, clenched the bat until his knuckles whitened, feeling the vibration of metal with every impact.

A short, precise swing smashed into the jaw of a figure lunging from the darkness of the stands. Daniel wasted no energy on wide motions. Every strike was efficient, cold, and deliberate. His sharp eyes scanned every corner of the dim basketball court, alert to shadows shifting between the rows of seats.

But beneath the flickering stand lights, death struck from a blind spot.

Noah, exhausted, lost focus. His bat swing grazed past its target, letting one figure slip into his personal space.

“Niel!” Noah shouted in panic, his voice catching in his throat.

Before Daniel could turn, pale hands reached from behind a goalpost, grabbing Noah’s jacket and yanking him out of the protective circle. Noah lost his footing and was dragged across the slick wooden floor. In seconds, a brutal strike landed on his shoulder, tearing through both his protection and his flesh.

“ARGH!” Noah screamed as his body slammed hard onto the court.

Daniel saw dark fluid begin to seep, staining the basketball floor. Noah’s eyes widened in terror as he stared at Daniel, empty and pleading. Daniel’s focus locked instantly, torn between the instinct to save his friend and the responsibility to protect what remained of the team.

“Noah!” Chania screamed hysterically, almost breaking formation, but Daniel slammed his forearm into her chest, forcing her back.

“Niel, I … I didn’t .…” Noah whimpered, trying to crawl toward them with violently shaking hands.

“Don’t come any closer.” Daniel snapped. His voice was low and sharp as he stood firm in front of the others, a living shield. His face hardened, holding back the storm raging in his chest.

“But .…” Chania sobbed behind him.

CRACK! The sound of bones shifting unnaturally echoed across the silent court. Noah’s body jerked violently, muscles tightening into something grotesque within seconds. He was no longer the Noah they knew. With a hoarse roar, he lunged toward the very people he had just protected.

Daniel did not hesitate. With a growl of restrained fury, he swung the baseball bat squarely to stop the threat. At the same time, Bianca pulled the trigger. The gunshot thundered through the building, ending Noah’s struggle.

Daniel stood frozen for a moment, staring at the unmoving figure on the court. Grief flashed deep in his eyes, but he turned away at once.

“DON’T STOP! STAY IN FORMATION OR WE ALL DIE!” Daniel roared, louder than before, drowning out the tremor in his own heart.

He led the line forward again, moving fast toward the indoor court’s emergency exit. Outside, the rain fell harder, greeting them with deeper darkness and bone-piercing cold air.