Finale 1 - A cut so deep

When I first came up with the idea of Rome's Evolution, I had only thought it through to Rome and Rei capturing Troutman and Steele. But when I started writing it, suddenly, I realized that this was not the end but the beginning of a deeper, more insidious plot. So here is a 6 part series on what was supposed to be the finale.

Yesterday, Rei encountered Steele who had taken Rome captive. The only way to free her was to have her drop to the ground like a rock and Rei take on a trained assassin directly. It is not looking good. How will he get out of this?

     “Go! Now!” Rei commanded.
     Reluctantly, Rome let her knees buckle. Gravity took over and she slipped out of Steele’s grasp. At the same time, Rei came rushing at him. Steele didn’t even bother with Rome. He calmly raised the handgun, steadied it with his other hand and when Rei was close enough, he fired off two rounds, point blank into Rei’s chest. The bullets passed harmlessly through the miniature PPT tunnel vest that Rei wore under his electrostatic blouse and out the other side. Taking advantage of Steele’s surprise, Rei launched himself over Rome like a linebacker and hit Steele full on, driving his shoulder into Steele’s chin.
     Being in that Steele was trained in the martial arts, he used Rei’s own momentum against him, flipping him up and over. With a thud, Rei landed on his back, flat on the ground. He hit his head and the blow made him dizzy, dizzier than it would have if he had not just had a concussion.
     In the blink of an eye, Steele whirled around, lifting his right fist as he turned. He smashed his hand down onto Rei’s nose, breaking it. Rei cried out. The pain was excruciating. Steele used Rei’s agony to buy the time he needed to land on top of his adversary, knees straddling Rei’s chest. He seized Rei by the throat with his left hand and tried to crush the fallen man’s windpipe. Rei reached up, grabbing Steele’s hand by the wrist. It took both hands and all his might but finally, Rei managed to pry Steele’s left hand off of his throat. What Rei could not see was Steele withdrawing a knife from his boot with his right hand.
     “Die, you god-damned traitor,” Steele said, raising the knife up into the air.
     “Rei!” Rome screamed but it was too late. Steele plunged the blade into Rei’s chest, slashing through Rei’s shirt, right where his heart should have been. But there was no chest. There was no heart. Steele’s hand and blade went right through the PPT tunnel and lodged firmly in the rocky soil underneath Rei. Rei seized the opportunity and twisted to his right. The rim of the PPT tunnel, possibly the sharpest edge in the universe, severed the connection between Steele’s arm and his right wrist and hand.
     The cut was so quick that Steele did not even feel any pain. He stared at his arm which now ended so abruptly, totally slack-jawed, trying to come to grips with what just happened.

Is that cool or what? Steele couldn't shoot or stab Rei in the chest because he had no chest. I'd been setting this up the whole book with the portable PPT tunnel. Now Steele only has one hand. Rei has the advantage right? Right?