The entire warehouse’s main chamber was illuminated like normal. However, in the private office William occupied, there was only a sole lamp lit. The personal computer was switched off. Next to it rested a picture of his late wife. It had been taken only days before she was killed and his life had been thrown into chaos.
Sitting in his chair, he read through the reports in his hands: information gathered by local law enforcement in the ensuing hours of Prime Minister Torres’ demise. The secret service and police did everything in their power to catch the assassin before he escaped. They searched every building, set up an impassable perimeter, and even grounded every plane.
But they turned up empty.
William looked at a photo. A satellite image had caught a man on the rooftop with a trigger. Moments after the explosion, he was seen tossing it aside. After analyzing the trigger, the police learned that it activated the blast that took out Prime Minster Torres.
The angle of the satellite image kept the killer’s face obscure, but three eye witnesses all gave the same narrative: a man of average height with short curly brown hair. Built powerfully, he was no more than 195 pounds and carried no unique scars or marks on his face.
But even without the satellite images, two pieces of the witnesses’ description gave William everything he needed to know. One was the type of clothing that the assassin wore. The high end clothing was a trademark of the killer. And the other characteristic was the killer’s holstered Colt Dragoon.
It was Jaing.
William had never come face-to-face with the assassin, but Ethan once encountered him. The night Ethan took down Anthony Griffin, Jaing was there.
Jaing never returned to Tripton or Crown City after that night, but Ethan had kept tabs on his movements. He was spotted in several different countries, but never carried out any mission high-profile enough to attract national law enforcement. But recently, he’d returned to the global arena. The police credited Jaing with two high-profile assassinations over the past year, but William knew it was at least three. Since William had taken up the mantle of The Guardian, Jaing had killed a prince who was soon-to-be-king, a chancellor, and now a prime minister.
William did not know who Jaing now worked for. But then again, Jaing was one of Daken’s soldiers. Maybe he was working for the monster himself as they prepared to unleash whatever it was Ethan was trying to stop.
Now with the princess of Northshire coming to Crown City, William knew Jaing could be following her. William already had the warehouse’s master computer working on locating any of Jaing’s known associates that may be in Crown City. Three had popped up so far, but they had all been taken out by Ethan long ago. William did not know how many other allies Jaing possessed in Crown City, but he knew one thing for sure.
Jaing would strike again.
***
The sun was still high when Ivan returned to the house. As he opened the door, he was immediately met by Katrina. Seeing her, the bald Russian set down the supplies right next to the entrance, noticing her distraught expression.
“What’s wrong, Katrina?” He closed the door behind him.
“I—I don’t want to scare you.” She was hesitant. “This may be nothing.”
“There’s no such thing as ‘nothing’ for us. Tell me.”
“I saw a man. Close to the house, I mean.”
His eyebrows rose. Ivan instinctively reached for his belt and grabbed his handgun. “Here?”
“He’s gone now. He wasn’t at the house… just close. He was coming on the road from the town.”
“What happened?”
“He stopped his car a little ways from here, got out, and examined the house from afar. I—don’t know how to explain this, but it felt like he could see me—as if he could see me as clearly as if he was standing right next to me.”
“Describe him.”
“He… he was lean, dark-skinned, but looked strong. He would have blended in perfectly in the town. His clothing and everything fit in perfectly, but there was something off about it. It… it felt like when he saw me, he had finally found what he was looking for.”
Ivan stepped forward and grabbed her shoulder. “We have to leave.”
“Are—are you sure?”
“We’ve been found out.”
It was just as she had feared. “Who do you think it is?”
“I don’t know, but if what you’re saying is true, I doubt that it’s any type of government agent. They wouldn’t have surveyed the place under such broad daylight.”
“You think it’s… it’s one of Daken’s soldiers?”
“If it is, then they’ll try to use you to get to Ethan. We need to get to the boat as soon as possible. Once we’ve escaped, I’ll send a distress signal to Ethan.”
They were prepared for a time like this. All of their necessities always remained packed and ready to go. They had rehearsed their escape plan time and time again, already knowing where their next hiding place would be.
Within a matter of minutes, they were gone.
***
As Adam walked out of the elevator and into the law firm’s glossy lobby, he immediately looked at the reception desk. Sitting behind the desk was the same woman as always.
Elizabeth stared at the computer monitor as she typed away on the keyboard. About the same age as Adam, her long, light brown locks were neatly brushed. She wore a modest dress that ended at the bottoms of her knees.
With a deep breath, Adam started to move towards her. The lobby was nearly empty, outside of the security guard who stood a few feet from the door.
Adam spoke to her almost every time he came here. It was the one thing he looked forward to every day. However, he had never asked her out. He had always feared that his work with William would never allow him to have a personal life.
But now with everything slowing down and peace coming over the city and country, maybe it was about time he started to think about his own life. Arriving at the reception desk, Adam watched as she felt his presence and looked up at him with a pleasant smile. “Hey, Adam.”
“Hey. You about ready to take off?”
“In a few minutes, yes.”
Adam paused. “You know, I was thinking about how the other day you’d mentioned you liked that Italian place down the street from here. I think the name was Giovanni’s Cuisine?”
Seeing that he remembered, her eyes momentarily brightened up. “Yes, I’ve never been but I’ve heard good things about it.”
Smiling, Adam put one elbow on the desk as he mustered the courage to speak.
***
“You’re up late, Mr. President.”
Hearing the voice spill out from the shadows in his Crown City Office, Villanueva swiftly turned around and came face-to-face with The Guardian. The vigilante’s hood had been lowered, the emotionless mask looking down at the president as Villanueva sat at his desk. The dark cloak was thrown behind his shoulders, revealing the full front of his red and black tactical suit along with his belt.
“My God!” Villanueva set the papers down as he shook his head. “You scared me. Your stealth would rival your predecessor.”
“I’ve been working on it.”
It was dark outside. Within half an hour, it would be midnight. But even at this late hour, the people of Crown City were not asleep. From this high-rise office’s window, the entire city’s downtown appeared illuminated and alive. Some civilians were still out on business, but others were out for pleasure. After all, with nothing lurking in the darkness to fear, the good people had nothing holding them back from enjoying their lives on this Friday evening.
“I can see that.” The president slowly rose to his feet. “Thanks for stopping by.”
“You paged me.”
“You didn’t happen to catch my last interview, did you?”
“When questioned about me, you spoke like a true politician.”
Villanueva lightly smirked. “Have you heard from Ethan?”
“He keep
s me posted from time to time.”
“And how’s he faring?”
“He’s alive. And he’s doing what he does best.”
“I assume that the recent downfall of those warlords is his doing.”
“It was only a matter of time before he got to them.”
Villanueva leaned on his desk as he thoughtfully looked down. “Nobody in the world with the power to fight those warlords would. The world had turned a blind eye on them, while they had killed and destroyed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.”
William silently listened.
“Ethan has become not only a Guardian for the good people of this nation, but a Guardian for the world. He’s inspired more people than anybody else I know.”
“I hope you didn’t call me here just for a chat.”
“I only ever call you for business.”
“What’s going on?”
Villanueva glance down. “You know that tomorrow evening the Princess Amelia of Northshire will be coming to Crown City.”
“To sign the treaty, yes.”
“I have intel that there may be an assassination attempt on her life at the airport.”
Hearing the information, William kept his voice calm. “Who’s intel?”
“An intelligence agent—Agent Pollard.”
Hearing the name of the trusted government agent, William questioned the matter no further. “Who’s the assassin?”
“If what we’ve heard is correct, then it will be the same assassin that took down Prime Minister Torres yesterday evening.”
“Jaing.”
Villanueva’s expression showed his confusion. “…who?”
“That’s the name of the assassin. He’s a slippery one. Ethan’s encountered him before. He says that Jaing is… skilled, to say the least.”
“Skilled enough that we should take this threat seriously?”
“Jaing is responsible for several high-profile assassinations within the past several months. I knew that it was only a matter of time before he came into the country. He’s a hard bullet to dodge.”
Villanueva silently nodded before replying, “Does he have any contacts in Crown City?”
“All his contacts and known accomplices in the entire country were eliminated by Ethan. Before coming here, I verified that none of his other known associates have entered the country.”
“Does he normally work alone?”
“Hardly. There’s always a contingency plan.”
“We’re doing what we can to try to catch him at the border.”
From underneath his mask, William smiled. “A snowball has more chance in hell than you do at stopping him at the border. Jaing is of the same… breed as Ethan. He’s more than a match for anybody you might have.”
“…including you?”
“Maybe.”
Hearing those words, Villanueva was slow to respond. “…what should we do?”
“Tighten security as much as you can. Clear out the section of the airport that the princess will be in. Nobody is allowed there except for security detail—”
“The press won’t like that.”
“Does that matter?”
“It always does. We’ll have to let some of them in or they might make a big deal out of it. Trust me. The princess is a celebrity figure you know.”
The Guardian crossed his arms. “…alright. But only allow members of the media who have a clean background. If there’s even a speck of dirt on their ledger, keep them out.”
“I’ll do that. I’ll have plenty of our agents down there as well, including Agent Pollard.”
William nodded in agreement. “I’ll be watching everything. First sign of trouble, I’ll move in.”
“I appreciate that. If Jaing shows up, my men will put him down.”
“Mr. President, if Jaing shows up, your men are as good as dead. And so is the princess.”
Chapter 7
Battling Monsters
Ivan and Katrina quickly moved through the street. Shops and stands lined either side of them as the townspeople went about their daily business. Their voices filled the air and drowned out the sounds of the ocean. But unbeknownst to the inhabitants of Govan Cove, Katrina and Ivan ran for their very lives.
“Somebody’s following us. It’s him.”
Hearing Katrina’s voice, Ivan discreetly glanced behind them. He immediately detected the man that his friend was identifying. The dark-skinned figure was moving alongside some of the stands, appearing to examine their merchandise. But Ivan knew better. He had worn the shoes of a tracker plenty of times to know the signs.
Looking straight ahead, Ivan spoke as they continued to briskly head towards the dock. “I see him.”
“Do you think he’s alone?”
“Yes.” Ivan took a deep breath. “But there’s something off…”
Katrina knew what he meant, but she did not want to admit it. “What do you mean?”
“The vibe he gives off… it’s the same vibe I got from Vixen and her army. I think he’s one of them—one of Daken’s enhanced soldiers.”
Her heart suddenly felt a heavy weight press down onto it. “…I was afraid you’d say that.”
“The boat is not far. If you make a run for it, you’ll be out of here in five minutes.”
Katrina caught the implications of his words. She looked at him as the two of them continued down the street. “I’m not leaving without you.”
Ivan felt the stalker closing the distance between them. He reached down and touched his two concealed pistols. His eyes met with his friend’s. “There’s no way we both make it out of here. I can’t kill him. Right now, the best I can do is give you a chance.”
“…no. Don’t say that, Ivan. We can fight him together.”
“I promised Ethan I would keep you safe. And I promised your grandfather that I would give my life for you if it ever came to that.” He paused. “That moment is here.”
“Ivan—”
“When I tell you… run. Run and don’t look back.”
“I—”
“Do what I say, Katrina. Now.”
She didn’t reply. Katrina knew this would be the end for her lifelong friend—he would not see another sunset. But there was no other way. After a long moment, she slightly nodded.
“Tell Ethan… tell Ethan to send them all to hell.” Ivan took another deep breath of courage. The assailant was now only forty yards behind them. It was now or never. His hands gripped his pistols and he gained the spike of courage he needed to charge into the flames. “Go now!”
Katrina took off.
Ivan whirled around, pistols in hands. Aiming them straight ahead, he stared right down at his opponent. It all happened in a split-second. There was no fear in Ivan’s eyes as he looked at the face of death. Without hesitating, Ivan pulled the triggers and let loose his fury with the angry roar of a lion.
With all her speed, Katrina dashed through the town. She heard the deafening thunder of gunfire sounding off behind her. Every person in sight suddenly whipped their heads to look at the commotion.
But she did not turn back. The earsplitting blasts of Ivan’s weapons echoed down the streets as he pulled the triggers again and again. And she knew that if the gunfire ended and the target had not fallen, it meant that Ivan’s last stand was all but over.
Then it happened.
Out of seemingly nowhere, there was a flash of lightning from behind her. For a moment, its blinding brightness engulfed the town, its reverberation momentarily putting out everything else. When it ended, so did the gunfire.
But Katrina did not stop. Her heart raced wildly and her breaths were quick. Within a minute, she arrived at the docked boat. She quickly boarded the vessel, knowing that each moment she wasted was a moment closer to death. Her heart felt as if it would burst out of her chest at any second. But when she climbed onto the ship, the last person she expected waited for her:
Ivan’s killer.
He stood a few feet
from the entrance. She froze, unable to do anything but look into his malicious eyes. They displayed nothing but pleasure. When he spoke, his voice showed his wicked soul. “So… you’re the one who is responsible for this.”
She did not answer.
“It’s because of you all this is happening to Ethan. Had it not been for you, he would be just like me: loyal and subservient to the cause.”
Katrina’s hand formed into a tight fist as she fearlessly replied. This was not the first time she stared into the eyes of a killer. “Ethan would never be like you. No matter how much your master twisted his soul, he would have never become a monster.
The intruder aimed his closed fist at Katrina. “Brave words from a dead woman.”
“My husband is going to break each and every one of you like the bugs you are. Ethan will show you just how dangerous a lion can be. Killing me will just give him more of a reason to do it.” She looked at his hand. “Do it.”
A bolt of lightning shot out of the fist and struck Katrina right in her heart.
***
The dirty, green truck came to a sputtering stop on the side of the broken and cracked highway. Within moments, the old and noisy engine loudly turned off and Caine emerged from the driver’s seat, a cigarette in his mouth. His worn down clothing was drenched with his sweat, his pants a little ripped.
It had been raining here only hours ago. However, there was now not a cloud in the sky. The African sun neared the horizon now, but its heat could still be felt just about everywhere. Beads of sweat ran down Caine’s face, but his perspiring was not only due to the hot air. Slamming his door shut, he looked at the thick jungle that ran alongside of the road.
From the trees, two figures emerged.
One was dressed in a militant’s uniform. Green and black clothing covered his dark skin while his feet wore russet boots. A dagger and holstered handgun hung from his belt. The second man wore a dark tunic over his fair skin that ended at his knees. Underneath that, a pair of stained jeans covered his legs, but his feet remained bare as he stood in the short, damp grass.