She pauses for a moment. Her expression tries to hide a slightly bemused smile. “The police… aren’t a concern for us.”
I raise an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, wherever you are, whatever you do — providing you stick to those three rules, no one is going to bother you. You’re free, Adrian.”
“Really…? Well, that is interesting…”
I pick up one of my chopsticks. It’s thin, but made from something sturdy, like bamboo. I snap it about a quarter of the way down, leaving a sharp, jagged point. I hold it in my fist with the business end facing away from me. I look at Lily and raise an eyebrow.
Screw it. Let’s see just how free I really am, shall we?
I lash my arm out to the side in a swift arc. The splintered chopstick connects perfectly with my target, piercing the thin flesh of his throat, just below his Adam’s apple. I turn and stare at him. He looks around at me slowly, his eyes wide and his mouth open. I let go, leaving the makeshift weapon sticking out of him. He clutches at it as he makes an awful gurgling sound, desperately trying to take a breath, but slowly choking on the blood gathering in his esophagus.
No one’s reacted yet. The people in the immediate vicinity haven’t quite registered what’s happening. I stare into the guy’s wide, disbelieving eyes, waiting to see the light in them begin to fade.
It doesn’t take long.
I reach across and yank the chopstick from his throat. A thin fountain of blood erupts from the wound, soaking both the table in front of him and the person sitting opposite. I quickly place my hand on the back of his head and slam him face first into his plate. He tries to struggle free, but his efforts are futile. I hold him there for another moment, waiting.
I lean forward to check and…
Yeah… that’s it.
He’s gone.
I sit back in my chair and look at Lily. Her expression is neutral, devoid of any sentiment or emotion. We stare into each other’s eyes until the shock wears off the people around us and the screaming starts. Neither of us makes a move. As people leap to their feet and rush around in a panic, fleeing their tables in all directions, we both sit, silently regarding one another like a game of chicken, seeing who will move first.
I shrug. “See, I told you — all I need is a valid reason. Job done.”
She finishes her drink. “What if I was lying?”
“You weren’t.”
“How do you know?”
“Because, believe it or not, I’m better at reading people than you might think. And I trust my spider sense. You weren’t lying. You were just reluctant to give me a reason because it’s against your rules.”
She flicks her eyebrows up and flashes a perplexed smile. “Okay. And what’s your spider sense? Is that something out of Star Wars?”
She pulls a face, possibly being facetious. I shake my head. “No, it’s not out of Star Wars… Good God, woman!”
She chuckles and stands. “Come on, the police will be here any minute.”
“I thought they weren’t a problem?”
“They’re not, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any paperwork. Let’s go.”
I follow her outside and we head left. I glance back over my shoulder at the restaurant. There’s a crowd of people gathering out front, cell phone cameras going crazy.
Some things never change…
That actually felt quite liberating — getting back to basics and just taking out a target. No fuss, no fallout… just me and the kill, like the old days. It’s almost comforting to have something I’m familiar with, something that makes sense to me. God knows those things have been in short supply lately.
Lily strides confidently and carefree next to me, as if we have all the time in the world. A warm, stifling breeze catches her hair, blowing it gently and causing it to flow like black water behind her as she walks.
She’s an absolute vision…
“So, do you always act so impulsively?” she asks.
“I wouldn’t say that was impulsive, as such. I tend to operate using calculated risks and instinct more than anything. It’s always worked well for me in the past.”
“How did you know he wouldn’t fight back?”
I look over at her and raise an eyebrow. “Are you being serious?”
She holds my gaze for a moment and then smiles. “No, not in the slightest.”
I smile and shake my head. She might be a little frosty at times, and really hard to read, but I’m starting to like her. And she seems to be warming to me, which is unexpected but not altogether unpleasant.
“So, where to now, Lily?”
She spins around so she’s facing me and walking backward. “Time to meet the boss.”
We’re sitting side by side at a table outside a small café, silently observing the long lines of people stretching out from the ticket booths at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Neither of us wanted to sit with our backs to the doors, so after a little debate, we’re next to each other.
The airport is crammed and noisy, filled with the monotonous rabble of a hundred simultaneous conversations. Herds of people are shuffling in every direction, carrying bags of varying sizes and dragging cases behind them.
Security is insane, too. Unsurprising, after the last few weeks, I guess. Groups of armed guards are everywhere — every door, every corridor… even alongside every line of people. Some of them are wearing GlobaTech uniforms, which is making me feel a little self-conscious. I’m trying to ignore them and act normal.
Lily drove us here, which took about forty minutes in traffic. She has a great car — it’s a bright yellow convertible. A Porsche, I think. We had the top down all the way here. It was a nice feeling, to be speeding around with very little to care about. I’ve forgotten what a vacation feels like, but I imagine it’s something close to how this feels. For the first time in ages, I don’t have any burdens or responsibilities. I don’t have anyone to look out for or depend on. I just have me.
And do you know what? It’s weird, and it’ll definitely take some getting used to, but I reckon I’ve earned this. I’m still not completely convinced The Order of Sabbah is as great as it makes out — in my experience, if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Since my test in Vietnam, it’s been nice hotels, good food, and a relatively easy kill… I’m not naïve enough to be blinded by it all, but I am smart enough to take advantage of a good thing while I have it.
Colonel Sanders is supposed to be meeting us here any time now. I refuse to call him Horizon — it’s a ridiculous name! Lily said he wants to talk with me. I just hope he tells me what’s going to happen now…
We’re both drinking coffee from large paper cups. Mine’s black, obviously. No sugar, no cream — just pure caffeine, as nature intended. Lily has this weird, creamy-looking cup of cat sick with chocolate sprinkled on top. Each to their own, I guess. She seems to be enjoying it, which is all that matters.
She nudges my arm and nods over at the main entrance. “He’s here.”
I look over and see the man himself walking toward us wearing his trademark white suit and black shirt. There’s a guy on either side of him, both dressed in matching black suits, with a visible earpiece. No doubt, they’re armed, too.
He stops at our table and nods a curt, professional greeting to Lily. “Hello, my dear. It’s good to see you.”
She stands, picking up her coffee, and nods back. “Sir.” She looks down at me. “I’ll see you around.”
I go to reply, but she walks off before I have chance.
Colonel Sanders sits down next to me, crosses his legs and clasps his hands on his lap. He looks out at the sea of chaos flowing around the terminal and takes in a deep, calm breath, but remains silent.