Angel and the Assassin

shadow that it was enough to assist him in the way a
    floodlight would assist an ordinary person.
    Angel leaned against the wall, his chin on his chest. From the position of his
    arms, it was plain he was secured from behind. Kael gently took his shoulders. He
    was freezing cold and completely still. Behind him a heavy iron ring was hammered
    into the wall, probably to tie up a bull, it was so strong. Police-grade steel handcuffs
    secured Angel to the ring.
    Taking a breath to steady himself, Kael lifted Angel‟s chin and tugged off the
    hood. A long sighing breath from Angel‟s pale lips sent relief reverberating through
    Kael‟s body. “Angel,” he whispered.
    Angel‟s eyes opened, unfocused for a moment; then the boy looked directly at
    him. “Sir.” His voice was faint. “I‟m so cold.”

    174
    Fyn Alexander

    “Are you hurt?” Kael asked.
    “Not really hurt, just a bit knocked around. I don‟t know where they brought
    me.”
    “It‟s a farm in the Bosnian hill country.”
    The harsh bark of a dog cracked the air. “Dragana,” Kael whispered. A foot
    ground on the stones outside the shed. Kael slipped the hood back over Angel‟s
    head, and when the boy protested, he hissed, “Shut up; don‟t move. Be a good slave.”
    Silently, he stepped back and dropped to the floor behind a rotting wooden
    fence separating the cow stalls. A short, barrel-chested man in a greasy sheepskin
    jacket shoved open the door and approached Angel. He kicked at Angel‟s foot and,
    when he got no reaction, checked to ensure he was still tethered to the wall.
    Satisfied, he turned to leave.
    Without a sound, Kael stood up, raised his gun, centered it at the man‟s heart,
    and fired. The silencer muffled the sound, and the man dropped heavily to the floor.
    Quickly Kael stepped out of hiding, fired another bullet into the man‟s skull, and
    went through his pockets for the key. “How convenient.”
    Again he tugged the hood from Angel‟s head and unlocked the handcuffs.
    Angel fell into his arms. Kael stood and lifted him up, cradling him against his
    chest. Outside the gusting wind muffled any twigs he stepped on or stones he kicked
    as he ran unheeding toward the woods, looking out for Dragana.
    Hidden among the trees, Kael watched the farmyard, still cradling Angel to his
    chest. The man who had come to check on Angel had been gone from the house for
    more than five minutes. When he did not return, someone would come looking for
    him. Where the hell was the woman? Kael watched intently for any signs of a
    person moving through the darkness. His excellent hearing blocked out the gusting
    wind to focus only on extraordinary sounds.
    Christ!
    Across the farmyard two men walked with Dragana between them. The bright
    moonlight reflected off the barrel of the gun one man held at her head. Words flew
    back and forth between them. They headed toward the cowshed and would find in a
    minute that Angel was gone and one of their own was dead.
    “Angel, look at me. Look at me.” Angel met his eyes. They were more focused
    now. If he had stayed asleep much longer in the cold, he may have died. “How many
    men are there?”
    “Five, I think, but I was hooded the whole time. I never saw any faces. But I
    heard five different-sounding voices. I couldn‟t understand what they said, but I‟m
    sure there‟s five.”
    The pride Kael felt at Angel‟s deductive abilities made him smile despite the
    circumstances. This boy could be so good if he was trained right.
    I shot one, there are two there, so that means only two more should be in the
    house.

    Angel and the Assassin
    175

    Dropping Angel‟s legs, Kael set him on his feet and steadied him. “You have to
    remain here, hidden. I have to go and get Dragana.”
    Angel looked up into his eyes. “Sir, don‟t get hurt.”
    Kael grinned. “I‟m indestructible. Do you know how to use a gun?”
    “No, Sir.”
    Kael took out his GLOCK 19 compact and released the safety catch. Carefully
    he positioned it in Angel‟s hand. “Stay here and use this only if you need to, but if
    you do, don‟t hesitate. Aim carefully. If anything happens to me, run that way,
    straight through the woods.” He turned Angel and pointed in the direction of the
    jeep. “Conran is waiting with a car.”
    “Yes, Sir.” Angel threw his arms around Kael‟s waist, hugging him more
    tightly than he ever had before. “Sir, don‟t do anything stupid. I know what you‟re
    like when you‟re pissed