Angel and the Assassin

The window was bare, casting their reflections in the darkened glass
    above the sink. Angel remained completely motionless, looking into Kael‟s reflected
    face. Kael looked at Angel‟s reflection, and their gazes met.
    Angel pressed his back against Kael‟s abdomen. His body melded into Kael‟s
    just as it had when the boy had thrown himself into his arms in the shower
    moments after pissing himself with fear.
    “Life takes strange turns sometimes, doesn‟t it, Daddy?” Angel said very
    quietly.
    Kael brought his left hand down, slipping the scalpel back into his pocket.
    With his right arm, he hugged Angel tightly to his chest. They continued to look at
    each other in the window. “Yes it does, very strange. Put the glass down, and turn
    off the tap.” Kael did not want to touch anything else. “Have you got a passport?”
    There was no choice. Either he killed Angel or he took him home.
    Ten minutes later they left through the French windows, the same way Kael
    had entered two hours earlier. It was the longest time he had ever spent in the
    target‟s location after a kill.

    Angel and the Assassin
    27

    Chapter Four

    Logan International Airport, Boston

    Kael placed his maroon-colored passport on the British Airways counter. “Two
    first-class seats to London, England, on the next flight.”
    The steward surveyed Kael appreciatively, opening the passport. “Certainly,
    Mr. Carpe. Does the young man have a passport too?”
    Kael took Angel‟s passport from his hand and offered it to the steward, who
    checked the picture. “Angel Gabriel Button?”
    “That‟s me.” There was a distinct flirtatiousness in the tilt of his head and the
    eye contact that lasted a fraction too long. With the back of his hand, Kael slapped
    Angel lightly in the shoulder. The boy straightened up and frowned. “What‟d I do,
    Daddy?”
    Kael leaned into his face, speaking so that only Angel could hear. “If I catch
    you flirting, I‟ll slap your arse.”
    “I‟m sorry, Daddy.”
    Kael pierced the boy with a look and moved him aside with an arm. Angel
    stood behind him submissively while Kael pulled out a gold credit card to pay for
    the flights.
    “Do you have any luggage, sir?” the steward asked.
    “No, I travel light.” Kael met the man‟s eyes. He‟d always had a killer smile
    and used it to distract people from further questions. “Just the boy‟s bag, and we‟ll
    carry it on.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    In the departure lounge, they sat looking out at the planes taking off and
    landing in the darkness, when Michael Jackson‟s “Beat It” came from Angel‟s
    pocket. He pulled out his mobile.
    Kael snatched it out of his hand and flipped it open. Angel‟s mouth opened in
    protest, then closed quickly. “Who‟s Danny?” Kael asked.
    “Just a boy. We met on the beach in Provincetown a few weeks ago. We kissed
    a bit but nothing else.”
    “You won‟t need to speak to him again then.” Kael snapped the phone in two
    and stood up to toss it in a nearby bin.
    “Why?” Angel spread his hands, confused.

    28
    Fyn Alexander

    “It won‟t work in England.”
    An hour later they boarded the plane. Kael could never fit comfortably into a
    regular seat on a plane, and anyway, he would not dream of traveling anything but
    first-class. The first-class cabin was almost empty, and he was grateful; the fewer
    people who saw him with Angel, the better. Between airport security and CCTV
    cameras everywhere, they would not go unnoticed for long. He directed Angel to two
    seats well away from the nearest passenger and seated him beside the window so he
    could not get up without permission.
    Shortly after takeoff, the same steward who had sold him the tickets appeared.
    “Would you like a drink, sir?”
    “Whisky and the boy will have an orange juice,” Kael said.
    “I want a Coke, please.” Angel looked at the steward. Anger shot through Kael.
    He put his hand on Angel‟s knee, gripping it hard until the boy winced. “I‟ll have
    orange juice, please,” Angel said quietly.
    Without looking at him, Kael said, “Do as I tell you, boy.” He could hardly
    expect Angel to be grateful he was still alive since the boy had no idea he was
    supposed to be dead, but he had to learn quickly not to question anything Kael said
    or did. “Do as I tell you because it‟s safer for you and because I expect to be obeyed.
    Do you want to be a slave or not?”
    “Yes, Daddy.” Angel looked up at him.
    “And don‟t call