Tempest - Kris Michaels Page 0,76

name. Raven and Lobo had been around for as long as he'd been working for Guardian. They were second rate, not the caliber of professional Guardian insisted on. If memory served, Lobo was keen on keeping trophies from his kills. Raven? The assassin had a body count in the hundreds, not of paid kills, but of bystanders, innocents. Messy and dishonorable.

The woman struggled to breathe now. "I'm cold."

"I know. Death won't be long now. Why did you do it?"

She tilted her head with effort, a grey tinge around her mouth and eyes accented the pallor of her face. A trickle of blood ran from her nose and the inner corner of one eye. "Because men have ruined the world."

"And sex trafficking, drugs, guns and wars repair what has been ruined." He shook his head. "What a screwed-up way of righting a listing ship."

"To propagate power, one needs money. The easiest means are often illegal. The people who we used were sacrificed for the greater good."

"I think they'd disagree." He watched her lower her head.

She mumbled something. He moved closer. "I didn't hear you."

"She will not let you live."

"I don't work for her. She's my next target. She will not live."

A huff of air pushed from the woman. "She will not die alone. If she gets to... bunker. She will..."

He assessed his mark. There would be no further words. Intelligence gathered, he waited for the end. It wouldn't be long. He removed the IV from her arm and made a small cut, dipped the paintbrush in the blood and dropped a trail of blood from the mark the IV left. No sense in making the medical examiner's job easy. Nadia had died a tragic death. Small cuts. None deep enough to kill her and yet with the help of the IV blood thinners, the woman who'd ordered the ruthless murders of innocent people, sold children into ungodly horrors, and created wars to further her goals, had bled for those she'd hurt. An eye for an eye.

He looked at the message illuminated by the moon through a gaping hole in the roof.

One Fate for All

Written in English, it was a message sent to an entire organization, but directed at the one who remained. Mission complete, he moved through the dark warehouse and made his way to where he'd left his vehicle. He'd meet up with Sierra team and head back to the States. There was one more step to take on his road to vengeance. One. More. Step.

Chapter 23

Pilar made her way to the insistent knocking on her living quarter's door. Pulling a robe around her, she yanked the door open and glared at the security guard. "What?"

"You will get dressed and pack a small overnight bag. Your mother requires your presence at a meeting she will be hosting in the morning."

"What? Where is she? Where is the meeting?" Leaning through the doorway, she blinked down the dark hallway.

"I did not ask, and she is not here. In order to comply with her directions, we will need to leave within the next twenty minutes. Please do hurry, I value my job." The man gave her a resigned and slightly put-out look.

"Fine." She shut the door and headed back to the shower. It wasn't the first time her mother had demanded she drop everything and go to a meeting, but she'd never been summoned in the middle of the night. Regina had lost her mind. She showered quickly, drew her hair into a tight French twist, and slipped into a business suit and a pair of flats. She threw her heels into her overnight bag, added two changes of clothes, and her toiletries. She threw her phone into her purse and dragged her almost awake form to the front door. The security guard opened the door for her.

She stepped out and the guard behind her grabbed her in a tight hold. A cloth covered her nose and mouth. She screamed and tried to get away. Panic bolted through her as her vision started to tunnel.

"Did she make any calls?" Regina emerged and crossed her arms as the security guard manhandled Pilar into the back of a black panel van.

"No," said a man who'd been hidden in the shadows.

"You know where to take her."

"I do."

"She isn't to be eliminated, yet. But do ensure she knows her place." She turned and walked back into her Florida residence and flicked a disdainful glance around the entryway. The home was a mildewed stone around her neck. She'd