Gavin looks so sweet, all curled up under the quilt. I wouldn�t wake him for the world. I wouldn�t even be in his room tonight but he worries so much about me; it�s sweet really. To solve this problem I leave him little notes. He is so silly this way; worrying about me is ridiculous. I mean, I was built for this�but he doesn�t know that.
Gavin
Gone to on a trip.
See you in a while.
Love, K
Z signaled me an hour ago, ha, he�ll be mad it took me so long to get to him. The old man never did have a sense of humor and I sometimes think that cracking a smile would actually kill the old stick in the mud. He is an old man though he doesn�t look it, with long white hair down his back and a chiseled yet youthful face. Z told me once that he dated Grace Kelly before she married the Prince and I don�t doubt him.
�Where have you been, Krya? I called you an hour ago. Diago and I have been waiting for you,� Z said tiredly. He didn�t like to spend more time than absolutely needed with Diago and his brags of his latest conquest, either a woman or a victim.
�Now for the briefing: Sirako has resurfaced, it seems he just can�t follow orders and stay down. His bosses have decided that instead of risking another incident like the Belgian fiasco they want him dead. Now his bosses were not smart, they tried to do it themselves first and got many of their people killed, so we got called in.
�Sirako is held up in a mansion fortress in Snyck with only ten armed guards, but then you know his reputation and I am here to tell you that it is no myth. He is deadly, dangerous, one of you, genetically enhanced to be stronger than a weightlifter, faster than a speeding car, more agile as a jaguar, and smarter than a member of MENSA but you two have an advantage over him. You are later in the series and thirty years younger than him.�
�Actually I am thirty-seven years younger than Sirako, and ten younger than Diago,� I quipped.
�Fine,� he sighed, �the point is you have the sneak into his fortress and destroy him before he can destroy you. Got it? Good. Here are blue prints and personality
�Yes, sir,� Barked Diago, feigning the respect of the soldier then cracking up.
�Thanks, Z I will do my best to keep Diago in line until we get there,� I said with a glancing blow to Diago�s abdomen.
�Don�t forget to release the reins when you reach Sirako, there is no better killer than Diago when he smells blood,� Z intoned with his razor sharp smile.
�Well, my blood is from a real Russian Berserker with a splash of wolf. How else am I to react to the smell of blood?� Diago pouted.
The plane was cramped and smelled of the sweat of others who couldn�t take the turbulence of small plane travel. Our gear took up most of the plane, but at least we didn�t have to sit in the back of the plane without seat belts or any view of the world outside. I flew, taking the pilot�s seat while Diago sat beside me and playing with his favorite knife, a long, curved, Japanese blade he took off a victim over ten years ago.
The flight was slow as we had to stay low, under radar, but there was little talk for the noise of the plane�s engine drowned out any attempt at conversation and I had to keep my eyes on the gauges for fear of crashing into the nearest hilltop and ending up near death in a fireball that would almost surely give away our illegal flight�s position.
Ten hours later the field where we planned on landing in came into view. One hundred yards of grass lined by a scattering of trees, a welcome sight to someone who just flew through the night. Diago was dozing in the co-pilot�s chair so I hit him to alert him to prepare to land. This old crate wouldn�t make an easy landing and I needed Diago in good condition�that and I really didn�t want to hurt him, though at times any one who spends enough time with him is tempted. We landed with a bump, but safe and sound.
�Fine, Diago, we go at sunset, but for now I eat. And how about a little something for you? Looks like we have, let�s see, jerky�saltines�and water. What will you have?�
�Ha Ha, give me a little bit of everything. Come on, what was Z thinking, no wine, no steak, might as well have been rations,� he said with his usual derision towards Z�s accommodations for our comforts.
�See, we are lucky, at least it is food,� I said with a broad smile. Diago leaped at me and we scrapped for a few minutes.
�Okay, okay, lets get rest and food�then set up,� I laughed.
�You�re no fun: Right, but no fun.�
The mansion was well fortified with walls and gates, not to mention the handful of strong looking, heavily armed guards. Diago motioned me left while he took the right and we circled the wall. I jumped over where I would have tree coverage on the other side, out of the light and protected by shadow. The guards were clueless, and not my problem�they were for Diago. He loves guards for dinner.