Bevis watched the group turn as one. To someone who hadn't faced what she had in her time as a Death Dealer, it would have been intense, intimidating, and perhaps a little scary. Still, she took inventory and fell into her previous habits formed in training.
Amid the men, a woman stood barking commands and sneering at them if they asked questions or gave opinions. At Bevis' words, her current command stopped, hanging in midair... unfinished. The woman spun toward the trio outside the tent and scoffed, muttering something about her men's incompetence. She froze when she found herself facing Bevis and narrowed her eyes.
"Why are you here?" she asked, carefully scanning the area above where the women stood just outside the tent entrance, "Did Mommy and Daddy send you here with a message for me? Are they too scared to face me themselves?"
The mocking words fell into an eery silence, and the men glanced at The Calderone before shifting uncomfortably.
"Why are you trespassing?" Bevis asked; her words were spoken quietly but carried across the clearing.
"We're looking for something," The Calderone said, shaking her head, "no one seemed to be around to ask, so ... um ... we're looking ... perhaps you can tell us where it is."
Bevis watched the woman arrogantly swagger forward, shifting her weight slowly until she faced the approaching body fully. She noted the woman's strong arms and agility, which were trying to be hidden, and knew that getting the better of her would be a challenge she hadn't had in some time.
"What are you looking for?" Chelsea asked, scanning the area and surprising a glint of the sun on a scope on the mountain to the left of their position. Glancing at Sabra and catching her eye, she looked in the sniper's direction again, receiving an acknowledging nod from The Nisim.
"It's really a myth," The Calderone said, sighing and shaking her head as she came to a stop a little way from them, "it has something to do with this person who can stop evil because of some ancient contract."
"Huh, you mean you're looking for someone who can stop you from being ... you?" Chelsea said, "Do you know who this person is?"
"Apparently, this mythological creature hides behind the name of The Nisim," The Calderone said. "Well, I'm here to find whoever it is. Apparently, the person arrived here to stop this event."
"You're looking for someone, and you have no idea who they are," Bevis said, shaking her head. "How do you expect to find and stop this person if you don't know who it is?"
"My intel says I just have to find the Death Dealer, and I'll have the person I need to stop," The Calderone said, turning in a circle, "but I don't know what a Death Dealer looks like either."
Bevis glanced at Chelsea, indicating her phone with her eyes before looking back at The Calderone.
"Then why are you here?" Bevis asked as Chelsea quickly texted Jake this new information.
"Unfinished business," the woman sighed. I have to pay back this Death Dealer for interrupting the flow of my merchandise many years ago. Unfortunately, whoever it was disappeared years ago and never surfaced again." She smirked, "Well... until now."
"How can you be so sure your informant is to be trusted?" Chelsea asked.
"He can be," The Calderone nodded, "he has a score to settle with the same Death Dealer."
Bevis felt her blood turn icy in her veins as she realised the connection between the phone call and the timing of this meeting.
"Meet you where it all started," Bevis whispered, "they're related."
"Whose related?" Chelsea whispered.
"The kidnapper and The Calderone," Bevis said quietly, "he must be ... oh how stupid ..." sighing before she spoke louder, addressing The Calderone, "which Uncle is your informant."
"Oh, he isn't blood," The Calderone said, smiling, "he was brought in from another family who was such goodie-toe shoes and bored him badly."
Chelsea stiffened, her breathing quickening, "Do you think it's possible?"
"Steady," Sabra said, "there are a myriad of families that person could have come from."
Nodding, Chelsea flexed her tense shoulders and rolled her neck, "True, so why are we still talking?"
"I think she's trying to stall," Bevis said, raising her voice for everyone to hear, "I have a feeling that whoever it is that is her informant wants to be here for the kill."
"How very clever," The Calderone gave a mock bow, "it will be irrelevant if I can't find the damned Death Dealer."
"You know who it is," Sabra said, "otherwise you wouldn't have snipers positioned already, and you know who the mythological person is because you've got an informant in this camp."
The Calderone's eyes snapped to The Nisim's steady, knowing gaze.
"You seem to know a lot," The Calderone said, "who are you?"
Sabra ignored the question and continued talking, "I do know things ... for instance ... that you were born on the other side of the city, on a small farm where your mother and father hid from your father's family so they could have and raise you away from the depraved ways of his family. I know that you were named after your mother's mother, as they didn't want you to have any connection with his side of the family. I know that your father and mother were murdered when you were young, and you were taken to a large estate where your mother's family were not permitted to enter to visit you," The Calderone shifted uncomfortably, "I know that you were neglected, starved of affection and conditioned to enjoy inflicting pain by the time you were seventeen you were already taking part in the ... ah ... family business."
"How do you know all this?" The Calderone asked angrily, the growl in her words making the men around her widen the circle.
"I also know that you killed your "father" to take over and hide behind the ridiculous name you gave yourself. Your "father" was actually your Uncle and died at your hand because he tried to get you to abide by that pesky ancient contract," Sabra said, "I know that you were behind Eitane's manipulation and you lied about you being involved so that he would do your bidding and you enjoyed every moment of the manipulation of that upright man, including the murdering of his fiancé."
The Calderone paled, "How ..." she stammered, "who are you?"
Sabra once more ignored the question, "I know that your reputation is based only on your perversion for hurting people and sapping their lives from their bodies to feed your own insignificant existence because all you ever wanted was someone to accept you as you were but you were always found lacking...." Sabra said.
"Shut up," The Calderone said, her hands balling into tight fists.
Sabra continued, as though the words went unspoken: "... you want someone to love you so badly that you find joy in tearing apart people and families who are close and care about each other so that someone else can experience what you do ... loneliness..."
"Shut up," the words came more loudly.
"... a gaping emptiness that was never filled because no matter what you did or said or desired, you were always found unacceptable ... the very people who gave you unconditional acceptance, love and family were the very people you butchered to death, all for a man who inspired you to kill your own parents to be part of something he said was spectacular but turned out to be nothing more than the shattering of your raised hopes and dreams he had fed you ..."
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
"I ... said ... SHUT UP," The Calderone screamed, flying across the clearing and launching at Sabra.
"Chels," Bevis called as she stepped between the screaming lunatic and Sabra, blocking the flying fists and kicking feet.
"I'm on it," Chelsea called as Sabra stepped out into the clearing and danced back as the sniper shot whizzed past her into the ground where Sabra had been standing. Chelsea raised her weapon, found the sniper through the scope and fired. Up the mountain, a body fell from a narrow ledge, and Sabra returned to where she stood, "Do you want to be killed?" Chelsea asked as she shot at an approaching man, hitting him in the shoulder, "Anyone else?"
No one moved. Sabra shook her head, her gaze never leaving the fighting women, "She doesn't seem to be trying."
"Who doesn't seem to be trying?" Chelsea asked, her weapon in her hand, ready for any interference from the men watching the two women fight.
"Bevis," Sabra whispered, "she isn't even breathing heavily."
"Oh, that would be all the cardio she does and ... weight training," Chelsea said, suddenly understanding the religious manner Bevis had gone about her gym schedule. "Never mind the time she spends playing squash and getting boxing tips from the trainer at our gym."
"How did she get mixed up with ..." Sabra's question was cut off when The Calderone suddenly broke away from Bevis and screamed at the men staring at the fighting women.
"Kill her," The Calderone screamed, pointing at Sabra, "we have found The Nisim."
"How do you know this woman is The Nisim?" one of the men asked.
"She knew I killed my parents," The Calderone said, "the only person who knew that was the stupid woman my parents called because I was displaying disturbing tendencies of bullying."
Sabra stared at The Calderone and slowly smiled, "Am I mythological now?"
Rage erupted from The Calderone, "Kill. Her."
Weapons came up, aiming in Sabra's direction. They only found Chelsea standing in their way, aiming her gun. "Do you really want to try?" Chelsea asked, smiling sweetly. "If this is The Nisim, who is the Death Dealer?"
The men looked between Bevis and herself before glancing at each other, "She has a point."
Bevis spun quickly, frustrating The Calderone by barring her way as she moved toward Sabra.
"No, no, no," she said, shaking her head. "Bullies are not permitted to enter this land."
Breathing hard, The Calderone moved to push at Bevis but only found her movement deflected and herself on her hands and knees without knowing how she got there. The look of pure hatred met Bevis' gaze, remaining locked together as The Calderone slowly got to her feet. A sudden gunshot ran out, and the sound of the bullet thudding into flesh vibrated through the clearing. Bevis shrugged as The Calderone turned to find one of her men lying lifeless on the ground.
"That is what will happen to all of you if you follow her orders," Bevis said, without taking her gaze from the woman who turned toward her with a blazing stare and a growl of anger. "Wow, you sound like a rabid dog."
"I behave like one as well," The Calderone said, pulling back her fist and punching toward Bevis' face. Bevis sidestepped as it came past her, quickly landing a punch to the solar flex.
"This can be as quick and easy or hard and bloody as you like," Bevis said, stepping back and waiting for the woman to gain her feet and catch her breath, "the choice is yours."
"You ..." The Calderone panted, "... you're the Death Dealer."
Bevis smiled slightly, "Have you finished playing the terrifying tyrant yet?"
"I am a tyrant," The Calderone hissed, "I can hurt you badly."
Bevis' eyebrows rose, and she sighed dramatically, "All these promises and no delivery."
The Calderone roared, pulling a knife from her utility belt, and lunged toward Bevis, "I'll gut you like a fish."
"Huh, you can try," Bevis said, suddenly becoming serious and focusing on the woman approaching her.
"Oh my heart ..." Jonaraja gasped, clinging to Josiah's arm as they covertly stood on the ridge above the tent entrance, "... she'll give me a spasm."
"A spasm," Josiah said, grinning at the woman beside him, "you ... a spasm."
"Isn't that the phrase mothers are supposed to use when their children do something that scares them?" Jonaraja asked.
Jake choked on his laughter from where he lay with his sniper rifle, "Dad's right, you're not a spasm kind of person."
"Huh, that's good to know," Jonaraja said, looking down into the clearing, "she is a focused fighter."
"You mean Bevis?" Josiah asked, glancing at Jonaraja as she nodded. "Hmmm .... she doesn't seem to be taking this seriously," Josiah said, "when I learned of her … trade … for want of a better word … I expected more."
"You'll get more," Jonaraja said, "this is like a bear playing with a salmon at the moment."
"You're saying she's toying with the woman?" Jakes asked incredulously.
"If what I've seen is anything to go by …" Jonaraja sighed, "… this opponent is easy to enrage, and with people like that, they become so focused on you they forget their true target."
"Do they teach you that at assassin camp?" Josiah asked.
"We do not attend assassin camp, but yes, we are taught to find the weak spot and work it," Jonaraja said. "It exposes them, making it easier to make the termination," she sighed, grinning as Josiah stared at her. "You have to believe me ... I never wanted her to have … this life," she indicated, her daughter busy avoiding the plunging knife and landing another blow against her opponent's ribs, "I wanted her to have a normal life."
Jake laughed and shook his head, "Her parents are secret keepers for an intelligence organisation, her best friend is part of the same intelligence organisation, and her life has been about fitting into the "normal" that is totally abnormal to her."
"When you say it like that, it does sound rather short-sighted," her words trailed off as her focus riveted on a vehicle stopping at the back of the enemy camp, " ... someone has arrived at the back of that camp."
"Do you know who it is?" Josiah asked as Jonaraja lifted the binoculars and focused on the new arrival.
"Well, I'll be … he's turned up," she muttered.
"Who?" Jake asked.
"I don't know his name, but I do know he was the target we found when we helped retrieve Candy all those years ago," Jonaraja said. "If he's here, it's bad news, and it'll be two sadists against one Death Dealer."
Josiah stiffened, "The …" he cleared his throat, "… the same man."
Jonaraja lowered the binoculars and met his anxious gaze before nodding, "Bev is going to need backup, and I need to make a call."
Jake watched Jonaraja pace a few feet away before looking at his father, "Retrieve Candy?"
"Yeah, it was years ago…" Josiah said, glancing at his son's waiting expression, "... come on, now?" Jake waited silently. "Fine … she was taken okay. We didn't tell you because she was back before you and your brother returned from your studies for the Christmas break, and Candy didn't want to be seen as the victim."
"I understand her viewpoint, but you should have told us," Jake said. "We could have been more aware of the men in her life and knew what it was about if she behaved weirdly around someone."
"I know, but it … became harder as time passed, and then it was years, and he never popped up anywhere again," Josiah said. "Now he is on our lands and here … where it all started."
"It may have started here, but it's going to end," Jake said, looking down his scope, "right here and today."
Silently, Josiah nodded as he watched Jonaraja return, "Everything okay?"
Nodding, she sighed, "There is something you may not know about me," she paused. "Bevis is not the only trained Death Dealer."
"You?" Josiah asked, narrowing his gaze as she nodded, "You never said."
"I was never active," she said, "I refused to blindly terminate targets."
"Bevis is a bodyguard," Jake said, "not a Death Dealer."
"That is her official capacity today," Jonaraja said. I … checked when I reinstated a few minutes ago."
"What?" Josiah said, "Why would you do that?
"To save my daughter, Sabra, Chelsea, my colleagues and …" she smiled gently as she rested her hand on Josiah's sleeve, "… my friends and their family."
"Is it going to get that messy?" Jake asked, still gazing down his scope.
"It may," Jonaraja said, "and that is why I did what I did. I will not let this place be taken and used for whatever they want it to be used for."
"Thank you 'Raja," Josiah said, "what do you need?"
"A way to get down there and weapons," she said, handing over the binoculars to Josiah.
"Behind you," Jakes said, "behind the oval rock … stone steps going down into a tunnel, turn right and follow it into the cave, weapons under the round table and …" he paused, holding her attention as he met her gaze quickly, "… see you on the other side."
She grinned and nodded before moving down the stairs and following his directions.