The Black Guard: Book II: Evolution (Black Guard Series 2) (19 page)

"So there is no solution?"

"Have the Marquis negotiate with their client.
Unless their client just hates you and your son, I assume he feels your death
will accomplish something that benefits him. Maybe there are grounds
for—"

Just then my Mfi flashed and Lieutenant Elijah's face
appeared on the screen.

"Captain, Sergeant Peller and Corporal Krebs just
killed two persons who entered the meeting building, looking like maintenance
workers. Corporal Reti tells me that Krebs will live but his injuries require medical
equipment on the Black Panther. I've notified them, and they are sending a
shuttle. The intruders had lasers and caught Krebs downstairs resting. Peller
was in the dome and managed to distract them and kill one as Krebs crawled to
cover. Peller killed the second one when he tried to exit the room."

"Replace Krebs, and I'll want an after-action
report from Sergeant Peller." I clicked off. "We killed two Angels in
the meeting building. I believe they intended to hide in the dome for your
meeting tomorrow."

"Your Guards?" Dulice asked, looking pale.

"One is in serious condition and being shuttled to
our ship for treatment. I'm told he will live."

"Surely after losing five of their numbers, they
will give up," Zeruf said.

"They can't without losing their mystique. In fact,
if they continue and succeed, they will be legends for centuries to come. The
Black Guard has endured similar losses. It only enhances your reputation when
you fight on against extreme odds or conditions and win."

"That's madness," Kathyn said, looking as pale
as her mother.

"So is war, Princess, but we humans appear to love
it, based on our distinguished history," I said, agreeing totally. I hadn't
volunteered to be born on Jax, nor to enlist in the military. Nor had Jax
created the problems they were called on to solve.

"Maybe you should speak to the Marquis for
me," Zeruf said, staring into his cup of kaffa rather than look at me.

* * *

"Do you think it will help?" Naxal asked as we
were driven into the city the next morning.

"Can't hurt. Unless I'm mistaken, the Marquis would
like to end this contract as much as the king." I didn't add
and the Guard
. "The real question
is the Angels' client."

"The client is probably Hylana, in which case King Mador
would want King Zeruf to abdicate, which would create chaos in Asina. I guess
he would be content if King Zeruf would join his army to defeat Jhina and then
submit to his rule." He laughed. "Not very good alternatives."

We rode the rest of the way in silence. Unlike Naxal, I
had no expectations about what the meeting would produce. It created less
stress if you didn't try to guess the future or worse, want one outcome over
another. When we arrived, I again entered alone.

The Marquis rose and came to meet me with her animal
following quietly.

"Marquis Sumiko." I bowed in respect, as I did
not consider her my enemy.

"Captain Sapir. To what do I owe the pleasure?

"I have suggested to King Zeruf that the only way
to stop the Angels of Death is to reach a mutually agreeable arrangement with
your client, wherein he agrees to terminate the contract. He has asked me to
talk with you."

"That is very clever, Rivka. The client could
cancel the contract, whereas we cannot. Does King Zeruf have an offer for our
client?" She smiled an angelic smile, which made me wonder if her life had
been similar to mine: a child taken against her will and placed in an
environment she would never have chosen willingly. Did she now think of her
fellow Angels as family and mourn the death of the five the Black Guard had
recently killed? Although looks could be deceiving, I didn't see any sign of evil
or darkness.

"No. It's for the client to decide, because King
Keruf has no leverage except to reject the offer."

"That is true. While we talk with the client, I
will call a truce. You have my word."

* * *

"Do you trust her?" Elijah asked while trying
not to frown, as we sat around discussing the current Guard deployment.

"I do, but of course, we aren't going to wager our
clients' lives on it. Drop the guards on the meeting building, keep the Guards
on the entrances, reduce the Guards on the clients to one—unless they
leave the building, then two—and reduce the walk-arounds to senior
sergeants and us. While the truce lasts, I want everyone to rest. This won't
last long."

I smiled at Elijah. "It's a small risk, Elijah, and
no greater than letting our troops go dull from the strain of too little sleep.
Besides, an attack now could be taken as a war on the Black Guard. The Marquis
doesn't want that. She would prefer that either the client cancel the contract
or the Guard leave so the Angels can fulfill the contract."

"You're never traditional, Captain. Is that because
you are a dragon, or is it your personality?"

"I suspect my personality permitted me to make
dragon, and my personality is a product of my early years and my association
with Captain Attali." My family had considered me a throwaway child, and
Hada had given me a loving sister and family. "My advice, Elijah, is
meditation. It frees the mind of preconceptions and lets you see what is. I see
each assignment as a duty to protect the client and those under my
command."

"How can I protect both the client and those under
me?"

"By ensuring your orders provide adequate protection
to the client while providing the least risk to the Guard. It's a delicate
balance but necessary. Getting a Guard killed does little to help protect the
client."

"Like relaxing your guard during the truce. It
creates a slightly higher risk to the client in the short term, but it
maintains the Guard's alertness in the long term," Elijah said as if
committing a training lesson to memory.

* * *

Zeruf wasn't happy with the reduced Guard, but there was
little he could do except to remind me he wasn't happy. As a week passed I
thought I noticed a marked improvement in the troops. They appeared more …
alive. On the eighth day, Naxal notified me that the Marquis wanted to see me,
and I ordered Elijah to go back to our previous schedule in anticipation of the
truce ending.

When I arrived, Somiko met me at the door. "How was
your rest, Rivka?"

"Very nice. Thank you, Somiko."

"I thought it interesting that you trusted
me."

"I thought you an honorable person, who like me
does not consider us at war with each other. We are professionals doing our
best to honor our organization's contracts."

Her smile was warm. "Thank you, Rivka. I wish you
gone from Nizara, but I'm glad I met you. It has been a pleasure." She
stood staring at me for a long time. "Our client would terminate the
current contract if King Zeruf would join him in his war against the other
kingdom—or alternatively renounce the Asina throne and place my client's
man on the throne."

"That is about what I expected, but I had to
ask." I stood there trying to think and couldn't. My mind was in chaos.

Somiko smiled, walked to the door, and pulled down the
shade, which had "Closed" written on the outside.

I could have kissed her. Instead, I folded into a
meditating posture almost face to face with her animal, whose head now looked
gigantic, and his eyes a gateway to darkness. I closed my eyes and slowly sank
into a peaceful state. I don't know how long I sat but when I opened my eyes
the sun was setting and the shop was bathed in shadows.

To my surprise, Somiko sat facing me.

"I see our training is much alike," she said.
Her animal now lay by her side, appearing relaxed but looking no less menacing.

"I believe you and I want the same result, if for
different reasons. I will relay your client's options to King Zeruf, but you
can tell your client the Black Guard is going to recommend the king take his
army and join forces with your client's adversary. Although your client's
defeat would not cancel the contract, it would provide revenge and an orderly
transition to the next king. Of course, if the contract was canceled, he would
remain neutral." I paused, looking at Somiko.

She nodded soberly, although amusement danced in her
eyes.

"As an individual representing a potential client,
can I consider my conversation with you now confidential?"

When she nodded, I continued. "Should your current
client decide to cancel the contract, my client would like a contract to kill
your old client—"

"That would be very expensive—"

"Before he reaches the age of two hundred."

"He'll die … That contract would be much less
expensive." She laughed. "That's why I wish you gone, Rivka. You see
far too much. I will make sure my client understands."

* * *

"I wasn't sure what to do when you didn't come
out," Naxal said when I finally walked out. "Breaking into the Marquis's
shop didn't appear a good idea, so I just stayed, hoping you knew what you were
doing."

"The king will decide, so let's go find out his
decision." I settled back, content to wait. I didn't want to discuss it
with Naxal until the king had been briefed.

* * *

When we arrived back at the palace, it was dark and the
family was having dinner.

"What did she say?" Zeruf asked as I entered
the room and all eyes turned on me, including Naxal's.

"The Angels' client will end the contract if you
will abdicate the throne and appoint the client's man." I paused for
comments but heard only silence and stony-faced acceptance. "Or, join him in
defeating his opponent and then declaring him your king."

"Never!" Kalom shouted, although it wasn't his
decision.

Zeruf just stared at me for a long time before speaking,
"You … admire the murderous bitch."

"Ironically, the murderous bitch is on your
side." I held up my hand before anyone could interrupt. "She would
like the contract to be canceled—"

"Then why doesn't she!" Kalom shouted, his
face red with anger.

"Only the client can cancel the contract with the
Angels of Death, just as only your father can cancel the contract with the
Black Guard. I have asked the Marquis to tell the client that I am suggesting
that you join forces with your adversary's opponent to defeat him."

"Will defeating him end the contract?" Dulice
asked.

"No. But the client may decide to cancel the
contract to keep you from acting."

"And if he doesn't?" Zeruf asked.

"Worse case, you will be able to control who
succeeds you and your country's future."

"And if he cancels the contract, what then?"

"The murderous bitch has agreed to give you a
contract on her previous client's life—"

"I couldn't afford that … the bitch would want a
king's ransom!"

"No. The contract would be very reasonable, since you
would give the Angels a hundred and fifty years to kill him." The looks on
the faces around the table were priceless as each fought to grasp what I had
said. "Since you would be an Angels' client, they could never take a
contract against you."

"You're very devious, Captain," Dulice said as
a slight smile touched her lips.

"Of course, Your Highness, this cannot be a bluff.
If you accept my suggestion, you must order General Garrant to prepare for war
immediately."

Zeruf looked to his wife, who nodded. "You're
right, Captain Sapir. And what will you do?"

"I'll continue to honor our contract as long as you
wish. Unfortunately, if their client doesn't cancel the contract, the Angels
have no choice but to continue to try to kill you, although I believe they will
await the outcome of the war. After all, people die in war."

"Colonel Naxal, tell General Garrant I want to see
him, and decide which members of your security force will accompany me and
which will remain here with the queen and princess."

* * *

The next several days were a whirlwind of activity as
the General prepared the Asina army to move while messages were exchanged
between King Chaldz of Jhina and King Zeruf.

On the fourth day, I had a message from Somiko. I
arrived several hours later and was greeted at the door.

"Welcome, Captain Sapir. Your strategy paid off.
Our client has agreed to end the contract on the condition King Zeruf refrains
from entering the war. If he does, the Angels will give King Zeruf his contract
to kill our previous client for the amount he paid for one month of his current
contract with the Black Guard."

"Very generous, Somiko."

"It is, isn't it?" She laughed. "Come into
the back, and I will make you something to drink. I'd like to hear a little
about the Black Guard and you. It's going to be very boring after you leave, so
I'd like something to remember."

* * *

I boarded the Black Panther a week later.

A young marine lieutenant was waiting as I exited the
shuttle.

"Ma'am, Captain Hawkins asked if you and your
lieutenant would like to join him and a few of his officers for dinner tonight
at nineteen hundred hours."

 
"Thank
the captain for the offer, Lieutenant, and tell him we would be honored,"
I said, looking forward to being onboard a Jax cruiser with family, heading for
home. I checked on Corporal Kreps, who claimed he was fit for duty. He wasn't,
but it didn't matter, because the assignment was over. I was glad to hear from
the doctor that he would recover fully.

* * *

"I'm glad you and your lieutenant could join us,
Captain Sapir. I know the Black Guard isn't much on medals, but I think you
deserve one for this assignment. Worst contract I've seen in my years in
service. Actually, you don't seem to get any good ones." He snorted.
"You know Colonel Ramos. Commander Matney is my XO. Help yourselves to
something to drink." Hawkins waved toward the sideboard.