Armageddon Rise Of The New World Order (25 page)

Nathan was tired of listening to Ackers posturing so he decided to do a bit of his own. “Well I guess anarchy is better than Illuminati control and if there is one thing I can promise; no matter how close you get, no matter how much power you think you have.” Nathan leaned as far forward as the cuffs would allow. “You will never have control over this country.”

With that the director let out a laugh followed in by his two goons. “But we already do have control, haven’t you looked around? Your entire country now bows to the will of my organization and willingly I might add just like the sheep they are.” Ackers let his laughter go and looked at Nathan with confidant superiority. “Now Mr. Turner, where are your friends? I can assure you any attempt made on this facility would be unwise.”

Nathan gave an evil smile which threw Ackers off, what threw him off even more was the deep conviction in Nathan’s voice as he spoke. “You think you’re in control because you are blinded by your own arrogance. You smile and joke and laugh thinking you have power over the tiger in the cage.” Nathan leaned his head back in full laughter, then opened his eyes wide as he looked at Ackers. “I have opened that cage and we are going to rip you to shreds, you have no idea the storm that’s coming.” Ackers was visibly shaken at the certainty in Nathan’s words but it was his next words that scared Ackers the most. Nathan stretched his legs to stand as tall as he could. “Tell your Prince I’m coming for him.”

Ackers was angered and full of fear even he had only cursory knowledge of the Prince and the thought that one of the uninitiated was threatening the most feared and powerful man in the world troubled him greatly. He quickly exited the warehouse motioning his guards to commence beating Nathan. Nathan winced as they began to work on him, one with a telescopic baton. Nathan was pleased however, pleased that even restrained he was able to scare one of the Illuminati, pleased that they had no knowledge of Kayla but most of all Nathan was pleased that they made a grievous error while restraining him… they didn’t restrain his legs.

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Dashad was crouched on a branch about fifteen feet up in a tree. It had been dark for over three hours now and he had been in the same tree looking over Xeno squad’s camp for most of that time. Only two hundred yards away, the assassin took great pride in his stalking abilities; he had changed from his white winter clothing to his usual black assassin attire. As the darkness grew deeper Deshad’s senses heightened. Eight percent of all males are legally colorblind most still seeing colors but not with the clarity of someone with normal eyesight; most would view this as a negative but not Deshad. Colorblindness came with one distinct advantage that was very helpful in Deshad’s line of work, he could see much better in the dark. Deshad watched getting a sense of Xeno squad’s movements and techniques. He watched as they retired for the night and waited. Only the two on firewatch were up, Deshad was thankful they let the fire die down as the darkness masked his methodical approach. Lieutenant Waters was patrolling the side nearest Deshad; she was not an unattractive woman but it was obvious that working her way thru a male dominated profession had hardened her soft feminine persona. Dressed in all black fatigues with a black cold weather parka she kept her wits about her constantly scanning the area. Do to the cold she had her hood up which Deshad knew would amplify any sounds directly in front of her but would muffle any noises from the sides or behind. Deshad used this to his advantage as he silently moved to a large tree Lieutenant Waters passed multiple times on her patrol.

As Waters went to pass this time Deshad quickly moved in front of her grabbing her rifle with his left hand while simultaneously stabbing her throat with his right. Deshad let the rifle lightly fall to the snow as he reached his hand behind Lieutenant Waters to slowly lay her on her back. As the blood flowed from her neck she tried in vain to call out to her comrades; Deshad placed his left hand over her mouth and with his dagger hand put a finger to his mouth. “Shhhh.”

As the light began to go from her tearing eyes Deshad leaned down and kissed the outside of his hand in a mock gesture. After dispatching Waters Deshad slowly made his way around to the other side of the camp as quietly as he could, he knew it was only a matter of time before the other firewatch noticed his partner was missing. Deshad was only thirty feet from Captain Sims, he debated whether to draw his pistol or to move in closer. He decided to simply walk towards Sims from behind. A few times Waters and Sims had stopped to chat; Deshad figured that he would be able to get within a few feet before Sims turned assuming it was Waters. As Deshad calmly walked Captain Sims began to turn, knowing he was still too far for a throwing dagger Deshad pulled his silenced pistol. Right as Sims turned Deshad shot and hit directly above the bridge of his nose killing him instantly and dropping him to the snow with more sound than Deshad had wanted.

Inside his tent Colonel Jenkins heard the subtle thud, while not particularly alarming the Colonel thought it better to check anyway. As soon as he stepped out his tent Jenkins knew something wasn’t right. He looked around and quickly spotted the feet of Captain Sims from around the side of a tent. Knowing he was unarmed and an easy target the Colonel backed into his tent cut off his lamp and screamed to his squad. “XENO THREE XENO DOWN! XENO THREE XENO DOWN!” The Colonel heard the rest of his team moving with urgency after telling them their Captain was down. Colonel Jenkins put on his Kevlar vest and belt grabbed his rifle drew his combat knife and moved to the back of his tent.

The alarm was raised much sooner than Deshad had wanted, the only thing it changed however was his tactics. Deshad left his rifle behind hoping for a stealth operation so he reached down and grabbed Sims’s rifle before retreating to the trees. He wrapped his arm thru the sling kneeled next to a tree and leaned his leading arm against it to steady his aim; he sighted in on the tent closest to him. Deshad saw a flutter near the front of the tent telling him its occupant was about to exit, he immediately unleashed a barrage of bullets which ripped thru the tent hitting Lieutenant Commander Price. Price fell thru the ripped tent to the ground his blood turning the snow a deep crimson.

Colonel Jenkins yelled to his team trying to get them to cover. “GET TO THE WOODS!”

The Colonel cut thru the back of his tent and immediately scanned the area as he moved towards the trees. Corporal Velasquez was right behind the Colonel backing into the woods covering the rear. On the other side of the camp Deshad had dropped the rifle and quickly moved thirty feet over and up a tree, he stood on a branch his chest to the trunk blending in as he looked over the battlefield. Lieutenant Morgan and Sergeant Rogers were tactically moving to the tree line back to back. As they moved close to his kill zone Deshad took two steps on a branch facing the duo and jumped flying over Rogers head to land directly on Morgan both daggers in his neck. Deshad instinctively turned to block Sergeant Rogers’s rifle with his left arm and stab him twice in his leading arm. Deshad then side kicked Rogers as he separated him from his rifle. Sergeant Rogers ignored the wounds on his arm and reached behind him to pull his kukri knife. He stood with his right foot forward and knife in hand as Deshad slowly approached with twin daggers drawn. Sergeant Rogers swung forward in an s pattern; Deshad effortlessly leaned out of the way and swung down slicing thru Rogers thigh reversing his grip and stabbing him three times, one in his side, one under his arm and the last in the side of his neck puncturing the carotid artery. Deshad slowly moved to the tree line as Sergeant Rogers placed a hand on his neck in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. As he blended into the trees the assassin heard Rogers collapse and choke thru gargled blood.

Colonel Jenkins sighted in just in time to see Deshad as he moved out of sight, he immediately remembered having a run in with this man years earlier and knew the threat his team faced. The Colonel then used silent hand codes to direct Corporal Velasquez to get low behind some shrubbery while he kneeled and looked thru his scope towards the campsite hoping to see the assassin in his sights again. The only thing he could see were the bloodied bodies of his brothers in arms, a momentary wave of guilt struck the Colonel as he saw the results of his decisions but his training pushed those thoughts away as he tried to focus on the situation. The Colonel could only think of one possible way to take the assassin down, he moved close to Velasquez. “I’m going to draw him out, you take him down.” Velasquez’s expression clearly said that he didn’t like Colonel Jenkins using himself as bait. The Colonel reiterated his order. “Take him down Corporal!” Velasquez nodded. “Aye Colonel.”

Jenkins stood up and calmly walked out of the forest back to the center of camp, the anger in his voice resonated thru the trees as he yelled. “ALRIGHT YOU SON OF A BITCH COME GET ME!” Jenkins threw his rifle away pulled his side arm and threw it in the other direction; he then drew his combat knife. “I KNOW WHO YOU ARE, I REMEMBER YOU RUNNING LIKE A LITTLE BITCH AFTER I KICKED YOUR ASS IN CAIRO.” Jenkins turned looking around the camp as he tried to lure the assassin into the open. “FUCKING COWARD!”

Deshad slowly moved from tree to tree trying to avoid the crunching snow, he smiled at Jenkins’s obvious attempt to draw him into the open. The Colonel paced around the camp. “CMON CHICKIN SHIT LETS FINISH THIS.”

Deshad’s voice echoed in a deep monotone thru the tree tops. “NOT YET.” A moment later gunfire could be heard from Velasquez’s location, Jenkins turned to see the muzzle flash thru the darkness shooting up into the trees. Jenkins moved towards Velasquez but stopped as he saw the corporal moving towards him. As the moonlight struck Velasquez’s face Jenkins could see the blade at his throat, Deshad behind him. Deshad had the Corporal’s left arm behind his back while he had his dagger in a downward grip around the left side of Velasquez’s neck. Colonel Jenkins met eyes with Velasquez trying to somehow convey how proud he was of him, how it was an honor to have served with him, and how he was sorry. It appeared that those unspoken words were heard as Velasquez gave the slightest of nods to his leader. Deshad sliced Velasquez’s throat and tossed him to the side like a ragdoll blood spraying the white snow. Colonel Jenkins clenched his jaw as he momentarily averted his eyes from the sight.

Deshad placed his dagger back in its sheath under his arm then placed his arms down in front of him in a relaxed position one hand over the other. “Now we can finish this.”

The Colonel knew he couldn’t win this fight, even if he were twenty years younger. He was determined however to make the assassin earn it. The Colonel moved in slashing at Deshad with his combat knife the assassin sliding out of the way dodging the cuts and thrusts. The Colonel kicked low with his left leg, Deshad lifted his leg out of the way; as the Colonel missed he let his momentum take him around for a backstab towards the face. Having not drawn his daggers yet Deshad blocked with his right arm and front kicked Jenkins in the side. Jenkins came in again this time with more fury stabbing and punching with the occasional kick thrown in; Deshad just blocked and parried. Jenkins came down with a wide right slicing move Deshad blocked and kicked the Colonel back again. As Colonel Jenkins fell back he now suddenly brandished two knives. Deshad looked down to see one of his daggers had been taken from its sheath. His demeanor now changed Deshad drew his remaining dagger and stood in a more traditional fighting stance his left arm close to his chest with the downward held dagger in his right. Colonel Jenkins was a capable warrior and an experienced martial artist but he was no knife fighter, still anyone who might have happened to see the fight that night wouldn’t have known any better. The Colonel came in with alternating jabs followed by slices while Deshad blocked looking for an opening. As the steel rang Deshad slowly moved for a different angle, as he stepped he felt his foot sink slightly more than the area around giving Jenkins an opening. Colonel Jenkins sliced thru Deshad’s upper arm; the assassin instinctively withdrew the arm while landing a spinning back kick that separated the two yet again. Deshad stood, looked at the small wound on his arm and decided he was done playing with his prey. This time Deshad moved in, he took two steps and launched into a spin that ended with his dagger thrusting towards the Colonel, Jenkins narrowly escaped and came back with a slice. Deshad rolled under Jenkins’s arm came up and stabbed him in it with enough force to go straight thru. The Colonel yelled then tried to hit the assassin with a downward stab from his other hand. Deshad quickly withdrew his dagger and sliced down the incoming strike severing a large chunk of the Colonels hand. Before the flesh hit the ground Deshad stabbed the Colonel forcefully thru his back and out his chest piercing the Kevlar in both places. Deshad caught his taken dagger from the Colonel as his grip was releasing; he then leaned over Jenkins shoulder as his screams turned to a gargle of blood flowing up thru his throat. “You were a fool to think you could ever beat me…then and now.” With that Deshad placed his dagger and left hand on Jenkins shoulder as he withdrew the dagger from his back and thrust it with anger thru the base of Colonel Jenkins skull.

Deshad withdrew his dagger and walked away as the Colonel’s body hit the ground. Deshad walked past Captain Sims and Lieutenant Commander Price; he walked past Sergeant Rogers and Lieutenant Morgan. Deshad walked to the edge of the camp past Lieutenant Waters and then into the woods. Deshad walked thru the woods feeling his body flow with power, he walked thru the woods with the absolute certainty that nothing and no one could ever beat him.

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