The Kazak Guardians (33 page)
"Good morning, Fox. Seems like I always have to finish your assignments. No staying power. I have to admit I liked your going away party at the Sovereign Whites of America house. Do you have another one planned before you leave?"
"No, you may have to party alone. Henry McCabe may still be trouble, since I may have pissed him off."
"You may have, but I don't think he'll be trouble anymore. It seems some person or persons beat him to death last night, which I guess means no party. Witton asked me to stay for a few weeks to see if there is any more trouble."
Just then, Caitlin jerked awake.
"You're awake. Thank God. The doctors took two bullets out of you and stitched an area from your chest to your shoulder where a bullet grazed you. Fortunately, it didn't enter your body. It just left an external channel twelve inches long. He said you were lucky the bullets missed all the important organs. After he examined you, he said you must have one hell of a guardian angel. You've had me sick with worry that you might die."
"Can't. Clare, my love, won't allow it."
"Witton is sending
your
plane for you to go to Denver. It'll be here tomorrow," Al said. "Caitlin and I will get your clothes together and drive you to the airport. It's sad when a Kazak can't defend herself, much less her client."
"She can't leave the hospital tomorrow! The doctor said she'd be here for a week," Caitlin almost screamed.
"She'd leave today, but the plane won't be here until tomorrow. She's going to milk this for all it's worth."
I climbed the steps to the plane with herculean effort. Kathryn helped me the last few feet.
"I'm sure Mr. Witton would let you use
your
plane without having to go through all this trouble." She gave me a weak smile. "I hope you don't feel as bad as you look. Never mind, I promise to baby you all the way to Denver."
As I turned the corner, I saw Witton sitting up front. He was actually smiling. I guess I looked pretty funny standing there with my mouth open.
"I thought I should face Clare with you. That way we can split the blame. She probably deserves the opportunity to scream at me in person. The phone isn't very satisfying."
"I hope you didn't tell her you were coming. No telling who she'd have waiting for you. Forgive me for being skeptical, but why are you really here?"
"I'll wait until you're both together. That way I won't have to explain it twice."
"You're not going to fire me, are you?"
"No. Although I have to spend a lot of time explaining that you're a woman, explaining your strict rules, and the fact that you cost me a fortune in fuel. Come sit before you fall, and tell me about your recent assignment. I would particularly like to know how you let an Assassin shoot you three times. Seems like once would be enough." He waved me to a chair.
Kathryn was true to her word and hovered around me the whole flight-food, dessert, coffee, and more dessert.
"You need food to build up your strength," she harped every ten minutes. I liked her anyway. Witton and I talked about my assignment, and he told me a little about himself. He had been a Kazak-a Master Kazak. He was forced to retire, when his injuries began to slow him down. Because of his record, the Committee had decided to make him the operational head of the Kazaks. A year later Witton officially assumed the position.
***
When we exited the plane Clare stood waiting. She took one look at me and ran up to Witton and started pounding him on the chest. How she knew who he was is beyond me.
"You
...
bastard, you've done it again. Look at her, she's a mess!" Tears were streaming down her face. Eventually, she stopped and returned to me. Holding my face between her hands, she gave me a gentle kiss. "Loan me your gun so I can shoot him."
"Don't. We need to hear what he wants to tell us. He didn't come all this way to let you beat on his chest or shoot him. Besides, I guess I would have to defend him since he's my boss. Although, I doubt I have the strength." I turned toward him and grinned. "Let's go to the condo, I'm dying to hear what it is." I noticed that I didn't say Clare's condo. I had begun to think of it as our condo. I guess I should help pay the mortgage. I would have to talk to Clare about it. Clare drove. Witton seemed at ease, asking questions and seemingly enjoying the sights.
Clare made coffee and sat after serving Witton and me. "Well, I'm listening." She glared at him. "And it had better be good. It's a long way to the ground floor from here."
"Clare, I truly feel almost as bad as you do when Lynn comes back injured. I do try to give her easy assignments but somehow they turn out disastrous. The Committee and I are frequently surprised she survives. Fortunately, she does-"
"Very fortunate," Clare interjected, looking particularly aggressive.
"I agree. Lynn has been a constant surprise since she became a Kazak. She has figured out good ways to identify Assassins and developed a set of rules that has kept her clients alive under impossible odds. Those rules, however, have been the reason she's injured so often. They put her between the killer and her client. Good for the client, bad for her-"
"I keep telling her to shoot faster. She has immunity." Clare leaned over and punched me in the arm.
"She shoots faster than most, Clare. Lynn wants us to accept more women into the Kazak program. The Committee has decided they would like to know if it's uniquely Lynn or her natural female predilection that makes her so effective. I suspect both. Lynn has pointed out that the requirement to climb the cliff to the Hill unfairly favors men. The Committee has decided to put Lynn in charge of developing a process for us to bring women into the Kazak ranks. They have selected ninety-five candidates. They are willing to permit the women to skip the climb, but Lynn must develop an equivalent challenge and will be responsible for getting the survivors ready to enter the program with the men." He stopped to take a few sips of coffee. Clare sat there, eyes narrowed, waiting for the obvious punch line to come.
"She is going to be the Master Kazak on the Hill for these women. She'll also work with Master Johar to modify the existing program based on her unique approach, which we agree has proven effective. We'll guarantee she'll be there for at least five years." Witton paused. Clare's frown turned into a tentative smile.
"Clare, you will have unlimited access to the Hill. Gendel or I will make a private plane available for you any time with two days' notice. A helicopter will be ready to take you from the airport to the Hill. You may visit any time and stay as long as you want. We will try and give Lynn at least several weeks each year to visit you. For five years, you will be able to see her without injuries." Witton sat back with a satisfied smile. Clare and I sat speechless.
"You're forgiven, sort of, Mr. Witton," Clare whispered.
Witton left later that evening. Clare and I left the following day in one of Gendel's private planes for La Paz, where we spent two glorious weeks wrapped in each other's arms. I departed for the Hill, healed in many ways.
***
As I entered the gymnasium, ninety-five women sat in the bleachers on the right side. I suspect most of them thought me a late arrival. They looked to be a cross section of America-black, white, yellow, short, tall, thin, plump
...
I couldn't know how many, if any, would succeed in becoming Kazaks, but the number of candidates made for a good start. The normal bi-annual competition seldom drew more than a few women and most left when they found they had to climb the sheer face of a mountain to qualify. I walked to the center of the basketball court and smiled.
"So you think you want to be Kazaks."
From Double Dragon Publishing
www.double-dragon-ebooks.com
The Kazak Guardians
If the Kazak Guardians had a recruiting poster, it would have read: WANTED: A select few insane men to fight professional Assassins with super-human abilities. Good medical plan provided.
The Unthinkable
Lynn the Fox has been a Kazak for several years and thought she has seen it all; after all, she's a Master Kazak having killed more than five Assassins-professional killers with wizard-like talents.
Scales Of Justice
A hundred years ago, a treaty joined the seven provinces under a king and created a system of equal justice for nobles and commoners. The Sisters of Astraea were proclaimed the Judicators of the land, because they could tell truth from lie.
The Laughing Hounds
After what were thought to be dogs kill her mother and attack her, Annette discovers she has become the last female descendant of a line of women who, for over a century, fought and died fighting Countess Lenuta, her sons, and their packs of Werehyenas. Annette learns she has inherited her ancestors' unique ability to make Tone-wood sing; Tone-wood is the only weapon that can kill the Werehyenas. As such, she represents the last threat to their existence.