Page 59 of Assistant to the Assassin

“You can deal with the semantics of your title later,” Ian interrupts. “Let’s get this over with.”

“Eyes sharp,” Henry adds, going into “work mode.”

“Looks like they’re splitting up,” I tell them, watching the thermal signatures veer off to the east and west coasts, slowly making their way in.

“This is where the fun begins,” Ambrose murmurs.

He’s here.

From the second I stepped foot on the sandy beach, I knew this was the one. All the other islands we’ve searched had the noises of wildlife filling the air—there were squawking birds and rustling bushes where turtles were laying their eggs. But not here. Everything is silent, lifeless, as Cai will be, and everyone on this island, when I’m done.

And then just when I call out for a comms check to test our earpieces, Martha Reeves started blasting into my ear, a clear sign that our communications are trying to be blocked.

It’s no matter—there’s nine of us, and if my intelligence from the islands is correct, there are only three of them.

With Reeves as the unexpected soundtrack of our operation, I split the team in half, directing half to follow me along the east of the beach and the other towards the west. We’ll meet in the north point of the island and start making our way inward.

Colton, my second-in-command, walks beside me, murmuring under his breath to me, “The lack of any wildlife tells me Cai did something to the land.”

I nod, keeping my eyes on the tree line as we continue to walk along the sandy path. “Keep a sharp eye out. Who knows what he has planned as a welcome party.”

I hear a whistle from behind me. One of my teammates, Jane, makes the tactical hand signal for “enter,” gesturing to a thicker part of the brush.

I nod to her, signaling for the others to stay put, guns ready. Jane cautiously walks towards the brush, keeping her gun aimed and her steps silent. She makes the signal for “stop,” tilting her head to the side as she inspects the growth there. The song in our earpieces changes to a one I don’t recognize.

“On the farm, every Friday

On the farm, it’s rabbit pie day

So every Friday that ever comes along

I get up early and sing this little song”

Jane takes a step forward, and as the chorus kicks in, the ground disappears beneath her, and she falls into a pit of some kind.

“Run, rabbit, run, rabbit, run, run, run

Run, rabbit, run, rabbit, run, run, run”

We all rush forward to see Jane face-up, impaled on sharpened tree branches. Her blood soaks the wood as she stares down at her chest in horror, her screams echoing throughout the beach.

“Bang, bang, bang, bang goes the farmer’s gun”

Another scream echoes in the distance, and I know one of my other team members fell victim to one of Cai’s stupid little traps. Their scream fills the void Jane’s left, now that her limp body lies skewered on the stakes like a fucking kabob.

“Run, rabbit, run, rabbit, run, run, run

Run, rabbit, run, rabbit, run, run, run”

“Do we continue along the beach, Sir?” Colton asks, staring down at Jane’s body in anger.

“Don’t give the farmer his fun, fun, fun”

I shake my head, already walking towards the trees next to the pit. “Cai has this place booby trapped like a caveman. Who knows what traps he set or where he set them. No matter how cautious we are, we’re just as blind.”

“He’ll get by without his rabbit pie

So run, rabbit, run, rabbit, run, run, run”

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