Page 57 of Azrael

His hands clawed at the wire, feet kicking as I dragged him backward toward the storeroom.I held my breath, straining to see if the others had heard him.Thankfully, the hum of the machines seemed to drown out his struggles.Ten seconds, fifteen, thirty -- his struggles weakened, then ceased altogether.I lowered him quietly to the floor and turned back toward the main store.

Hassan and Suit were still talking, unaware of what had happened mere feet away thanks to a display rack blocking their view.I drew my knife, calculating angles and distances.Two targets, at least one certainly armed.The door was fifteen feet from their position.No clean escape without being seen.

Suit checked his watch.“Let’s wrap this up.You’re coming with us.Boss wants to hear your explanation in person.”

Boss?So Hassan wasn’t the one in charge?Interesting.Not my problem, though.

Hassan paled visibly, sweat beading on his forehead.“Look, I can fix this --”

“Car.Now.”Suit turned toward the door, then paused.“Where the hell did Marcus go?”

That was my cue.I moved swiftly from cover, knife in hand.Suit spotted me immediately, his hand diving inside his jacket.Fast, but not fast enough.My knife found his throat before he could clear his weapon, a precise thrust that severed his carotid artery.Blood sprayed in a crimson arc as he stumbled backward, gun clattering unfired to the floor.

Hassan stood frozen, eyes wide with terror as his associate collapsed, drowning in his own blood.Recognition dawned on his face as he took in my appearance, the cuts and blood on my face.

“You -- you’re…” he stammered, backing away, hands raised.“Listen, I don’t know what I did, but I have no problem with you.”

“Liar.If you know who I am, then you know men like you are my favorite types of prey.Much like the you enjoy hurting young women and children.”

“I’ll tell you where she is!”he blurted.“The woman.Mazida.That’s why you’re in this country, right?I heard they brought her here from the US, Florida.That’s your territory, from what I hear.The warehouse on Harborside, old fishing plant.There’s a basement level, that’s where they’re keeping her.”

I paused.We already had arrangements to get her.It wasn’t like I needed his intel.But just the same…

“How many guards?”I asked, letting him think his information might save him.

“Six, maybe seven.They rotate shifts.Heavier security at night.”The words tumbled out desperately.“Look, I’m giving you everything.You can rescue her.Just let me walk away.I’ll disappear.You’ll never see me again.”

I pretended to consider this, watching him relax slightly as hope flickered across his face.“One more question,” I said quietly.“How many of the young girls you snatched did you personally sample?”

His expression was answer enough -- the flash of guilt, the unconscious swallow.“I wasn’t -- I mean, I haven’t --”

My knife entered his stomach, angled upward toward vital organs.His eyes widened in shock and pain.

“For all the innocents you’ve harmed,” I whispered, twisting the blade.

He made a wet, gurgling sound, hands clutching weakly at my arms.I held him up as the life drained from him, watching the light fade from his eyes.When he was gone, I let him slump to the floor.

The store was silent now except for the humming of the refrigerators.Three bodies, a lot of blood.I moved quickly, wiping down surfaces I’d touched, retrieving my garrote wire from the first man’s neck.Outside, a car drove past slowly, headlights sweeping across the front of the store.I froze in the shadows until it passed.

Then I heard it -- the faint wail of sirens in the distance, growing louder.Had someone spotted me?Was there another man with the two unexpected guests?I needed to move.

I exited through the back door, keeping to the shadows as I made my way to my motorcycle.The sirens were closer now, maybe six or seven blocks away.I started the engine just as flashing lights appeared at the far end of the industrial park.

I gunned the bike in the opposite direction, taking back streets and alleys until I was clear of the area.Only then did I pull over briefly to check my phone.

A message from Stripes:All three confirmed.Return to hotel immediately.Extraction time.

Confirmed with who?I hit send and waited.

One of Eli’s men.Good enough for me.I just had to hope they actually told Eli I’d done my job.

I typed a quick response.On my way.Target gave confirmation on location.Basement level.

The night wasn’t over.Killing the men responsible had been the easy part.Now came the real mission -- getting Mazida out alive.I accelerated onto the highway, heading for the hotel where Samurai and Stripes would be waiting.The clock was ticking.In less than two hours, we’d launch the rescue operation, and God help anyone who stood in our way.

* * *

I parked my bike next to Samurai’s and made my way into the hotel and up to my room, my body running on fumes and adrenaline.The cuts on my face and side had stopped bleeding, but every movement sent fresh pain radiating through my ribs.It didn’t matter.Nothing mattered except getting Mazida back.I found Stripes and Samurai waiting in the hall.They looked up as I approached, eyes taking in my bloodied appearance without comment.They’d expected nothing less.

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