Soldier of Time

XVIII - Raise the Curtain

Diplomatic arrivals always mobilized many of the authorities of that country. Many times the President himself was in charge of receiving international guests, but this time that was not the pot. However, many of the nation’s defense forces were deployed at the airport to prevent any enemy activity.

The place was so sheltered that even Hanbial would not attempt a frontal approach. Even he was not so unhinged. Karen, who was the representative of the defense team destined to protect the Chancellor, was there.

If she was seen through a small hole, nobody could notice how anxious the lieutenant was. From a distance, nobody could see the sweat on her hands or the unusual heart rate. Her discipline controlled her nervous looks and her constant sighs to control the tension. Outside she was an iceberg, but inside she was a raging sea.

“Scared?” a man said behind the young woman, “that would not be like you.”

The girl recognized the voice instantly and, turning, quickly looked at the man who was speaking to her.

“Uncle. What are you doing here?”

Karen’s Uncle Matthew and one of the two royal guards who were in charge of protecting the President of the Republic were there looking at her with kind eyes.

“I came to collaborate with airport security...”

“But what about the president?”

“Don’t worry,” said the smiling soldier, “he will be in his residence until much later in the night. It is not possible for Hanibal to attack that place. And if he did, I’m afraid his fate would be very sad.”

The girl looked at her own somewhat sweaty hands and thought about her uncle’s words. Being a royal guard meant having that kind of confidence, that no one could ever defeat you, that, she had heard from her uncle’s mouth many times, but she had already been defeated.

“Hanibal is a dangerous guy, uncle.”

The man smiled and looked up at the sky as he thought of his old partner.

“I know. I know him, but that is irrelevant. This bitter old man would make that little mercenary regret interrupting his stupid reading.”

“Have you already faced Hanibal!?”

“No, we were actually on the same side when I met him.”

The girl looked at her hand that was still bandaged, and she remembered her encounter with the psychopath, but her uncle interrupted her memory.

“I know it’s disappointing,” he said, taking the bandaged hand of her niece. “But this says nothing more than in that time he surpassed you. Today you must overcome it.”

“I wish you could help me during the meeting.”

Matthew shook his head before he replied, “Like me, I don’t understand why Lucio is so insistent that we both protect the President. I know perfectly well that John is capable of keeping him safe while I take care of Hanibal. But the Chancellor spoke with the chief, and he did not allow us to divide.”

“They are afraid that the threat to the chancellor is nothing more than a strategy to attack the president.”

“I understand,” he said as she crossed his arms protesting, “but it is too much to put this risk of war just by not dividing the force that protects the President. I find it irresponsible on his part. But my job, lady, is not to criticize.”

After that, he observes how in the distance, a plane approached the airport.

“Your job, Karen, will be to protect this guy. You must do it right. I know that the Deer is on your side, I also know him, and I can assure you that he is a great asset to your mission. Use him wisely.”

“I will do that!”

The plane landed without problems. On the runway, the host nation’s Chancellor of Javelin was waiting along with his assistant Lucio, several security officers, Karen, and her uncle, who were the direct escorts until they boarded the vehicles.

Chancellor Emilio was a tall, stocky man with dark skin and a shaved head that, combined with his military training and his thick voice, gave him a terrifying appearance.

From the plane that had just landed, the first person to disembark was a very elegant thin man in a black suit and clean, shaven black hair with round glasses so thin that they seemed to float over his face, his face was smiling, and his appearance was kind.

As he came down the stairs, he shook hands with assistant Lucio and then a big hug with Chancellor Emilio. He said something to her in hatred, and then an attractive young woman appeared at the door of the plane.

The young woman had a black trouser suit and jacket, her hair perfectly collected, and a slim figure that moved gracefully on the plane stairs. When she reached the ground, the Chancellor stepped forward and kissed the lady’s hand.

She accepted the nod politely, and then she greeted Assistant Lucio warmly. When the greetings ended, they both walked to the official entrance of the Central City airport, where Karen and Matthew waited patiently.

“Miss Chancellor,” Assistant Lucio said while smiling and staring at Karen, “This young woman you see here is the Royal Guard Karen Selic. She will be in charge of your security in our humble country.”

Karen looked at the woman, confused. The Chancellor of Jericho approached her and extended her hand as she said, “You seem surprised...”

Karen looked at Lucio and then at the Chancellor in disbelief but overcoming her confusion. She hurried to take the Chancellor’s hand and salute as cordially as she could.

“I’m very sorry, Chancellor, I was expecting...”

“A man, I know. It is a policy of my country, and we must keep the faces and identities of our command figures secret for security reasons. Surely you know more about that than I do.”

The soldier instantly smiled at the Chancellor’s words, then she continued, “Nice to meet you. I am Elisabeth Cake. I am the Chancellor of Jericho, and this thin man here is my assistant and decoy Albert. Say hi, Albert.”

The man next to her raised his head from some papers he was reading and smiled.

His glasses gave him a more intellectual appearance, and as he shook hands with Karen, he said, “Hi, Albert!”

After that, he smiled as he shook Karen’s hand to add, “You are very young. It is impressive that you already have such a high position.”

The young woman was still absorbed in the greeting and the vision full of confidence of the Chancellor, but she reacted quickly to say, “My age will not be a problem. I am more than qualified for the job, Chancellor.”

“I’m glad,” Elisabeth said, smiling and leaning down to whisper in Karen’s ear, “I feel better with a young girl as a bodyguard. It makes me feel more confident, don’t you think?”

“That’s right….” The smiling young woman said because of the warmth that the Chancellor expressed to her. They walked down the hall to a small room where Chancellor Emilio told them.

“Tonight we have a small dinner at the presidential palace, I suggest friends, for you to go to your hotel to freshen up a bit and then we’ll meet at the palace for the welcome dinner.

After those words and the corresponding farewells from the Chancellor who left, accompanied by his assistant, before leaving, Matthew approached his niece to say, “Remember your training child, protect her and protect yourself. Your father would be very proud of you. We’ll see you at dinner.

After that, everyone withdrew. As they walked to their respective transports, Karen explained the mechanisms they would use for security and the situation in general.

“Chancellor, you must already be fully aware of the threat of death that there is against you.”

“It’s hard to ignore, my dear!”

“I want you not to worry. We have taken all possible precautions, and we have a team that will protect you without a doubt and several devices ready to prevent anything from happening to you.”

“I’m glad to know that you take it seriously...”

The Chancellor took the security issue quite. Naturally, Karen was worried about that excessive calm when she heard Albert say, “Miss Karen, in all our official visits, I always expose myself as the Chancellor to provide more protection. This time we ask you to do it the same way.”

The young woman considered the offer, and the Chancellor added, “It has always been like this, and it is a good way to divert attention because nobody knows my face.”

“Do not be offended, Chancellor, but it is likely that the man who threatens your life knows your face.”

“That is not possible, and I do not appear as the holder of the position. You should have noticed when they gave you the job that there is not much information about the public figures of Jericho that you can access even on the internet.”

“You’re right about that,” Karen said, remembering how she could not find out anything about her in her past investigations “we will do what you say.”

“Excellent, dear!” The Chancellor said, smiling and patting the girl’s shoulders while her assistant approached her and placing a heavy portfolio in her boss’s hands along with other papers, and he said, “Start acting, boss!”

She, losing her balance due to the weight of the portfolio, observed her assistant with a murderous look as he smiled with total happiness. The Chancellor managed to accommodate all the papers that she had to carry.

When she was stable, she asked, “You love this part, don’t you?”

To which the young man replied, “Begin to consider bringing less stationery.”

Karen was surprised at the closeness of the guests, but she was concerned about her excessive calm. They could not know what kind of demon was chasing them, and perhaps that was the source of that absolute confidence that the threat would not be carried out. But Karen knew that Hanibal King could not be taken lightly. However, she was prepared.

All the members of the commission got into the cars and began the mobilization towards the hotel. In the hotel, a blond man saw through the sight of a high caliber sniper rifle a guy with a ponytail on the chasm of the hotel where the Chancellor would be staying.

“Deer,” said Simon, who had him in his sights, “You’re very calm.”

The young man took his eyes off the street and looked towards the building in front of him that had several sniper posts ready.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

Simon smiled from his nest and said, “That’s the attitude!!”

Slevin took an apple from one of his pockets and from a small combat bag that he always carried firmly tied to his leg on missions. He took out the knife with the symbol of a Deer on it and began to chop the fruit.

From the other side of the building, Simon asked, “Deer, do you think we can stop him?”

The Deer picked a small piece of apple and put it in his mouth straight from the knife and questioned, “Why couldn’t we?”

Simon smiled once more, and before he could speak, Slevin replied, “He’ll attack here. The opening that he has will be tonight.”

Simon, this time without smiling, asked, “How can you be so sure?”

The Deer put another piece of apple in his mouth and said, “It’s how I would. Tonight…”

After that, two beacons of light appeared on the street. The Deer observed them and said on the radio for all the teams present.

“They are already here. The show begins.”