Soldier of Time

XXVII: Counterattack (2)

“She is the most important person to me,” Slevin said while looking seriously at the lieutenant. “She symbolizes the good in me. If that exists.”

Karen felt a little uncomfortable with that answer. She did not understand that reaction but gave it little importance and continued asking, “And how come you don’t drown?”

“I have known her for eight years,” said the Deer with a smile on his face. “I have spent every day of those eight years trying to get close to her in every way.”

“So you have created antibodies to her venom?”

“You can say something like that, but I still can’t touch her or be within four meters of her.”

“For eight years, she has not been able to touch you.”

The Deer looked at her and then nodded. He slowly said, “That’s right, now raise your hands.”

Karen looked at the Deer in confusion as he raised his hands. The young woman did not understand what was happening, and she tried to ask, “Why are you raising your hands?”

The Deer looked at her with a hint of frustration in his eyes and trying to explain everything quickly, and he said, “The Mines has rules, and I’m breaking one, raise your hands now.”

Confused, Karen looked at the Deer, and her eyes expressed a total severity, so without thinking too much, the young woman she obeyed.

From the house next to her, two armed men came out, one of them smiling as the Deer looked at him.

The fellow approached him and said, “You put your hands down, Deer,” and took a cigarette to put it in his mouth. “Nasuma is not her old sport.”

Slevin sighed heavily and lowered his hands as he offered one to the man who had just arrived. He shook it and looked at Karen with interest.

Out of nowhere, he asked, “Are you armed, beautiful?”

Karen looked at the Deer, and he nodded calmly. She swallowed loudly and, lowering her hands, took out her regulation weapon. As soon as she had it in her hands, it flew in the direction of the man who spoke to her. The weapon stopped in front of her eyes, levitating by itself.

With a smile, the fellow said, “These rich guys have good toys, Deer.”

The smiling Deer took the boy by the shoulder as he said, “Can I see Sabrina?”

“Yes, of course, but she is in El Morro fixing something. Call her.”

Slevin took the weapon that was still levitating and then started walking in El Morro’s direction. He gave the weapon to Karen and told her to follow him.

The young woman began to follow him but not before giving another look to the men who stopped them, just to see how the guy who asked for his gun was smiling at him and saying goodbye in a suggestive way.

“Does he also have powers?” Karen asked, puzzled. The Deer smiled, and looking at her sideways, he said.

“Do you know many people who can levitate things?”

At that moment, the Deer saw Sabrina descending towards the mines, the moment she saw him, she waved him with great enthusiasm, and when they met, they both embraced.

“How are you?” Sabrina asked, looking around the body of the Deer. “Hanibal did not hurt you?”

The Deer shook his head as, with a short smile, he asked, “Nasuma already knows everything, doesn’t he?”

“What do you think?” Sabrina asked with a raised brow.

“Then could you help me?”Slevin questioned with a small smile.

“No, honey, it is not possible. We found out that Hanibal hired independent assets. They are rookies and do not belong to any faction, and the Claw is super angry with him because he did not have permission to accept this job. The guy is out of control.”

“Damn it, and I was hoping you could help me track him down.”

“Impossible darling, you should look for Johan. Maybe he can help you.”

“Simon is on it.”

“Be careful, Johan lives in the territory of Troy, and he is not exactly nice with whom causes problems,” Sabrina said, who at that moment noticed Karen and added, “Your contacts could not help? Your uncle may have some information...”

Karen looked at her with some disdain and said with a tone of voice much more haughty than she intended, “My uncle is not a tool. I can’t use him that way.”

Sabrina looked at the young woman, and her powerful green eyes entered Karen’s eye socket. Little by little, the young woman felt her heart accelerate at the gaze of that woman who seemed to observe her entire being.

“I know it must be difficult for you,” Sabrina said, smiling with empathy. “I’m sorry to have suggested that, but the situation warrants it. Perhaps asking for help at this point is not such a bad idea.”

She accentuated that last word by touching the young woman’s shoulder, a simple touch that filled her whole heart with such a warm feeling that she hugged her in a second.

“Can I ask you…” Karen said, lowering her face and smiling back at the woman in front of her.

 The surprised Deer watched Karen completely changed her attitude as Sabrina added, “This job is difficult, especially when a psychopath like this is on the other side of the board. I know you feel it was your fault what happened, but forget that feeling, focus on retribution.” The young woman said, taking all the attention that Karen was able to deliver, “And trust my Deer, he can be an i***t sometimes, but he’s capable and trustworthy.”

Karen nodded, and in her gaze, a hint of admiration appeared, the woman in front of her was a total stranger, but something in her mind had clicked when she spoke to her. She was pleasant and sure of herself. Karen could see in her an image of herself that she longed to achieve.

The Deer thanked Sabrina once more and walking calmly, and he was about to leave when she said, “Deer, stop running. You must be complete for this task.”

Slevin’s expression changed completely, and a shadow took over his face. He knew what she was saying was true but accepting it was a totally different task.

The young man nodded and continued on his way with Karen, who asked, “Who is she?”

Slevin was wryly smiling when he answered, “She is Sabrina, the second in command, the visionary’s assistant, and his bodyguard too. And although no one officially says so, she is the most powerful Member of the Eyes.”

“Can that woman beat you in combat?” Karen asked thoughtfully.

“Karen,” Slevin said while staring at her, then added with a strange expression, “That woman is infinitely superior to me. That woman defeated your uncle in a one-on-one match.”

That idea exploded in Karen’s mind, and she was spinning in her head for the entire trip. The young people were getting off the train that brought them from El Morro.

During the whole trip, the Deer had been silent, and Karen saw him without trying to disturb his line of thoughts. As they walked in search of a taxi, the Deer said.

“She is not a bad person, and I did not tell you that I came to see her because frankly, that has nothing to do with you,” Slevin said.

The girl knew what he was talking about and was curious as to why the Deer justified himself and said, “You don’t have to justify yourself. You’re right. I shouldn’t have followed you. I almost died for being a busybody.”

“That’s true. This brings me to this. Why didn’t you tell me the chancellor was the woman?”

“I did not want many people to know that information.”

“I understand that. But tell me, you are not one of the people who would risk an entire operation just to receive credit for success, are you?”

Karen looked directly at the Deer, but she did not respond. She thought of his words with great care as they approached a taxi. The Deer had stopped talking, and when he opened the door of the taxi for the young woman to enter.

“Is war horrible?” She suddenly asked. Her question did not seem generic.

At first, the Deer did not understand well what she was referring to because that was a fact, but when he saw her and looked at her with her genuine look of confusion, he said, “It is, especially for soldiers, who have to go there voluntarily.”

The girl got into the car, followed by the Deer. The city seemed a blurred image that was shown in the window. The young woman spoke again without seeing the Deer directly.

“Do you think I will survive in a war? Do you think I could be like Sabrina?”

The Deer immediately responded as if he was already waiting for that question, “You don’t need to find out.”

The girl looked at him, he checked his phone, and she said, “I hope so….”