Soldier of Time

XXII: Mercenary 2 (1)

Slevin was happy that his reputation was finally starting to give him better jobs, even higher-paying jobs. However, this led to a situation that the young man did not know how to handle. People began to think that he was qualified to lead an operation, and they hired him for that purpose.

It had already happened twice, and this time, he had to lead a vast team to protect a man who had to testify in an extremely important trial.

The man was the accountant of a large transnational pharmaceutical company. The company was involved in certain undesirable circumstances involving a huge degree of environmental pollution and illegal drug sales, among many other obscure activities that this company covered.

The police had worked an extraordinary case on the responsibility for those illicit acts. However, much of their evidence was testimony.

The voice of a man would close the doors of freedom for different businessmen who, for a time, believed themselves superior to the law. But money always fights, and these men were no exception.

Counting on their great amount of resources, these men decided that the voice of that accountant should not be heard in court, and they called a person who would undoubtedly shut that snitch’s mouth forever.

The police had prepared deployment of units to provide protection to his witness, but the accountant knew perfectly well that those policemen could not defend him from the demon they had hired to carry out this work. So he decided to hire another demon from a different hell.

“Young man, I’ve heard that you are one of the best in the protection business right now.”

Slevin was watching the man in the living room of an unusually large house for the place where he was. It was a large three-floor house buried under huge residential buildings.

They had chosen this hiding place for its easy access to the city where the man would give his testimony in one of the eastern cities called Gambara.

He had about thirteen men just guarding the inside of the house while the police officers were outside. And all that security didn’t stop that guy from looking terrified.

“I have had good jobs, and luckily they have turned out very well.

“You are somewhat young. Nasuma said that I should not pay attention to your age,” one of them said to him.

“You shouldn’t then,” Slevin replied.

“Tell me. You can really protect me?”

“To be honest, I don’t think you need me. This place is a fortress. I doubt anything can happen to you while you’re in here.”

“That’s true, but these policemen, did you see them? Those who are outside will take me to testify in court, which means that I cannot be within these walls as much as I want.”

The man took a drink that he had prepared, he managed not to shake, but both his voice and his eyes gave away his true feelings.

“Even so, I don’t think you need me,” Slevin responded as he continued to study the man very carefully. He continued, “You have a small army to take care of you.”

These well-paid guards gave the impression of being moody and displayed strong countenances, which was necessary to intimidate any possible attackers. However, the next words of the man showed a reality that the mercenary did not know.

“Boy, it takes more than an army to stop a demon.”

Slevin looked straight into the eyes of his employer and then asked with a frown, “What do you mean?”

“Hanibal King.”

After hearing that name, three shots rang out loudly in the Deer’s mind. He thought about everything that had happened the previous time and rambled only to come back when his employer said, “I see you know who it is...”

“Everyone knows who he is,” Slevin said, sitting on the end of his seat. Somewhat he was thankful that he was not dealing with a cocky over the confident employer.

Slevin continued, “I already met him, and I’m not a fan, Mr. Irving. What makes you think that I can protect you?”

“They say you were the best in the business” when he said that, he placed his palms in front of his face and said, “The best in the business is always the best option.”

The Deer got up and walked around the room, pondering the difficult task he had encountered. He was thinking about what had happened the previous time, and while he was staring at nothing, a cell phone rang.

“Sweetie, dad, can’t talk now. I’ll call you later, ok...?”

A long silence while the man’s eyes lit up as the conversation progressed.

“I’ll be home on Friday, don’t worry, I’ll bring you lots of gifts and candy. I love you, sweetie, be good. Listen to your mother...”

And the girl hung up. The man stared at his phone a little longer. Meanwhile, the Deer thought of all the tears that the girl could find if that man was sacrificed. He thought of his mother’s exhausted face and the terrible suffering that awaited his daughter if he did not accept.

He approached to look out the window of the place, two cars with police officers guarding the perimeter, on the street in front of a four” story building with many windows, all of which are a threat. The Deer began to understand why all that security was not a wall of tranquility for Mr. Irving.

“Good,” Slevin replied, his eyes remained on the street. “Exactly what part of your security team will I occupy?”

The man received something similar to a ray of hope on his face. The Deer did not know where that unbridled confidence came from, but the truth was that subject could use a little peace of mind.

“Your boss says that you survived an encounter with that murderer,” the man said as he gets up and leaving his glass on the armrest of the chair. “You can have a way for this fellow not to kill me.”

The Deer moved his face from the street and faced who was now his employer and said, “Mr. Irving, understand something, I did not survive. My life was spared. For some reason that honestly escapes my attention, that maniac decided not to kill me. It’s not like I have anything more special than a little luck.

“Maybe we can use a little of that luck, boy...”

“Only if we can duplicate it,” The Deer replied.

The man continued to show his uneasy face, but his countenance seemed somewhat more stable since he got up. He and the Deer had the same height, and their complexion was similar. That man, with all his years, seemed like a reflection of what a long life would mean for the Deer.

“When is your trial, Mr. Irving?”

The man raised his face, his gaze anticipating the answer he would give the Deer.

“Tomorrow at three in the afternoon. That’s why I think that killer was looking to eliminate me today.”

The Deer looked out the window again, and he kept thinking about how so many guards could not be enough to stop the man. He soon remembered how that man moved the time he faced him, and the possibility of him eliminating all those guards didn’t seem so farfetched to his target.

The Deer was thinking of the things he could do to protect his client when an obvious question hit him quickly.

“Mr. Irving, since when does he know that you have to testify at the trial tomorrow?”

“Two weeks since the whole case was made public. I was supposed to be an anonymous source, but someone leaked my name.”

The Deer looked at him without really paying attention and then asked carefully, “Why the hell wait until the day before the trial to eliminate you?”

Although he had blurted out the question aloud, it was not directed at the other occupant of the room, yet he answered.

“Maybe because it is tomorrow, the first day I will leave the house.”

It was obvious, and the Deer had already thought about that too. It was completely impossible for that exit to skip, and if he had him under surveillance, it was obvious that he would know when to make a move. The Deer considered the possibilities, and like a storm in the drought, an idea hit his brain.

The work had begun, the Deer assured his client that he would do everything in his power to try to help him. He spoke with the rest of the guards, and only those who were hired by Mr. Irving gave credence to the instructions of the Deer.

The troops placed by the police only saw a boy trying to wear men’s pants. The Deer left the house and walked towards the patrol parked in front, and before arriving, he listened as one of the officers said, “Look, here comes the savior deer...”

All the policemen laughed, and one of them got out of the patrol to face the boy.

“What do you want, venison?”

The Deer felt a hint of anger at the comment but ignored it. He looked at the officer who was speaking to him. He was a tall and stocky man with well-groomed hair and a beard cut in a barbershop.

When looking at him, he asked, “Officer, did you search on the surrounding buildings?”

The man showed a sinister smile as if he wanted to hide a psychopathic feeling that would show his true feelings towards these pretentious mercenaries, especially that silly child who might not even know how to shoot.

“We have done this before, child, not like you...”

The Deer took a deep breath and wordlessly walked towards the building that concerned him. As he walked away from the patrol, the officer, with his arms tense due to the passivity shown by that boy, said.

“Hey Deer, what makes you think you can do something that we haven’t done yet?”