MERCILESS HUNTER

urch's ruins, t

back there. But he had been

ely mem

rely g

il

. Pews were broken. The crosses were broken. A child's toy, ho

made o

s. The paint was n

as racing as h

ed this l

a mis

early childhood. He was kil

lling himself that his family's murder was th

broken church, had

s jus

exactly like the b

ictor. Six kids. Every orph

inned. He just observed. As though anticipating which of them would snap first

cted to wait in diff

en would only depa

the basement. Eli remained silent. Nice. They

lled how the boy's hands shook. The sound of

ch was clinic

f you gets

is dead, the

unded on the do

ears. Then the

ht clearly. Just flashes. A

opened, Eli wa

's hands

hat same church, decades later

n louder ever since h

ect

ld was mold

weapon i

the wooden horse

ne had carved int

till a

ood ra

alone in re

ouse. Cain looked for any reference to the churc

lacklist. The Selection site is not mentioned. Ther

omeon

lied one

was

t a messag

ayed up

vily on his chest. Not with the icy conviction that his

or retribution.

elf, the justice, the mission, th

d with

stared into the flames

s had Victor r

ny had

if Mali

into a former military blac

private tech lab now owned by a shell company,

g security, and knocking out guards with prec

toni

ere to r

ain found the old lift shaft. He slid d

a room he hadn't s

o-way mirror. Bloodst

d in th

whispe

hesit

cr

idn't

s vo

ea

usi

pped to

t time in ye

ot fo

enti

e part of him

he ki

po

cont

ching his mother scream. Watching h

a weapon and pointe

ad pulled

e Root wit

d M

was alread

at the safe hous

address.

ened it

single bla

flash

to the laptop

was grai

ce was unm

li

Taller. E

same darknes

, looking straigh

. Bro

rototype. I was

ow to kill. But he never

y you're u

but it didn't

i because they

t m

ned fo

because I

n f

cont

the sound hi

lau

the sound your m

heart s

ld up so

ph

na St

at th

voice

dn't kill

t your face looks like when

ideo

at in

nside him

dn't

as c

tro

ad

about just

war betwe

membered his first k

ish what i