MERCILESS HUNTER

ces the sun d

ause it

se it's n

below a burnt-out hotel that never reopened, funded by of

entrance, gun hols

wer came to forge

than pleasure, they bought sec

need an

was

sed

lsed low and slow like a dying heartbeat. Masked me

the crowd like an u

ge, surrounded by bodyguards t

n knew

ar

ex-banker,and

n Victor had ever

dn't

d those

elvet rope and stood be

look

us

ke a man gree

y, "I was wondering when

dn't wa

ll backing

w, sipped his drin

in growled. "I saw what

lly. "So dramatic, Cain. Alway

eat across from him. Cain

ard. "The program

the Second Dawn. Funded by shell compa

inch. "And you

ow yo

would I support something th

el. "Because you don't li

t his gl

s. I knew what Victor was building. Yes, I helpe

smi

monsters. I simply.

fists c

volution? Turning ch

chuc

es. The strong survive. The clever rule

leane

e me. And now y

're yesterday's ghost. And

n s

re i

didn't

yguard's wrist, slammed his hea

e. Is

d - blood i

ere my favori

ward a small devi

grabb

ck ke

a

o

bli

n the mo

-gr

gula

or had ever visited

f the Syndicate'

dn't ki

t him

was more usef

thing worse than

osu

to Kora - through illegal tunnels lined wit

s sno

ie

he frost, som

tered the perimeter, "This

nod

he

ted to t

ra bli

ctrinated by virtual immersion, fed Cain's missions as gospel, and

stomach

ee me a

ispered. "As

e compound just

ed monastery: stone, crac

the heat sign

ldr

nag

ar

nd to i

ned to

stay

bed his

eats peopl

dn't l

ll make

hed the ga

guards, slipping past the checkpoint, a

hed the c

put

ito

middle -

ee

as

uspended in

ct

n f

art st

and preserved. Wires in hi

ve?" Elise

nswered b

t his m

tur

li

calm, a

nni

ictor's body is nothing. But his thoughts liv

epped f

his mind to bu

Mali

sing y

ped his

l slid

ns li

ge of

sassinations. To

d been watching

ippin

ler," Malik said softl

, voice shaking. "Y

grin v

me behind. You left us all. You

aised

choose

uld shoot, the s

s eyes

l

e

iv

hand tr

ctor s