Laura 01 The Jaguar Prophecy (3 page)

He decides to return to his room and see if Laura wants to join him for a meal, maybe she will be more willing to share information with him now. He has a feeling she is not as honest with her information as she leads all to believe, possibly even hiding the disc. Is she an informant, a spy or international dealer of sensitive information? Victor takes out his phone and makes some calls, giving all the details he has on Laura as he walks back to his cabin. He smiles as he attaches a picture he took of her while she was sleeping in his room. Soon he will know all he needs to about her.

The sound of Victor’s knock seems to fill every inch of the empty hallway, no answer. Victor knocks a second time, again no answer. Had Laura left the room against his warning not to do so until his return? Victor wonders. He takes the access card from his pocket and inserts it into the door lock. The red light next to the card slot turns green and a click from the lock tells him the door is now unlocked. Slowly he turns the handle and opens the door.

The door is only halfway open but already he has the feeling that something is wrong, all the lights are off. Opening the door fully he waits until his eyes adjust totally to the darkened room. The light from the hallway pushes some of the darkness away and he can see that the bed is empty, yet her sweet perfume still lingers in the air, Jasmine. Victor notes that the door to the bathroom is closed; maybe she is still soaking in the bathtub, he hopes.

Carefully Victor steps into the room, while watching the bathroom door, taking a deep breath, letting her smell tingle his nose.

The first punch takes him low on the right side just below the ribs. The second is a left jab and catches him full on the jaw. Searing pain shoots through his body, making any thinking impossible, and his body reacts on instinct, get away from the danger. Victor leaps to the left of the room just missing a chair. As he lands on the floor at the end of the bed, everything goes dark as someone closes the room’s door again. A click from the door informs Victor that the person has locked the door from the inside, making a dash and fast escape impossible.

Victor is locked inside the cabin with someone that clearly has only one intention, only one of them will leave the room alive. He tries to control his breathing but every breath brings a fresh wave of pain, whoever has attacked him knew exactly where to punch. How stupid, should have expected someone to be behind the door.

The room is totally dark now. The plush carpet does not allow any light to pass beneath the door. Victor closes his eyes while slowing down his breathing, fighting the pain in his side. He concentrates on listening for the slightest movement, anything that will give away his attacker’s position.

Victor is at the foot end of the bed, next to the study desk. Due to the top part of the bed being against the wall, he knows the attacker cannot sneak past that way and circle him unless he climbs over the bed. Victor knows that the springs of the bed are new and silent, if the attacker does climb over the bed, Victor will not hear it.

Slowly, he places his left hand on the bed, allowing him to sense any movement on the bed. If his attacker decides to circle him that way, he will know it.

The only way the killer can get to Victor is by using the space between the bed and the desk, exactly where Victor is waiting to ambush his attacker.

The door to the bathroom is directly next to the desk, opposite the bed. Since the bathroom door also seals on the carpet, no light come from it. Is Laura still in the bathroom? The bathroom is the perfect place to set an ambush for the attacker, and the stun gun hidden under the basin, is just the edge that is needed here.

Slowly Victor stretches his right hand out until it touches the bathroom door. He lets his hand slide gently across the door, searching for the door knob. Feeling the familiar round shape of the door knob, Victor gently starts to turn the knob, careful not to make any sound. He has turned the knob halfway, and then stops, slowly letting the knob turn back.

What was that? Did someone just sneeze in the bathroom, or is it just paranoia? It could be Laura still freshening up, or a second attacker, what now? If he opens the door and the light is on inside, it can expose him and give the attacker an advantage. Only one option left, wait.

Victor hopes the attacker will get tired and decide it is not worth it and leave, but knows it is probably not going to happen as the person had the chance to leave without being seen or being followed. Clearly the person wants him dead and out of the way. But where is Laura, what has happened to her?

Did Laura leave before the person entered the cabin? Or is she still in the bathroom and the attacker was caught by surprise before he could get to her? Maybe they abducted Laura to interrogate her for the location of the disc, and this person was left here to tie up loose ends? No, what if they had already interrogated Laura in the room and left her body in the bathroom. Was the sound maybe her dying, pleading for help?

Victor clenches his fists, his eyes go narrow and his lips curl up. He has to use every bit of rational thought to stop him from rushing forward, seeking the man and ripping his heart out.

Laura must be protected at all costs, but why, he does not even know her, why risk his life for her? No, it is absurd, he does not care about her, or is he kidding himself, is he falling for her?

Victor moves slowly inch by inch from the end of the bed towards the desk. If he can get to the middle of the space between the end of the bed and the desk, then he will have more options when he and the attacker make contact again. It takes Victor five minutes of inching, listening, inching and listening, before he is in position. Crouching down, he makes himself ready. The attacker cannot use a gun as the sound will attract attention, and fitting a silencer will give away his position. Victor’s heart takes a few leaps when he realizes that the attacker could already have a silencer fitted to his gun.

Will he shoot blindly in the hope of hitting Victor if he thinks he knows where Victor is? Time seems to come to a halt. Two killers in a room, complete darkness, only one will live to tell the tale. The slightest mistake will alert the other to his position.

Victor calms his breathing and concentrates on his feelings and instinct while keeping his eyes closed. Having one’s eyes open in complete darkness can cause one to see things that are not actually there, distractions.

Victor’s training takes over, being an expert killer is not about the killing, it is about staying alive longer than all the rest. He remembers some of his training, standing blindfolded, having to block blows directed at him at random. At first he could not block any, but after months of training he could block any blow, from any direction.

He is getting uncomfortable, his muscles complaining about sitting in a crouched position for so long without moving. However, he does not dare move, for every sound is a potential give away, a mistake that could cost him his life.

What was that? Someone is close, very close. One can sense it in the air, as if the atmosphere is electrically charged. The assassin is getting closer and closer. Victor closes his fists and readies himself for an attack. The attacker is inching closer, taking extreme care, a professional. If I can detect him, then he will be able to detect me, is he getting ready for the kill? Who will live and who will die now only relies on speed, killer instinct, and training.

Victor suddenly feels body heat, only inches in front of him. Rhythmic faint breathing comes from above, slow and deep. The assassin is standing. He has not yet detected you; you have the advantage, move now, you have only one chance, one punch. Victor clenches his right fist and gets ready, steadying himself with his left hand on the ground. If he can time it right, he can push off the ground with his left hand and drive himself forward and up with his legs, allowing him to deliver a devastating blow from below into the man’s stomach. The blow will render the man disabled just long enough for him to get the upper hand over the man. All relies now on split second timing and precision. Keep coming, just a little more, just an inch or more is all that is needed, death will be swift, but not painless.

Suddenly the attacker freezes, holding his breath, he has sensed something.

Move now, move now, he knows there is someone in front of him! Victor’s brain urges his muscles to explode into action. Every muscle in his body tightens, ready for the attack, like a coiled spring waiting to be released. Just before Victor can attack, the bathroom door opens and light floods into the room, half blinding Victor and the attacker.

Unaware of the situation outside, Laura opens the bathroom door and steps into the room, deep in thought. She has a towel around her hair, and is busy drying herself with another. The bathroom light reflects off her beautiful skin, creating a magnificent scene. She is naked and has clearly just stepped out of the bath.

The door is directly inline with the assassin and the moment it opens he immediately turns his attention to the person emerging, expecting an attack from the side. He did not expect Laura, and is distracted by her beauty for a moment, just a moment but a moment too long all the same.

Victor sees the knife within a split second, a double-edged killing knife in the man’s right hand, held at hip level with the blade facing forward, a thrusting hold, “amateur” Victor thinks. Victor’s body explodes into action, thrusting upwards with his legs and left hand, delivering a devastating right punch into the man’s solar plexus, now easy to target due to the bathroom light.

There is the distinct sound of bones breaking when the punch lands, and Victor’s fist sinks deep into the man’s chest. Immediately Victor brings his left hand up, grabbing the man’s right wrist. Pain fills the assassin’s body, overriding any thought patterns, any counter attack.

Victor’s left hand has now locked around the man’s right wrist, blocking him from bringing the knife up and stabbing Victor. Victor brings his right knee up fast and knees the man in the groin, further disabling him. Now Victor is ready for the final move, bringing his right hand in for support he twists the man’s wrist and brings his arm up simultaneously, pointing the knife at the man’s own throat. There is a sickening sound as the knife cuts into the man’s throat, puncturing his windpipe, allowing air and blood to mix.

Victor then gives the blade a sharp twist, crushing the man’s windpipe while severing one of the main arteries in his neck. Blood gushes out of the wound and runs down the man’s windpipe towards his lungs, choking him with his own blood. The assassin makes one desperate attempt to choke Victor before he dies, but there is no power in his grip and his hands slide from Victor’s throat as he sinks to the ground. As his knees hit the ground, the man lets out his last breath, a sound like a gurgle due to the blood and knife partially obstructing the path.

Victor lets go of the man, allowing him to drop backwards onto the ground, and then looks at Laura. She is standing in the doorway with her hands covering her mouth, holding back a scream. Victor slowly looks her up and down, taking in her beauty before walking to the main door and switching on the lights.

The sudden change in lighting unfreezes Laura, and she suddenly becomes aware that she is totally naked, having dropped her towel to cover her mouth. With lightning speed she dashes back into the bathroom slamming the door closed behind her.

Victor carefully steps over the body and searches the man, finding a door access card but nothing else except the knife. The man is of African American descent, reasonably fit with short cut black hair. He has no jewelry and is wearing a ship’s room service outfit. Victor is puzzled as to who the man is and what he wanted. Quickly he takes out his cell phone and snaps a picture of the man, planning to send the picture on to his contacts when he gets the chance.

There is a knock on the bathroom door, and Victor looks up from where he is bending over the body.

“Yes?” he asks. Laura sticks her head out the door, trying to avoid looking at the dead man as she asks, “Can you please hand me my clothes from the bed?”

Victor nods and without saying a word takes the clothes from the bed and hands them to Laura. As she closes the door Victor walks to the phone on the study desk. Special Agent Williams is going to have a ball with this one. Victor dials the operator and asks to be put through to Special Agent Williams’ room. Josh is not in his room, so Victor rings the operator back and asks that they urgently announce over the ship’s public address system that Special Agent Williams ring the operator. The operator will then put Josh through to Victor’s room when he calls.

Ten minutes later, just as Laura has finished dressing and come out of the bathroom, the phone rings. The sound startles Laura and she lets out a cry. Victor just shakes his head while frowning at her and answers the phone. When he hears it is Josh, he asks him to immediately come to his room, refusing to say why when Josh asks.

Laura sits down at the head of the bed, as far away from the body as possible. The reality of the evening finally catches up with her and she breaks down in tears. Victor walks over to her, then sits down next to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. Laura grabs and hugs him, emotions pouring from her.

Victor strokes her back and tries to comfort her. After a few minutes Laura stops crying but continues to hug him. While Victor is still stroking her back, she suddenly looks up at him and asks, “Are they going to kill me?”

He can see the fear in her eyes. Victor waits a few seconds before answering, “They want the disc Laura, and until they find it, or it is destroyed, they will not stop.”

Laura buries her face in her hands and starts to cry again. Sobbing, she says, “I do not know what disc they are referring to. I have nothing worth killing for.”

A knock on the door startles her and pleadingly she looks at Victor to protect her.

“Victor, it’s Special Agent Williams, you called me, open the door.”

On hearing Josh’s voice Laura relaxes a bit. Victor stands up, but first opens the fridge next to the bed and hands Laura a can of Coca Cola before heading to the door.