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  With a pair of scissors, Jonathan prepared to cut the tightly fasted bandage. “Her breathing’s slowing down. We’ll need to move fast.”

  Chapter 12

  Hunted

  Dawn was breaking over Crown City when the phone rang. But this was not just any line. It was a secure line that had not rang ever since Ethan launched his one-man-crusade against the warlords.

  Alone in the illuminated warehouse, William’s eyes were consumed by weariness and fatigue as he stared at the ringing phone. His body ached with pain from his battle with Jaing. His mind barely believed the nightmare that he somehow survived. Slowly, he hit a button and put the phone to his ear.

  “I sure hope I’m not hallucinating right now.”

  “Your whole world almost went to hell and you’re still trying to be funny?”

  William slightly smiled. “It’s good to hear your voice, Ethan.”

  “How’s your guest?”

  “We nearly lost her… but she made it.” Sitting in his office, William leaned back in his chair a little. A glass window let him see into the warehouse’s main section, and his eyes went onto Amelia as she slept on the medical bed.

  “And how is the team holding up?”

  “They’re good. Adam did well last night. He took out several hostiles. The princess would be dead without him.”

  “I knew he would be an asset. Are they there with you?”

  “It’s just me right now. Adam’s in his quarters sleeping—I told him that he needed to calm his nerves—and Jonathan is out getting some supplies I need.”

  “The assassin was Jaing, wasn’t it?”

  “I’m not even going to ask how you knew that.”

  “He’s working under Daken’s orders.”

  “I figured that from Jaing’s little speech.”

  “Daken is making his final move. Killing the princess and you is all a part of it. He is using her uncle and he needs to make sure that she does nothing to hinder her uncle’s orders. Having her killed is the best way to ensure that.”

  There was a short silence as William’s eyes left the princess and looked down at his desk. “I was afraid that would be the case.”

  “You need to keep her at the warehouse. Don’t turn her over to the authorities; she’ll be a sitting duck.”

  “Ok… but what’s Daken’s plan?”

  “I don’t want you to be worrying about that. Right now, your priority is to keep the princess hidden.”

  William didn’t hesitate in responding, “Understood.”

  There was a silence on the other end before Ethan finally broke it. “What’s going on, William?”

  “Me? I’m good.”

  “You don’t sound like it.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Call it knowing you better than you know yourself.”

  William slightly smirked, but the smile disappeared as quickly as it came. “Truth is… I’m terrified, Ethan. This whole year, it’s been almost nothing but peacetime. Catch a bad guy here and there, but nothing like what happened last night. When you were here, you had everything under control. In your own way, you were always one step ahead. All I had to do was follow your lead. But…” There was a short pause. “…but you’re not here to lead the way anymore. Now I have to do this. I have to make sure everything stays the course. And now, now there is a real threat. I barely took down Jaing. Who’s to say there aren’t more of Daken’s soldiers in Crown City, lurking and waiting to strike? If Daken wants the princess, he won’t stop with just one try.”

  “You’ll pull through, Will. You always have. You’ve never failed and I don’t think you’re going to start now.”

  “I don’t think it’s a matter of whether or not I want to fail… it’s about whether I’m out of my league.”

  “It’s always a matter of willpower. You know that better than most. You did not best Alice last year based on your skill. She was faster and stronger than you, but you found a way to win. And you’ll find a way to win here.”

  William was silent for a few moments. “…thanks. How’ve you been? Still taking on the warlords?”

  “No… it’s gotten a little complicated since then. But I’m in Beijing now.”

  Slowly, William rose out of his chair. He walked through the open doorway and into the main part of the warehouse. “How’d you get there so fast?”

  “That’s part of the complicated bit. There’s going to be a hit on the Chinese President and I need to stop it.”

  William’s footsteps echoed throughout the massive chamber. “…when?”

  “Today. I’m already in position and have eyes on where the hit is going to occur. I’m sure my results will be on the evening news.” Ethan paused. “…there’s something else you should know. It concerns Villanueva.”

  William came to the master computer and stared at the screen, although his mind was not paying attention to it. “What?”

  “He can’t be trusted.”

  His eyes left the screen as Ethan’s words replayed in his head. “...‘can’t be trusted’?”

  “I don’t know how to explain this to you, but against his will—against his knowledge—Villanueva is working for Daken.”

  “Wh—”

  “Take my word for it, William. He’ll try and get you to turn the princess over to the authorities, but you can’t do it. I don’t have time to explain everything, but Villanueva is working for the enemy.”

  There was a brief silence. “…what happens if push comes to shove?”

  “He doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s not the enemy. From here on out, precaution is the best course of action. You don’t know who’s against us on their free will and who’s truly on the enemy’s side.”

  “So if I’m not sure who’s who, don’t do anything fatal… got it. That might make things a little trickier if I find myself in another gunfight. Well—”

  A light beeping began emitting from the master computer as a red dot blinked on the right screen’s far corner.

  “What is it?”

  “The president is requesting I contact him.”

  “I think we both know about what. Try to reason with him. If the real Villanueva is still in there, then maybe there’s a way you can reach him.”

  “I’ll do what I can.”

  “Stay underground and don’t let the princess out of the warehouse no matter what. I’ll contact you when my mission is over.”

  ***

  “Thank you, lieutenant.”

  With those words, President Villanueva hung up the phone. Unlike before, the war room was empty except for him and his chief-of-staff. A few minutes ago he had ordered everyone out of the room, feeling as if the walls were closing in on him.

  Slowly, the president set his phone on the long table. With his elbows on the chair’s armrest, he ran his hand over his face as he looked down at his lap. His eyes were full of weariness and he wanted nothing more than to sleep, unable to fully comprehend the political nightmare imprisoning him.

  Villanueva’s eyes gradually came back to meet his chief-of-staff’s. “I can’t believe this, Paul. How could they lose him?”

  “He’s never been one that was susceptible to being caught. Whatever his reasons, I don’t think Maximus and the international community is waiting to hear them.”

  “They’ll be calling for The Guardian’s head, and if I don’t do something to get her back, they’ll want my head served right next to his.”

  Paul was silent for a long moment, almost afraid to ask the next question. “What are you going to do Mr. President?”

  Before the president could answer, his phone began vibrating. He picked up the device and looked at the screen.

  “Who is it, Mr. President?”

  Villanueva glanced up at his advisor, his expression giving the answer.

  Paul’s eyes widened. “Do we need to run a trace?”

  “It would be pointless. Let’s see what he has to say.” Villanueva hit a button an
d put the phone to his ear. “I’m here.”

  “You’ve been looking for me.” The voice of The Guardian was as cold as ever.

  “Turn the princess back over to the authorities.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  “Do you realize what’s happening? You’re causing an international crisis.”

  “I’m protecting the princess.”

  “Protecting her? The two hostages who witnessed the fight say that you shot her and kidnapped her after taking down the assailants.”

  “You know that’s a lie. The hostages were turned.”

  “By who?”

  “The one Ethan is trying to hunt down.”

  “Maybe, but I can’t prove that. They passed the lie detector test and the best questioning methods we have. And now the international community believes it. And they are going to use that story to put even more pressure on me. Why can’t you just hand the princess over?”

  “Her life is in danger if she leaves my fortress. I cannot explain it to you, but Ethan has uncovered evidence suggesting that every level of our own country and many of the other nations, including Northshire, have been infiltrated.”

  “Infiltrated?” Villanueva’s gaze came onto his advisor.

  Paul heard the entire conversation and his eyes showed the same confusion as the president’s.

  “I cannot explain over the phone. But I need you to trust me. The princess needs to stay with me or she will be killed. Her uncle will try to pressure you. He will try to strong arm you into launching a hunt for her, but you cannot do so. More than just our nation is at stake.”

  Villanueva was silent.

  “Do you trust me, Mr. President?”

  “You know that trust was never an issue between us, just as it was never an issue between me and Ethan.” There was a short pause. “But right now, it is not a matter of trust. I have the good of a nation to look after. My duty is to protect the people of Tripton and to allow them to prosper. And I need to sign this treaty with Northshire for us to continue to prosper as a nation.”

  “This is not about a treaty. This is about more than that.”

  “You’re right. It’s not about the treaty. But if I continue to support a person that the entire world believes to be a terrorist, then all it will do is hurt my people.”

  There was a long pause on the other end. “Do you know why Ethan always trusted you? Do you know why he did everything in his power to make you the leader of the nation?”

  Villanueva was silent.

  “Because you are a man of principle. You do the right thing no matter what. There is always right and wrong and you make the right call every time. And now, you need to make the right call one more time.”

  The line went dead.

  After a few moments, Paul broke the uneasy silence. “What’s your call, sir?”

  Villanueva did not answer immediately, making the suspense in the room grow tenfold. He knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to stick up for his nation’s hero. It was the right thing for him to personally do. But he knew what his duty was—it was to his people. He had taken that oath when he came into office. “Tell the press that I’ll be making an announcement in a few hours. They will all want to be there.”

  ***

  “The president won’t be taking any questions after his statement.” Standing behind the podium, the president’s press secretary looked at the reporters in front of her. The nation’s emblem decorated the wall behind her, and a smaller one also adorned the front of the podium. The roomful of men and women were a perfect representation of the nation’s diverse demographic.. With a glance, the secretary noticed that the president was ready. “Ladies and gentlemen of the press, President Villanueva.”

  There was some applause from the crowd as the secretary stepped back and the president took the podium. Villanueva looked out at the crowd of eyes and cameras focused on him. “Ladies and gentlemen of the press, I have come here to announce a decision. It is a decision that was not easy to make and one that weighs heavily on my heart. Many of you know the situation. The princess was attacked by terrorists, and the one known as The Guardian rescued her from her attackers.

  “Now he has taken her underground and refuses to give her up. I have done my best to ask him to hand her over to the authorities. You all know the situation well. As long as the princess remains underground, King Maximus will not sign the treaty and our nation will receive much backlash from the international community.

  “The decision I have made is the one that is best for the country. A few moments ago, I gave General Bowers an order. And the order is that he is to hunt down The Guardian and retrieve the princess.”

  Without waiting for a response, Villanueva stepped back and walked away. An uproar from the crowd almost immediately followed him, but he was already out of sight while the press secretary tried to calm the media down.

  Coming into the hallway, Villanueva was immediately met by Paul as expected. But what was not expected was his advisor’s expression. Paul appeared completely horror stricken.

  “What is it, Paul?”

  “T—the Chinese President—he’s been killed.”

  Chapter 13

  Scorched

  The general walked into the hospital room. Dressed in his full ceremonial uniform, countless medals were pinned to his green jacket. His black shoes were freshly polished and there was not a speck of dirt or loose threads anywhere on his attire. With his hands behind his back, every lock of his hair was perfectly combed in place. On his golden nametag were the emboldened words: “Gen. Cheng Zhi”.

  The room was empty except for one other person. The patient was on his back, lying in the same hospital bed he had rested on for the past hour after being rushed here on his last breath. But life continued to cling onto him like a desperate leach.

  As the patient sensed the presence, he opened his eyes and his gaze came upon the general. Recognizing his commanding officer, he instinctively tried to sit up, but was unable to. His face showed his pain and frustration, but he held back any groans of pain.

  “Easy, son. Save your strength.” General Zhi motioned for the soldier to remain as he was.

  Hearing the words, the patient quit trying to sit up, but his eyes stayed on the general. Zhi quickly made his way to the patient’s side. As he moved across the floor, Zhi used his gaze to try and soothe the soldier’s fast beating heart.

  The blinds were pulled back, allowing the high sun’s light to spill in through the thick glass windows. Although they were on the third floor, they easily heard the loud voices coming from the hospital’s front yard.

  Hundreds of reporters and people stood outside the building. Some spoke into cameras while others attempted to get into the hospital. The media personnel tried to conduct their reports, but the rancorous crowds made it impossible. However, the military had set a perimeter in a bid to keep the situation from getting out of control.

  But up here, the general and soldier remained isolated from all the commotion. General Zhi studied the patient’s face. His burns were treated as well as they could be, but dried blood covered the soldier’s cheeks and foreheads. The left side of his face was scarred for life. The doctors said that his spine had been seriously injured and would require surgery. He was still trembling uncontrollably, traumatized by everything. But he would live. They needed him to.

  After all, he was the only witness to the president’s assassination.

  “Calm yourself, Sergeant Yi.”

  The words did little to help. The nightmare of the attack still rang fresh in the soldier’s mind. Never faced with combat before, Yi had never had to watch his friends die right before his eyes. And now, he had witnessed them burn to death.

  “The president is dead. Our commander had been killed alongside many brave soldiers. I need you to tell me what happened.”

  “Y—yes, sir.”

  “Who was the assassin?”

  “I… I never got a look at him. He was n—never in th
e room.”

  “Never in the room? Was it a bomb?”

  Yi quickly shook his head. “N—no, general.”

  “What weapon did he use?”

  “It’s—difficult to—explain, general. I don’t even know if I’m remembering it right.”

  Cheng did not let his frustration show. “Just tell me what happened, soldier. What do you remember?”

  Yi took a deep breath. “The president was meeting with the Russian delegation. We were in the meeting room at the President’s Beijing Office. There room had thick walls, plenty of guards, and no windows.” The more he spoke, the less his voice trembled. “I was stationed at the door. The president and ambassador were speaking. I don’t know what they were talking about. We—we’re trained not to listen.”

  “I know. Keep going.”

  The sergeant looked away from the general, letting his gaze drift up to the ceiling as he tried to remember each and every detail. “Everything was okay until our radio frequency was hacked. There was a voice in all of our ears. A man’s voice. He was telling us to get the president out of the room. That our lives and the president’s life were in danger. He said an assassin was about to kill us all.”

  “A voice?” Cheng’s eyebrows rose in suspense. “Who’s voice?”

  Yi swallowed hard. “He said his name was Ethan… Daniels.”

  “The terrorist from Tripton?”

  Yi slightly nodded. “Li—my superior—did not listen. He spoke on his radio, demanding that Daniels turn himself in. He thought it was a trick—that Daniels was luring the president into a trap. It would not be the first time he assassinated a president.” He took a deep breath as a few tears came to his eyes. “Maybe—maybe we should’ve listened. Maybe that way they all wouldn’t be—”

  “Now is not the time for that. What happened next?”

  “No more than a minute after the warning, we were attacked. Out of nowhere an explosion erupted right in the middle of the room. Right between the president and the ambassador, an explosion combusted only inches from their faces. There was no bomb… nothing. It just happened. And it engulfed the entire room.”