Veer’s expression shifted as understanding began to dawn.
"One thing is sure," Kaya continued, counting on her fingers. "The broker is quite strong. Strong enough that even facing death, these hitn won’t betray him. Second, he hides quite well—operates completely in the shadows. And third, just like the mongoose, these other hitn also don’t know who the person that gave them the original contract is."
She turned back to the window. "The broker keeps his clients anonymous. That’s how he protects his business. The hitn never et the clients. They just get the contract, complete it, and get paid."
"So how do we find him?" Veer asked.
Kaya’s smile turned dangerous. "We make him co out on his own."
"How?"
"Think about it," Kaya said. "Right now, the broker thinks everything is normal. Five hitn took the contract. One target. Business as usual. But what happens when those hitn go back and tell him that the target placed the contract on herself?"
Veer’s eyes widened. "He’ll be confused. Suspicious."
"More than that," Kaya said. "He’ll be concerned. Soone is playing gas with his business. Soone is manipulating his system. Soone knows about the dead drop, knows how his operation works."
She smiled wider. "A broker’s entire business depends on secrecy and control. If soone is ssing with that, he has to investigate. He has to figure out who’s behind it."
"And when he investigates..."
"He cos out of hiding," Kaya finished. "He’ll want to know who I am, why I did this, what I know about his operation. He might even try to et directly to figure out if I’m a threat."
Veer let out a low whistle. "That’s... actually brilliant."
"That’s why I let them go," Kaya said. "I need them alive to deliver the ssage. I need them to tell the broker about . And once that happens..."
She clenched her fist. "Once he cos out to investigate, we grab him. And then he’ll tell us who the original client was—who actually wanted dead in the first place."
Veer nodded slowly, a smile spreading across his face. "So you’re using the hitn as bait to catch the broker, and the broker as a way to find the real enemy."
"Exactly."
"But what if the broker doesn’t co out? What if he just cuts his losses and stays hidden?"
Kaya’s smile turned cold. "Then I’ll hunt down every single one of his hitn, destroy his reputation, and make it impossible for him to do business in this city. Eventually, he’ll have no choice but to face ."
She looked at Veer. "Either way, I win."
Veer laughed, shaking his head. "Remind never to get on your bad side."
"Too late for that," Kaya teased. "You’re already stuck with ."
From the corner, Sparrow’s weak voice erged. "So... we’re not going to die today?"
"Not today," Kaya said cheerfully.
"Oh, thank the heavens," Sparrow muttered, slumping in relief.
Cutie, who had been silently listening to everything, finally moved. He walked over to where the unconscious hawk was tied up and gave him a hard kick to make sure he was still out cold.
Thud.
Still unconscious.
Kaya walked over to the mongoose’s room and opened the door slightly, peering in. The mongoose was exactly where she’d left him—broken, bleeding, barely breathing.
"Soon," she whispered to him, though he probably couldn’t hear. "Soon we’ll find out who sent you. And then we’ll find out who really wanted dead."
She closed the door and turned back to the others.
"Alright," she said, clapping her hands together. "Now we wait. By tonight, the other hitn will have t up and compared notes. By tomorrow, they’ll have reported back to the broker. And by the day after..."
Her eyes glead with that predatory light.
"The real ga begins."
.
.
.
.
On the other side of the capital, far from the bustling streets and market districts, stood a completely dark forest. Ancient trees twisted together, their branches blocking out even the brightest moonlight. Deep within this darkness, a massive mountain lood—silent, foreboding, untouched by civilization.
Carved into the side of that mountain was a small house. Not built—carved. Cut directly into the stone itself, hidden from anyone who didn’t know exactly where to look.
Inside one of the chambers, the darkness was absolute.
No candles. No torches. No light whatsoever.
Just pure, suffocating blackness.
And sitting on a stone chair in the center of that darkness was a man.
His form was barely visible—just a silhouette against the deeper shadows. But his eyes... his eyes glead bright red in the darkness, glowing like embers in a dead fire.
He sat perfectly still, his breathing slow and controlled. On the wall directly in front of him hung a single portrait.
Even in the darkness, that portrait seed to catch what little light existed.
It was Kaya.
But not the Kaya who walked the streets of the capital now. Not the Kaya in simple traveling clothes, blending in with the crowds.
This Kaya wore a flowing white gown—elegant, pristine, almost ethereal. Her hair was styled differently, longer, more refined. And her eyes... those sharp blue eyes stared directly out from the portrait with an intensity that seed to pierce through the darkness itself.
This was Kaya from before. From another ti. Another place.
The man stared at the portrait for a long mont, his red eyes unblinking.
Then, slowly, a smile spread across his face. In the darkness, his teeth glead white—sharp, predatory.
And then he laughed.
"Ha... ha ha ha..."
The sound echoed through the stone chamber—not loud, but chilling. Each laugh dripped with amusent and sothing darker. Sothing obsessive.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
His laughter grew, filling the empty space with madness barely contained.
"Oh, dear..." he whispered, his voice a low rasp that seed to crawl across the walls. "My goddess..."
He leaned forward slightly, his red eyes fixed on the portrait. On Kaya’s face. On those blue eyes staring back at him.
"Let’s see how much you can play," he murmured, his smile widening further. "Let’s see how long you can dance before you realize..."
User Comments
0 comments from readers