“Lady Mercer, it’s not how you think.” Still on his knees, Lawson raised his head in desperation. “There must be a mistake somewhere. I have always been loyal to the duties assigned to me by the higher-ups.”Tessa lowered her hand without answering him, and her escorts brought down their rifles. They held their positions, watching Lawson’s troop with weapons still in hand, ready to respond to any attempt to cause trouble.Her eyes passed over the men behind Lawson.Rifles started dropping onto the sand. One soldier hurried to remove the sidearm at his waist and placed it beside his weapon, prompting the others to do the same. They stripped themselves of anything that might give her reason to consider them armed, without waiting for a spoken order.While the last men were disarming themselves, a soldier stepped out of Lawson’s troop with a briefcase in his hand.His comrades watched him approach Tessa in confusion. None of her escorts stopped him or even seemed surprised when he bowed

Later that day, Easton City, East Sorevia.A military helicopter descended onto one of the landing grounds inside the base, its rotor blades driving dust over the concrete as the aircraft settled.The side door slid open, and Elijah Langston stepped out in a fresh set of clothes. He had only taken a few steps away when the door closed behind him and the rotors picked up speed again, lifting the helicopter back into the air.Elijah stood watching it climb.“You should have joined me on the jet. It would have taken barely an hour from the island.” Tessa was waiting a short distance from the landing spot. Elijah saw her but checked the surrounding base before going over to her, making sure no one nearby was paying them any attention.“We shouldn’t be seen together, Tessa,” he said quietly. “Why did you have them bring me to the base? We could have met somewhere else.”“Husband, are you ashamed of me?” she asked with a pout. “I don’t care what people think about me. They can say whatever

Elijah opened his right hand to reveal a long, deformed bullet resting in his palm.Tessa stared at it as he turned it between his fingers.“Look at the round.” He told her. “Heavy anti-materiel ammunition.”Her expression changed as the implication was clear.Anti-materiel rounds were intended for hard targets such as military vehicles, equipment and protected assets, things that conventional rifle ammunition could not destroy. They were far beyond what was needed to put down a person. Yet someone had just fired one at her head.Elijah looked into the darkness beyond the surrounding buildings and whispered. “He was making sure you died.”Tessa looked at his hand again and blinked. “You caught that with your bare hand?”Elijah almost collapsed. Of everything that had just happened, that was what she chose to ask about.“We’re standing in the open,” she said, checking their surroundings. “We need proper cover.”She pushed away from the wall, but Elijah stopped her by the arm and pulle

Elijah drew her back by the arm. “They’re professionals. Stay out of this.”One of the assassins crossed the distance in a single step, his movement so quiet that even his clothes made no sound. His sword was coming down at Tessa when Elijah reached out with his left hand and seized his wrist.The blade stopped a short distance from her as Elijah used his free hand to push her fully behind him.“You don’t have to watch.” His voice was calm, but there was something in its tone.The assassin struggled to free his wrist, only for Elijah’s grip to grow firmer as his right hand formed a fist.BOOM!Elijah punched him in the chest with unrestricted force, releasing the trapped wrist as the blow landed. The man’s ribs shattered, and he flew down the hallway, colliding with his companions and knocking them aside before hitting the floor farther along the passage.Elijah faced the others with murderous intent in his eyes.The black-clad men recovered from their surprise and charged with a shou

BAM! The slap sent dozens of assassins flying behind him, their bodies colliding with one another before they hit the ground. Swords fell among them as they tumbled over the field, leaving Elijah enough space to move clear of the remaining men.The assassins regrouped between him and the helicopter, but none rushed to attack after seeing what had happened to their companions. One stepped ahead of the others, his voice mocking through his mask. “Our mission here is accomplished. Kill yourself right now, or we’ll make you wish you had.”“The history of the Shadow of Death has ended in Sorevia. He goes nowhere,” Elijah answered, showing no reaction to the threat.“He’s gone already.” The assassin laughed and lifted his head to the helicopter, which had climbed high above the field and was moving away from the base.“I just wanted him to have a little taste of freedom for the last time,” Elijah said as he followed the man’s gaze.“What?” The assassin turned back to him, only to see Elij