The Black Guard: Book II: Evolution (Black Guard Series 2) (15 page)

"Something to drink?" Naxal asked as we sat in
the spacious rear of the limo.

I declined with a shake of my head.

"Normally, I would not welcome outside security, as
it insults my competence. But the lives of my king and his heirs are more
important than my pride. And the Angels of Death have proven my security is not
adequate for assassins like the Angels. They have already killed two of the
king's three sons. The Black Guard has a deadly reputation. I'm hoping you are
the Angels' equal and can keep the king and his son alive. If not, Asina will
surely fall into civil war as fractions fight to determine who Asina will
support—Hylana or Jhina. Under King Zeruf, we remain neutral."

"You and I will have to work closely together if we
aren't going to hinder each other. The Black Guard cannot control access to the
compound and buildings, as we don't know who is authorized. You will have to
continue to do that. We will assume full responsibility for guarding the king
and his heir," I said, feeling good about the colonel's attitude.

The city had an old-Earth Southwest modern look, stretching
as far as the eye could see but with few buildings over five stories. Where we
entered the city, the houses and shops were packed close together, but they got
farther apart and finally opened onto a manicured area as we approached the
residence of the ruler. The compound sat on elevated ground and was enclosed by
a ten-meter high and sand-colored cement wall with razor wire along the top. We
were stopped at the entrance to the compound by armed guards in white uniforms but
were quickly waved through when the senior guard saw Colonel Naxal.

"The gate is guarded in the daytime and locked at
night. The compound has four buildings: reception and meetings, kingdom
administration, a barracks for palace security, and the king's residence."
Naxal pointed at each building as we passed them.

Zeruf's residence looked like a two-story nineteenth-century
English estate. It stretched some two hundred meters in length and was a
hundred meters wide and constructed of black marble. Twenty steps as wide as
ten men led to a forty-meter-wide terrace and two massive wooden doors.
"We have quarters for your troops in the barracks—"

I shook my head. "No. My detail and I will be
quartered in the king's residence. The outside of his residence is your domain;
the inside belongs to the Black Guard."

Naxal gave me a hard look, but then nodded. "Yes.
Our responsibilities must be clear."

The two guards at the door saluted as we approached, and
one quickly opened it for us to enter. Inside, we were met by an elderly man
dressed in a brown suit wearing a red shoulder sash and a gold medallion
hanging from around his neck.

"Minister Seack, this is Captain Sapir of the Black
Guard," Naxal said as Seack stared at me.

"Welcome, Captain Sapir. The king has been
expecting you. If you will accompany me, I'll get you comfortable while I let his
majesty and his son know you are here.

"Thank you, Minister Seack," I said, following
him down a long hallway and into a large room with several padded wing-backed
chairs with the Asina crest; a red hawk with wings spread and talons showing on
a brown circle. The walls of the room were half red and half a dark colored
wood, and the floor was covered in a brown rug embroidered with red symbols,
making the room feel smaller than it was. The room would have been dark except
for a wall of windows. I stood admiring the pictures on the wall: beautiful
paintings of landscapes and colorful birds.

A short time later, the minister entered followed by two
men, one in his later years and the other in his twenties. The older one
dressed in white silks partially covered with a Red robe decorated with a
delicate yellow vine design. The younger man had on a brown military uniform
with a vertical red stripe on the pants. By the pips and shoulder boards it was
an officer's uniform, and the brown shoulder sash with the red bird indicated
royalty.

"Captain Sapir, may I present King Zeruf and his
son and heir, Prince Kalom," Minister Seack said as two guards in white
closed the door behind the men.

I gave a shallow bow, but before I could speak, Kalom
stepped forward.

"They sent women. It's an insult!" he sneered.

"If King Zeruf finds women unacceptable, we can
leave," I said, looking toward Zeruf.

"I'm informed you have men and women in your
detail. Make sure only men are providing my security," Kalom said before
his father could reply, although I had the feeling he was content to watch.

"My teams only have Black Guards. You will get the
team I designate, unless you choose not to have one." I kept the amusement
out of my voice, preparing for the confrontation to come.

As expected, he stepped toward me with his left foot
while he prepared to throw a right fist at me when he stepped forward with his
right leg.

I moved forward as he did, putting me inside his punch,
and drove my right knee into his groin and my head into his nose—breaking
it. Simultaneously, I drove my right leg down his leg and into his instep.

Bones snapped.

A twist at my waist sent him airborne, and he landed on
his back, blood pouring from his nose. I tripped the catch on my whip, and it
dropped loose as my laser rose in my left hand.

"Anyone who draws a weapon dies. And you, Prince
Kalom, will lose that arm if you draw the laser your hand is resting on. Unlike
your nose and the bones in your foot, I doubt you have the technology to
reattach your arm."

I looked to the king, who appeared pale and in shock.
"We are here to protect your lives and will risk ours to save yours. However,
we are not your servants, nor paid help, nor here for your amusement. If he weren't
your son, he would be dead. If he chooses to try any of us again, then he will
be dead. We are the Black Guard. We are not subject to your laws, and we don't take
orders from you. And in case you consider making us, we have orbiting this
planet a state of the art Jax cruiser capable of reducing one of your cities to
dust."

The king raised his hand and a small smile creased his
lips. "Seack, get Doctor Essoz. My impulsive son needs attention. Kalom,
get your hand away from your laser, unless you are planning to learn to eat and
shoot with your left." He gave a wry grin. "I apologize for my son,
Captain Sapir. But like him, I'm afraid I too had my doubts about women guards.
Reputations can't always be relied on. They tend to grow with each telling, and
the Angels have a legendary reputation of their own. How do you want to proceed,
now that we've been introduced?" He gave a short laugh.

Kalom didn't look like he found the situation amusing.

"I've configured four teams: one for you, your son,
your wife, and your daughter—"

"The contract was for my son and me only."

"I don't know the Angels of Death, but if I were
them, anyone in your family would be fair game. Not because they are in the
line of succession, but because attacking them could create the kind of
distraction that would make you more vulnerable. So unless you don't love them
…"

"I think this contest between the Angels and the
Black Guard would be entertaining if only my son's and my life weren't at
stake."

"Each member of your family will have two Guards
with them at all times." I paused to let Zeruf digest what I was planning.

He frowned.

"Yes, we will be in the room, not in the hallway.
I'm assuming the Angels are professionals like the Black Guard, and I want to
force one-on-one confrontations, because I believe we are better."

"Even the women?" Kalom said through gritted
teeth.

"Prince Kalom, every one of us began training at
age six. A few of the best went to marine school after four years of competing.
Again, a few of the best went on to Guard school after four more years of
competing. And there, we trained for eight more years to become qualified for
assignments. So yes, every member here is equally qualified to wear the Black
of the Guard."

Just then, Seack entered with a man dressed in the loose
whites of a doctor. He went directly to Kalom and knelt to examine him for
several minutes. "I'll need to take him to the hospital for
treatment," he said while worrying his lip in thought. "His foot has
several fractures which need to be reset and secured."

"If you would, wait for a moment, Doctor." I
looked at Naxal. "Colonel, if you would have my detail escorted to this
room, I'd like to introduce Prince Kalom to his security team and have them
take up their responsibilities."

"Can't it wait?" Essoz asked. "The Prince
is in pain."

"It can wait if you know the Angels of Death are
not targeting the prince or aren't in the area." I looked to Zeruf.

He nodded to Naxal, who took a communication device from
his belt and spoke quietly with someone.

"Minister Seack, ask my wife and
daughter to join us. Captain Sapir has a point. I've already lost two sons to
those cursed Angels. And get us some refreshments." Zeruf sat down.
"Your reputation appears to be accurate. A ruthless bitch with a heart as
black as her uniform, or words to that effect." A slight grin played on his
lips while he waited for my comment.

"The rules are for our client's benefit. If they or
their people knew how to protect against assassins, they wouldn't need the
Black Guard. We are not perfect; however, we have years of training. Your
current team has extensive experience against assassins. If we let our clients
dictate to us, we would give the assassins easy access." I smiled.
"And although I may be a heartless bitch, I'd be depressed for days if you
got hurt on my watch."

Zeruf laughed. "True. Although I trust my life to
Colonel Naxal, the Angels of Death never fail an assassination contract. So in
desperation, I have turned to the Black Guard, hoping you are as ruthless and
heartless as the Angels and perhaps their equal."

Just then, the door opened and my detail entered, along
with a young lieutenant, who saluted Naxal. After they exchanged a few words,
the lieutenant left.

"Prince Kalom, I'd like to introduce Senior
Sergeant Judt, He will head your security team." I stepped aside and Judt
proceeded to introduce his six-person team. The medics then carried Kalom out
with two Guards following.

"King Zeruf, I'd like to introduce Lieutenant
Elijah, my second-in-command, and Senior Sergeant Mintz. His team is assigned
to you," I said.

Mintz stepped forward and gave a shallow bow and
proceeded to introduce his team. As he finished, two women entered.

"Your majesty, you wanted us?" the older of
the two asked. Her hair was graying and her figure matronly, but her eyes as
they scanned the room spoke to an intelligent and enquiring mind. The younger
woman looked to be around twenty, tall and sturdy like her mother. They were
both dressed in silk blouses and ankle-length skirts.

"Yes, dear. Captain Sapir, this is my wife, Queen
Dulice, and my daughter, Princess Kathyn. The captain has decided to assign you
and Kathyn security."

"Why?" she asked, but I noticed she didn't add
they weren't in danger, confirming she wasn't to be taken lightly.

"For my peace of mind, Queen Dulice, until we find
out the Angel's ethics," I said, realizing that had been the reason I
decided on four teams. Were they professionals like the Guard who would stick
to killing only those stated in their contract, or would they create chaos as a
diversion—and who did their contract include?

"Ethics?" Princess Kathyn asked. "Killers
have no ethics!"

"Not everyone that is in a killing profession, like
soldiers, enjoys killing, Princess Kathyn. Most risk their lives to protect
others, some to earn a living, some for love of country, and some to protect
those they admire and respect."

"What about you, Captain?" Dulice asked, her
eyes locking on mine.

"It's very satisfying saving lives. Saving your
family would be very rewarding and something worth remembering."

"What about killing the Angels?"

"A regrettable but necessary part of saving your
lives." I waved Senior Sergeant Nadel over, who introduced her team to
Dulice.

Then it was Senior Sergeant Catz's turn with Princess
Kathyn.

"You assigned male sergeants to the men and women
sergeants to us …"

"Your society may consider women less than men or
not fit for combat. In the Jax, men and women are equal. You will notice the
women all have double dragons on their sleeves. Although everyone here has seen
action and earned the right to wear the uniform, those with the double dragons have
survived against impossible odds and taught our opponents the cost of taking on
the Black Guard. And although I did make the assignment to ease your
prejudices, you will note there are an equal number of women on each
team—two." I smiled as Dulice scanned the room, verifying my
statement. When she turned back, she nodded and a small smile played on her
lips.

* * *

After the senior sergeants had assigned two Guards to
each client, Minister Seach assigned the Guard a room on each of the two floors
and led Lieutenant Elijah and I to a separate smaller room on the second floor.
Smaller was relative to the other rooms, which were massive and would have each
comfortably held my entire detail, but I wanted the team to have a presence on
each floor. This smaller room was set up as a single bedroom, which was perfect
as Elijah and I would not be sleeping at the same time.

"This is perfect, Minister Seack. Now if I can
impose on you a little longer, I'd like to visit the ground floor and meet the
staff."

"Why?"

"To ensure your king and his son live through our
contract. You would recognize each member of the staff and know if a person
wasn't supposed to be where they were. We wouldn't."