by K W Frost
On arrival, Mitsu had surveyed the empty warehouse with disgust. There were no good options. The discarded packing cases were an obvious focal point and would immediately come under scrutiny from Child, so he had resorted to his next best option. Mitsu was now perched high up in the girders. His jet-black clothing, including the full balaclava, rendered him invisible against the dark background. He held a snipers’ rifle up against a ceiling brace and tracked down to Child’s utility. Although he could not see Child directly, he had a clear picture in his mind where Child would be sitting.
Taking a deep breath, he tightened his finger on the trigger, only to relax it seconds later. He had only one clear shot — if he missed, then he was exposed, naked, trapped up in the girders. Retreating would be his only option.
Mitsu decided to wait for his one clear shot to count. Then he saw movement below, and a malicious smile crossed his lips. He remained still as he watched the drama unfold below.
Lee had followed Child here from the grey office building with ease, and now that Child was alone, Lee could complete the kill.
Lee watched Child between the slats boarding up a side window. He could see Child sitting in the front seat of his Toyota. The approach did present a problem for Lee, as Child faced the only entry point into the warehouse.
Walking further around the building, Lee checked for a point of entry and found one on the next corner. A leaking drainpipe had caused the surrounding ground to swell, cracking the concrete paving. Lee glanced around him. He was lucky that this part of the building was almost completely surrounded by the high walls of neighbouring buildings.
Next, Lee removed a long, strong knife from a hidden scabbard hanging down his back. He levered a cracked piece of concrete out of the pavement with ease. He repeated the action and discarded the broken pieces at the side. By now he had carved out a space that ran half metre in length, and slightly less in width. Lee used the knife to attack the wet earth beneath. Within a few minutes he had created a hole just big enough for him to squeeze into.
Once again, Lee carefully studied the utility parked towards the centre of the warehouse. There appeared to be no movement from inside. Child sat motionless, waiting, carefully watching warehouse doors.
Lee moved like a ghost. He didn’t make the mistake of approaching the utility from behind, where the rear vision mirrors might pick up his movements. Instead, he moved sideways down the wall until he could approach the passenger door at forty-five degrees.
No footsteps were heard.
No dust rose.
Lee moved closer to the rear end of the utility.
Only Mitsu, watching from his vantage point up in the girders, was aware of Lee’s presence in the warehouse.
Lee began to close in on Child, edging closer and closer.
Lee made three swift steps and hid himself at the back of the utility.
Now for his final approach. Time to kill.
Lee had gone over the kill many times in his mind.
He would slip the thin metal wire from his belt and hold on to the wooden grips at each end. With two more steps down the side of the vehicle, he would open the back door. Child would turn in fear to see what was happening, Lee would flick the wire over his head. With a sudden twist and pull, he would decapitate Child.
Lee took a deep breath and moved forward.
With two more swift steps, he yanked open the back door of the vehicle. Child didn’t even move as Lee whipped the shiny garrote over his head and pulled.
Nothing.
Lee reacted instinctively.
Reversing his sudden lunge, he fell backwards out of the door as a handgun blasted at him from between the seats. Lee felt the impact of the bullet hitting his side. He landed on the floor and rolled towards the utility, slamming the door shut as another bullet shattered the concrete next to him. Desperately Lee rolled again, this time under the high wheelbase of the utility.
Child had been lucky.
On the driver’s wing mirror there was a wide-angle convex surface. This allowed the driver to check his blind spot while overtaking. Earlier on, Child had spotted a dim shaft of light disappear and reappear as Lee had peered into the warehouse from outside.
While there could have been an innocent cause, Child took precautions. He correctly assumed that if anyone came at him, it would be from behind the utility. Trusting his ears to tell him when Kioki arrived, Child had leant forward and grabbed the old brown paper bag he used for rubbish. He had fashioned it into a head shape and put it back up in place of his own. He then opened the front glove box and found some sticky tape, which he used to secure the bag to the front of the seat. Once safely out of sight, Child had prepared the Glock pistol ready for action.
As Child shot the second time he knew the bullet had missed his attacker. Sitting upright, Child started the utility and accelerated away with a screech of tyres. Swinging the wheel around, Child flicked on his headlights. They penetrated the semi-gloom like searchlights, piercing its intensity.
Quickly, Child swung back to where he had been attacked. Nothing. He flicked the wheel this way before realising where the attacker must be: clinging onto the spare wheel he had attached to the back door of the utility. Accelerating towards the far wall, Child braked viciously and spun the wheel. He almost spun one hundred and eighty degrees. Slamming the Ute in reverse, he made a slight adjustment and accelerated backwards into the wall. His rear wheel smashed into the corrugated iron with a loud clang and a crunch.
He’d missed.
His attacker had moved.
Then Child heard some faint sounds of movement on the roof. Punching the gear lever into second, Child accelerated across the open warehouse. Ten, twenty meters he accelerated before slamming on the brakes again. His attacker slid into view off the roof he had been clinging desperately to, and crashed onto the bonnet. His face pressed hard into the front windscreen. Incredibly, the face smiled.
Child watched almost in slow motion as Lee raised his right hand and smashed it through the glass. Child was too far back for Lee to actually strike him, but small bits of glass flew into his face and chest. Child started to bleed from a cut on his right cheek and another on his chin. He watched on, stunned by the brute force of the attacker, as Lee opened his closed fist and out rolled a small round grenade.
Only then did Child galvanise himself into action.
Opening the driver’s door, Child unclipped his safety belt and rolled onto the ground. He rolled two or three times, waiting for the crunch of the exploding grenade. It never came. For some reason, the small flash grenade had failed to explode.
For Lee, however, the result was excellent. Child was isolated from his vehicle. Lee could now close in for the kill.
Child rolled up to standing, taking up the bent knee side on stance, a fighting stance taught to him by his instructors. He had lost the Glock pistol in his frantic roll from the utility. He could see it abandoned on the ground nearby.
Child looked at Lee as he approached him.
Now he had nothing to defend himself.
As Lee approached, weaving a long, thin dagger out in front of him, Child knew he was in trouble. It had been years since his army training and he had no illusions about the skills of the little assassin in front of him. Child saw the blood seeping from Lee’s side and it didn’t appear to restrict his movements.
‘Long way from the restaurant now aren’t you, Lee,’ Child said calmly.
‘Not at all, Mr. Child, I am here doing my job,’ replied Lee.
‘Must be nice to be multi-talented,’ countered Child, side stepping to Lee’s left, trying to expose his injured flank.
Lee circled Child. His outstretched hand holding the long, thin dagger almost met Child’s outspread hands. Child was not tempted. If he went after Lee’s knife now, he would likely lose his wrist.
Suddenly, Lee attacked.
Up flashed his left leg in a sidekick to the body, which Child partially blocked with his right forearm. Child t
hen jumped back as the knife flicked out towards him. Again, they circled each other, Lee protecting his left side, Child trying to expose it.
Lee lunged again with the knife. Child barely twisted away in time. Lee kept up the assault, but again and again Child backed away from the slashing blade. Sweat began to bead on Child’s forehead. It ran down his face, mixing with the streaks of blood coming from the glass cuts, and dripped onto the floor.
Child realised that he was never going to win this way. He must change tactics.
Lee slashed downwards this time. Instead of retreating, Child stepped forward, parrying the blow with his left forearm. Child drove his right fist hard into Lee’s chest. Lee stopped still, momentarily stunned by the attack, and then reversed his knife arm to slash upwards towards Child’s exposed body.
But Child was no longer there.
Child crouched down low as the old drills and tactics flooded back to him. Only now was he thankful of the hours upon hours he had spent in the Army working on unarmed combat drills and fighting against a whole range of weapons. He thought back to only time he had beaten his instructor in the Army. His actions had been unorthodox, audacious, risky, but they had worked.
Looking at Lee now, Child saw a shadow of doubt cross the previously confident face. Child decided to change the level of the fight.
Child swung his right leg in a semi-circle about half a metre high, trying to knock Lee over. Lee sprang back easily. Child shoulder rolled forward and immediately swung with his left leg. He almost caught Lee this time. Lee barely missed being hit as he sprang back again. Child went in for the attack. Diving slightly to his right, he shoulder-rolled and swung his left leg around in a hard, strong swing, not allowing Lee to approach. Lee jumped away, back and to the left.
Looking past Lee, Child saw that he had almost backed him up against the Toyota. The next rush would finish Lee off.
Lee saw the shift in Child’s eyes and instinctively became aware of his danger. This time there would be nowhere to retreat back to.
Child dived forward, landing in front of Lee. This time he didn’t shoulder roll, instead landed on two hands. Bending both arms, Child arched his back and flicked his legs in a handspring. His heels flashed over his head and swung down to connect with Lee, just as he stepped forward to deliver a fatal thrust of his knife into what he thought was Child’s unprotected back.
Child’s left heel connected solidly with Lee’s right clavicle, breaking it in two. His right heel deflected slightly off the side of Lee’s head only to connect directly with the left shoulder joint, forcing the clavicle to pop out. He then let his legs bounce off the floor before kicking backwards like a mule into Lee’s chest, driving him back up against utility. Lee hung there like an old rag, the knife slipping from his motionless hand before tinkling to the floor.
Child rolled away and crouched, ready for further combat, but Lee remained slumped against the Toyota.
Child relaxed and lowered his arms before taking a step forward.
‘Tell me, Lee, why are you here?’
Lee said nothing, but his eyes blazed with hatred.
Incredibly, Lee folded his arms across his now-bloodied torso. His words were passionate and clear.
‘You are a fool, Child, you will never know… because you will be dead!’
Lee’s leg flashed upwards towards Child, catching him by surprise. It collided squarely with the side of his head.
Stunned by the blow, Child fell backwards, knowing that he must defend himself or risk being kicked to death.
Lee’s left leg caught Child in the stomach. Child jack-knifed forward, twisting his head to miss Lee’s rapidly rising right knee. Off balance and sucking in deep breaths, Child struck out, punching his left fist into Lee’s unprotected face and causing him to fly backwards.
Child managed to regain some composure in this brief respite before Lee attacked again.
Blocking blows from every direction, Child took a step back as Lee’s right foot came forward in a front kick. Again, Child blocked the leg but this time he used both hands. Instead of deflecting the blow, Child caught Lee’s ankles. Before Lee could counter the move, Child savagely twisted the leg to the right. Lee pivoted into the air, moving with the twist. When Lee was mid-air, Child reversed his twist.
The pop echoed around the warehouse as Lee’s ankle dislocated. Still holding the leg high, Child brutally swung his own leg out, crunching down on Lee’s knee joint and forcing it sideways, tearing the medial and internal ligaments. Dropping the broken limb, Child stepped forward and clipped the agonised face of Lee under the chin, rendering him unconscious.
Breathing heavily, Child reconnected his small microphone.
‘You reading me, Smaille?’
‘Yeah, we’re here… what’s been happening?’ asked a concerned Smaille. All they had heard was a gunshot followed by thuds and grunts.
‘Kioki sent a killer in first,’ explained Child. ‘Any sign of Kioki himself?’
‘Nothing yet… Simon, are you sure he’ll come too?’
‘He’ll come,’ Child replied defiantly. ‘Right, Smaille, I’ve got work to do.’
Smaille looked at Stulz without speaking. Child had defeated a trained assassin. Maybe there is more to this guy than they had originally thought.
Child turned back to Lee, grabbed him by the collar and dragged him into the utility. Once inside, he bound and gagged him. Opening the back door, he bundled Lee inside. Child opened the front door and sat down to resume his wait. Checking his watch Child noted that Kioki had less than five minutes to arrive before he was late.
Chapter Forty-Six
Mitsu had watched the fight unfolding below with interest. His protégé should have won easily, yet he didn’t. The punishment for failure was death. Mitsu checked his rifle and magazine.
The snipers’ rifle had been fitted with a seven-shot magazine, and it was full. He had never needed more than two bullets in the past, but he was always careful. He settled down to wait for Kioki, preparing himself, ready to execute another human being.
Kioki was right on time. He drove into the warehouse in a rented white five-litre Commodore sedan. Child watched as the car crawled along, completing a half circle, before stopping fifteen metres in front of the utility.
An uneasy silence settled over the participants as they sat in their respective vehicles, silently weighing the other up. Dust flicked up by the turning tyres swirled in the space between them before slowly drifting away.
Child flicked on his headlights, catching Kioki off guard. Kioki raised his hand to protect his eyes before Child clicked them off again.
Kioki had come alone.
Child got out of the Toyota and stood protected by the open door. Kioki also got out of his car and stepped forward. The semi-gloom accentuated his vast size. To Child he looked seven feet tall. Kioki stepped forward to stand in front of his car, a black briefcase in his hand.
‘Come closer, Mr Child,’ Kioki encouraged. ‘You have nothing to fear, I am here to negotiate.’
Child stepped forward away from the utility until only ten metres separated the two men.
Kioki was enormous. He could easily achieve with weight what Lee had failed to do with skill. Kioki was an extremely dangerous man. Child was determined not to get too close.
‘Welcome, Mr Kioki, I’m glad you have decided to be reasonable,’ Child said coolly.
Mitsu, perched high above in the girders, could clearly hear what was being said. Using the scope of his rifle, he tracked down to his target.
‘You have been bothersome for Whittingham, Mr Child,’ Kioki said plainly. ‘He didn’t deal with you correctly and it proved costly for him. I won’t make that same mistake.’
Confidence oozed from Kioki as he stood before Child.
‘I hope not, Mr Kioki,’ replied Child reaching inside his jacket to remove the Glock pistol. Taking a classic two-handed stance, the gun was rock steady as it pointed directly at Kioki’s chest.
/> ‘Please, Mr Child, that won’t be necessary,’ Kioki said, taking a half step forward.
‘Stop,’ ordered Child, ‘move only when I tell you to. You will do exactly as I say…’
The coldness had returned to Child’s voice.
‘Place the money on the ground and kick it over to me — make sure it’s a good kick, I would hate for you to have to crawl out after it to push it some more.’
Kioki wondered when Mitsu was going to make his move. Unconsciously, his eyes flicked into the darkness behind Child. He placed the briefcase onto the ground and he kicked it across to Child.
It stopped two metres in front of Child.
‘Stay still,’ ordered Child, his eyes focused entirely on Kioki. He had seen Kioki’s glance upwards. Stepping forward, Child bent down and picked up the briefcase with this left hand. His right held the gun steadily on Kioki.
‘Thank you, Mr Kioki,’ Child said calmly. ‘Let’s hope the money is all there, or I might have come back to see you… the Regent is where you are staying, isn’t it?’
Kioki was shaken, how much did Child know? Where was Mitsu? His instructions had been clear as day. Child must be eliminated now.
‘Don’t worry, Mr Child, the money is all there.’
‘Good,’ Child said, stepping back and casually tossing the briefcase through the open door onto the passenger seat. Stepping forward again, Child resumed his two-handed stance.
‘Now before I go we have a couple of other matters to discuss,’ stated Child.
‘Oh, what now, Mr Child?’ Kioki sighed.
‘What is really going on at Blue Water Securities?’
‘What do you think’s going on?’ stalled Kioki.
Watching Kioki’s face carefully for reactions, Child answered truthfully.
‘Well, I won’t know for certain until the team of experts have finished their job. Personally, I think that it is an intelligence gathering unit.’
Kioki slowly tilted and bowed his head.
‘Very good, Mr Child, you are right. In the business world, data and information is invaluable. We wish to gain a jump on our competitors, that is all.’