“Stand back,” Ian demanded. “All of you. Do it, now!”
The black-clad figures began to move as one, taking slow, cautious steps backward. Ian caught glimpses of some of their expressions as they moved, and what he saw chilled him to the core. The looks on their faces were not of fear or concern or even anger. They were almost . . . eager. As if they were enjoying this.
“Walk.” Ian forced his voice to remain steady as he gave his hostage the command. To the others, he said, “You’re all to stay in this room for one hour. If I see even a shadow, I’ll pull the trigger twice. Is that clear?”
“Perfectly,” said the same man who’d spoken before.
Ian had to move slowly, his movements painstaking as he backed out of the room and down the hall. He couldn’t risk losing his footing or letting the dart gun slip. His life depended on it.
They made it out to the courtyard, Ian straining his eyes to be sure he didn’t see any new attackers. There was nothing. He made it to the outer wall of the temple, then out, beyond the grounds, over the wide, concrete bridge tourists used to get to Angkor Wat.
Ian squeezed the trigger of his dart gun once. His Madrigal hostage seemed to spring to life, but then he faltered and crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Ian didn’t wait to see what happened next. He turned his back on Angkor Wat and fled into the night.
The test was a success. The watcher had been instructed by Vesper One himself to create a particularly difficult trial for Ian Kabra, and when she learned that the boy was headed for Cambodia, she devised the perfect way to test Ian’s skills. He had arrived expecting to encounter Madrigals, and as far as he knew, that’s exactly what had happened. But in truth, the Madrigals had abandoned Angkor Wat some time ago.
The older Kabra child did not disappoint. He was by far the best candidate the watcher had seen. He had the cunning and skill to sneak into a well-protected stronghold on his own. He knew how to handle himself in a fight. And most promising of all, Ian was willing to do what it took to ensure that he prevailed — even if that meant threatening a hostage. The watcher liked his style. And she knew her superiors would be even more pleased with Ian’s performance at Angkor Wat.
Back in her office, the watcher allowed herself a smile as she finished her report on Ian Kabra. As soon as she submitted it to Vesper One, she was certain the boy would meet with approval. Ian was far better suited to join the Vespers than any of the other candidates.
She had done well. Once the Vespers had a mole in the Cahill family, they would be able to set their final plan in motion. And everything was already falling into place, just as it should. While the Cahills were still busy running around the world, squabbling over Clues, the Vespers were silently preparing for action. Soon, they would come out of the shadows and demonstrate their true power.
The Cahills would never know what hit them.
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Clifford Riley would like to acknowledge Rebecca Leach.
Cover design by Keirsten Geise; Rapid Fire logo design by Charice Silverman
First edition, December 2011
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e-ISBN 978-0-545-45198-7
The 39 Clues: Rapid Fire #3: Hunted Page 4