Caught in the Crosshairs (closed)

[BeachBum25]

Listening to Montgomery talk confirmed what he had started to believe; he.... they... were being hunted. If each of the Horsemen hired their own contractors, that meant that there were at least 10 hitmen hunting Skylark and him... and whoever they hadn't already eliminated.

Trevor moved over to Montgomery. He whispered to him so that Skylark couldn't hear his exact words. "She is going to kill you. I am going to make sure that she makes it a long, drawn out, excruciatingly painful death. You see, I don't like being hunted, but I know that it is part of my job. However, when the hunters are employed by people that are supposed to be on the same side as me, then, I take it personal. The only way you can die without it being painful is to make sure that you have told my friend everything. I am not convinced you have."

Standing up and looking at Skylark, "don't be in a hurry to kill him. Make it painful. Make it last a long time. I don't like him, and I am very certain that he is holding back information that we would find useful. Make him suffer."

Almost immediately, Montgomery started babbling about texting updates to the two contractors he hired. "If I don't check in with them every 4 hours they know that something is wrong and they come here to check on me. They get a bonus if they rescue me. That's it. There is nothing else I can tell you."

Looking at Skylark, "I think we should let them find him right here. Maybe he won't be dead yet. They won't get him any help. He will be too far along to be able to be saved. All they care about is finding us. That way, we draw them in here, just like they have been trying to get us into places that will make it easier for them to take us out."

Lone Wolf realized there were probably cameras throughout the house and that the contractors were probably able to access them remotely if they needed to. "Where is the control set-up for the security system Montgomery?" When Montgomery hesitated, Trevor saw Skylark slide the knife higher into his thigh; ripping flesh, muscle and tendon while sliding along his femur. Montgomery screamed in pain. "I told you she was good Montgomery. My advice is to answer quickly."

When Montgomery told them where the controls for the security system were, Lone Wolf looked at Skylark. "You do with him what you need to do. I will go take care of the security system. Just don't kill him too quickly, in case he lied about where it is."

Leaving the bedroom, Trevor went to the basement, found the sprawling communications room and the hub for the security cameras. He was surprised to see that with all of Montgomery's money that he had not spent more of it on a better system. Trevor was able to scrub everything from the system from the time that Montgomery had arrived home from the gala. He then put it on a loop, so that, when the contractors accessed the system they would not see anything out of the ordinary.

Returning to Montgomery's bedroom, Trevor looked at Montgomery then to Skylark. "Damn, remind me to never get on your bad side."

 

[zydrate]

"Don't worry. I'll never warn you." Nicole said in resopnse to Lone Wolf's remark about getting on her bad side, her tone empty. She stood over Montgomery's bleeding body. Nicole had done things that were non-repairable and when someone would find him, it would be too late to save him.

Nicole needed to leave.

Even though she was being hunted, she needed to lay low for a while and devise a plan on what do to next.

Like she had told Montgomery earlier, she knew about the remaining horsemen. But that's about all she knew so far. Who else was hired to hunt them down?

Nicole was going to say something else but that's when she heard it. The sound of a helicopter and it was getting closer. She listened and after a few seconds, cursed under her breath. She looked at Lone Wolf and realized he had heard it too.

The familiar sound of a Bell 412 helicopter heading their way. How did she know it was heading their way? The distinct sound of the chopper and also, it was getting closer. No doubt it was Montgomery's private 'rescue' team.

"Wonderful." Nicole said as she yanked her personal blade out of Montgomery's thigh and wiping it on his arm. "Time to go." She said as she sheathed her blade and headed down the stairs and toward her escape route she had planned. She didn't wait for Lone Wolf. She wasn't used to working with anyone but knew if he followed her, she didn't need to tell him to hurry.

 

[BeachBum25]

He heard the chopper. Looking toward Skylark, he knew that she heard it too. When he saw Skylark pull the knife out of Montgomery's thigh, he was tempted to put a bullet in his other thigh. He knew better than that, though. Don't leave evidence. They might know who did this, but they could not prove it. Don't give them anything to use.

Instead, Lone Wolf followed Skylark as she moved out of the house. As she moved, it was obvious that she had an escape route planned. He didn't know what it was and whether or not it was safe. He assumed it was, but he never did anything on an assumption.

Once outside of the house, Lone Wolf located the incoming chopper. He took the sniper rifle that was strapped to his back and assembled it as he moved toward the open area outside of the house. It would be the only place that the pilot could put the chopper down.

He was not going to run away from them. He didn't know how many operatives were after them, but he was going to make sure there were less chasing them by the time he left here.

Setting up, Lone Wolf adjusted the sights. Then, as the chopper started to descend, he focused on the pilot. Gently squeezing the trigger, Lone Wolf planted a round through the forehead of the pilot. The chopper came down hard and burst into flames.

Lone Wolf waited. He saw someone exit the chopper. He was limping. That only lasted a second... Lone Wolf put a bullet through his head. A second person exited the chopper. This one engulfed in flames. Lone Wolf paused; letting him burn for a little before shooting him dead. There was no reason to take the chance that he would survive his burn wounds.

Waiting for a little longer, Lone Wolf watched the burning chopper intently. When the remnants of the chopper exploded, Lone Wolf disassembled the rifle, packed it away and headed out. He didn't want to be around when the police and fire departments arrived.

Having no idea where Skylark went, or what her plans were, Lone Wolf made his way back to his vehicle, which he had parked a great distance away, and headed to a cheap motel. Once there, he cleaned his weapon and began to think about what was next. He had no idea who the other Horsemen were; Skylark had that information and had not shared it. He had hoped to get that info from her before they were interrupted by the incoming chopper.

He turned on the television. Maybe he could get some info from news reports of Montgomery's sudden demise.

 

[zydrate]

Early the next morning, there was a note on the car parked 3 blocks from the crappy roadside motel… the note on the car read Tina’s Diner.

All the while, at the diner, Nicole had ordered the Trucker’s Special, which consisted of 3 eggs scrambled, 4 links of sausage, 4 strips of bacon, 1 Belgian waffle, a large orange juice and for the hell of it, a side of salsa.

It was a complete breakfast that would surely put any trucker into cardia arrest.

But not Nicole.

She hadn’t gotten any sleep. She had been hyped up, planning…plotting…

But she was hungry. They had been taught to take care of themselves, always. Make sure you eat. Make sure you were hydrated. Of course, all that wasn’t always possible. She figured she had some time so a quick little bite could be had.

Nicole sat with her back to the wall and the door in sight so she could see everyone coming and going.

Yes, she was waiting for Lone Wolf. In the past few weeks, she didn’t think there were any other survivors and if there were, they were in hiding. That was fine. Let them hide. She’d do the work for them all… as usual.

She was dressed in a form hugging black t-shirt, black cargo pants and her hair was tied in a messy ponytail. She was exposed but it wasn’t like she didn’t have any weapons on her. She was just careful not to show it.

Halfway through her breakfast, she saw him. He wasn’t obvious but she had noticed him. Yes, this wasn’t the usual sort of place to have a meeting but it was better than nothing. The park was too exposed. Other places, too crowded or too far away. They needed to get to work.

Wiping her hands, she drank some water and stood when Lone Wolf walked through the door and looked around before looking at her and walking to her. Nicole waited for him to sit…. When he did, she held out her hand to him, waiting for him to shake it… “I’m Nicole.” She told him. “And as much as I don’t like this, we need to work together… only if you’re willing to hear me out. I’ll tell you everything I know. You can either believe me or not, it’s up to you.”

 

[BeachBum25]

Was it another set-up? Lone Wolf wasn't sure. He was certain that he was supposed to believe the message was from Skylark, but he was not convinced. He didn't know who the other seven were, and, as far as he knew, they could be setting him up.

Despite his uncertainty, he went to the diner. He wore a jacket with pockets large enough to hold his handguns and to enable him to pull them out without any problem. He drove past the diner several times to see if there was anything that looked suspicious. Then he parked down the street with a perfect view of the diner. He watched for a while, but saw nothing of concern.

With his hands in his pockets, he walked toward the diner. As he approached the entrance, he looked through the windows. If there was a threat, it would be against a wall where he wouldn't be able to sneak up on them. Then, at the back, he saw Skylark.

Slowly, Lone Wolf entered the diner. He looked around to see if there were any other threats. Yes, he considered Skylark a threat. He would continue to think that way until he was convinced that she really was in the same situation as he was.

Approaching Skylark with his hands in his pockets, he watched her intently as she stood when he made his way toward her. There was enough food on the table in front of to feed him for several days, and it looked like she had already eaten half of it.

"I guess you are hungry." Lone Wolf said sarcastically, nodding at the food on the table. He looked at the hand that she offered. He examined it momentarily and then took it and shook her hand. "Hello Nicole. My name is Trevor."

He waited for Nicole to sit down, before taking the seat across from her. He was very uncomfortable sitting there with her. Not because of her, but because his back was to any threat that might enter.

"Well Nicole, you certainly are blunt, which doesn't necessarily lead me to be very trusting of you. You have already told me that you would not warn me if I got on your bad side. Now, before we even begin the conversation, you tell me I can believe you or not."

A waitress approached and asked if Trevor wanted anything. "Yes, a glass of water with lemon please, and an extra plate. I think my friend might need some help." He sat quietly until the waitress returned with the plate and his water. After thanking the waitress, he looked back at Nicole; his eyes fixed on hers.

"So, I am willing to hear you out. If I wasn't I would not be sitting here with you. The fact that I am sitting here with you, with my back to the door should indicate to you that I trust you. You have given me no reason not to trust you. You should be able to read that with me. Your work is much more up close and personal, where my work is usually done from a distance. It is not a normal thing for me to have a conversation with one of my targets. I just take them out. You on the other hand, seem very comfortable talking to the people that you eliminate. That means you are good at reading them and getting close to them. You should be able to read that I am willing to work with you. Plus, if I wanted you eliminated I would have done so at Montgomery's house while you were busy placing your knife in his thigh."

Taking a sip of his water, he maintained eye contact with her. Her eyes didn't move from his. There was no sign of deception, thus far. "You have already killed two powerful men, one of them a sitting US Senator. It is obvious to me that you know the rest of these so called Horsemen are. Since I don't like being hunted, I am open to working with you.... as long as I am convinced that you trust me."

 

[zydrate]

Nicole had to laugh about what he said about how he could have taken her out when she was torturing Montgomery. She shrugged and leaned her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her hands, "Well, that's true. I'll give you that. Hell, when the time comes Trevor, I would rather die at your hands than any one elses. And that, my love, is the greatest sort of compliment you'll get from me."

As much as she would have loved to continue to talk there with them, there was a crowd starting to form and Nicole didn't like to discuss business out in the open. She clammed up when there were more people. Her and Trevor ate in silence a few more minutes before he had stopped and looked at her, probably gauging her.

Putting down her fork, she finished up her water, "Let's go to my place and we can talk there." It wasn't a request. More of a statement. One that said she wasn't asking, she was commanding.

***
The ride to her condo took longer than expected because of the number of detours and misdirections they took. One could never be too safe and assume no one was out to not get them. They both had targets on their heads and the sooner they elimated the threat, the sooner they could move on...

Move on to what? Nicole wasn't sure. She never thought that far. What was she going to do after this? She had enough money stuffed away to live comfortably for a long time. But again, she hadn't thought that far.

Once they were in her condo, with not visible threats, Nicole activated the giant monitor in her living room and there were the pictures of the 9 Horsemen. With a big red X over Montgomery's face. The remaining 8 consisted of 7 men and 1 woman. All billionaires in not just the US but all over the world.

On another monitor, there were 3 pictures of different men with 9 black boxes, indicting that those threats haven't yet been identified.

Yet.

"There they are..." she said as she looked at the Horsemen.

"Ready for a story... or in my case, a theory?"

 

[BeachBum25]

"Nicole, you have given me no reason to want to hurt you in any way, nor do I expect that you will. One of the things that you will find out about me is that I am the most loyal person you will ever know. It may not be evident to a lot of people, because I have always worked alone. However, it seems that the circumstances we find ourself in have changed all that and necessitated a partnership."

He agreed that talking in the diner was not the best idea. Trevor went with Nicole to her condo. Once inside, Trevor looked around. Suddenly, the large monitor in the living room lit up. Trevor looked at the images on the screen. He saw the 9 Horsemen.. only 8 remaining.

He looked closely at the images; showing no reaction. Yes, he was taking it personally, but he would approach it just like any other mission; in a calm, cool, calculated way. Emotions only got in the way of accomplishing a mission. Just like every other mission he had been on, this one would be successful, also.

Nodding his head, Trevor looked over at Nicole. "You have extracted some information from the previous 2, so, yes, I am definitely interested in hearing the story. I trust that your theory is based on intelligence that you extracted from O'Connell and Montgomery. So, I am all ears."

 

[zydrate]

“More or less…” Nicole said as she paced in between the monitors and the coffee table which was in front of the couch where Trevor was sitting, “So. First off, O’Connell’s only part in this was supplying our information. Which of course, wasn’t much. A list of agents with the highest kill rate and that included at least 25 of us. Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure how it was listed, meaning he just gave the names and didn’t look at the numbers. In return, he received 1 billion dollars. That’s all. Which if you ask me, is quite insulting because that only figures out to around $40 million for each of us for O’Connell.”

“Now, the math kind of gets tricky after that. There are…were 9 individuals involved, each reportedly hiring 1-2 assassins, paying them each 100-200 million, depending on their skill set. Their reward? Their pay plus the price on our heads which depended on our skillset. So, say the person with the least kills, is only worth 20 million as a reward. So that’s 20 million plus the initial 100-200 million. NOW… if the assassin is killed by the target, us, then our price goes up double PLUS whatever the assassin, that was killed by a target, was paid.”

She stopped at looked at the pictures of the Horsemen.

“I’m still not sure of a few minor details but I do hope to figure that out soon because as we both know, even the smaller details could be something big.”

“Montgomery gave the names of his hired men.” She showed the pictures of two men, one Turkish and one German. “H. Ersay and S. Gantzamnn.” Nicole didn’t bother with the first names only because it didn’t matter. They would be dead soon.

“Now, like I said, it does sound farfetched but in all aspects, this is just a game for them… Montgomery and the like... So, with this, I know that the other horsemen have probably amped up their security or gone into hiding but that means the game is still on because their men are out there looking for us.”

"We can either sit and wait for them, draw them out or, go after them."

 

[BeachBum25]

Trevor sat and listened to what Skylark had to say. He looked at the pictures of the Horsemen. He was burning their images into his brain. "Were the ones on the chopper at Montgomery's house the ones he hired? If not, that adds another layer to all of this."

Thinking about this mission, Trevor was a little concerned. The way things had to be carried out was much more in line with Skylark's skillset. If it was just a matter of taking out the Horsemen, Trevor would be happy to take the lead. He could kill each and every one of them from a mile away and nobody would know where the bullet came from. However, before killing the Horsemen, which absolutely was going to happen, they needed to extract information from them. That was right up Nicole's alley.

"I will tell you Nicole, I am not the sit and wait kind of guy. I am more of go getter. Trying to draw them out will take some time, and that gives their hired men more time to track us and take us out. I have no intention of losing to these people. I think we need to be the aggressors. We need to go after them. It will be a delicate balancing act, because we need to get information from them while we are being hunted. However, I feel that we are capable of doing it. We just need to always stay one step ahead. No set patterns. Not in one location for more than a day, or two at the most."

He took a deep breath. "O'Connell didn't get to enjoy his money, and neither will any of them. The Horsemen I want to die a very painful death. Their hired killers, I don't give a fuck how they die... I just want them dead."

 

[zydrate]

Nicole thought about it. She hadn't had time to get any more information on the chopper coming to the aid of Montgomery. There wasn't time. That was something that would have be figured out later. Right now, they had other fish to fry.

And Nicole knew just which one to after next.

Arturo Xavier

She turned the monitor back on and highlighted Arturo's picture before bringing up a brief overview on him, "Arturo Xavier, a key player in the export of vehicles from Mexico to the US. He loves his country and... he loves gambling." Switching to another screen, Nicole brought up a website for a hotel in Vegas that offered high roller poker games, "He loves poker and loves to come to Vegas when he can. Rumor is that he is going to be at this small tournament within the next few days. Now, he could easily go for a huge gamble, but he likes to play around the clock and so he keeps to smaller local tournaments. We just need to intercept him between games and ask him a thing or two."

"He travels with several bodyguards, which, of course, is no problem... but I think we can devise a concrete plan by the time we arrive in Vegas. So... ready for a trip?"

Nicole knew she could have a private jet in no time. There were a lot of people that owed her favors and it was time to pay up. She just wanted to see if Lone Wolf was going to be on board or not. Not that she needed him, but it would be nice to have some sort of back up in case she failed. She a general idea of what she wanted to do but she needed Trevor's input on it. They had to work together after all. If this was all to work, they had to be on the same page and not go off on their own agenda. It was going to take some getting used since but were used to working alone.

 

[BeachBum25]

Looking at the picture of Xavier, Trevor memorized every feature of his face. Ne nodded his head as he listened to Skylark talk. This was going to be a challenge. Not just Xavier, but the totality of their mission. However, it was a mission that needed to be undertaken. He... they... would not be able to rest as long as this bounty was on their heads.

"I love Vegas. What happens in Vegas....." He smiled. For some reason, he had no concerns about working with Skylark.... not now, anyway. At the moment, Trevor felt that Nicole was the only person that he could count on, however, he was not convinced she wouldn't betray him if needed to save her life. He trusted her, but not 100%.... yet.

"I love going on trips. I am ready when you are ready."

Once on the private jet, they discussed a variety of options. "One problem with waiting to get him between games is that it could be hours... maybe days. Some of these die hard high stakes poker players can engage in a game that can go on for days. The only time they leave the table is to go to the bathroom, or to do something that will keep them awake. I think he is most vulnerable when he is sitting at the table. After a while his security will be tired and they will be bored.... easy to take out. Also, the fact that it is at one of the smaller casinos will be to our advantage... less security and the security they do have is much easier to circumvent."

He gave Skylark a minute to think about what he said. "Getting into the game will be the easy part. Getting out will be the challenge. To me, having Xavier bleed all over the poker table seems so perfect. Let him die doing what he loves to do."

He knew there were details that would have to be worked out between them. He also knew that Skylark had her own ideas of how to get to Xavier, get information from him, and then end his life. She had to have her own plan. That was how people in their line of work survived.

"So Nicole, what are you thinking?"

 

[zydrate]

"What am I thinking?" Nicole shrugged, "Well, like you're thinking, games take time. OK, I'm patient. That's why I do what I do... I was thinking of entering the game myself."

She looked over at Trevor, "here me out... the buy-in minimum is only $25k. There is no maximum buy-in and after some research, Xavier usually buys in around $250k. The more you're willing to pay the better the table one gets. Like you said before, we won't have long. This needs to be done quick. These are high rollers we're dealing with. Yes, I can be the player while you pose as my bodyguard. Which gets you in too. But of course, that's up to you."

This version of the plan would only work if Trevor was willing to play the bodyguard part. Of course, there were other plans in case this wasn't agreeable with Trevor. She had contingency plans. She had to. That's what kept their kind alive.

"We have a suite at the Palms reserved under a pseudo name, of course. But I want to see what it takes to get Xavier alone..."

Nicole was prepared to go this alone if Trevor decided not to go this route. But Nicole was certain this would work.

 

[BeachBum25]

Trevor listened to her plan. It definitely had potential. There was no doubt they would be able to get close to Xavier and take him out. The challenge would be extracting information from him before eliminating him.

"I can work with that. We will need a little coordination though. If you are new to the game, there will be questions. As your bodyguard, I do not necessarily have to know about your backstory... well, not all of it, but I will have to know a little. We will need to coordinate just how long I have been your bodyguard, and where I have accompanied you in the past. You will need a consistent story, because there will be questions, and some of them will be repeated at various times. People with money are suspicious of newcomers, even if it is a beautiful woman that is the newcomer."

The last part slipped out. It wasn't something he had intended to share with Nicole.

"I can play the role of the bodyguard. I will be able to take out any threats to you or our mission. Also, it may allow me to get close to Xavier's detail and get some information on him. We need to get him along and have some time with him. However, it may only be you that can be alone with him while I am dealing with his security people."

Trevor thought the plan could work. He would have to be well armed and keep it well hidden. It required trust between the two of them to accomplish this. He still felt he could trust Nicole... for now.

 

[zydrate]

She listened to what he was saying about establishing a background so they were on the same page. It was odd because usually, Nicole had an idea in her head about what her background when going in close to the target and from there, it required her to think on her feet. She was never in a long established mission where her information needed to be verified. Most of her identities had the bare bones of information needed to get through a mission. There were very few that had an established background.

As the flight progressed, she and Trevor made up a story of who she was, how she came into money and why she was there.

It all needed to be as clear as could be because once they got off the plane, things from there would be nonstop.

When the plane landed and their arrival was announced, Nicole would be going by Lydia Mitchell, current fiancée of JJ Mitchell, oil tycoon in Texas. He loved to send his wife away because of her need to gamble. Which was how she had met him in a local poker tournament and she thought she picked up enough to try it on her own. As a birthday gift, he's let her enter a poker tournament that wasn't too upscale and there would be a limit on how much she would be able to 'lose'.

It was late afternoon when they arrived. A limo was there to pick them up. All thanks to Nicole. She had friends all over the world. A majority in the 'working' class only because that was the best kind of help that was needed. Sometimes, it was because of off assignments she would do for them.. whether it be a stalker... an abusive husband... a boss who took advantage of their employees.. it just would depend on what help they needed. And the payment she required? She would need their help some day.

Taking a private plane met that Trevor could keep his weapons as could Nicole. She had a to-go bag with her which contained essentials. She had one good and favorite gun. Several knives and other fun things... at least fun to her.

Once they arrived at The Palms, they got to their room and quickly, The first tournament would be in a couple of hours which would give herself and Trevor some time to solidify their plans, get a layout of the tournament hall and plan their escape should they need to bail early.

 

[BeachBum25]

Making sure that he was ready for any situation, Trevor packed 3 handguns in his go bag. He also took his rifle to Vegas with them. He didn't think that he was going to need the rifle for this part of the mission, but it would be better to have it with him... just in case.

After checking into the room at the Palms, Trevor said that he was going to go for a walk. He wanted to recon the tournament area, but he also wanted to make sure he had an understanding of where any threats could come from, both during the tournament and prior to it while they were still in the hotel room. While he was walking around, he got something to eat. Once they headed down to the tournament, he would not have an opportunity to relax, and it might be days before the opportunity to isolate Xavier presented itself.

The players would be brought drinks and food, the bodyguards would be on their own, and that was one of the things that could work to Nicole and Trevor's advantage. The bodyguards that Xavier had were not accustomed to going without for days like Nicole and Trevor were.

While doing his recon, Trevor took note of ways that the fire escape doors could be blocked if they needed to do so during an escape from the room. Fortunately, Nicole had made sure that their room was on the 4th floor, which was the first floor with guest rooms. It would make an escape from the room easier.

Getting in and out of the tournament area was going to be a little more challenging. It was an enclosed area surrounded by gambling areas open to the general public. That would make any escape, if it became necessary, very difficult. He made a note that he would need to have some type of distraction with him should an escape through the crowded area was necessary. It was a good thing he had put a couple of flash-bangs in his go bag.

He returned to the hotel room and sat down with Nicole who was finishing her preparations for the tournament. He went through everything that he had found while on recon. Then they went over their backstory one more time.

Trevor took out the suit that he was going to wear. It would enable him to hide all of his tools. He looked at Nicole. "We've got this." He walked out of the room first, looking up and down the hall. When Nicole came out of the room, he was in bodyguard mode. Everything that he did going forward would be on the premise of protecting Lydia Mitchell.

 

[zydrate]

Once they arrived at the room, Nicole and Trevor checked out the suite, which had two bedrooms, a sitting room and a bar. It didn't matter to her which room she got but had made a judgement call, just in case someone found out anything (which was highly unlikely) she would need the appropriate room.

They had secured it and Trevor had said he was going for a walk which was fine. Nicole had a lot to do to herself before she made her appearance as Lydia Mitchell. Once she was dressed, she realized her outfit didn't leave much for hiding a gun on herself. Sure, she could put one in her bag but that wouldn't do. They were sure to be searched. Besides, that was what her bodyguard was for. It made her feel a bit uneasy knowing that she'd have to rely on Trevor for any backup but, something somewhere could always be a weapon. That's why they were good at what they did, thinking on their feet and anything could become a weapon.

Once she was dressed, Nicole closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. She wasn't nervous. She was getting into character.

It was now or never. This needed to be done. The sooner they took care of this, the sooner they could each be on their way...

Stepping out of the room, Nicole caught a momentary glance at Trevor and yes, she noticed how good he looked in his suit. Easy on the eyes, one would say. She didn't say anything to him as she waited for him to check the hallway. Yes, she could do that herself but her role here was to be a person under his protection and the fiancée of a millionaire... so Lydia wouldn't know how to do that.

Once they reached the poker room where the event was being held, Nicole checked in, acting as if this was her first time but knowing full well what was expected. She took her assigned seat and sat back in her chair as she carefully scanned the room for Xavier. Or in this case, Target 3.

She realized she had eyes on her and Nicole knew it was just because of what she was wearing. As it looked so far, she was the youngest female there as the other ladies were a bit a older. Nicole wasn't the least bothered by this. The games weren't set to start for another 20 minutes and Target 3 hadn't arrived yet....

Fashionably late? Or a no show? 18 minutes to go...

 

[BeachBum25]

Trevor looked at Nicole when he returned from his recon work. Damn, she looked amazing. It was everything he could do to keep from letting his eyes move over her. He made sure that she did not notice him checking her out.

As they got off the elevator and moved to the poker hall, Trevor's eyes were everywhere. he took everything in. He noticed the people who were coming in; taking note of those who had bodyguards, and those who did not. Most of them had no security. They were relying on the hotel security, which was enough for most of them.

Xavier was not present yet. Trevor guided Nicole toward the registration desk. "Right over here Miss Mitchell. I will be close by as you register." Trevor watched her as she checked-in and took noticed where her assigned seat at the table was. He maneuvered himself so that he was as close as possible to her. He wasn't too concerned with Nicole's ability to take care of herself, but he knew that she couldn't hide anything under the outfit she was wearing.

Trevor looked around to see where the empty seats were. Xavier wasn't present, yet, so, Trevor wanted to see where the possibilities were for him being seated. There was one seat next to Nicole that was still unoccupied. Trevor was really hoping that Xavier was not assigned to that seat; it would really complicate things.

10 minutes to go and still no Xavier. There was a little buzz at the registration table. Trevor took notice of it and saw the people at the table looking around. Trevor tensed. He wasn't sure what the issue was, but he was ready to extract Nicole if something went sideways. He had become protective of her; not because she needed his protection, but because she had information that he didn't have, and also because they were now a team.

The people at the table continued to look around. Trevor moved his hand closer to one of his weapons. He made eye contact with Nicole to make sure she was aware there might need to be a quick exit. Then, Trevor saw him walk through the door. It was Xavier. He was showing up with only minutes to go before the start of the tournament.

He was followed by three bodyguards. Talk about overkill. He watched the bodyguards take up their position. It was perfect. They stood close together. Three quick shots would take them out. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that.

Trevor watched as Xavier registered and moved toward his seat just as the tournament director announced the start.

 

[zydrate]

There he was. Xavier. If Nicole and Trevor didn't need the information they did, Xavier would have never made it to the tournament. Nicole was patient. But she was also... worried? Did Trevor have the patience? She wasn't sure. She knew nothing about his work style... at least not in detail.

But she couldn't worry about that. They had a job to do.

Back into character, Nicole grabbed a gum from her small bag and put on some designer sunglasses... which would hide the fact she would be watching Xavier as they played. Nicole would have loved if the seat next to her had remained unoccupied but no, at the last minute, a man had been seated next to her.

The game started.

A couple of hours later, Nicole was up by $900k... She watched how Xavier played. She knew if she kept up the winning, she would be sitting next to him in no time. It was well after midnight and they would all be allowed to break for the night only to continue the next night.

But the thing was, Nicole noticed he was watching her also.... shit. Had she been made?

A drink had been delivered to Nicole. She looked at it and declined. As she did, the waitress said it was from Xavier, nodding to his table.

Nicole pulled took the drink and held it up toward Xavier and set it aside. She knew better than to drink it, but if she refused it, she would create a scene. Yes, she wanted a scene, just not over a refused drink.

Sooner than expected, the games were retired for the night. Nicole stood up and her chips were secured. She signed for them and the hotel security would make sure her money was set aside for tomorrow night. Not that it mattered, she wasn't here for the money.

As she stood, she could sense Trevor close by. A few other players congratulated her as they left. Nicole started to walk toward the exit when one of Xavier's guards approached her.

"Mr. Xavier would like you to join him for drinks at the hotel bar."

Nicole tossed a quick glance at Trevor, telling him not to advance. Smiling, Nicole yanked her arm away from the guard, "No, thank you."

Again, the guard took her by the arm, "No one says 'No', I would advise you to obey."

Obey?! Fuck. If this were any other situation, the guard would not have touched her again. He'd be dead and she could see by the way Trevor moved, he had the same idea. But no, this was a way to get close to Arturo. The sooner the better. "Fine. But I can find my own way... and if you touch me again, I'll have my bodyguard teach you a lesson."

This only caused a laugh from Arturo's guard as if to say 'yeah, sure'.

 

[BeachBum25]

Trevor's focus throughout the night was on everything except Nicole. He knew where she was, and he knew she could handle herself, plus, he was close enough to her to get her a weapon, if necessary. Most of his focus was on Xavier's bodyguards. They were far from professional and would be easy to take out. Trevor found it surprising that Xavier would be relying on a few goons to protect him after what happened to O'Connell and Montgomery. Of course, maybe Xavier didn't know yet. Well, he would find out soon enough.

He noticed that Xavier was paying more attention to Nicole than he was to the poker game. He was definitely distracted by her. Trevor couldn't blame Xavier for noticing Nicole, the outfit she was wearing made her look even hotter than usual.

It didn't surprise Trevor that Xavier sent one of his goons to "invite" Nicole to join him for a drink. His biggest concern was what Nicole would do when the goon grabbed her arm. Fortunately, she didn't react too harshly. Trevor did step toward him, but Nicole diffused the situation.... a little. After the bodyguard's comment saying "yeah, sure" Trevor knew who he was going to kill first. Trevor identified him as B1.

Trevor moved between Nicole and the goon. He didn't react to the guys comment. There was no need to heighten tensions already. That would happen soon enough. He walked with Nicole a half-step ahead of him. He followed her into the bar, and he watched her pause to let the bodyguard indicate where Xavier was.

As they approached Xavier, one of his other goons approached and put his hand up to Trevor. Trevor shook his head. "Wherever Ms. Mitchell goes, I go. If I don't go with her, she won't be joining your boss for that drink." The bodyguard puffed out his chest. Trevor laughed. "Why don't you ask your boss if he will enjoy drinking alone because you did something really stupid." He paused for a second. "Go ahead, ask him."

Instead of going to Xavier, the bodyguard (Trevor identified him as B2) let them both pass. It was obvious that B2 was not accustomed to people pushing back when he tells them to do something. He would have to go down soon after B1.

The one bodyguard left (B3) was sitting in a booth across from Xavier facing the entrance. Trevor could see the surprised look on his face when he approached with Nicole. Obviously, other men did not accompany the women that Xavier summoned to him.

When Nicole sat in the booth across from Xavier, Trevor stood next to her facing the entrance. Xavier motioned for him to leave. Trevor simply shook his head No. "I already told your boy there... where Ms. Mitchell goes, I go.... no exceptions." Xavier made a comment about following her if she was spending the night with a man. "When Ms. Mitchell is playing in a tournament, that doesn't happen." Xavier laughed. Trevor just smiled and stared.

 

[zydrate]

The bar had been cleared out of any other patrons and Nicole knew this because of the sign at the entrance stating it was usually open until 4AM. It was barely 2am. There was a bartender at the bar, trying to look busy and Nicole could only imagine how much Xavier had paid him to be his personal bartender for the night. Other women would probably be flattered but Nicole wasn't. To her and Trevor, it just meant, should it come to it, the only casualties would be Xavier, his men and unfortunately, the bartender.

"Ms. Mitchell, it is a pleasure to meet you. I was watching you and your playing style tonight. Very impressive." He made a motion to the bartender who brought over two drinks. Nicole had not said a thing... yet. "You also refused a drink I had sent to you earlier tonight."

"Ohhhh, yeah.. that's where I remember you from..." Nicole laughed, "I'm sorry, I don't drink while playing. I like to keep a clear head. I meant no disrespect by it, trust me."

"I understand, so now, you have to repay me," he nodded to one of his goons and they signaled to the bartender who brought over a couple of martinis, one for Nicole/Lydia, and one for Arturo. "Please, don't be shy."

Nicole sighed and took a drink. She had better. "Well, thank you for the drink but I really need to get going. I'm exhausted. Besides, " she leaned toward him, "I need to get going or else I'll get reported." She said, indicting toward Trevor.

"If that's the problem, why don't we retire to my suite? I would like to talk more about the game with you."

It's poker. What was there to talk about? Nicole feigned interest, "I shouldn't..." she looked around and pretended to make up her mind, "Would it get us away from everyone?"

"Of course... unless your protection minds..." he laughed and Nicole joined in.

"Oh no... he's harmless..."

 

[BeachBum25]

As Trevor listened to Xavier, he knew which direction the man was going to take the conversation with Nicole. This was a man who was always accustomed to getting what he wanted, and it was very obvious that he wanted Lydia Mitchell. Trevor almost couldn't blame him. Nicole looked amazing.

Xavier jumped at the opportunity to invite Lydia to his suite when she had to get going. Trevor was concerned that things were moving too quickly. The one thing that he hadn't been able to find out on his earlier recon was where Xavier's suite was. That meant that Nicole was going in blind.

Trevor was concerned that Nicole accepted his invitation too quickly. She had quickly moved from being exhausted to accepting his invitation to join him alone. Would Xavier get suspicious of that? Trevor knew his bodyguards wouldn't. They were too dumb to notice. Hell, they paid no attention.

That was a nice little dig that she threw in there when she said he was harmless. We'll see about that Xavier. "Yes, Ms. Mitchell, I will remain outside of the suite, as usual."

Xavier told Trevor it wouldn't be necessary to wait outside the suite that he would take good care of Lydia. "I am sure you would, however, my contract states that I do not get paid unless I personally return Ms. Mitchell to her room each and every night. Therefore, I will need to accompany her to your suite and wait outside the suite to return her to her room.... no matter how long or short your time together is."

It was obvious that Xavier was not happy, but he accepted it. Trevor followed along as Xavier's entourage led Nicole to the elevator. They all squeezed on. Trevor used the opportunity to lean against a couple of the goons to see if they were carrying guns, and, if so, where they had them holstered.

Once they arrived at the suite, Trevor stayed back and observed. he looked for cameras and he looked for the fire escape. Two of Xavier's bodyguards immediately went into a room next door to Xavier's. The third one looked to Xavier. "Oh, you can join your comrades. Ms. Mitchell's protection will be okay out here alone."

Trevor made eye contact with Nicole. This was the opportunity. They might be able to pull this off without having to fire a gun. He gave a little nod of his head to Nicole before she was led into the suite by Xavier.

 

[zydrate]

Nicole was able to return the look to Trevor. She’d be OK. This was nothing. Arturo was just another stepping stone that would allow both agents to take care of this sooner rather than later. But when the door closed behind Nicole, she heard the lock be put in place.

20 minutes later, Xavier was still talking about himself. Why were the rich so boring? She had gone through the same thing with Montgomery. She didn’t like being bored. Nicole had noticed the gaudy gold chain around Arturo’s neck. There was a small remote on it. A panic button no doubt.

Time to get to work… “Another drink?” She asked him sweetly. She hadn’t had one drop, letting him get his fix on. With a sluggish nod, Arturo gestured to the bar. Nicole had the entire layout of the suite memorized. She also saw the door that had access from next door… in case he should need his men. Ha, some security. They were a joke. She and Trevor knew it. If this was how it was all going to play out, then taking out the remaining horsemen would be no problem.

Don’t get too confident… she reminded to herself as she made a drink for the man who was about to die.

Slipping a small vial from her bra, Nicole poured the contents of it into his drink. A little some of encouragement and of course, restraint to get him talking…

20 minutes later, Nicole was sitting in front of Xavier… watching him. She was holding onto to his necklace that had the panic button on it… it was now or never.

Quickly, she went to the door and unlocked it. She didn’t have to say a thing as she let him in. With a few signals, she quietly brought Trevor up to speed. She would knock on the door to alert the guards and from there, Trevor would eliminate each one.

As he took out each one, Nicole knelt in front of Xavier, who could see what was going on but couldn’t do anything about it.

Nicole looked at Xavier, “Let’s talk.”

 

[BeachBum25]

Trevor heard the deadbolt click behind Nicole and Xavier after they entered the suite. He wasn't too concerned about that, because he was confident he could take the door down quickly with his foot. The locking of the door that way was just another signal about Xavier's intentions.

When Nicole opened the door, Trevor quickly stepped inside. He looked around the suite and saw Xavier sitting in a chair but not moving. She was definitely good working in close. He moved to a position where he could easily take out the guards. The were goons, and would not be careful. They would simply come rushing in and end up piled on top of one another.

It was outstanding that Xavier was going to get to watch his so-called security die right in front of his eyes. It would give him an idea of what was going to happen to him. The big difference, however, was that Xavier was not going to die so quickly. There would be suffering.

He took out one of his weapons; all had silencers affixed to them for this part of the mission. The goons were not going to die in the order Trevor had originally planned, but that was okay. They would die in the order they came through the door. He nodded to Nicole, and she knocked on the door. Less than 30 seconds later, there were three lifeless bodies laying on the floor of the suite.

Now, it was time to turn their attention to Xavier. This was where Nicole excelled and Trevor was going to pay attention to the way she handled Xavier. Trevor walked around behind Xavier and waited for the interrogation to begin. After Nicole said "Let's talk" Trevor leaned over and whispered in his ear, "I would do what the beautiful woman tells you. She has skills that are second to none, and if she uses those skills on you you will experience so much pain that you will wish you were dead. In fact, if you don't answer her questions, I know that you will beg her to kill you and put you out of your misery."

He patted Xavier on the cheek from behind. Xavier had just watched his three bodyguards die quickly; soon he would hope that he had died that way. Trevor smiled at Nicole and then he walked over to the bar as Nicole began her questioning. He picked up a metal stirrer from the bar; the thin handle would slide easily into Xavier's body and the spoon end would be quite painful going into the small hole made by the handle end. He also picked up the knife that was behind the bar. It was nice of the hotel to supply them with the tools they would need.

He walked over to Nicole and shower her what he had found. He held his hand out to her with both items in it. He felt like an Operating Room nurse handing a surgeon her tools. He smiled to himself at that analogy as Nicole looked at what he offered her before choosing her first tool.

 

[zydrate]

With a deep silent breath, Nicole sat down in front of Xavier, who was, to the untrained eye, looking as if he was just relaxing on the oversized chair, listening what Nicole had to say.

It was quiet for a good 2 minutes before Nicole spoke, "To make sure there is no misunderstanding of what my intentions are, I'm going to speak your language." She said, her Spanish perfect and probably surprising to Arturo, who couldn't move due to he drug he ingested when he downed his drink earlier. A drug which would render him in paralyzed state, only allowing him to talk... and in this case, scream. Nicole knew she only had about 15 more minutes before the drug wore off completely. There was a cloth beside his head on the back of the chair where she would let Trevor know when to cover his mouth as she worked on him.

"You are part of the 9 horsemen, right?"

Target 3 looked at Nicole in shock. He didn't answer. Of course he wouldn't. With the knife Trevor had among the 3 'tools' she was given, Nicole had taken the knife. It was a good start.

She gave the briefest of looks to Trevor, indicting him to get the towel ready to mute Arturo's scream. Reaching over to Target 3, Nicole ran two fingers down the left side of his sweaty neck and felt the pulsing artery she needed....

It happened quickly and Nicole told Arturo, "With you refusing to answer, that only confirms it. Now... Arturo, where are the other remaining horsemen? Don't make me repeat myself, please."

The man thought for a moment and still refused to answer. Nicole only sighed as she picked up her next instrument choice...

In less than 8 minutes, they had what they needed. Nicole looked at Trevor, knowing he had the same information she had. There were at least 4 other horsemen in 'hiding' and by that, they were off on their vacation homes. That meant more travelling, but this time, out of the states. Nicole didn't ask about the hitmen only because they were of no concern right now. Nicole's belief was that if you cut off the head, then the rest will fall. The hitmen were only a small part of this.

Nicole stood, shoved the towel in Arturo's face as she yanked out the first weapon she had impaled him with. "Don't worry. It'll be over soon." It was time to go.

****
Once they were back in their suite, Nicole told Trevor, "We better get going. I know this won't lead to anything public being said about this but, better safe than sorry."

 

[BeachBum25]

Nicole was very good at extracting information from her target. It made sense to Trevor why their paths had never crossed. He was the one who was called when a target was difficult to get close to and needed to get taken out from a distance. That distance could be 50 yards to a mile. Nicole was the one they called when it was necessary to gather information from someone.

Xavier gave up everything he knew. Trevor was sure of that. There was no way, from the look on his face, that he was holding anything back. There was a time where he actually believed they were going to let him live. Then, once Xavier resigned himself that he was going to die, he continued giving information so that the pain and torture would end.

After cleaning the suite of anything that Nicole may have touched, they made their exit. Nobody would come looking for him until he was late for the re-start of the tournament. Nicole and Trevor would be long gone by then.

*********

They did not have much to gather from their suite. They had their go bags and Trevor had his rifle. They cleared out as Nicole, as Lydia Mitchell, called and withdrew from the tournament and had her funds sent to an off shore bank account.

Heading to the airport, Trevor looked at Nicole. "Switzerland, huh? I actually have a condo at the same ski resort that Number 4 is staying at. It should serve us well. We will have time to locate him, establish a routine and then continue to get more information.

Number 4 was Phillipe Gaugon, a French art dealer who also dealt in other things like drugs and human trafficking. He used the fact that he was an art dealer to help him move his other products. It would be fun to watch him die. Someone who deals in human trafficking deserved to suffer.... a lot.