Death Master
Copyright© 2026 by Ka Hmnd
Chapter 22: Retirement
I had been thinking about retiring. Cynthia had retired almost a year ago. I made a couple of arrangements and took a train. I slipped into Italy using a new passport and opened my villa. I used my car to drive for an hour to a nice beach. I stripped to a swimsuit and walked down the beach before spreading a towel beside the gorgeous woman.
Cynthia turned her head when I walked up and waited until I laid down beside her. She smiled, “Work or vacation?”
I smiled, “How would you like a partner?”
She looked at me, “I retired.”
I turned my head to look at her, “I know.”
Cynthia grinned, “How long?”
I relaxed, “Permanent.”
We spent the day talking before I returned to my villa. I absently started checking my mail and some of the precautions. I sat up when I saw the intelligence notice with my name. I read it and sat back to think. Cynthia was not only under surveillance, she was marked for assassination.
I sighed and began making my own plans. It was midnight when I slipped into her window and stood still. “You have bugs.”
A moment later, a tiny light came on across the room. Cynthia was holding a gun as she looked at me. I slowly pulled a sheet of paper from my shirt. I set it on the small table and moved into a corner. She crossed to the table and picked it up. She read it with flickering glances at me before cursing.
She turned and started for her bedroom, and I cleared my throat. “They will have bugs and trackers in the clothes.”
I crossed the room and stripped her as she watched me. I grinned and pulled out a tiny bikini and tied it onto her. We left the way I had come in, and several blocks later, I pulled her into a shop. I used a special thermal device to look at her and check her before putting it away. “They did not mark you this time.”
She nodded, and I turned to pull out regular clothing. She dressed while I waited, and I led her down and through a set of very old tunnels. When we came out, she followed me through several courtyards and then out a door. I nodded to a vehicle sitting a few steps away but waited. I had pressed the door unlock on my remote and was not surprised when it went red.
I shook my head and led her through several interconnecting doorways. Another tunnel down and across a few more blocks, and then we were walking away. The small car I drove out of the garage had not been used in several months. I drove quietly, and Cynthia finally cleared her throat. “Why watch me now?”
I glanced at her. “Someone marked you to be killed.”
She turned to glare through the window. She finally shook her head. “It is crazy. I have not worked in over a year. Why now?”
I looked at her, “The contract was new, but someone had you marked for surveillance.”
She frowned and finally sighed, “My last job.”
I looked at her, and she shook her head, “I knew it was too good. Ten million to make his death look accidental.”
I shook my head, “What happened after?”
She sat back, “I thought someone was following me, but they stopped ... at least I thought they did.”
I looked at her again, “Who hired you?”
Cynthia shrugged, “His heir.”
I nodded, “That is the case most of the time.”
She nodded, “Do we slip away?”
I smiled, “Not with someone hunting you.”
She looked at me, “We take out the threat.”
I nodded, “Where is the heir?”
Cynthia thought about it, “England.”
I used a contact to get several new identifications for her, and then it was a matter of slipping across the channel and into England. We rented a small flat after Cynthia had changed her hair color and length. Her old client was using a lot more security. It took us several days to set up the surveillance. After that, it was just a matter of watching and waiting.
It was almost two weeks before I saw the chance. He had a doctor’s appointment, and I slipped into the office before he got there. I used the same type of contact poison I had used in New York. When Cynthia called to warn me, I stood and walked to the door. I waited until the bodyguard opened the door and stepped back. He barely even looked at me as he walked in.
I sent the puff of talc-fine poison onto the target’s hand as he arrogantly brushed into me. I looked after him as another bodyguard followed him. I left and crossed to climb in beside Cynthia. We watched, and forty minutes later, an ambulance flew in. I wanted to make sure and was going to follow the ambulance.
It did not leave though, at least not right away. Finally, the men came out, and the ambulance left. I glanced at Cynthia and shook my head, “He is alive and knows someone is after him.”
She turned and slipped into the back seat. A long case was on the seat, and she quietly pulled the long-barreled silenced rifle out and chambered a round. She covered the rifle, and we waited, and it was not long before several cars arrived. The target came out between two men and surrounded by even more.