The hunted Chapter 17 small snippet (new writing)

Rodeo was a world of great excesses, Torin Alexander noted while walking. There wasn’t a moment that the sins the Church railed against weren’t visible to his eyes. It was times like this that he hated being outside the walls of the New Vatican, but his place wasn’t to question his orders.

Almir would be arriving in about six hours and God only knew just how many people were waiting for her. Torin had counted at least three bounty hunters in the short block he had walked. They were thicker then fleas on a dogs back, and it was only going to get worse the longer the bounty stayed on the woman’s head.

Word on that kind of money travels fast, he thought, even in a world where things move lightning fast as it was!

Since there wasn’t a place on the planet that wouldn’t offend his sensibilities, Torin settled on a club to kill time in. Long experience in the field had taught him to never turn his back towards entrances, so sitting down in a corner where the door could be observed came as second nature. With all the people looking for Almir’s head, taking chances would be extremely foolish to do.

I’m honestly surprised she has made it this far, he ignored the dancer on stage. With everyone knowing she’s coming too! How the hell has the woman done it? Is there something special about her?

Torin ordered a soda and sipped at it while contemplating the mission he had been sent on. With Almir on a mission to take down the Syndicate, the Pope wanted to have her on his side, which was why he was on Rodeo in the first place. However, what didn’t make sense in the whole picture was how the Pope thought the church would get this woman, this former gladiator slave at that, to do his bidding?

The front doors to the bar opened and a man stepped inside. Torin felt his eyebrows raise while the man approached. Simon Peres was a sturdy man, 193 centimeters tall, possessing arms with bulging muscles. A single look at the Syndicate man would have most criminals on the run, but Alexander knew Almir wouldn’t be impressed.

The Syndicate man had guts, he had to give him that much. There was no way that the professional killer didn’t know Almir was on her way, and yet still Peres made his presence known. Torin sat down his drink and looked up when the other man sat down across from him.

“Now what would a ‘fixer’ for the Vatican be doing on Rodeo?” Peres ordered a drink and settled into his seat. “Wouldn’t have something to do with Almir would it?”

A fixer, Torin grumbled, was the Syndicate’s polite way of calling him a killer. Yes, he did the same work that Peres did, that much was a fact, but who he worked for was different. While the Church used his talents in limited ways that advanced their agenda, the Syndicate sold out their talents to whoever was willing to pay the fee.

Not that the Church wouldn’t do that same thing, Torin thought, if they knew no one would find out!

“We both know she’s coming,” Torin sipped at his soda. “And there’s not a lot that will stop her.”

“You’re right about that,” Peres took a long drag on his beer. “But I’m going to be ready for her.”

“I doubt that, old friend,” Torin laughed at the idea. “We’ve known each other for years, Simon, and I’ve never seen a person as frightening as this woman is.”