To The Grave - Chapter Three

The sky turned a deep red, highlighted by golden overtones as the sun slowly rose above the horizon, casting its glow on yet another day. The lone occupant of the penthouse suite leaned against the railing of the small balcony and sipped a coffee as she watched nature’s beauty. She always requested a room facing east, and always had a better day when she watched the rising sun.

Not wanting to dwell on the scene, the woman turned from the railing and walked back into the hotel suite. She had plenty of things to do that day, starting with a quick changing of her hair color. Usually a light strawberry blonde, she was opting for a hue two or three shades darker. She didn’t want to take the chance of being recognized while searching out possible spots and studying each and every one for possible complications.

Stripping out of her bathrobe and leaving it in a silken puddle on the floor, she walked to the opulent bathroom and started the shower. She took pride in her work, and had yet to disappoint a client, which enabled her to request an exorbitant price for her services. The east facing hotel suite was just one of the small perks she always insisted upon.

After the brief shower and tinting of her hair, she walked to the bed, dripping water the whole way, reached under the mattress and pulled out her personal computer. The small device fit in the palm of her hand, and allowed only one way communication. Although she took money from various venues, she refused to give anyone else the chance to track her through communications.

She read the message that appeared, and smiled. She hadn’t expected this little development, but she found she was excited that it had happened. It had been far too long since she had matched wits with anyone who had the potential to think like her. Now knowing that he was once more trying to stop her from fulfilling her contract gave her a slightly erotic feeling.

Deciding to check out this newest twist, and finding the need to play with her prey, Keren Pelgrew quickly dressed in a low cut see-through shirt and skintight pants, the clothes showcasing her bare skin. She erased all information from her personal communicator, tucked it back under the mattress and made sure the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign was on the door as she left the penthouse suite.

~~~~~~~

The sky turned a deep red, highlighted by golden overtones as the sun slowly rose above the horizon, casting its glow on yet another day. Kyle Suene drained the last of the coffee from the large mug as he leaned back in a wicker chair; his feet propped up on the railing of his veranda. He stifled a yawn, not use to being up this early, and contemplated grabbing another coffee.

He had barely slept at all the previous evening, and on the instances that he managed to nod off, nightmares would wake him. Around three that morning, he opted to get up and sit to on his veranda, listening to the waves wash against the shore. Not that he needed that much sleep anyway. If he actually took notice, he would have realized that, on average, he got approximately four hours of sleep every night. He was used to it, and didn’t see any reason to actually change his habits now.

He glanced to this right as the noise of a car approaching signaled someone coming up the lane that led to the semi-remote cottage, and sighed audibly when the car stopped and Sub Agent Celia Taylor stepped out.

She walked up the three steps to the veranda and stood in front of him. "Who is Keren Pelgrew?"

"And a good morning to you too," Kyle replied, got up and walked into his cottage.

Celia waited a few moments for him to come back out, frowning impatiently when he didn’t. She sat on the railing and waited. After leaving last night, she had called a few people, and checked out a few facts. She had found out that Kyle had told her basically the truth about that point in his past, and she had also learned other bits and pieces that had intrigued her.

One had been a lengthy, classified portion regarding a woman named Keren Pelgrew. Pegged as a high-ranking officer in the military of another country, she also had the reputation of being an assassin. Blamed for the murders of over ten world leaders, and over one hundred military personnel, Keren had a high price on her head. While still in the armed forces, Commander Suene had been placed in charge of a mission to try to either capture her, bring her back for trial, or kill her.

After eluding him for nearly a year, they had caught her, but she escaped, killing five while doing so. The whole mission had been SNAFU from the beginning, and Kyle made it a personal mission to catch the woman.

Celia looked up as the door opened and Kyle walked out. He gave her an exasperated look, shook his head, and walked off the veranda, went to his car, and drove away.

"Prick." Celia hurried to her car and followed. Fifteen minutes later, both cars parked in the protected lot in the military base, and she jumped out of her car, running up to his before he had a chance to get out.

"What the hell is your problem, Commander?" she demanded.

Kyle casually got out of his car, then faced her. "Are you sure you really want to know?" He suppressed a smile at the glare she gave in response. "Fine. Up until yesterday, I was doing fine. Then along comes some conspiracy that your division can’t handle by itself, and suddenly my life is spun around, and I’m back in this fucking military, trying to save the life of a woman I’d just as soon shoot myself."

"Then why accept," she asked through clenched teeth.

"Because, when it all comes down to it, no one, not even that stupid bitch, deserves to have her head drilled with a high powered rifle."

"Is that the only reason?!"

Kyle sighed in annoyance. "No, and you know that. Revenge is a powerful motivator, and it’s been quite a while since I’ve completely fucked with someone and made them wish they were dead."

Celia stared at him. "You are psychotic."

"No," he said then gave her a smile that made her take a step back. "Give me a few minutes…"