Chapter 46
The Cuban
1:19 am
A dark figure stood cloaked in the shadows at the end of an alley a block and a half away from The Cuban. The man wore a long dark coat and a fedora that he kept low on his brow to better conceal his identity. The outfit was cliché, but he considered that one of its charms. It suited his image as the ‘puppet master’ behind all that was happening. Even though he had worked hard to conceal his identity from everyone hired for the current operation, he still found amusement in his shadowy attire, even if no one would even share in his levity.
Though he should never have been on the island in the first place, he reasoned that it had become a necessity when those he’d hired had failed to kill Cyrus Cooper on the train outside of Paris. He shouldn’t have been surprised, but at the same time, Cooper shouldn’t have been expecting resistance. Not only had he survived the train, but also successfully infiltrated Doctor Voss’s compound.
That was impressive work. Still, the need to eliminate Cooper was unavoidable. As such, he had sent another team into the bar to dispatch him. Had it not been for his own man inside the Voss compound, he would never have known that young Cyrus was about to make his way beyond the walls of the facility. For as useful as his man inside had been, he had not known how Cyrus would escape the facility, or where he would emerge.
Pulling the collar of his coat tight against the cold, he focused on the distant entrance to the bar. He’d personally watched Cooper enter the establishment. As he suspected, the young man had somehow bypassed the men who had been assigned to watch the perimeter of the compound. He’d been forced to contact his agents directly and alert them to their oversight. It was frustrating, but it only reinforced his earlier decision to eliminate the hired team once the operation was complete.
Shoving his gloved hands deep into the pockets of his coat, the man flexed his fingers in hopes of returning some degree of feeling to his extremities. It was only a matter of time now. He’d watched the second of the hired gunmen enter the bar only minutes before. The operation was clearly underway, as illustrated by the rush of drunken, screaming people spilling from the entrance of the building.
The distant sound of automatic gunfire was unmistakable. The dark figure watched those fleeing the building, looking for any sign of Cyrus Cooper among the pathetic mass. Though it was unlikely that Cooper would make it past the pair of experienced killers, if anyone knew how resourceful young Cyrus could be, it was him.
When the stream of those fleeing the bar finally ran dry, the figure fought the urge to move closer; he was already risking too much standing on a public street. That he was even on the island, using one of his numerous sets of fake identification, was reckless enough.
Another burst of gunfire erupted from inside the bar and the dark figure felt a grim smile spread across his face. That was it, he realized. The crowd had been cleared, and his men were finally getting down to business.
It won’t be long now.
Another rapid series of shots; these from a handgun and not an automatic, sounded from inside the bar. The figure fought an almost overpowering urge. Those who had fled the scene were long gone. The surrounding area was deserted. No sirens could yet be heard, so emergency services would still be minutes away. There was minimal risk of exposure if he were to move just a little closer…
Just as he stepped from the curb and was about to make his way across the street, a pair of figures emerged from the front of the bar. Ducking back into the darkness, the man quickly checked his surroundings to be sure no one had seen him.
He was still alone.
His eyes returning to the action, he expected to see the two men he’d hired making their escape from the scene of the crime. This part of the operation was finally over, he thought. He could move ahead with the remainder of the mission without fear of Cyrus Cooper’s interference.
The smug smile was snatched from his face when he watched the pair of figures move quickly across the parking lot, one of them waving a gun defensively, while guiding the other by the arm.
No!
The dark figure nearly cried out when he realized that it was Cyrus Cooper and Natasha Voss. He watched, impotently from the shadows, as Cooper slipped into the driver’s compartment of a small, four-wheel drive pickup truck. A moment later, and the vehicle was hot-wired. Only seconds more, and the targets had disappeared into the night.
The dark figure was confounded by the turn of events. It most certainly meant that the men he’d hired were dead. But he knew for a fact that the young man had entered the bar unarmed. Once more, just like on the train, Cyrus had managed to get the better of his opposition.
That brought a greater, and potentially more troubling question, to his mind. When on the train, Cooper had believed that the assassination team’s objective had been to retrieve the technology destined for Doctor Voss. He had no idea that he’d been the team’s target the entire time. But now, after surviving this new attack at the bar, would Cooper see the truth—or would he suspect that the gunmen had been after Voss’s daughter? He’d gone to the trouble of fleeing the bar with her, after all…
So, there was hope.
Pulling his phone from the pocket of his coat, he tapped the pre-programmed speed-dial. “I hope you’re ready,” he said, as soon as the line was picked up. “The target is on his way to you now. Don’t mess this up.”
If many years in the profession had taught the dark figure anything, it was to have a contingency plan. And when Cyrus Cooper was involved, it was good to have more than one. The young man was extremely unpredictable.
Extremely, but not always.
After disconnecting the call, the figure twisted the phone between his two powerful hands and shattered it into dozens of pieces. Turning, he walked slowly up the street, dropping the wrecked device into a curbside storm drain.
The night wasn’t over yet, and Cyrus Cooper would not live to see daybreak.
To be continued…
Cyrus Cooper will return in…
Rogue Faction Part 2
A Note from Xander Weaver:
Thank you for reading Rogue Faction Part 1. I hope you’ve had as much fun reading it as I’ve had writing it. If you did, please show your support by posting a review with your online retailer of choice. Those reviews make a difference to new readers, and they can make a real difference when it comes to spreading the word about my work. Just a brief statement explaining what it was that you enjoyed most is all it takes.
Your time and effort is sincerely appreciated.
Thank you!
—Xander Weaver
Acknowledgments:
A great deal of time and effort goes into the release of each and every book. And while I am the ‘captain of the ship’ when it comes to the creation of the story, the final product has been honed and refined by a number of talented and generous friends. This book is better thanks to their efforts, and I become a better writer thanks to their continued support.
First, thanks must go to Amy Lignor for her work as Editor. This is our second project together and I consider myself lucky, once more, to have her on my team. She brings a level of polish and refinement to the final draft that I find profoundly satisfying.
Before the book ever reaches an editor, multiple drafts are inflicted on several brave souls. These daring individuals, my beta readers, see a version of the manuscript that is often very different from the final release. They watch for errors, check for continuity, count the bullets and bodies, and keep me from making foolish mistakes. But most of all, they offer constructive feedback. Different specialties, skills, talents, and personalities make these people ideal beta readers, and I am lucky to have their support. Special thanks go to Jamie Dresser, Seeley James, Wayne and Terri Manke, and Tom Nielsen. And thanks to Dan Barbier for help with the French translations.
The cover design is once more thanks to Lee Roesner from Paradigm Graphic Design. After putting countless hours into a manuscr
ipt, it’s crucial to have a cover that properly represents the story being told. Lee has the kind of talent and imagination that makes complicated design look easy. And his work speaks for itself. I couldn’t be happier with the final cover art.
Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank my wife, Carrie. She’s the first person to read my books and the first to help me begin refining them into something special. The amount of time and energy she puts into each initial draft is astounding. She sees a version of each book that I’m not willing to share with anyone else, and she helps me turn them into something I can be proud of. I wouldn’t do this without her.
Thank you, Carrie. For being my friend, but also for being my wife!
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About the Author:
Thank you for reading, “Rogue Faction Part 1.” The story was simply too much to cram into a single novel, so this tale will conclude with Rogue Faction Part 2. That book will pick up right where this one leaves off and is packed with as much—if not more—adventure and mayhem. I’m very excited about both releases.
As a lifetime fan of thrillers, as well as science fiction, I love the opportunity to blend both genres to create excitement and adventure that includes a sci-fi ‘kick’. Part 2 of this story is set to be released soon after this book, so look for it in the near future.
If you would like to be notified of future book releases in advance, you can sign-up via my website at www.XanderWeaver.com. And you can rest assured that your personal information will never be sold or traded.
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Other books by Xander Weaver:
Dangerous Minds
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