‘As you may have just heard, our men have once again failed to eliminate William Gisborne,’ he muttered sourly.
Hrothgar grinned; a savage curling of his lips, baring alabaster teeth set in crimson gums.
‘You find this amusing?!’ Mr Wang snapped.
‘Sigurd and I knew you would fail … and we have already taken steps to fix this problem for you,’ he answered cryptically.
Mr Wang raised an eyebrow.
‘What? You have been stalking the Tiger yourselves? But all this time you have led us to believe that in the century since our great victory, you have been evading him.’
Hrothgar shrugged, wearing an expression that was part smile and part sneer.
‘We have, in a sense. His personal vendetta against us has been a sword hanging over our heads for a very long time. Look, it’s not as if he was the first to want Sigurd and me dead – there have been thousands over the years. But none of them have had Gisborne’s grasp of the power of the Ancients. And indeed, few have been so wily and slippery as he. Believe me, Sigurd has tried many times to end Gisborne’s miserable existence, but always he would evade him, and then launch his own counterattacks. It got to the point where our entire business empire was being threatened because of him and his Rebels. You know the story: we had to retreat from the West and expand our empire out here … where we have been most privileged to be able to operate under your protection.’
‘Which we trust you are suitably grateful for,’ Mr Wang remarked coldly, his countenance a mask of cool detachment.
‘We are indeed hopelessly indebted to you Huntsmen,’ Hrothgar said, bowing slightly, although a subtle hint of mockery was clearly evident in his tone. ‘Thanks to the umbrella of your protection, our empire has expanded beyond anything we could have dreamed of.’
The stare in Mr Wang’s eyes was as cold and sharp as flint as he responded.
‘So why on earth have you gone after Gisborne without informing us? We have provided most generously for you in exchange for your obedience and assistance. Yet now you pursue such things behind our backs? The board of directors will be most displeased with this, Hrothgar. You know very well that you are supposed to submit all of your plans for review before undertaking any course of action. You know this!’
Hrothgar bit his lower lip, doing his utmost to hold his simmering rage at bay. He could not stand being challenged, especially in the condescending manner in which this man was addressing him.
‘Let me explain myself before you judge me, Huntsman,’ he growled through gritted teeth, with barely suppressed fury glowing in his eyes. ‘Sigurd and I need William Gisborne dead as much as you do, but you’ve been going about this goal the wrong way. You send team after team of soldiers and assassins after him, yet always he manages to escape. With this last attempt, you even sent an old friend of his, Aboubakar, to capture or kill him under the pretext of trying to convince him to join the Alliance? And this, it seems, has also failed. Am I correct?’
The man stared expressionlessly at Hrothgar, choosing not to respond.
‘Yes, I am correct,’ Hrothgar growled, answering his own question. ‘So, in order to circumvent these constant failings on your part, we sent one of our own operatives: Pedro Hernández.’
Mr Wang folded his arms across his broad chest and sneered at the big man.
‘Hernández is dead,’ he said. ‘He failed too, in case you didn’t know.’
‘No, he didn’t fail at all.’
Mr Wang looked puzzled.
‘Would you care to explain exactly how he succeeded then, seeing as he is dead and the Tiger remains alive?’
Hrothgar couldn’t help but flash the Huntsmen a smug grin.
‘That’s the point: we didn’t need him to kill Gisborne. Of course, if he had, it would have solved our problem, but our way is better. Hernández has always been a liability to the Alliance, has he not, with his mercurial temper, his incessant lies and his unpredictable nature? Well, we’ve taken care of that little issue as well with his passing. And, you see, we made sure to leave just enough clues about our whereabouts with Hernández; frequent phone calls, emails, etcetera. We’re now the ones who are one step ahead of Gisborne. We’ve been dropping similar crumbs for the rest of his Rebel friends to pick up over the past few months too. They think they’re onto us, that they have finally found us, and now their desire to exact vengeance upon the Alliance, and you people, will cloud their rationality and impair their judgment, making them vulnerable … and ripe for defeat.’
‘But all of this information that you’ve let slip into their hands, it will lead them here!’
‘Exactly.What better place to lay a trap for him? You see, my friend, we have planned this all along. We hope to bring you Gisborne’s head on a platter, quite literally. Yes, I actually have an antique silver tray upon which I intend to present his severed head – in human or tiger form – whatever form he happens to be in when Sigurd and I destroy him. As for the rest of them, how would you like them? Headless too, or perhaps crucified for you all to watch? Maybe drowned alive in our aquarium, and fed to our sharks? The manner of their deaths will be of your choosing. The Rebels think they have caught us unawares, and they will descend on us in what they believe is an ambush. Unfortunately for them, we’ll be waiting with bared claws and open jaws.’
Mr Wang now allowed himself a smile, and he bowed to Hrothgar.
‘This is why we are so pleased to
