It was always a good idea to know who you were delivering power and death to. He looked over to the other side of the roof. The Smith was south of his location. He would have to avoid Hunters to get to him. With Retribution it would be easy; he could slip into the darkness and avoid detection.
First things first—there was a gunman that needed killing.
FOUR
Cade kept to the shadows.
Taking out Velos’ team had been a close call. They had been sloppy, and he had been lucky. They were more interested in talking than killing.
I’m getting too old for this.
Not that he would ever admit it out loud. Another team, a sharper team, would have dispatched him without so much as a word. It’s what he would’ve done—what he used to do.
Velos seemed different. His team was bluster and bravado; Velos was focus and determination. He would have to plan for their confrontation or he would wind up like Jen, another victim of that dark blade of his.
What the hell is Regional thinking, giving him a dark blade?
“Fail to plan or plan to fail,” he muttered under his breath as he crossed the abandoned streets and stood near a dark alley. “Old age and treachery will beat youth and talent every time.”
“Until you get too old,” a voice responded from the darkness. “Then youth and talent will kick your old ass up and down the pavement.”
A figure stepped out of the alley and Cade smiled in the night.
“Good to see you, X,” Cade said. “How’s Lisa?”
Xavier was a wiry man of dark complexion with fire in his eyes, and one of the best gunmen in the Order. He carried a large rifle strapped to his back, along with several knives sheathed in different locations in his body armor. Cade could see several guns—a dual shoulder holster, two thigh holsters and probably a smaller backup around the ankle.
“Recovering,” Xavier said. “Regional put her on leave until they can figure out what happened with those lightning strikes.”
“Are you expecting a small war?” Cade said, motioning to the arsenal Xavier carried. “Since when do you carry so much hardware?”
“Since there was bastard on the streets hunting Hunters and taking their blades,” Xavier said. “This is just the distraction. I keep the big guns in the car. I heard about Jen…I’m sorry.”
Cade nodded.
“Thank you,” Cade said. “Whatever you do, don’t let Lisa go out on patrol for a while. Velos, the one who took down Jen, is using a dark named blade.”
“What?” Xavier asked, surprised as his expression grew dark. “Has Regional lost its damn mind? A dark blade? Those blades were removed for a reason.”
“I know,” Cade said. “They sent him after Sepia.”
“Regional sent a dark blade after Sepia?” Xavier asked. “Who did she piss off?”
“It’s Sepia,” Cade answered after a moment. “She brings out the old hate in people.”
“Shit,” Xavier replied. “How many did they send?”
“A hand,” Cade said. “But I cut off four of the fingers.”
“Alone?” Xavier asked with a small chuckle. “I’m impressed, especially for someone of your advanced years.”
“You should be,” Cade answered with a growl. “And I can still kick your ass if need be.”
“You can dream about it,” Xavier said. “Regional agents are soft these days, if an old man can take down four of them.”
“I really appreciate your confidence in my abilities.”
“I’m just saying…you’re not getting any younger. Are you sure there were four of them? You weren’t seeing double?”
“Hilarious. If this gunman thing doesn’t work out, you can always take your act on the road.”
“Ouch. Even old dogs can bite, I guess,” Xavier said, then grew serious. “They have you on a blacklist, did you know? Came straight from the brass.”
“Regional?”
“No,” Xavier replied. “This was local. You must have pissed someone off.”
“Makes sense,” Cade said. “This is all to flush Sepia out.”
“Do you know where she is?”
“Not at the moment,” Cade answered. “My best guess is she’s hiding.”
“Even from you? You’re her gunman.”
“I was her gunman,” Cade said. “Now I’m ronin.”
“Shit, no one in the Order is going to touch you now.”
“Oh, they’ll want to touch me,” Cade said with a smile. “Especially after Velo’s team met early retirement. Regional will send another team.”
“Are you rejoining her?”
“Soon as I can, yes.”
“You sure you want to do this?” Xavier asked, concern in his voice. “Rumor is she turned into some kind of monster.”
“Sepia isn’t a monster,” Cade answered after a moment. “I’m her gunman…period.”
“All respect,” Xavier said, raising a hand in surrender. “Just be careful. Someone at Regional unleashed that dark blade. Someone with serious mojo, who wants her out of the picture…permanently.”
Cade nodded.
“I figured they would, after what happened. Someone at Regional is behind this and I need to find Sepia before Velos does. If you hear anything else…”
“I’ll make sure you know right after I do.”
“Thanks, X,” Cade said. “I appreciate it.”
“Do you know where she is?”
“If I did,” Cade said, “I wouldn’t be out here talking to you—I’d be there. Did you bring what I asked?”
Xavier reached back into the darkness and placed a long bag at Cade’s feet.
“I don’t need to tell you how difficult it was to secure this thing, do I?”
“I owe you,” Cade said, grabbing the bag. “Get off the street. If you’re seen with me, it’s guilt by association. Go stay with Lisa, and whatever you do, don’t let her out to patrol. That dark blade is too strong for her.”
“I’ll do my best. This is Lisa we’re talking about here,” Xavier said, shaking his head. “She won’t stay out of rotation for long. She lives for the street.”
“If you want to keep her breathing, keep her off the street,” Cade said. “I’m serious, X, she won’t win against this blade. Velos knows our MO. He will neutralize her…and you.”
Xavier nodded.
“I read you,” Xavier said, stepping back into the dark alley. “If you need anything
