Onca: Warrior of Xibalba #5 - Last Ride of the Cataphract
Independence Drive, El Paso, Texas, USA
Alarm blaring in his ear the clean cut Iranian man reached out and pressed the ‘set’ button of his alarm clock and silently got out of bed, leaving his wife to sleep alone. Silently he slipped on a shirt and leather trousers and walked downstairs grabbing the motorbike helmet as he went. His son and daughter were already up, watching some idiotic cartoon about superheroes fighting crime in Indigo City, before they went to school. Despite no longer being a devout Muslim he knew living in America was tough on them, but at least they had a silent guardian in the form of his employer Bocanegra.
“Daddy are you leaving already?” The little girl of about five asked as she looked away from Heat Seeker trading blows with a massive insectile monster known as Daddy Wrong Legs.
“Yes my dear one, but I will see you tonight I am certain.” Her father stated as the mobile phone in his pocket rung. “I love you both and your mother too.” He added before walking out the door and answering the phone. “Hello?” he stated.
“Mr Rassouli I have a job for you.” The computerised voice of his boss stated. “Pick up in Altura Park and the drop off point is with a man called the Caracara at the Mission Dos Lagos Country Club.”
“Will it be the usual fee for an international delivery?” Rassouli asked as he wheeled a black BMW motorbike out of the garage annexed to his house.
“Double, there is potential for an interception but I have people working on reducing the chance of that.” Boccanegra explained. “Not that the Cataphract has ever been intercepted before.”
“And lets pray that today isn't the first time.” Cataphract replied as he sat in the saddle and gunned the engine. “Not after I've done so much to harm so many.”
“Worried about your soul?” Boccanegra asked.
“Aren't you?” Cataphract replied as a purple Suzuki Hayabusa started up behind him, its rider keeping a healthy distance behind him.
“No.” Boccanegra answered. “No I am not.”
**
Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
Cataphract drove through the lawless heart of Juarez, the sat-nav attached to his bike uttering instructions in Farsi. Looking back at the refrigerated box strapped to the back of his bike he shook his head, he knew enough not to ask what was inside, but also enough to recognise an illegal organ transfer when he saw one. It wasn't just the contents of the box that made him shudder; the Suzuki was still tailing him and had been joined by a Jeep Cherokee, its windows blacked out to match its paint work. He was so fixated with his tail that he never saw the woman leap from the side of the road and tackle him to the floor.
“Ifan Rassouli.” The Woman hissed, her fangs bared and her face covered with strange rosette markings. “You know who I am?”
“The woman that…that Mariposa gave to me for transport.” Ifan gasped. “But you are dead?!”
“Wrong, I drowned but I didn't die, I was reborn as this.” She snarled as she extended long obsidian talons as a stabbing pain erupted in his skull causing both him and the woman attacking him to scream in pain.
**
El Paso, Texas, USA - 15 Years Earlier
Officer Ian Grady and his partner Officer Hector Gomez watched from the lay by as the beaten half rusted BMW bike drove past, the two people in the saddle doing little to hide the fact that they were speeding. Clicking the lights and sirens on the cruiser sped after the bike, with Gomez waving for the driver to pull over.
“Is there a problem officer?” The driver asked in Iranian accented English.
“I need you and your lady friend to step off the bike.” Grady ordered as her and Gomez stepped out of the cruiser.
“Of course.” The driver stated in a slightly nervous voice as he slid off the bike, before helping the woman off the back. “I have my licence here.” He stated as he handed Gomez a scrappy wallet with an array of cards inside.
“You know that your passenger should be wearing, well for a start a helmet and secondly more clothes then that.” Gomez stated as the woman shook her head. “What’s your name miss?”
“Dr Elise Cartwright, please you have to help me, he’s kidnapping me!” Elise yelled as Cataphract pulled a handgun off of his belt and fired two shots at the officers, the rounds slamming into Gomez’s knees before turning and firing a third shot into Grady’s shoulder, the wounds felling the officers.
“You,” Cataphract snarled as pain lanced through his head and the crack of a sniper shot rung out. Blinking he slipped out past the woman, a bullet wound drilled through her head before looking at the four individuals around the jeep.
“Get him out of here.” The Sniper standing on the vehicle’s roof ordered as the rider of the Suzuki helped Ifan onto her bike just as Onca shook herself and got to her feet. With a snarl she watched as her prey sped off before turning to the assorted mercenaries.
“You will pay for getting between the Jaguar and her prey.” She hissed as the mercenaries tensed up. “This time I won't spare those who get in my way, leave now or die.”
“Then die we shall.” The Asian woman armed with a wrist mounted crossbow stated. “But you are not taking the man we are honour bound to protect. Today is the day of your death as well as ours.”
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