Free The Devil's Assassin by Brian Page A

streams. As with most parks, there are plenty of park
benches, more than a few of which are occupied by homeless men and women at
night. Some areas of the park are well lit, while others are not.
    In a more crowded
area of the park, some people are sitting, drinking from brown sacks or
smoking, but most are sleeping since it is 3:00 a.m. In a quieter section of
this area that has fewer benches, there is a bench on which a man sleeps. A
couple more trees separate another bench from this one and someone sleeps on
this one too. These are the last two benches along a path that then runs into a
densely wooded area.
    From the darker,
densely wooded area, something watches the two men as they sleep and then
creeps forward toward the bench that’s nearer to the woods. The lurker moves
stealthily and confidently. As he gets closer, he suddenly steps on an unseen
plastic water bottle making an incredibly loud noise in the quiet park. He
keeps advancing on his target, however, because he’s close enough to be in
control of the situation and because even after the loud noise his target is
still deep in sleep.
    A second man
sleeping on the bench near the lurker’s target is wakened by the noise of the
water bottle being stepped on and opens his eyes to see a hairy humanoid
heading for the man on the other bench. His right arm goes for his metal cane,
which is always on hand for protection when sleeping outdoors, as well as
helping him walk . He calls out as he reaches for it.
    “Crap, look out.
Get up!”
    The original
targeted man hears the cry from the other man, but is slow to respond. For the
moment it doesn’t matter. The creature has turned around to face the man with
the cane. That man stands waving his cane as the short creature approaches. The
man is nervous but filled with adrenaline. He’d hoped the creature would flee,
but he tries to show confidence.
    “You want some of
this, monkey? Keep coming and you’ll lose your teeth.”
    The creature
confidently continues toward the man. When he is in striking distance of the
cane, the homeless man shouts and takes a powerful swing at the head of the
creature. The creature deftly puts his arm up near his head and leans away so
that the swing is deflected. The man’s immediate backswing comes down at the
lower leg of the creature. This move surprises and hobbles the creature. But as
the creature grunts, bending down in pain, he uses that bend to somersault
forward toward the man. As he comes out of the roll, the lance is coming out
and he is bouncing up to the man’s chest. He lances him quickly and the brave
man goes down in a heap.
    Meanwhile, the
other homeless man, who had been the first target has
been watching this horror unfold, and though he is still tired from drink, his
adrenaline starts flowing at the sight of his brave acquaintance’s
killing. 
    “You bastard!” he
shouts running at the beast, intent on tackling him and choking the life out of
him.
    The creature
decides that with all the noise and the proximity of so many other people that
killing off one more weak human isn’t worth the chance
that he’ll get caught, so he makes a strategic escape into the woods. The man
discontinues his chase at the woods’ edge, sober
enough to realize his disadvantage were he to continue on.
    The noise that
the two men had made while fighting the creature has woken other people in the
park, many of whom saw what had been happening and had come over to investigate
or try to help. But it is too late for the man who fought the creature and died
saving another man. There was nothing for the crowd to do now except get the
attention of the police.
    ›
    A Toyota
four-wheel drive is heading west on a highway from Buenos Aires through the
pampas. Argentine music is playing as a beautiful panoramic view of the Argentine
plains passes by. Linus is driving, and June is sleeping in the passenger seat.
Linus turns the music down a little to keep from disturbing her. She