Free The Somali Deception Episode IV (A Cameron Kincaid Serial) by Daniel Arthur Smith Page B

and,
there is only one way to make amends for the damage he has done.   There is only one set of terms the Rex
Mundi accepts for what he has done.   They want me to kill him of course, and if he were anyone else --,” he
twirled the barrel of the Ruger toward the ceiling.   “Well I have to spare my son.”
    Then Demetrius abruptly lowered
the Ruger toward Alastair, and fired.
    Cameron released two rounds into
Demetrius’ side while Alastair simultaneously fired into his forehead,
implanting fragments of the Greek’s skull into the hull, killing him instantly.
    What may have been a war cry
began to escape from Nikos throat as he threw his body forward to charge
Cameron.   The cry became a gurgle as
Pepe’s blade clotheslined Nikos, slicing halfway through his neck.   Cameron had seen Pepe do this
before.   The Berretta against Nikos
skull had been a prop, the obvious weapon.   Pepe had wanted to take Nikos’ life with his hands.
    Alastair sent a shot from the
PPK into Nikos as well, though the partial decapitation was what killed him.
    Alastair inspected his shoulders
and then the hull around him.   “Bloody hell, he missed me.”
    “He didn’t miss,” said
Cameron.   “He was in a corner.   He said himself he had to spare his
son.   He knew we wouldn’t.   I think his heart was broken.   He didn’t want to see Nikos die.”
    “And what was with all of that
rambling,” said Alastair.
    “Demetrius knew he wasn’t
leaving.”   Cameron knelt down and
took the Rex Mundi dagger from Demetrius’ pocket, far more ornamented than the
others he had seen, this one had a crimson ruby set in the hilt.   Cameron inspected the familiar ruby
closely, and then lifted Demetrius’ hand.   The ruby set into his ring was the same cut and size, and encircled with
the exact design as the dagger.
    “And what about that thing?”
asked Alastair.   He shifted to allow
Pepe to exam Christine’s pupils.
    “Same thing,” said Cameron.   “He felt the need to let me know, they
know who I am.”
    “They?” asked Alastair.   “Who the bloody hell are they?”
    “The Rex Mundi.”
    “Right.”
    “I’ll fill you in after we get
out of here.”   Cameron nodded toward
Christine, her hair mussed, gaze dazed.   “She’s waited long enough for us.”   His face froze for a second, “And there is another woman waiting for us
to rescue her from the trunk of the Aston Martin.”
    Alastair gave Cameron a sinking
leer, “We don’t have to --,”
    Cameron shook his head.   “No, she won’t talk.”   He glanced down at Nikos.   “Besides, there has been enough
unnecessary carnage.”   Cameron
rested his hands, one with a Ruger, the other with the dagger, on his knees and
sighed.   “Listen I’m gonna do a wipe
down.   Let’s get her out of here.”
    Alastair eased Christine
upright.   “Christine we need to go.”
    “Let me help you,” said Pepe,
slipping his arm beneath his sister.   “The anesthetic effect of the drugs will wear off eventually, for now I
don’t believe she knows what has happened.”
     
    * * *
* *
      
     
    The
End
     
    Cameron
Kincaid returns in
    Templar
Force
     

 
    * * *
* *

 
    * * *
* *

 
A
Note from the Author
     
    Thank you for reading episode four of The Somali
Deception.   This story is the second
in the Cameron Kincaid series and a favorite of my lovely wife.   The original draft of the manuscript,
shorter and much different that the final release, was written during November
of 2010 for nanowrimo, or national novel writing month.   I had planned a different project, and
then came an intriguing discussion concerning the misconception of piracy with
my friend Margot Kiser, an American reporting from Kenya.   Coincidentally I have other friends that
had already stirred my curiosity for the region, particularly my good friend
Alastair Boyd, who at the time was an eco-lodge director in Laikipia.   That was 2010, what happened?   Well in January 2011,