Read Online Return of the Assassin (Assassin Series 3) by Russell Blake - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Russell Blake
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His mind quickly raced over the implications. Somehow, he had landed in a medical facility, and yet there was no evidence of him being a captive. There were no bars on the window, and he wasn’t cuffed to the bed or in any way restricted. He craned his neck to see whether there were any clothes in the room, but saw nothing, and was rewarded for his effort with a flash of searing pain from the base of his skull.
His eyes caught the distinctive shape of a closed circuit camera mounted over his bed just as footsteps sounded from the hall outside his door. He laid his head back on the pillow as four men entered. Two were dressed in white medical coats, the other two wore suits. One of the doctors approached him and wordlessly checked his vitals before glancing at the other and stepping away from the edge of the bed. He moved to the IV and expertly removed the cannula from El Rey ’s arm, then rolled up the tubing and pushed the stand into the far corner. Both doctors had a hushed discussion before they walked to the door, leaving him alone with the suits.
“Where am I?” El Rey asked, his throat scratchy.
“You’re in a private clinic that caters to discreet clientele. Don’t worry. You’re safe,” the older of the two men said.
“And who are you?”
“Your rescuers. We arranged to have you freed from your unfortunate situation.”
“Why?”
“That is the question, is it not?” The older man turned to his companion. “Francisco, see if you can find some clothes for our guest. I suspect that he won’t feel comfortable meeting with everyone with his ass hanging out the back of a hospital gown.”
El Rey cleared his throat. “How long have I been here?”
The older man smiled. “About twenty hours. There’s a manhunt to locate you going on outside these walls, but obviously, it’s not yielding any productive results.”
“Why have I been unconscious that long?”
“Tut, tut. All of this will be answered in good time. Suffice it to say that you’re in no danger here – you’re out of prison, with a new lease on life. All your questions will be addressed once you’re cleaned up and feeling up to it. The drugs have a tendency to leave you punchy, so you’ll need a little more time to be a hundred percent. Maybe after lunch we can have a chat,” the older man said and then turned to depart. “Oh, and please don’t try to take off before we have a chance to talk. I would stick around until you’ve heard what I have to say. If you try to slip away before, the consequences for you will be fatal – and I’m not exaggerating,” the older man warned and then moved to the door. “The lads here will be just outside if you need anything. I’ll see that they bring clothes for you right after lunch. See you in a few hours…”
El Rey regarded the men without emotion as they left, leaving him to his thoughts. So he couldn’t leave. No explanation other than trying to do so would be fatal. He was a fair judge of character and detected nothing in the stranger’s expression to lead him to believe he’d been bluffing. El Rey had been in their care, at their mercy, for almost a full day. Another hour wouldn’t hurt.
He closed his eyes, waiting for clarity to fully return. Eventually, an orderly entered with a tray of food and then slipped out as silently as he’d arrived. Twenty minutes later, lunch had disappeared, and the same orderly returned with a change of clothes.
“There’s a shower in the bathroom,” he said, placing the small pile on the chair by the door.
El Rey inspected himself in the mirror as he waited for the water to get warm. He hadn’t shaved for two days, but there was no razor anywhere, so that was a moot point. He didn’t look bad – not like he’d suffered any trauma. All things considered, he felt reasonably strong, and more alert and coherent with each passing moment. The food had helped, and as he stepped under the stream of water, the shower helped
His mind quickly raced over the implications. Somehow, he had landed in a medical facility, and yet there was no evidence of him being a captive. There were no bars on the window, and he wasn’t cuffed to the bed or in any way restricted. He craned his neck to see whether there were any clothes in the room, but saw nothing, and was rewarded for his effort with a flash of searing pain from the base of his skull.
His eyes caught the distinctive shape of a closed circuit camera mounted over his bed just as footsteps sounded from the hall outside his door. He laid his head back on the pillow as four men entered. Two were dressed in white medical coats, the other two wore suits. One of the doctors approached him and wordlessly checked his vitals before glancing at the other and stepping away from the edge of the bed. He moved to the IV and expertly removed the cannula from El Rey ’s arm, then rolled up the tubing and pushed the stand into the far corner. Both doctors had a hushed discussion before they walked to the door, leaving him alone with the suits.
“Where am I?” El Rey asked, his throat scratchy.
“You’re in a private clinic that caters to discreet clientele. Don’t worry. You’re safe,” the older of the two men said.
“And who are you?”
“Your rescuers. We arranged to have you freed from your unfortunate situation.”
“Why?”
“That is the question, is it not?” The older man turned to his companion. “Francisco, see if you can find some clothes for our guest. I suspect that he won’t feel comfortable meeting with everyone with his ass hanging out the back of a hospital gown.”
El Rey cleared his throat. “How long have I been here?”
The older man smiled. “About twenty hours. There’s a manhunt to locate you going on outside these walls, but obviously, it’s not yielding any productive results.”
“Why have I been unconscious that long?”
“Tut, tut. All of this will be answered in good time. Suffice it to say that you’re in no danger here – you’re out of prison, with a new lease on life. All your questions will be addressed once you’re cleaned up and feeling up to it. The drugs have a tendency to leave you punchy, so you’ll need a little more time to be a hundred percent. Maybe after lunch we can have a chat,” the older man said and then turned to depart. “Oh, and please don’t try to take off before we have a chance to talk. I would stick around until you’ve heard what I have to say. If you try to slip away before, the consequences for you will be fatal – and I’m not exaggerating,” the older man warned and then moved to the door. “The lads here will be just outside if you need anything. I’ll see that they bring clothes for you right after lunch. See you in a few hours…”
El Rey regarded the men without emotion as they left, leaving him to his thoughts. So he couldn’t leave. No explanation other than trying to do so would be fatal. He was a fair judge of character and detected nothing in the stranger’s expression to lead him to believe he’d been bluffing. El Rey had been in their care, at their mercy, for almost a full day. Another hour wouldn’t hurt.
He closed his eyes, waiting for clarity to fully return. Eventually, an orderly entered with a tray of food and then slipped out as silently as he’d arrived. Twenty minutes later, lunch had disappeared, and the same orderly returned with a change of clothes.
“There’s a shower in the bathroom,” he said, placing the small pile on the chair by the door.
El Rey inspected himself in the mirror as he waited for the water to get warm. He hadn’t shaved for two days, but there was no razor anywhere, so that was a moot point. He didn’t look bad – not like he’d suffered any trauma. All things considered, he felt reasonably strong, and more alert and coherent with each passing moment. The food had helped, and as he stepped under the stream of water, the shower helped
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