Smith guided the caravan through the desert, tracking John's position through the Dragon Balls' energy signature. The distance between them was carefully calculated, close enough to intervene quickly, far enough to avoid detection in the vast emptiness of the Sahara.
They'd made the right choice using camels. An SUV convoy would have bogged down in the soft sand within the first hour. The animals moved steadily, their wide feet designed for exactly this terrain.
Smith couldn't get too close before John met the Elder. In the open desert, there was nowhere to hide. But he also couldn't afford to be too far away. He had no intention of letting John lose fingers, or worse, because reinforcements arrived late. John was his subordinate now, and Smith protected his people.
The Dragon Ball's signal pulsed in his mind like a beacon. Just a little longer, John. Hold on.
Time crawled by with agonizing slowness. Finally, through his connection to the Dragon Balls, Smith sensed John being brought before someone, the Elder's presence was unmistakable.
In the Elder's desert camp, a servant pulled John roughly from the camel and dropped him onto an ornate carpet. Sunlight struck his face. He stirred, consciousness returning slowly.
John's hand immediately went to his pocket, checking for the Dragon Balls.
"Don't worry. Your treasures are still there." An accented voice, cultured and amused. "Drink."
John's vision focused. Sitting before him on cushions was a dark-skinned man dressed in expensive Arab robes, silk and gold thread, the kind of wealth that whispered rather than shouted. This was the Elder.
John sat up slowly, his body screaming protest. He reached for the glass of water placed nearby.
"Tell me, son," the Elder said softly. "Why are you lost?"
John drank before answering, his throat too parched for immediate speech. "I'm not lost. I came looking for you."
"Do you truly believe I was speaking about geography?"
John didn't respond immediately. He finished the water, buying himself seconds to think.
The Elder stood and approached, then crouched to John's level with the ease of someone far younger than his years suggested. "I have never seen anyone fight so desperately to escape a life of killing, only to find themselves dragged back to where they began."
He tilted his head, studying John with ancient eyes. "Tell me, Jonathan. Why do you wish to live?"
"My wife. Helen." The words came automatically. "For her. For what we had."
John lowered his head, though his mind raced. Where's Smith? When do I make my move?
"So you cling to life for the memory of love?"
John looked up. "It's more than memory."
The Elder didn't pursue that thread. Instead, his expression shifted to something more calculating. "I'm told you've secured protection from the Fraternity."
John felt a spike of surprise but forced himself to remain calm. Of course the Elder knew. The High Table had eyes everywhere. "Yes. They've granted me asylum."
"Fascinating." The Elder returned to his seat, settling into cushions like a king on a throne. "You're the first, and only, Continental-registered assassin to defect to the Fraternity. Given their... particular standards, I'm curious how they came to accept you."
John thought of the Dragon Ball Helen had given him, the gift that had started everything. "Helen brought me luck. Maybe it was her blessing from beyond."
The Elder smiled, clearly not buying the romantic explanation. "You have the Fraternity's protection. So why risk the desert to seek an audience with me?"
John knew he needed to stall. Every minute brought Smith closer. "I need the public bounty canceled. The excommunication lifted."
"Ah." The Elder nodded as if confirming a hypothesis. "You're not content hiding in the Fraternity's headquarters. You want freedom." He steepled his fingers. "I can give you that freedom. Remove the bounty, reinstate your Continental privileges. But it comes with a price."
"What price?"
"Complete five tasks for me. Five missions that will occupy the rest of your natural life." The Elder paused. "And tell me a secret."
John kept his expression neutral. Internally, he almost laughed. Agree to lifelong service for a man who'd be dead within hours? Sure. Why not?
The Elder clearly didn't know about the Fraternity's plans. Didn't know that Smith Doyle was moving through the desert right now. Didn't know his fortress would soon become his tomb.
"If you accept these terms and reveal your secret, I will rescind your excommunication and cancel the bounty." The Elder leaned back. "Those five tasks will consume your every waking moment for decades. But you'll be free to remember your wife without looking over your shoulder."
The Elder had wanted John's complete loyalty, but he wasn't naive. The Fraternity's protection changed the this. Five lifetime missions were the best compromise he could negotiate, and even that would be a steal if John proved as capable as his reputation suggested.
"The choice is yours," the Elder continued. "Freedom to visit Helen's grave, or imprisonment in the Fraternity's headquarters forever."
John stood slowly, scanning his peripheral vision for any sign of Smith's forces. Nothing yet. He needed more time.
"What secret do you want?"
The Elder clapped once. A servant approached with an ornate wooden box, opened it, and presented the contents to John.
John's breath caught. Inside, nestled on red velvet, was a Three-Star Dragon Ball.
Four, John thought with barely contained elation. I'll have four of the seven. More than halfway there.
"Tell me," the Elder said quietly, "what this treasure is. What secrets it holds."
John hesitated deliberately. "Do you really want to know? Maybe we should discuss those five missions first."
The Elder's eyes gleamed. Good. The more reluctant John seemed, the more valuable the information appeared. "The missions can wait. They'll take decades. This secret? This is immediate. Tell me."
John took a breath and chose his words carefully. "If you insist. But don't say I didn't warn you."
He pointed at the sphere. "That's the Three-Star Dragon Ball. There are seven total, one through seven stars. Each one unique."
The Elder leaned forward, completely focused now.
"When you gather all seven Dragon Balls together..." John paused for effect. "You can summon the dragon Shenron."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writing takes time, coffee, and a lot of love.If you'd like to support my work, join me at [email protected]/GoldenGaruda You'll get early access to over 50 chapters, selection on new series, and the satisfaction of knowing your support directly fuels more stories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~