Brass Monkey: A James Acton Thriller Book #2 by J Robert Kennedy Page B

tough.”
    Dymovsky nodded. “Agreed, we can’t scare him, or threaten him with anything. He has no family, and we don’t even know where he lives. Taking his freedom away means he wins. He knows we need that missile and he knows he’s our only lead.”
    “What are you going to do, sir?”
    Dymovsky remained silent for a minute as he stared at the man on the other side of the glass.
    “We let him go.”

 
     
     
    Alamut, Persia
    December 15, 1256 AD
     
    “It is time.”
    The chamber was filled with Hassassin warriors, dressed from head to toe in black robes, their faces, normally covered, bared without fear amongst their brothers. Many showed the scars of battles long ago, even more revealed the fresh wounds of a bloody, hopeless battle, a battle they knew they could not win. They turned as one to face the Grand Headmaster of the Hassassin Order, Ruknuddin Khurshah, who stood on a raised platform at the head of the chamber.
    The battle hadn’t gone well. It had raged for almost a month, the Mongol hordes surrounding them unleashing a never ending volley from their ballistae and scorpion siege weapons. The enemy hadn’t had the courage to fight the Hassassin man to man, instead relying on the weapons of cowards. The Hassassin had killed many, but so outnumbered, it was clear in the end there would be no victory.
    Faisal had fought by the side of his Master, Hasni, never flinching, never questioning his orders. He did what he was asked, participating in nighttime raiding parties, sometimes to take prisoners for interrogation, other times to silently kill the enemy while they slept in their tents, sowing fear amongst them. Despite these missions being successful, the numbers they faced remained too great, and they all knew it.
    “It is time to think of the future, rather than the present.” Grand Headmaster Khurshah’s voice was strong, firm, reassuring, but tired. Though exhausted, their pride had never wavered. Faisal glanced at Hasni. Hasni’s chin was held high, a slight smile on his face as he gazed upon the man who Faisal knew had trained his master years before. Faisal wondered what was going through his master’s mind. Did he feel fear? Did he feel desperation? Did he feel ? He rarely revealed any emotion except anger, and that was usually when an order wasn’t followed, or he was in the thick of battle. But this thin smile, this hint of pride, was the first sense of emotion Faisal had ever seen that made Hasni seem less than super-human.
    “This battle will be lost. This battle will be lost though we will continue to fight, for we are Hassassins, and surrender is not an option.” Nods of assent spread amongst the gathered throngs of ragged warriors. “The Mongols claim they will let us live if we simply surrender. We know that to be a lie. The Mongols are without honor, without courage. The moment we lay down our arms, they will slaughter us. There is not a man here who fears death, there is not a man here who would not die for The Order, die for his beliefs, die for Allah.”
    More murmurs of assent filled the room, then someone screamed, “Allahu Akbar!” The room erupted into a roar, the entire crowd chanting “Allahu Akbar!” at the top of their lungs, fists pumping in the air.
    Faisal’s chest swelled with religious ardor as his own fist punched the air in defiance of the hordes outside the walls. “Allahu Akbar!” he yelled.
    Grand Headmaster Khurshah raised both hands and quieted the crowd, bowing slightly. “And it is in the name of Allah that we must make the next sacrifice. For death is not to be feared, for Jannah awaits all those who sacrifice themselves in service to Allah. However death of The Order is not acceptable. In order to maintain balance between Islam and Christianity, our Order must survive. And for The Order to survive, some of you in this room must survive.”
    Faisal looked around him. He was the youngest there. The last to have passed the rigorous testing, the