Chapter Twenty-One

"They want to be the agents, not the victims, of history. They identify with God's power and believe they are godlike. That is their basic madness…confusion between him who worships and that which is worshipped. Man has not eaten God; God has eaten man." ― Philip K. Dick, The Man in the High Castle

Her opponent appeared relaxed, but his eyes had changed—now they were cold and calculating; Heinkel knew hers were the same. It was the gaze of a warrior, a soldier ready to charge into battle. Perhaps she'd underestimated him. No matter; she had no intention of losing, regardless of the enemy's skill. Besides, this man was insignificant compared to the opponents she'd faced during the third Blitz. After fighting the Nazi hordes, defeating a single man was child's play.

The atmosphere in the room shifted, becoming electric with bloodlust, the sudden tension making Heinkel's heart race. The blood sang in her veins as she imagined raining down blows on the regenerator, watching liquid seep from his skin and the light fade from his eyes. Unlike many of her fellow agents, Heinkel regarded combat not as an obligation, but a privilege—a chance to literally fight for the one, true God: destroying His enemies with bullets rather than words. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the evildoer…

"I have a question for you."

This guy really liked the sound of his own voice. "Make it fast."

Eyes still locked on hers, he retrieved a crucifix from the folds of his robes, holding it up so she could get a better look at it. There was nothing remarkable about the item, and yet the sight of it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, as though her body knew something her eyes didn't. "Do you recognize this?"

Heinkel scoffed to conceal her sudden unease. "Prayer alone won't help you win. God helps those who help themselves, remember?" Even as she spoke, she found herself unable to look away from the crucifix. Why did such an unremarkable object unsettle her so much?

"I see." Jasper smirked. "Clearly, Iscariot's training wasn't as thorough as we were led to believe. No doubt that's the reason so many died in the London attack—pathetic."

Heinkel's eyes narrowed, fists clenching as she fought the urge to wrap her fingers around his throat. How dare he slander her comrades, the people who had given her a home and a purpose? How dare he speak of their deaths so casually, as though they hadn't given their very lives for their God? Even had she wanted to, it was impossible to back down now—Heinkel had no choice but to defend her friends' honor.

Although she preferred her guns, even blessed bullets had little effect on a regenerator. Better to sever an artery or even a limb; those types of injuries took longer to heal, which would give her the time she needed to deliver the final blow. Jasper clearly believed she was a novice who'd never encountered his kind before—unfortunately for him, he was wrong. Heinkel almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

Without looking away from her opponent, Heinkel unsheathed the knives strapped to her boots—after all, a girl could never be too careful. The metal glittered as she raised the blades, pleased that she'd remembered to sharpen them last week. Let's get this party started.

But it seemed her opponent was still in a talkative mood. "If you don't mind my asking, what made you change your mind?" Jasper's tone was neutral, but Heinkel thought she detected a glimmer of annoyance in his eyes. Good. "I thought we'd come to an understanding."

She hefted the knives, felt their weight in her hands. Imagined the blades piercing his flesh. "I don't appreciate being threatened."

Going after her was one thing, but they'd made a big mistake by dragging Ana and the kids into this. To say Heinkel was furious was an understatement. Luckily, there was no need to hold back against Jasper. She had no choice—you couldn't pull your punches against someone who recovered almost as soon as you hit them. She wasn't arrogant enough to think she could kill a regenerator, but she'd enjoy trying.

"Fair enough." He studied her a moment longer, mouth twitching with a smug amusement that made Heinkel grit her teeth. "Once I defeat you, you will infiltrate Hellsing, as we discussed."

His arrogance would have amused her, if she weren't so pissed. "Fine. When I win, you'll give me the file—and leave Ana alone."

Much as she hated negotiating with the enemy, Heinkel couldn't allow her pride to interfere with her ability to protect those she cared about. If she were to obtain the file from Jasper without agreeing to his terms, Ana would still be in danger if he or Alice decided to retaliate. If she were to defeat him, though, Heinkel had no doubt the regenerator would uphold his end of the bargain—as a divine warrior and agent of the Church, he'd have no other choice. The same applied to her, but there was no point in worrying about that now.

Jasper smiled—clearly believing he'd already defeated her. "Of course." He smoothed his robes, making sure to position the crucifix so that it rested just so against his collarbone. Heinkel tore her gaze from it, palms sweating as she gripped her blades. Why was her body reacting to such an innocuous object?

Though Jasper had no weapon that she could see, his posture had shifted, his stance the sort of deceptively relaxed pose which signaled he could spring into action at any moment. "As my employer considers you an asset, I will try not to kill you. However, I make no promises."

Squaring her shoulders, Heinkel echoed his earlier words. "I'm not the one you should be worried about."