Earth 1, The Caribbean
It was decided. The targets were the two young women and it was to be tonight.
X
Floyd had led Naomi through the planning process. They had travelled to the town nearest to the Savage estate and booked into the best hotel. He'd left her for two days, travelling to a neighbouring island to see an A.R.G.U.S. contact, managing to persuade his ally to let him borrow an A.R.G.U.S. issue sniper rifle. His death was - obviously - faked and he was, he assured the other man, still on the A.R.G.U.S. books.
While she was waiting, Naomi had actually seen Savage - unfortunately in the busy shopping area. She had done a double-take at the sight of him, then another at the sight of the woman whose arm was linked through his. Her hair was short and she was subtly different - but this was plainly another incarnation of Kendra Saunders. Two young women, obviously close friends, accompanied the other pair.
The Rodgers and the Andersens had been mingling with the nearby crowd on that occasion and seen the 'Kendra' at Savage's side.
Leonard studied the woman for a moment. Sara's sharp eyes had seen him squeeze his arm where the telepathy blocker was concealed beneath his loose shirt. He whistled softly.
''That woman's not Kendra'' he announced. ''And she's not human.''
The other three stared at him. Alien involvement in this?
''What is she?'' Ray asked, not sure he believed this.
''I'd have to push hard - her mind's so different. She'd certainly know she was being probed.''
X
The obvious place to catch up with the fugitive couple was their hotel room.
Mr and Mrs de Paull had dined in the hotel restaurant. Mr de Paull had enquired about staying there - apologies, but all the rooms were taken for the next month.
As they walked away from the hotel, Leonard said softly. ''The security's top of the line. Doesn't mean that it doesn't have weaknesses but I'd have to stay there to study them.''
Making them come out of the hotel in the small hours of the morning had been considered and rejected.
''Remember how Chronos kept struggling?'' Leonard pointed out. ''There are guards in the lobby. ''
X
Floyd came back and he and Naomi took a boat trip, accompanied - although they didn't know it - by Mr and Mrs Rodgers.
Although the vessel was not allowed to go too near the shore of the Savage estate, Floyd did have a chance to see the two women head down the beach for a morning swim. The house was private - set apart from the others. Prefect.
He spent the next three nights carefully studying the terrain around the edge of the estate, memorising details of the guard patrols.
Mrs de Paull had accidentally wandered the same way in the daytime. She'd been found by a couple of guards but was so obviously just a slightly lost tourist that they'd simply taken her back to the public area of the island. No matter, Sara had found a good place for an ambush.
X
Floyd and Naomi left the hotel at 2am, overruling the objections of the guards, who warned them that this wasn't a safe area at this time of night. They made their way to an area of scrubland where Floyd had stashed dark clothes for them both. Floyd had the sniper rifle riding in a harness at his back, Naomi belted her knives around her waist with a feeling of satisfaction. They slipped quietly through the woodland, Floyd leading.
There was a soft sound that Floyd recognised, making him instantly alert for danger. Unfortunately, he was also aware that Naomi had suddenly and silently collapsed, falling against the back of his legs. Later he would tell himself he should have been more professional - but concern for her delayed him by a couple of fatal seconds. He felt a sharp pain in his back and then he was falling too, his vision darkening.