Time in Flames (Book 1)

Chapter 2: Guardian

In a banquet hall in Tel Aviv, Israel, men and women from around the world dressed in dresses and tuxedos. One in particular carefully watched the room. He looked young and rich enough to blend into the crowd. His brown hair combed back at an angle and dressed in his own expensive tux and he played the part well. The only thing that made him stand out were his different colored eyes, one gray and one green. He moved slowly, smiling at guests and shaking hands. No one, but everyone seemed like a threat. For every happy couple, there was a woman standing nervously or a man glaring in his direction.

"Anything out of place?" Maria Hill asked through the earpiece in the young man's ear.

"Nothing yet," he said, remaining in character. "Still haven't found the target."

Maria let out a long sigh. "Just stay on comms and let us know when you've found her."

The banquet was going off without a hitch. It didn't seem right. Being in places like this wasn't a commonality for him. At least not when they weren't in the middle of a hostage situation. Even the most remotely out of place movement put him internally on edge. After a few minutes of searching, one glance over his shoulder was all it took to find who he was looking for. A young woman with black hair and olive skin sat at the bar on the far end of the room.

The agent sat next to the woman and ordered a drink. He glanced at her through the corner of his eye. She wore a long, blue silk dress with silver jewelry. She may not have been innocent, but she was naive.

"What is a delicate lily such as yourself doing in a place like this?" he asked in Hebrew.

The young woman giggled. "Your Hebrew is terrible. I admire the effort, but it is not necessary."

"It is such a beautiful language," he said. "And for someone as magnificent as you, I'm more than willing to embarrass myself if it means getting your attention."

The woman pursed her lips into a smile as she traced the brim of her drink with her finger. "I'm not as great as you think."

"I think there is more to you than you think." he smiled warmly. "Does the lily have a name?"

"Kefira," she answered "My name is Kefira."

"So the lily is a lioness." the agent said. "I'm Mered. And I am truly blessed to have the privilege of sitting here next to you."

Kefira's smile widened shyly. "Are you attempting to charm me?"

"I couldn't help but try," he said playfully.

Kefira traced the back of Mered's hand. "Who said you had to try that hard?"

Mered let himself give her a confident smile. He took a moment to look into Kefira's eyes. "So why are you here?"

"My father is an Israeli ambassador. He asked me to come. Who was I to deny him?" she answered.

Mered scanned the room. The white noise of the guests seemed to deafen. It was an instinct that he had developed over years. It was hardly ever a good sign.

That's when agent Hill's voice came through his earpiece. "Four men are moving in on your location. You need to get out of there."

Taking a deep breath, Mered caressed the back of Kefira's hand. "Do you want to go somewhere a little less busy?"

Kefira said nothing. She just stood up and took Mered's hand, guiding him down the hall. Mered looked over his shoulder to see two men in black suits following at a distance. He had to get them closer.

Further into the hotel, Mered stopped Kefira and backed her up to the wall. He kissed her softly, freezing her where they stood. "Stay here," he spoke softly.