The Contract

16: Hunter and Prey

Sixteen: Hunter and Prey

The cold pressure of the muzzle against his skin stilled Hiccup, his emerald gaze locked on Dagur's rabid feral glare. He could see the slight twitch of the muscles around the man's right eye, smell his rank breath and felt the caress of his breath on his skin.

"Really?" Hiccup breathed. "Maybe you should be asking...how we got to you in the first place? Who's the mole in your organisation?"

"My men are loyal!" Dagur hissed, jabbing the gun harder against his skin. Hiccup forced himself to give a lazy smile.

"Keep telling yourself that," he smirked as Dagur's hand jerked.

"Thanks for the advice," he said in a brittle voice. "I'll consider it...once we've buried your corpse..."

"Glad to help," Hiccup said sarcastically. "You think you can actually kill me? Maybe you need outside help? Or maybe I'm already dead?" There was a pause-just for a fraction of a second as Dagur tried to process the insane words-and in that moment, Hiccup's fingers closed round the shovel and he threw himself sideways as the tool slammed round, clanging against Dagur's skull. The gun went off, the bullet just whiffling past Hiccup's ear and the report rolling round his skull like a knife. Dagur slumped backwards into the grave as Hiccup dug the shovel into the waste pile and sprayed a shovelful of earth at the henchmen even as he dived forward and snatched Dagur's gun. Before he even hit the ground, he was spinning, the gun firing as he locked on the nearest two men. There were the cries of impacts and he could smell blood over the damp earth.

But the men recovered quicker than he had guessed they would and he heard the first shots as he rolled, mud and moss smeared over his body as he reached his knees. He fired another three shots and two men went down but bullets whipped around him and he dived back behind the nearest tree. He snapped off a couple more shots, regained his breath and heard Dagur screaming in rage.

"What are you waiting for? KILL HIM!"

Firing over his shoulder, the hitman sprinted off into the woods, the damp drizzle coalescing into a clammy light fog, every surface becoming slick. It wasn't that easy to run with your wrists tied but Hiccup was willing to give it every go as he sprinted through the bracken, brambles slashing at his legs and almost tripping him up. He stumbled and bullets shredded the tree trunk above his head, Snatching a shocked look over his shoulder, he twisted and snapped off a couple more shots before putting all his energies into running for his life.

...don't run in a straight line, use available cover, hunch to present a smaller target. Be unpredictable! And never stop...

But his breath was burning in his chest and the sickening click as he realised his gun was empty told the hitman that he was running out of time. He ducked sideway, zigzagging through the trees, hurdling brambles and keeping his head down. But the shots were getting closer...

oOo

"We can't get any closer," Toothless told them over Fishlegs's phone which was on speaker. "The forest is far too dense."

"Where is he?" Astrid asked, opening the door.

"Heading east-fast..." Fishlegs reported. "I think he's running..."

"And of course, everyone will be on his tail," Tuff added over the speaker.

"Patch his locator to my phone," Astrid commanded, tightening her braid and shoving her sleeves up. "We need to intercept."

"We?"

"Snot and I...unless anyone else wants to help?" she said.

"I'm coming," Toothless said immediately, followed by the twins. "He needs people there who are on his side."