The Contract

22: Contract Fulfilled

Twenty-Two: Contract Fulfilled.

Hiccup Haddock, the man known as the hitman Night Fury, went rigid as he heard Heather's words echo throughout the cellar where they had just emerged from the Whispering Death tunnel from the Greek Temple.

Hand yourself over to us or I will order Agent Eretson here to execute your friend.

He looked over at Astrid and she was frowning, her eyes flicking over his worried face.

"Who is it, T?" he asked quietly, for they couldn't see the screen.

"Ruff," came the reply, the word bitter and concerned.

"Where are they?" Hiccup asked, his hand automatically finding his gun.

"Ballroom-but it's suicide. The place is ringed with ASS and there are four in there not counting Agent Eretson..." Toothless's tone was warning.

"Bludvist is in there as well," Hiccup growled.

"And getting yourself stupidly killed won't release Ruff," Toothless counselled him urgently. "You need a plan-and running into a hail of bullets isn't it!"

"No-because you need to remember it's not just you this time," Astrid said firmly. "You have some allies-and a back-up plan. What you need to do now is regroup and come up with a way of finishing this without getting killed."

"I don't matter," he said automatically-and then he flinched as she slapped him.

"Yes you do," she said sharply. "Hiccup and Astrid, remember? Partners?" He sagged, his eyes filling with shame.

"Ruff and Tuff found me, along with Taron," he told her quietly. "They picked me up from where I had collapsed over my own grave and got me medical help. They made sure my wife and son were treated with respect. I owe her my life."

"But running in there won't help," she reminded him softly. "All that will do will allow the President's men to gun you down before you even get close."

"That's not what Heather would be planning," Hiccup said grimly. "She'll know I killed her brother..."

"Then we use that against her," Astrid encouraged him warmly. "Look-she's clever, cold and ruthless...but she's not infallible. She believed you and you observed her. She hit on you, didn't she?" He nodded with a shamed blush. "Okay-so needy, desperate and angry. That means she's vulnerable. We get to the VP and see what he has to say."

"And then we need to persuade Heather than not killing Ruff would be a good move..." Hiccup murmured.

"NF-you better have a plan because that's my sister," Tuff murmured over the com. "And if you don't do something, I will..." The hitman scrambled to the door and peered out, then began running along the hallway.

"Don't do anything stupid, Tuff," he warned the male twin. "It doesn't help anyone if you get killed..." He paused. "Taron-where's the main junction box?"

"Up ahead, about thirty metres," the handler said. "But what are you planning?"

Hiccup raced to the box and pulled the grey door open, staring at the trip switches for a moment and then pulling the main switch down. Immediately all the lights went out and the small dim emergency lights flickered into life along the hallway.

"And now we make our move," he said, pausing at the junction and shooting the ASS agent who was waiting just round the corner. Astrid appeared at his shoulder, shaking her head.

"Whatever you're planning, any minute now would be good," Ruff murmured, sounding strained. "I think this psycho bitch is really seriously psycho..."