Kai jerked around, startled, peering into the darkness, hunting for him. Gabe smiled to himself. Another lesson to teach the kid. Always keep your back against a tree or another solid surface if you plan to ambush a man. And, he snorted to himself, don’t try to ambush a guy you know in your gut is gonna take you down. Gabe struck a match, making lazy work of lighting his cigarette. In the glow of the sulfur, he sized up his young adversary. Kai’s face had lost none of the strain he had seen earlier. If anything, his scowl was more ferocious. Shaking his head, Gabe marveled at how easy it was going to be to bring this young warrior down. He thought through his strategy. He needed to hurt the kid, show him the danger of fighting from anger. He also needed to leave visible bruises. Signs for the world to see. More important, the kid needed interior wounds to acknowledge he had been bested by a master. But, Gabe reminded himself, this was Chao’s son, Ana’s brother. The lessons needed to be tempered with mercy.
