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."

"And I'm not?" Astrid asked. There was an awkward pause.

"I think he's not sure about you...in all ways," Ruff said in a quiet voice. "You stir too many memories of Cami. And you are pretty badass..."

"Thanks...I think," she replied after a second as she walked towards the Camper Van. "I need you to give me the gun."

"What gun?" Tuff asked, poking his head out of the driver's window.

"His gun. The sniper one."

"You want us to give you Fury's Valkyrie?" Ruff asked incredulously. Tuff gaped.

"Dude-that's like asking us to give you his..."

"Prospects..." Ruff finished.

"But you're going to do it anyway," the blonde agent told her shortly. "I need to give him some cover and that thing can cover Fury from a far greater distance than our handguns."

"But you're not a sniper," Tuff protested.

"No-but I'm Berkian," she reminded him "I've been shooting and hunting since I was old enough to pick up a gun. And I do have expert rating-and have since I was fifteen-in pistols and rifles." The twins shared a look-and then slowly nodded. Toothless emerged from the Camper, a long gun-case in his hand. He took a deep breath and then unzipped it-to hand the sleek and very high tech rifle to her.

"It's specified for Fury-who's taller and has a longer reach than you," he told her firmly. "And it's heavy." Confidently, she grasped it a then gripped the magazine, checking it was fully loaded and then clipping it back into place. Slinging the rifle over her shoulder, she looked at Toothless.

"Can we have a gun for Snot?" she asked. "He may be an idiot but he is a qualified marksman as well."

"Hey! But...thanks..." The stocky agent's voice was grateful that he was being included. Ruff and Tuff emerged and handed a pistol to him as Fishlegs poked his head out of the van window.

"I'll keep you updated over the coms," he promised. "But you better go!" Nodding, Astrid took a deep breath, her game face on-and then she sprinted off, leaving the others staring after her-and then realising they ought to follow. But Astrid already had a lead, checking on her phone and seeing where Hiccup was and altering her course to an intercept bearing. The forest was gloomy and damp, the drizzle making her hair start to stick to her head as she headed towards the crack of shots. Swiping her face, she hurdled brambles and found a small track, speeding ahead and closing on the red dot that was beeping swiftly across her screen.

And then she saw a flash of movement ahead, just to the left of her field of view, glimpsing a flash of auburn. Hiccup was ahead and running for his life, ducking and weaving as he tried to avoid being gunned down. She slowed and wrestled the Valkyrie from her back, seeing a stump ahead and using the object as a pivot and peered through the sights. Ahead, she could see the lanky shape of Hiccup, running between the trees-and behind him, Dagur's men were running and firing. Pressing her lips together, she slid a bullet into the chamber, lined up on one of the pursuers and squeezed the trigger.

The kick was a bitch but the man went down, blood spraying from his shoulder. Her eyes widened in shock and the pursuers slowed. Emboldened, she loaded again and fired-but missed the man completed, blasting a chunk out of the slender pine trunk behind him. He ducked and the men ran on. Cursing, she swung round, saw Hiccup glance in her direction and frown-and then ducked wildly as a bullet just missed him. Swinging the sights round, she saw the man, lowering his gun-and she loaded and fired again, this time dropping the man efficiently. And then she was up, the gun over her back and sprinting towards the fleeing hitman.

Snotlout saw the man running towards her and diverted towards his left, raising his gun and firing a volley of shots that winged the man. Yelling, he accelerated forward and finally managed to kill the man with his sixth shot.

"Boom! And that's how it's done," he growled, peering at the others and then diving under a patch of brambles as another henchman came looking, finding his dead comrade.

"He's got friends," the henchman growled into his com and turned, heading back towards the pursuit. Snotlout rolled out and shot him in the back, feeling not one jot of guilt at seeing the man fall.

"Yup-but you don't-not any more," he commented and then headed back to the pursuit.

The twins passed Astrid as she was using the Valkyrie and frowned in shock as she hit a couple of men. Tuff's eyes widened and he tripped over a patch of brambles.

"Thor-I think she may even be a match for him," he commented as his sister panted along at his side, grabbing his hand and hauling him up without even breaking stride.

"Which would be a great thing...if his heart wasn't already buried in this forest," she reminded him.

Up ahead, Hiccup's eyes widened and he snapped a look over his shoulder at the unmistakeable sounds of the Valkyrie firing. And he saw two men go down and glanced at his pursuers. They were continuing regardless. Groaning, he veered right towards the sounds of the Valkyrie. Bullets ripped into the trees around him and he ducked, almost tripping over a bramble. And then he gaped as two blonde shapes appeared from the undergrowth, blasting away furiously at the pursuers. Stumbling past, the twins grinned.

"How's it going, NF?" Tuff asked with a broad grin, firing away wildly.

"What the Helheim?" he spluttered as Toothless appeared, firing away at the pursuers and then ducked down. And then he stopped and saw Astrid pop up, the Valkyrie hugged snugly to her shoulder and she froze-then fired three times. He saw her wing two men and then he staggered forward, stumbling to a halt by her. Blue eyes flicked up and her face filled with a smile.

"What kept you?" she asked and he took a shuddering breath.

"I had to dig a grave," he told her roughly. "My own." He gestured towards the gun. "And I think that's mine..." She rose to her feet and held it out.

"You're welcome," she said gratefully. "She kicks like a bitch!" He held his bound wrists up and Tuff scampered forward, fishing out an improbable pair of wire cutters which made short work of the plastic tie. He sighed in relief, shaking his hands to get the circulation going and rubbing the bright red weals around his wrists-and then he grasped the rifle.

The expression on his face softened and a small smile lifted his lips. A visible change came over him as he nestled the butt of the stock into his left shoulder, his right hand delicately but firmly supporting the barrel and his head tilted very slightly as his emerald eyes focussed down the sights. Mesmerised, Astrid watched as he dropped to one knee and smiled-and then fired. A man fell. Three more shots and three more men fell.

And suddenly there were no more pursuers. Scanning the trees, Hiccup couldn't see any sign of Dagur and he grimaced.

"Are you okay, Hiccup?" Toothless asked gently, pausing by him.

"He got away," the hitman said in a dead voice, the Valkyrie cradled tenderly in his arms.

"He was going to kill you," Astrid guessed, seeing the faint mark on his forehead. "He made you dig your own grave..." He nodded absently, standing up unevenly.

"He didn't shoot me this time," he said quietly, the muzzle of the rifle hovering over the ground. Holstering her pistol in her waistband, Astrid looked up into his face, seeing the pain in his emerald eyes and she gently reached out then paused, her hand hesitating inches from his. His stance, the expertise with which he held the weapon and his broken look in his face reminded her that this was a man with a dark and complex past. But he was in pain. She closed the last few inches.

His emerald eyes widened very slightly as her hand rested on his and for a second his head dipped as if he was just savouring the touch, relishing the feel of another human being offering contact, comfort. And then his lips twitched with the slightest smile and he looked up.

"I'm really glad you came," he commented. "All of you. But you need to use softer hands." She frowned, suddenly lost.

"I...what?" she mouthed.

"The rifle. You were tense and your wrists were tense as well. It caused your aim to pull," he told her calmly.

"I...thanks," she acknowledged with a small smile, "but I think I may be leaving any more shooting to the expert." He gave a sight nod...and then staggered. Toothless was instantly at his side, supporting him as his head dipped again. The Valkyrie dropped to the ground.

"Dagur?" he asked hoarsely as his friend propped him up.

"Long gone," Snotlout reported, running up. "As his men started to fall, he turned back with a couple. I saw them speed off in a big black Jeep."

"We gotta..." Hiccup murmured but Toothless's hand tightened around his arm.

"It's okay," his friend soothed him. "We know where he is. We've got him. And now...we can take our time and do this thing right." Hiccup nodded, his eyelids dropping.

"Thanks, Taron," he murmured. "It's been a long day..." And then he slumped, unconscious.

oOo

His eyes snapped open and he sat up with a gasp-to see Toothless sitting at the tiny table with a mug of coffee in his hand, his eyes scanning the screen of his laptop.

"Welcome back," the handler said. Blinking and running his fingers through his wild auburn hair, Hiccup winced as he met the lump on his head from where he had been clubbed unconscious. "You looked like you needed that."

"Miracle I don't have brain damage from the number of times I get hit over the head," he grumbled.

"Nah-your head is waaaay too thick for that to be a concern..." Toothless smirked as Hiccup swung his legs slowly over the side of the bed and jumped down. The whole van lurched.

"Where are we heading?' Hiccup asked, staggering into the second seat and gratefully accepting a coffee.

"Hysteria...and his Country Retreat...which I think is far better protected than the first," Toothless informed him, demonstrating on the screen. "But at the end of the day, we have three BHS agents, the best sniper and hitman around, me and the twins..."

"That should be enough," Hiccup said. "Do we have a plan?"

"Three pronged attack," the handler explained, pulling up a graphic. "Astrid will be with you-and you will cover the retreat and cause general chaos and mayhem while the others go in. Fishlegs and Snotlout will gather intel and drain their system dry then wipe it while the twins will mine the place to blow it to Helheim. Once they're concerned with what we're doing, you go in and end Dagur once and for all."

"So why is Astrid coming with me?" Hiccup asked dryly, grimacing at the coffee. It was a particularly nasty version of camp coffee, all chicory and bitterness rather than anything consisting of extra caffeine. "Apart from protecting me from being poisoned. Thor-what is this?"

"Snotlout insisted we brewed this-apparently it's far better for your health than normal coffee..."

"And far worse for your sanity and conscious level," the hitman protested. "Can you possibly get me a proper one please?"

"She's coming to ensure you get your chance-by running interference for you," Toothless told him, staggering up as the Camper bounced along and making his way to the galley area-where a percolator was already brewing some better coffee. The horrible sounds of very bad singing was coming from the driver's cab. "She seems to think you deserve your shot." He lowered his voice. "She has asked every single one of us if we know your middle name, by the way." Hiccup involuntarily smiled.

"She's stubborn-I'll grant her that," he conceded. "And she's useful in a fight. I...almost trust her, T...and that scares the Hel out of me. Because if I trust her...if Dagur finds out that I feel...anything for her...he may use her against me..."

"Not if you kill him first," Toothless reminded him in a stern voice, filing away the words for future analysis. His green eyes glittered. "I'd come with you myself...but you need someone hacking the satellites, misdirecting CCTV, feeding you intel..." Hiccup smiled as he took the steaming mug of proper coffee and then offered his friend his hand.

"And there's no one else I would trust with that job, my friend," Hiccup assured him. Then Toothless grinned and dragged a holdall out of one of the cupboards-Hiccup saw weapons, ammunition, grenades and a bag of chicken feed all stuffed in there and an eyebrow arched in surprise. The handler tossed him the bag and he opened the zipper-to see brown and green camouflage kit. He frowned and looked up.

"The twins and I saved your gear," he explained, "because we thought you may need it..." The hitman fished out the floppy-brimmed hat and nodded shortly, his fingers rubbing over the rim.

"It's about right," he murmured as he found his brown leather jacket stuffed in the bottom of the bag.

"Are you okay?" Toothless checked as the man began to strip off his shirt.

"I will be-when Dagur's dead," he said.

oOo

The wind was cold and smelled of damp as they lay among the bracken overlooking Dagur's country retreat...which in reality, seemed to be a heavily fortified and armed base. There were men patrolling the perimeter and sensors that Toothless was busy hacking and putting on a loop to confuse whoever was monitoring the cameras.

Astrid fidgeted to try to get the circulation back in her leg: she was lying alongside Hiccup in a good vantage point, buried in bracken and peering at the house. Occasionally, he glanced down the sights of the Valkyrie and then returned to his very practised waiting position. Face shielded by the floppy brim of his hat, he was silent and focussed, the rifle cradled lovingly in his arms. She sighed.

"How long do you have to wait for when you were doing this for your unit?" she asked him and he forced himself to break from the calm trance he tended to put himself into, blocking out all extraneous distractions apart from the mission. He nodded.

"I've done a few overnight vigils though usually it's only a few hours," he revealed. "You have to be aware of everything that could impact on the mission but not let yourself get distracted. And you have to be detached from the mission, seeing the target as an enemy to be disposed of rather than a living breathing person..."

"Maybe before," she realised, inspecting his focussed face. Without his casual, sarcastic mask, he was surprisingly young and handsome, his clear emerald eyes arresting. "But now it's personal...and that means you can't treat this like any other mission. You want to kill him-because he killed your family."

"I want to break his neck with my bare hands," he said through gritted teeth. "I want to shoot him over and over, causing him as much pain as it is possible to...and knowing that he will still have only experienced the merest fraction of what I have endured since he killed my family!"

"I am sorry," she said quietly. "You were a soldier doing his job and no one should have been able to find out who you were. You lost your wife, your son...and your Dad?"

"And Mom," he said quietly, his eyes fixed on the house. "They were ambushed as they drove back from Lars the Butchers-because my Dad was a man who loved his hunks of roasted meat. The car was sprayed with machine-gun fire-and Mom was killed outright. Dad managed to get out and fought back...he killed at least three, from the blood spatter, though they took their dead away. But as the cops arrived, he got hit in the head and ended in an irreversible coma. About an hour later, my family were taken and we were driven away overnight...and killed the next morning. But he didn't kill me. I was dumped in a shallow grave on the bodies of my wife and little son. I came to buried and had to dig myself out. Fortunately my friends found me...but as far as everyone else is concerned, I died in that forest."

"And Night Fury was born," she realised.

"It was my call sign for Black ops," he admitted. "It gave me something to do while I tried to work out how to finish Dagur. Until finally...you walked into Dragon's Edge." She frowned.

"You told us that Dagur had claimed that he was promised protection-and that you should never have got close," she frowned. "Who could promise that? Only the President...or his inner cabinet..." The emerald eyes flicked over to inspect her frowning face.

"And now ASS are watching over him?" he asked thoughtfully.

"Who are under the direct control of the President," Astrid murmured. "I guess that means that finishing Dagur isn't the end of the story. I'll get Fish to look into this..." Suddenly his hand was locked on hers, his eyes filled with genuine warning.

"Can you trust him?"

"With my life," she confirmed. "I knew him before we entered the service. We were at High Schol together and he is the most decent, kind man I know. My Dad and Uncle were in BHS and AIS and they would never let this go...no matter where it leads. Because an agent is fearless and serves the country, not the individual." And then he smiled, his eyes twinkling momentarily.

"Being a sniper is easy...black or white, alive or dead," he told her easily. "Same for being a hitman."

"But being an agent...well, it's grey all the way," she sighed. "I mean, I think Snotlout has a weird disease where he can't even see grey, let alone comprehend the concept but I have to. I mean...technically, you are a wanted multiple murderer but you're helping us take out a terrorist and traitor, break his organisation and try to find out who is backing him...and who betrayed you....you, the hero soldier and faithful servant of the country who was betrayed and murdered when Dagur should never have known who you were!"

He squeezed her hand, reassuring her even as she winced at how passionate she sounded.

"Thank you," he said, releasing her. She smiled and a playful look crossed her face.

"I don't suppose your middle name is Hercule, Hadrian, Handy, Herleif, Horst or Hardwick?" she asked him and he chuckled, the sound making her heart flutter just slightly in her chest.

"At least one of those letters is correct," he teased her and then stiffened, lowering his head and peering through the sights once more as a dark coloured van pulled up at the main gates. "They're here. Showtime..."

Then he locked the crosshairs on the guard at the main gate, took a slow breath, let it out...and fired...