The Lion

Boris also noted, almost absently, that the man's dark suit and white shirt were covered with fresh blood.

Khalil took off his glasses and peeled off his mustache, then said in Russian, "Are you not happy to see your favorite student?"

Boris took a deep breath and replied in English, "Your Russian is still as bad as the stench of your mouth and your body."

Khalil did not respond to that, but said, "I would advise you now to reach for your gun so I will be forced to give you a quick death. But… if you prefer to live a few minutes longer, we can share a few words before you suffer a painful death. The choice is yours."

Boris reverted to Russian and said, "Yob vas." Fuck you.

Khalil smiled and said to Boris, "Still arrogant." Then he said, "So, your CIA friends are not protecting you."

Boris replied, "They are."

Khalil again smiled and said, "Then where are they? They used you like the whore you are, and they put you here in this place filled with other whores and drunken pigs."

Boris's eyes darted around the room, looking for a way to save his life.

Khalil said to him, "Look at me. Why don't you understand that you are dead?"

Boris took another deep breath and said, "Then do it."

"You must reach for your gun. This needs to be interesting for both of us."

Boris looked at his former student and said, "What did I teach you? Kill quickly. You talk too much."

"I enjoy the talk."

"I assure you, your victims do not."

Khalil seemed a

Boris's mind was racing, thinking of a way to save himself. The girl, Tanya, would be escorted here by a security man, and that man would notice… something. A body. Blood on the floor…

Khalil, who knew exactly what his old teacher was thinking, said, "Vladimir is cleaning up my mess. And he has called downstairs to have the girl sent away-on your instructions." He added, "You will not be having champagne and caviar tonight, and you will not be fornicating after I cut off your testicles."

Boris did not reply, and his mind was still searching for a way out.

Finally, Boris realized that there was only one move he could make-he had to go for his gun. That would either save him, or end it quickly. He looked at Khalil for a sign that the man's attention was not fully focused-they sometimes let their eyes dart around to take in their new surroundings, or to look for signs of danger, and their guns tended to drift in the direction they were looking. But all Boris saw was Khalil's black eyes staring straight at him, and the black muzzle of the gun-aimed as accurately as Khalil's eyes.

Again, Khalil knew what Boris was thinking, and he said to him, "My advice is to go for your gun. That will make you feel more of a man as you are dying." He added, "You do not want to be shot like a dog." He further advised Boris in Russian, "Courage. Show me some courage, boy. Do something."

Boris took another deep breath and in his mind he was reaching inside his jacket for the gun on his hip as he dove to the side, rolled, and fired.

Khalil said, "No, I would not suggest a floor roll. I would suggest a step back-your armchair is behind you-a backward roll over the chair. That will give you a moment of concealment, but unfortunately not cover from my bullets that I will fire through the chair. Still, you will have drawn your gun during your backward roll and you may be able to return fire before you are hit." He asked, "Have I given the correct advice, Mr. Korsakov? Have I correctly evaluated the situation, sir?"

Boris stared at Khalil, then nodded and said, "That is the only move possible."

"Then make the move. Do not just stand there. And do not think you can surprise me by diving to the right or the left. You will be dead before you hit the floor… though I may let you get your hand on your gun as you roll."

Boris continued to stare at Khalil. He understood that this man needed to mock him and torment him before he killed him. But he also understood that he could not expect a quick death with a bullet from Asad Khalil's gun. Boris realized that no matter what he did-rolled, dove, even charged at Khalil-this man would shoot to wound him, then he would finish him off in a way that Boris did not want to think about. Or worse, Khalil would not kill him-he would mutilate him and leave him as a freak, a half-man with no genitals, no eyes, no tongue…

Boris felt his heart beating wildly in his chest, and a cold sweat chilled his body.

Khalil seemed impatient and said, "Have you forgotten everything? Or was that just classroom talk? I have done all that you taught me. And more. So now you must show your student what you will do in this situation. I am waiting and curious."

Boris thought if he could keep Khalil talking, there was a chance that someone would come up the stairs or the elevator and see that something was not right. He waited for the doorbell to ring-a few notes of Tchaikovsky that would distract Khalil for half a second. That's all Boris needed. A half second to draw his gun.

Boris cleared his throat and said in a confident voice, "This building is under surveillance by the police and the FBI."

Khalil replied, "They do not seem to be any more competent or alert than your stupid bodyguards."

"You will not get out of this building alive."

"It is you who will not get out of this building alive."

Khalil had not moved far from the door, and now he stepped back and put his ear to it, then turned to Boris and said, "Someone is coming."

Boris took a deep breath, and prepared himself to go for his gun.

Then Khalil smiled and said, "Perhaps I was hearing things." Then he laughed.

Boris was enraged and shouted a string of half-remembered Arabic obscenities, then he shouted in English. "You fucking bastard! You piece of shit! Your mother was a fucking whore!"

Khalil aimed his gun-the Glock he'd taken from Corey's wife-at Boris's midsection, and Boris could see that Khalil's arm was shaking in rage. Boris waited for the bullet, hoping it would either miss him or hit his heart.

Khalil took a deep breath, then reached under his jacket and pulled out the long carving knife that he'd used to kill the two bodyguards.

Boris stood completely still and watched as Khalil gripped the blade, holding the knife in a throwing position.

Khalil's arm cocked back, and he flung the knife toward Boris, who flinched as the knife stuck in the carpet at his feet.

Boris stared at the knife with the bloody blade. He understood what was coming.

Khalil said to him, "You may have the knife-in exchange for your gun."

Boris looked at Khalil, but did not respond.

Khalil said, "You have chosen not to draw your gun. So I am offering you this instead." He added, "This is very generous of me-though it will be more painful for you." He asked Boris, "Have you been practicing with the knife since I last saw you?" He smiled and added, "Or perhaps just the knife and fork."

Boris weighed his options, which were reduced now to two-go for his gun and hope for a quick bullet in the head or heart; or engage Asad Khalil in a knife fight. He could win that fight, but if he didn't, he knew what Asad Khalil would do to him with the knife.

Khalil said to him, "You seem to be unable to make a decision today. So I will make it for you." He crouched into a shooting stance and steadied his aim.