18. This Cult’s Killers Went to Great Pains to Properly Plan and Execute Their Murders
Order of Assassins killer squads usually planned their hits carefully. They began with studying the routines of a targeted leader. Then they laid in wait for him during a heavily attended public event, such as a festival or Friday prayers at the mosque. At a signal given at an opportune moment, they would spring into action to stab and slash their victim, while shouting the name of their cult’s leader and whatever offense the victim had given.
Stories abound of Assassin sleepers, outwardly innocent of guile, who spent years diligently working their way up the ranks and into the inner circle of a given court. There, they would patiently await instructions that might take decades to arrive, if ever. In some instances, a victim would discover during the final moments of his life that one or more of his bodyguard were Assassins cultists.