by Matt Rogers
Now he was realising he should have employed more caution against ex-operatives — people he’d forged uneasy alliances with, but little more than that.
Slater said, ‘I need to ask you a question.’
‘Sounding awfully sinister now, Will.’
‘Yeah, well…’
‘What?’
‘Desperate times.’
‘What the hell are you talking about?’
‘I’ve been contemplating how to do this for the last few days, but in reality there’s no way to get you to talk without—’
He drew the Sig Sauer, making sure it was in full view of Williams when he thumbed the safety off. He aimed the barrel square at the man’s head.
Williams’ brooding eyes turned dark and cloudy. ‘Oh, you really don’t want to be doing that, Will.’
‘I think I do.’
‘You’d better choose your next words very fucking carefully.’
‘Okay,’ Slater said. ‘Not a problem. Did you put Shien in the Lynx program?’
70
Silence.
Deafening silence.
You could hear a pin drop.
They stared at each other across the room, both locked in a battle of stares that neither man was willing to break. Slater knew Williams was fighting the urge to display a single nervous tic — trying not to twitch his lip, or blink, or flare his nostrils. He fought so hard to control his poker face that Slater knew immediately the next words to come out of his mouth would be egregious lies.
‘What’s the Lynx program?’ Williams said, deadbeat.
‘Wouldn’t have a clue. I heard a rumour.’
‘From where?’
‘An undisclosed source.’
‘You’d better get to the point so I can discredit whoever the hell is feeding you this bullshit.’
‘What bullshit?’
‘What the hell is the Lynx program?’
‘Where’s Shien?’
‘Safe.’
‘Where?’
‘You want the truth?’
‘Always.’
‘She’s in a foster home, Will. I did exactly what you told me to do. But I made sure to take her off all government records, so no-one can ever track down where she’s being raised. It’d ruin her childhood. I protected her even from you. I didn’t want a shred of danger following her anywhere. Even if you thought you made the wrong decision in the moment, and wanted to reunite with her, and thought the only way to do that was to latch onto the first bad rumour you heard and run with it all the way to this hotel room. Is that right? Are you delusional?’
‘I’d like to be.’
‘I don’t know what else to tell you.’
‘The truth.’
‘That is the truth.’
‘And I might have bought it. It was awfully convincing. Great job on that. Do you teach them to act yourself? Do you take the weekly classes?’
‘I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, and I suggest you either start making sense or put a bullet in me, because either way you’re fucked.’
‘Am I?’
‘Point that gun at me for another five seconds and I might not be so kind when we sort this out.’
‘Who says we’re sorting this out?’
‘You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into, Will. You don’t know the world I belong to.’
‘Yes I do. I belonged to it for ten years.’
‘You think you did. You belonged to the outskirts of it. You don’t know a thing about how the internals work, and for good reason. It’s a dark beast inside that cage, Will. You understand the resources I have access to, right? You know what I could do to your life if you made an enemy out of me?’
‘Not much you can do six feet under.’
‘Empty threats. Either shoot me or put the gun down. Your call.’
‘I think I’ll keep it right here.’
‘I told you — you don’t know what you’re talking about. I came here on my own because of the work you did for your country. You practically dedicated your life to it. And we’ve lost track of the number of times you almost died. It’s all in the files, buried deep down under a mountain of encryption. Every operation you undertook. Sometimes I dive in, for light reading. Just to see what kind of a man you are.’
‘And…?
‘And as far as I can tell, you’re a good one. Which is why I came. It’s why I came in Macau, too. I wouldn’t go on my own for anyone else. But I read your file extensively before I associated myself with you, and I trust you.’
‘I like what you’re doing,’ Slater said with a smirk. ‘Manipulation tactics at their finest.’
‘What?’ Williams said, his eyes searing with cold. Then he said, ‘Actually, you know what, I don’t give a shit. Put that gun down or this conversation is over.’
‘You must not have read my file as extensively as you thought.’
‘Trust me, I did.’
‘Then you never would have come alone, and you never would have lied to me.’
‘I haven’t lied. And I’m about done with defending myself.’
‘That’s a shame to hear. Because I can’t say I’ve read your file, and—’
‘I don’t have one.’
Slater raised an eyebrow. ‘Well, there you go. You can talk all you want about the grave danger I’ve got myself in, but really all you can do if you walk out of this room alive is make a few calls and send a few of your minions running around searching for me. I’m sure they’re well-trained, and I’m sure they’re ruthless, but I’m big-headed enough to put myself in both those categories, too. I’m sure “the file” spells that out in as many words.’
‘It also says you’re a decent man. Which is why I’m surprised—’
‘I am. I care about the wellbeing of a little girl I rescued from hell.’
‘As you should. But you have nothing to—’
With a manic glint in his eye, Slater said, ‘In fact, I’d be willing to wage war against the entire fucking government if it meant pulling her out of hell again.’
71
Williams stirred icily in his chair. He gripped the armrests with white knuckles, clearly hoping Slater didn’t see.
Slater saw everything.
Williams said, ‘You have nothing to worry about. I swear to you. You’re hearing fairytales.’
‘You didn’t even ask me where I heard it.’
‘I’m not interested in who’s feeding you bullshit. Is it King? Because he doesn’t know a thing.’
Slater smirked. ‘No. King is in the past. He’s done with this life. But I’m not. Which doesn’t bode well for you.’
‘Then who did you hear it from? An excommunicated outcast? I assume those are the only types you have contact with these days.’
‘I don’t have contact with anyone, as a matter of fact. It was a chance encounter. A run-in.’
‘Now you’re the one making things up, Will. Come back to reality. Please. Shien is counting on it. Leave her be.’
‘Is she? She’s counting on it?’
‘Yes.’
‘That’s interesting.’
‘Come on. You know me. Would I do anything to piss you off? Do you honestly think that? I’ve read your file, like I said.’
‘And I think the file showed I’m brash. And reckless. And prone to outbursts of impulsiveness. Most of the time it’s what gets the job done. But in Macau it made me leave a little girl with a man I hardly knew. And now I’m starting to think you weren’t really there to tell me I’d been cleared of wrongdoing. I think you know exactly why you were there.’
‘You’re psychotic, Will. You don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘How’d you know I was with her? CCTV live feeds? I’m sure you were telling the truth about the deep dark secret world. I believe that. I’ve seen enough on the outskirts, as you said. Were you watching me in Macau? Were you keeping a close eye on the girl? Running background checks? Understanding she’s a ghost? Plotting
to snatch her out of my hands?’
‘You gave her over to me. And, besides, she’s safe.’
‘I almost died in Macau. I complied a list of injuries so extensive it took me months to recover. That seems to be a reoccurring pattern over the last year. But that casino broke me. It chewed me up and spat me out. And you knew that. You knew I’d hand her over. You knew I was at my breaking point, and needed to be alone. You knew I’d trust you.’
‘Once again, you’re delusional.’
‘I don’t think so. Want to know where I was three days ago?’
‘Not particularly.’
‘I think you do.’
‘Okay, go on. Will you take the gun out of my face?’
‘No. I was deep in the Chocó Department, in rural Colombia.’
Briefly, a shadow of recognition crossed his face.
He noticed the same time as Slater.
They both knew he couldn’t take it back.
With resignation, Williams said, ‘Christ. What the hell were you doing there?’
‘Living out there. For such a fearsome know-it-all, you certainly weren’t keeping tabs on me.’
‘You’re bluffing.’
‘Wish I was. It’s a tough place to live. But the humidity and the atmosphere cultivate discipline. I had to put myself through the ringer. I had a certain kind of injury a few months ago. It set me back, physically and mentally. I had to reshape myself into what I used to be.’
‘Did you?’
‘Take a look at me.’
‘You’ve never lacked self-confidence, have you?’
‘Is that in my file too?’
‘In between the lines. You could assume that.’
Slater smirked. ‘Never had a problem with that. I know what discipline gives you. I can recognise my strengths.’
‘And they are?’
‘When I put my mind to something I make sure it gets done. Fairly simple, when you put it into basic terms like that. But most people don’t understand what that really means. It means you can get almost anything you want from life if you’re willing to put in what’s required. So when I tell you to take care of a young girl with no family and a horrific past, I make sure it gets done. No matter what that takes. Are we on the same page?’
With one final burst of resistance, Williams said, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘That wasn’t your operative in the Chocó jungles? Must have been someone else who just happened to drop your name, then…?’
Williams glared. ‘What did you do to her?’
Now Slater was the one to hesitate. ‘Nothing. Why?’
‘Have the decency to tell me where you buried her. She was a good operative. One of our best. Don’t you fucking dare try and pretend you let her walk away. I played your games until the truth came out, but now we might as well get on the same level. My program is my business. You handed Shien over to me, and you didn’t put a thing in writing. You technically kidnapped her, if you want to get specific about it. Therefore I was free to do whatever the hell I wanted with her. And I did what was best. But if you have the gall to think you can lambast me about her wellbeing when you put one of my very best talents in the ground, then you have another thing coming.’
‘I didn’t touch Ruby Nazarian,’ Slater said, then shrugged. ‘Actually, I did, but only what she wanted me to do. Not my fault you lost her after she walked out on me. You never know — maybe she had a change of heart about the program. But thanks for the clarification. Now, the pair of us are going on a trip.’
‘Where?’
‘The facility. Wherever it is.’
‘What makes you think I’d take you there? You of all people.’
‘Is this the part where you try to convince me you’re thick-skinned?’
‘Maybe I haven’t seen combat,’ Williams said. ‘But don’t take me for a pushover. I’ll die before I give away information that confidential.’
Slater smiled. He got off the bed, crossed to the armchair, and crouched down. Right in front of Williams’ face. He jammed the barrel of the Sig Sauer into the man’s throat. Not hard. Gently, letting him feel the texture of the barrel against the soft tissue of his neck.
‘You see, that’s where we differ in opinion,’ Slater said.
Williams sat still as stone. Trying to give nothing away. But the eyes never lied.
‘I don’t think you’re ready to die,’ Slater said. ‘I think you’re a very careful and patient man. And I think you’re smart. You say you’ve read my file, but now’s the time where we really see if that’s true or not. I’m sure you think you’re doing the right thing with the Lynx program. And you have the backing of the government. It’s a mad world out there, and lines need to be crossed. I get it. Maybe you’re approaching it from a utilitarian perspective. Sure, you’re ruining a few childhoods, but the assassins you’re forging are priceless. You’re reducing far more suffering than you’re creating. By an overwhelming amount. It’s a bitch of an issue to grapple with. I’m not interested in that. You know I’m single-minded, and you know I’m reckless, and you know I’m determined. So, ask yourself, is it really worth getting your brains blown out across this room just to spite me? Think about the life you’ve spent so long cultivating. Do you really want to throw it away?’
‘Yes, if it means destroying all the work I’ve done.’
‘I won’t touch your work. I disagree with it, but those days are past me. I just want Shien to have a normal life. At least until she’s old enough to decide for herself. Understand?’
‘I see where you’re coming from,’ Williams said.
‘And?’
‘And it’s not as simple as that.’
‘Why not?’
‘You’ve already crossed a line. Several lines, in fact. The second you pointed that gun at me everything changed. I’m not going to help you with a thing.’
‘You don’t need to help me. You just need to point me in the right direction.’
‘The North Maine Woods.’
Slater studied the man’s face. He found no hint of deception — then again, Williams actively managed a top-secret division specialising in deceit. Slater didn’t trust him for a second.
‘I think I believe you,’ Slater said.
‘Go find out for yourself.’
‘I’m bringing you along.’
‘You shouldn’t do that.’
‘You’re not in a position to argue.’
‘Will, I promise you — if you take this any further, your life is over. You know it just as well as I do.’
‘You’re confirming you have her in the program?’
‘It was the right thing to do.’
‘Then off we go.’
He stood up from the crouch, and seized hold of the shoulder of Williams’ coat. Maintaining a strict powerlifting regime in Colombia had its advantages in times like these. He threw the man out of the chair like he weighed nothing, sending him stumbling across the room. Midway through the off-balance stagger, Williams wheeled around and made a snatch for the Sig Sauer. He almost got his hands on it too. For the equivalent of a desk jockey on steroids, he sure had a mean game face. One of his stubby fingers glanced off the barrel of the P228, nearly bumping it out of Slater’s hands. He’d seen the move coming, but Williams had speed and dexterity that belied his status as a handler.
Slater lunged back, lightning fast, and Williams carried on past.
Slater smashed a fist into his ear as he went by, disrupting his equilibrium, disorienting him.
Immediately, he knew Russell Williams had never been hit in his life.
The man might have a smattering of training, passed down by all the covert instructors that honed black operations soldiers into hardened killers. Slater doubted it would cost much to the government to employ their services for an extra few hours each time, making sure all the off-the-books intelligence officers had a basic grip on combat for when they found themselves in situations exactly like th
is.
But that didn’t correlate with experience.
Williams clearly knew how to move fast, with purpose, utilising his adrenalin. That had been drilled into him. But he’d never taken a punch, or an elbow, or any kind of strike that shattered bone and tore muscle tissue and came with a myriad of dire consequences.
He went down on the plush carpet, not knocked unconscious, but pale as a sheet.
Stunned.
Slater smirked, shoved the barrel of the Sig Sauer in the man’s ear, and shoved him toward the doorway.
‘To Maine,’ he muttered.
72
They stepped out onto the street, surrounded by rush hour traffic and an onslaught of pedestrians and the cacophony of sound that accompanied this time of evening in New York City.
Slater wore Williams’ coat, with one hand in the pocket and the barrel of the Sig Sauer aimed squarely at the man’s bulk at all times. Williams shivered in his button-up shirt, taking the lead. He had broad shoulders and a fast-paced, get-shit-done gait. Much more refined than the meek intel officer Slater had originally chalked him up as. The few times Slater had met the man, he’d kept his physique hidden under a few layers of expensive clothing.
But it was all show muscle. He’d never been hit. Slater let the thought spur him on as he focused on making one consecutive move after the other. If he slowed down, he’d realise what he was getting himself into, and he’d give up.
He said, ‘Walk.’
Williams glanced over his shoulder. ‘Where are we going?’
‘Wherever I say. If you’ve got eyes on us right now, and you’re thinking of reciting a couple of subtle gestures you rehearsed in a training room somewhere — keep in mind that I’ll recognise them. I’d advise doing nothing. I’ve got a finger touching the trigger, so if you’ve got a man ready to take me out from a distance you’ll almost certainly kill yourself in the crossfire. And you’re not ready to die.’
‘There’s no-one. I came alone. I trusted you.’
‘And I trusted you.’
‘I did the right thing.’
‘We’ll have all the time in the world to talk about it on the drive.’