“Nice work,” I say. “I’ve always thought you had killer thighs, but…”
As she stares at the ceiling, she bursts out laughing and runs her hands through her hair and over her face. “Nice!”
The mood lightens for a fleeting moment but soon drops again. I push myself up using the bed for leverage. I rest my left foot tentatively on the floor, and then ease my weight down on it, testing how strong it is. I almost overbalance.
Huh… not very, it seems.
I limp toward Matthews, who has propped himself up against the wall over by the bathroom. He’s sitting on the floor, his shoulders slumped forward with defeat, staring up at the TV screen.
I glance at it. The headline along the bottom has changed. Now it says: THE WORLD AT WAR!
Dramatic, yet frighteningly accurate.
I look down at Ruby and extend a hand, which she takes. I pull her up and she stretches, cracking her shoulders.
“So we’re friends, are we?” I ask, half-smiling.
She shrugs. “Closest thing I’ve got to one at the moment.”
“Yeah…” We bump fists and turn to look at the CIA director. I point to the TV. “So how do we stop this?”
He shakes his head, smiling humorlessly. “You don’t. You can’t. It’s too late.”
I look at Ruby and hold out my hand again. “Gun, please.”
She obliges, and I take aim at Matthews. “You should know that I don’t like being told I can’t do something. I have a somewhat compulsive personality at times, and people saying that to me kinda makes me want to do whatever it is even more, just to prove the fuckers wrong, y’know? So, I’ll ask again—how do we stop this?”
He raises his arms, shrugging with what sounds like frustration. “What do you want me to say? Yes, Adrian, you and your girlfriend here can head outside and take on the entire North Korean Army by yourselves if you want. That’s how you stop it.”
I smile. “Hey, don’t tempt me—the mood I’m in, they wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“This was Cunningham’s plan… all along. He struck a deal with North Korea, saying he would bury any evidence of their troops’ movements, if they agreed to risk the wrath of the West by invading everyone.”
“I don’t get it,” says Ruby. “What’s in it for the Koreans?”
“I don’t know…” says Matthews. “Maybe they want to show the world they survived 4/17, and establish themselves as a new super power? To them, this is their chance to conquer the planet, and Cunningham told them he’d let them providing they left America out of it.”
I shake my head. “No. There’s no way they would believe him.”
“You’d be surprised what those crazy bastards will believe.”
“So what’s Cunningham really planning?”
“His idea is to let them destroy GlobaTech, and then he’ll destroy them using the full might of the United States military. He wants to establish a kind of worldwide martial law, which will give him total control over every nation—damaged or otherwise. He envisions other leaders bowing before him, giving him complete power, and allowing him to unite the planet under one banner.”
I turn to Ruby. “Christ… Hitler didn’t have shit on this guy.”
“So what do we do?”
I don’t get a chance to answer, as there’s another knock on the door. We exchange a look, and I turn to Matthews. “You bring a friend?”
He shakes his head and shrugs. “None to bring. And I turned my cell phone off before I left Langley so I couldn’t be tracked…”
“Watch him,” I say to Ruby. “He moves, kick him in the throat.”
I move slowly over to the door, practically dragging my injured leg behind me. I place the barrel of the gun against the spy hole. “Who is it?”
A deep laugh sounds in the corridor outside. “Room service,” replies Oscar’s familiar voice.
I breathe a sigh of relief, lower the gun, and open the door. He’s standing with a smile on his face, holding a large black sport bag. “Try not to lose these this time.”
I roll my eyes. “Come on in.”
I shut the door behind him as he walks in and looks around in awe at the suite. He lets out a low whistle. “This place is nice…” He nods at the broken balcony doors, then at The European’s body in the middle of the room. “Am I late to the party?”
“Just getting started. He tried crashing, but Ruby put him in his place.”
Oscar looks at her. “How you doing, Ruby?”
She smiles. “I’m good, thanks.”
He drops the bag on the bed just behind her. “Present for you.”
I move next to him. “Have you seen the news?”
He turns and stares at the screen. “Yeah… this is all part of the shit-storm you’ve found yourself in, I’m guessing? What are you gonna—” He turns and sees Matthews for the first time, still sitting on the floor. He looks at me. “Who the hell is that?”
“Oh, sorry—where are my manners. Oscar, this is General Tom Matthews, the director of the CIA. Tom, this is my friend and arms dealer, Oscar.”
Matthews says nothing. Oscar stares at me, wide-eyed, and raises an eyebrow.
“It must be fucking weird being you, man. I mean, really… Who did you piss off in a previous life?”
I shrug. “Probably not as many people as I’ve pissed off in this one. You got a cell phone on you?” He takes one from his pocket and hands it to me. “Thanks. I gotta make a call before someone comes to see what all the noise is about. Ruby, see what ol’ Oscar here has brought to the party, would you?”
I pace slowly away toward where the window used to be, feeling the cold wind rushing in from outside. I step carefully onto the balcony, avoiding the sea of shattered glass, and dial a number from memory.
I just hope to God he picks up.
22
23:03 EDT
I pace back and forth as best I can, impatient, conscious of how quickly we’re running out of time.
Come on… pick up, Josh, you—
“Yeah?”
Man, he sounds pissed!
“Josh? It’s me. Are you alright? Have you seen—?”
“The news? Yeah, I’ve seen it. What the fuck is happening? Where did this even come from?”
I sigh. “The abridged version? This is Cunningham’s endgame. He struck a deal with North Korea to wipe out all of GlobaTech’s forces and establish itself in all the affected regions around the world. North Korea thinks it has a partnership with the United States, and that the two nations will essentially divide up the planet between themselves.”
“That is fucking ridiculous! Have you even heard yourself when you say it out loud?”
I can’t help but smile. “Yeah, it’s beyond insane, I know. But that’s what’s happening now. Cunningham knows where every single asset of yours is—public or otherwise. Josh, can you do anything about this?”
“How does he… y’know what? Never mind. I’ve got everyone doing everything they can. I’ve got more men with more firepower getting ready to deploy wherever I can get them to the fastest as we speak. Schultz is coordinating with Homeland and the NSA—two agencies we’re pretty sure aren’t under Cunningham’s influence… They’re just acting as anyone would under the circumstances. With Schultz bringing them up to speed, we’re starting to slowly take back the country.”
“I think that might be too little, too late. What’s happening is just the first phase.”
He sighs. “And you’re gonna tell me the second phase now, aren’t you?”
“Cunningham’s using the Koreans like he did El-Zurak. They’re the bad guys, and he’s going to jump to everyone’s defense and kick their ass. And when he’s done that, he intends doing something that under any other circumstances would be impossible and clearly insane.”
“Which is?”
“He’s going to unite the world under the banner of the United States, using our own military as a kind of global army. It’ll be a dictatorship on the
largest possible scale. He’ll control everything.”
Josh sighs down the phone again. “Bollocks.”
“Exactly. But I think he’s right when he says people are going to love the idea, given everything that’s happening. They’ll be blinded by the sense of security and won’t see if for what it is.”
“Yeah, good point. Just out of interest, how do you know all this? It’s not on the flash drive hanging around your neck…”
“No, it’s not. General Matthews tracked us down and told us everything. He said Cunningham’s trying to kill him for failing to kill me. He’s here with us now.”
“And you believe him?”
“I do. He’s given us a case-load of evidence to back it up, too. But then The European burst in here and tried to take him out instead of us. His friends in the White House must be done with him. It explains why he came to me, anyway.”
“Fuck… So what happened with The European?”
“Ruby killed him.”
“Oh, good. So she’s okay?”
“She’s doing fine, considering.”
The line falls silent for a moment.
“Jesus, Adrian, how did we end up involved in this shit?”
“You got me. I was just minding my own business, running my bar.”
“Yeah… I bet that life seems a million years away right now, huh?
“You’re not wrong, man. So what’s your plan? Can you hold off the North Koreans?”
“I don’t know… that’s a big fucking army, Adrian. We do alright for ourselves, don’t get me wrong. And in terms of technology, we’ll kick anyone’s ass, any day of the week. But man for man, bullet for bullet, they outnumber anything we’ve got six to one, at least.”
“Are you seriously trying to tell me that one member of your elite private military can’t kill six North Korean soldiers?”
“Well, when you put it like that…”
We share a quick laugh, and then I remember the reason I was calling.
“Listen, Josh, I know you’ve got a lot on your plate, but I don’t suppose you’ve had a chance to—”
“Put everything in place for your bat-shit crazy plan? Yeah, you’re good to go. I’ll leave you a message with the details. It’s still mental, but it’s prepared as much as it can be. The rest is up to you, boss.”
“Thanks, Josh—you’re a legend, do you know that?”
“I do.”
“Heh… According to Matthews, killing Cunningham isn’t going to stop what’s now in motion, but I’m gonna do it anyway. I’m gonna knock on his front door, walk inside his house, and put a bullet between his eyes.”
He laughs. “Y’know what? I believe you, you big, scary bastard! It’ll be like Heaven’s Valley all over again.”
I smile. “Yeah, except there might be a few more men.”
“And the house is a little bigger—and better protected.”
“And a little whiter…
“So, thinking about it, it’s not much like Heaven’s Valley at all, is it?”
I pause. “Not really, no… But taking down Pellaggio was fun, wasn’t it?”
“It sure was beautiful to watch,” he says fondly. “So am I right in assuming the words Inner and Satan will be making an appearance soon?”
I think about it for a moment. Apart from back on the highway with those three SUVs full of CIA agents, I’ve not really lost it enough to revert to my more animalistic instincts. I think this situation is so big, so… unique… I can’t afford to lose control. I need to rely on my skills, and I need to stay disciplined enough to do what needs to be done.
“I don’t think so, man. Not this time. The world is at war… I can’t lose control if I want to do this.”
“Huh… Fuck me, Adrian. I never thought I’d see the day where things got so bad even your dark side couldn’t help.”
“I guess it’s not dark enough anymore.”
“Either that or you’ve finally trained him to think as well as maim. And if that’s the case, can you grab a gun and go kill some North Koreans, please? Because you’ve just become the most frightening thing I’ve ever known!”
“Thanks!”
He chuckles, almost nervously. “I’m not entirely sure that was a compliment, I’ll be honest…”
“Yeah, Ruby says I struggle spotting them.” I glance over my shoulder at her. She’s sitting beside Oscar on the edge of one of the beds, staring in disbelief at the TV. “Listen… Josh. What I said when we last spoke… I know you said not to think about what could go wrong and everything, but… well, shit doesn’t really get much more wrong than this. You’re waging a war with North Korea, and I’m about to go and kill the president… Just in case either of us doesn’t make it out the other side of this thing, I just wanna say… y’know…”
“Adrian… Boss… it doesn’t need to be said. I know. And the same goes for you.”
I smile. “I love you, bro.”
“Beers at The Ferryman when this is over?”
“Bet your ass.”
“Go do your thing, Adrian Hell.”
“Good luck, Josh.”
I hang up and stare out at the city for a moment. I’ve got my plan. And it’s going to work. A couple of tweaks are needed in light of the information Matthews has kindly provided, but that’s not a problem.
I let out a heavy sigh.
This is it…
I head back inside. Ruby looks over as I step through the shattered balcony door. “Everything okay?”
I nod. “As much as it can be, under the circumstances.”
I move over to the bed. Oscar stands and steps to the side so I can see all the weaponry laid out behind him. There is a lot of firepower! I pick up a suppressed handgun. It’s a Beretta, similar to my old ones but not as cool. I regard it in my hand for a moment and then turn and take aim at Matthews.
“Give me your cell.”
I hold out my hand, and he reaches inside his pocket, takes out his phone, and hands it to me.
I look down at it. It’s turned off, like he said. “What’s the security code?”
“Four, seven, eight, two.”
“Thanks. Now, is there anything else you think I should know? Anything else that might help us stop this?”
He shakes his head. “It’s all in the case. Just, please, promise me you will stop him.”
“Oh, you’ve got my word on that, General.”
I pull the trigger, and a split-second later, Matthews’ head snaps back. A deep crimson sprays across the wall behind him. He slumps forward and falls to the side.
I look at Ruby and Oscar in turn. Neither of them says anything.
“Pack everything up, including his briefcase.” I hand the gun to Oscar. “I’m sorry about this, but you’re here, which means you’re part of the fight now. I need all the help I can get. I’d give you the ‘if you want out, now’s your chance’ speech, but there’s no point. There is no out, understand? You grab a gun, and you don’t stop shooting until everyone’s dead. Whether that’s us or them, that’s for fate to decide. But this is it. We’re gonna lay low here until the morning. As soon as Jonas arrives, we’re leaving town.”
“You gonna tell us the plan?” asks Ruby.
“Once we’re all together, yeah.”
She smiles. “Groovy.”
Oscar hangs his head. “Shit…”
23
April 30, 2017
11:46 EDT
We gathered our things and found an empty suite one floor down. We broke in and spent the night, though no one slept much. We just sat, mostly in silence, watching the TV. I worked my way through the documents in Matthews’ briefcase, mostly to keep my mind occupied.
I contacted Jonas and left him an update. While it was good The European was finally dead, I had to assume our hotel was compromised. If he had been working for the powers that be and he managed to find us, chances are they know where we are, too. I told Jonas to meet us in the short-term parking lot of the Atlantic Cit
y airport.
We commandeered a Mercedes saloon car from the lot at Caesar’s and headed there, stopping briefly on the way for breakfast. We’re currently parked nose first in a space not far from the entrance to the airport, anonymous in a sea of vehicles patiently waiting their owners’ return.
Oscar’s standing next to the car, leaning against the driver’s door with his arms folded across his chest. Ruby’s still inside, stretched across the back seat with her eyes closed. I’m not sure she’s actually asleep, though. She’s holding her shoulder, which I know is still giving her grief. I’m sitting on the hood with my leg resting up on it. The warmth of the engine is providing some relief from the pain and stiffness in my knee—a result of my run-in with The European last night.
I’ve got the flash drive in my hand, spinning it absently between my finger and thumb. All this time, I’ve been hoping the information on this drive would cause people enough concern that it might keep me alive long enough to stop Cunningham, but it turns out it barely scratches the surface.
North Korea is still invading most of the eastern hemisphere. The assault has been relentless, according to the news reports we’ve watched and heard. Even the most naive of us can see this had to have been planned months, or even years, in advance. It’s too slick, too coordinated… Cunningham’s a real sonofabitch, and the more I think about how he’s played us all, the more I blame myself for not stopping this sooner. First it was Cerberus, now the Koreans… I’m sick of arriving at the party too fucking late.
Well that ends right now.
“Heads-up,” says Oscar.
I look back at him over my shoulder, and he gestures to my left with his head. There’s a car approaching, and even from where I’m standing I recognize Jonas’ squat frame behind the wheel.
Oscar moves along the side of the car and stops next to the trunk. I follow him and knock on the window as I pass. Ruby sits up, instantly awake and aware.
“Showtime,” I say.
She nods and climbs out, and we form a loose line by the Mercedes. The car slows to a stop next to us, and Jonas gets out.
He regards each of us in turn with an expressionless gaze before stretching his arms and back. He idly glances around the parking lot and looks up as a plane takes off nearby. He watches it climb until the noise is barely audible.
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