Thicker Than Blood

by James P. Sumner

  I’m surprised by how much sentiment she holds for me, in her own, unique way. It reminds me just how much of her personality is part of the act. Part of the character she portrays when she’s doing her job. I remember talking with her, seeing her vulnerable, more human side, and thinking there was no need for her to pretend she was anything other than who she was. But, I suppose, this life is easier to lead when you take yourself out of the job. A conscience will get you killed. She’ll use Ruby the Crazy Killer as a means of separating herself from what we do.

  I know, because I do the same thing.

  I lean over and gently nudge her arm with mine. “I know how you feel, but this isn’t a normal fight. We’d be foolish to approach it in the normal way. It’s hard to rush headlong into something when you don’t know which direction to go.”

  Her expression softens as she smiles. “Since when did you become smart and patient?”

  I smile back. “About three weeks ago.”

  She holds my gaze. For the first time since I met her, she looks exposed and defenseless. It’s strange to see her like that, but it’s also nice to know she can be normal.

  I frown, questioningly. “What?”

  She shakes her head. “Nothing. Just admiring.”

  “Ha! Don’t tell Josh, I think he likes you.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Not like that, you idiot. I mean, after what we went through together, and what you went through afterward… seeing you here, now, dealing with this the way you are. I’m proud of you.”

  I fight to stop my cheeks flushing. I never would have pegged her as the complimentary type.

  I look away. “Thanks. Now, quit being nice to me, it’s weird.”

  She laughs. “You got it, asshole.”

  As we share a rare moment of escapism from the shit-storm that is our lives, I see Josh making his way across the bridge toward us. He’s been at our hotel, waiting for his people to deliver the Holy Trinity rifle, and some other goodies from his compound. He’s carrying a paper bag in one hand.

  We both get to our feet as he crosses the street and stops beside our table.

  “How’d it go?” I ask

  He nods a quick greeting to each of us. “All good. Everything arrived without any problems. I think we’re good to go.” He rests the bag down on our table. “Presents for you both.”

  Ruby looks inside and a smile creeps across her face. “Hugh Grant, you sexy man!”

  She reaches in, and takes out a gun, which she quickly tucks at her back. I move over and take out another. I quickly look it over before doing the same. They’re both Berettas—the latest M9A3 model.

  I look at Josh. “Thanks, man. Did they not have any 92s? You know they’re my favorite.”

  He shakes his head. “Sadly not. This latest version of the M9 was the easiest to track down, as they’re manufactured in Italy. A few months ago, the U.S. Army began the phasing out process, as they’re switching over to the Sig Sauer P320s—which I’m not happy about. GlobaTech bid for that contract, but they actually wanted something more low-tech, would you believe? Anyway, it meant they had a large stockpile right here, so it was straightforward enough to borrow from.”

  “So long as it fires, I’m happy.”

  “I figured. Oh, I called Schultz again, too, and told him we were here.”

  “I take it he still won’t help us directly?”

  He shakes his head. “No, he won’t budge. He also reiterated how unhappy he’ll be if we make the news back home.”

  I smile wryly. “I’m pretty sure what we’re about to do will make the news everywhere.”

  “Agreed. But it would be nice if our names and faces stayed out of the headlines, eh?”

  Ruby sighs heavily, and we both turn to see her pouting. “This isn’t going to be any fun.”

  Josh frowns. “Were you really expecting this to be fun?”

  She raises an eyebrow as if that was a silly question. “Are you kidding me? I get to work side-by-side with the most famous assassin on the planet, again, to take down the actual Order of Sabbah? What’s not to enjoy? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime job!”

  He looks at each of us in turn. “Wow… talk about separated at birth.”

  We all share a moment of reprieve, laughing like old friends, but it’s interrupted by the ringtone of Josh’s cell phone. He reaches inside his jacket for it, muttering to himself about getting no peace, however, he falls silent and frowns when he stares at the number on-screen. He answers and places it to his ear.

  “Hello?” His expression hardens, and after a moment, he holds the phone out between us all and presses the speaker button with his thumb. “Yeah, we’re all here.”

  “Good,” says Horizon’s voice. “Now, Adrian, I see you’ve been doing some recruiting of your own? An amusingly futile gesture. Tell me, Miss DeSouza, do you really want to align yourself with this man? You have so much… potential. It would be a shame to see you cut down before you could fully realize it.”

  Horizon? How the hell did he get Josh’s number? And how does he know Ruby is with us? Instinctively, I look around, quickly surveying the light stream of pedestrians around us, but see nothing suspicious.

  Ruby looks at me, silently asking what she should say. Speaking to The Order, I can’t tell if she’s nervous or star-struck. I just shrug. I’m as taken aback as she is. I wasn’t expecting him to make contact again.

  She clears her throat. “So, you’re the guy who recruited Adrian?”

  “I am, although that transpired to not be one of my better decisions. Perhaps I should’ve considered you. After all, hiding out in an insane asylum between contracts is a stroke of brilliance. With my help, you could have executed it perfectly.”

  Her eyes grow wide. I stop myself from doing the same thing, despite being so surprised to learn he’s had his eyes on her, too.

  “You’ve scouted me?” she asks.

  “Briefly, yes.”

  “So, why didn’t you approach me?”

  He pauses. “Ultimately, you were deemed too amateurish.”

  She scowls, her mouth open. “Well, fuck you! Me? Amateurish? Why don’t you come here and say that, and I’ll show you amateurish, you sonofa—”

  I put a hand on her arm and shake my head. We can’t let him see he’s getting to us.

  I look at Josh and then at his phone. “What do you want, you old bastard?”

  “I just wanted to give you one last chance to quit while you’re so far behind, before you’re all laid to rest.”

  I roll my eyes. “You don’t give up, do you? You’ve lost, asshole. You’re so blinded by your own sense of accomplishment that you’ve lost, and you don’t even know it.”

  He chuckles. “Adrian, please, remember who you’re talking to. There isn’t anything I don’t know, or haven’t already prepared for. I will admit, I was surprised you made it out of Sterling’s offices alive, but it makes no difference. He gave you nothing.”

  Josh and I exchange a glance. “What makes you think that?”

  Horizon chuckles, which sounds a little distorted on the line. “Because I detonated his tracking chip before he could.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “Wait. That was you? I figured he took the coward’s way out and did it himself.”

  “Grant Sterling was no coward, Adrian. He was a visionary, like everyone else on the Committee. But I had to do what was necessary to preserve The Order, and I couldn’t risk you getting anything out of him.”

  “Hold on a second,” says Josh. “Are you saying you decided to blow his head off on your own? You weren’t following an order from someone else on the Committee?”

  “Yes, I took it upon myself to ensure the safety of our organization. A bold move, I confess, but a prudent one nevertheless. So, I know you have nothing, Adrian. You’re wandering aimlessly through the darkness, waiting to die.”

  I physically bite my tongue, resisting the urge to prove to him what we know. Pride can be a bigger killer than I am, sometimes.


  “Uh-huh. Well, okay, if that’s the case, why don’t you tell me your next move? Why don’t you tell me what The Order really wants? Let me at least go out knowing how I was beaten.”

  He laughs. “You’re a true warrior, Adrian. I respect that. You know when you’ve lost, yet you still want to know how. The Order’s reach covers the globe, and we seek to solidify our position by finally assuming control of the largest organization on Earth.”

  “GlobaTech?” asks Josh. “I knew it! Although I wouldn’t say we were the largest…”

  “No, Mr. Winters, not GlobaTech.”

  Josh frowns, as if he’s unsure how he could’ve guessed wrong. Ruby’s eyes have glazed over a little—she has no idea what she’s gotten herself into. I stare blankly at the sidewalk, running through everything we know, and everything we’ve guessed, trying to see the big picture that has so far eluded us. I slow my breathing and close my eyes. I know I have all the answers, I just can’t make sense of them…

  Ah! Come on, Adrian, think, goddammit!

  Horizon wanted me to kill Josh. Sterling told us it was a power play to put someone in Josh’s position. He also said The Order was working for God, and we know the camerlengo of the Catholic Church is the leader of The Order. Horizon just said The Order seeks to take control of the largest organization on the planet, and it’s not GlobaTech.

  Nothing makes sense. I’m missing something, I have to be. I can’t…

  …

  …

  …

  Sonofabitch.

  I look at the phone in Josh’s hand. “You’re going to kill the pope.”

  He chuckles. “Well done, Adrian. Yes, we intend removing His Holiness from office.”

  Josh shakes his head. “But, why? I thought The Order was on some sort of mission from God. Surely—”

  “We’re spreading His word, yes. We’re carrying out His will. But to get where we wish to go, we need new direction. Now, I have things to attend to. It’s a shame you won’t be alive long enough to see how all this plays out. I simply called to say goodbye. You have been a most interesting adversary, Adrian Hell.”

  I clench my jaw tightly, glaring at the device. “Oh, you have no idea, asshole. I’m gonna stop you.”

  “No, you’re not. Every asset across all fifty states has been activated, with the sole purpose of eliminating the three of you. The Committee has authorized the awakening of America. A contract such as this hasn’t been issued throughout all our history. You should be honored that you get to die under such… monumental circumstances.”

  I take a moment to process what he just said. Then I smile. He just made a mistake. Horizon just proved he doesn’t know where we are. Which means we’re a step ahead of him, and I can finally enjoy a conversation with him.

  “Wow. Sterling was right. You really are out of favor, aren’t you?”

  There’s a moment’s silence on the line. “What do you mean?”

  I take the phone from Josh and hold it close to my face. “Listen carefully, Number Seven…”

  “What?”

  The shock in his voice was evident.

  “Oh, that’s right, I didn’t tell you—you killed your own boss for nothing. I don’t know what you think you knew, but he told us everything. I have the name of every single asset in The Order. I also know who your illustrious leader is, and I know your Committee was pissed with you long before you blew Sterling’s head off—which, by the way, I don’t think they’re gonna appreciate. See, I already know that I have nearly four thousand of your finest on my ass. Sterling told me they did that because they lost faith in your ability to get the job done. I know you’re the Horizon who controls the Middle East… that what happens in North America has nothing to do with you. I also know that you’re too late. I’m not in America. I’m in Rome.” I pause a moment to let that sink in. “I’ll admit, I didn’t know what you were planning, but now I do—thanks for that. So, you go and attend to whatever you’ve got going on. I’m going to kill your boss.”

  I smile to myself. Man, that felt good. I hate not being the smartest player in the game, and that bastard has been three steps ahead of me since day one. Finally, I have the advantage, and this was the perfect time to antagonize him, and really throw him off his game.

  Josh and Ruby look at each other. For the first time since I dragged him into this mess, I see genuine hope in his eyes. He knows we have the upper hand now, just as I do.

  Ruby will be happy—it’s about to get fun.

  “Adrian, I… I don’t know what to say.”

  “I don’t care. I’ll be seeing you, asshole.”

  I go to hang up, but Horizon starts laughing on the line, and I stop myself. I raise an eyebrow. “Something funny?”

  “Yes.”

  “Care to share?”

  “I’m laughing at your little speech. Was that your trademark attempt at pissing me off, so I’ll make a mistake? Please. I know you’re in Rome. I know you’ve seen Sterling’s spreadsheet. I know you know I’m not the only Horizon. Tell me, did you see how many there are?”

  I close my eyes for a second. I don’t like where this is going…

  “Yeah.”

  “You’re correct in saying I oversee the Middle East. My counterpart in the United States has already informed me that you flew out of Vancouver yesterday. Do you really think our assassins can’t leave their territories?”

  “Whatever. They won’t get here in time to stop me.”

  “Adrian, they don’t need to.”

  My eyes snap wide. My arm drops to my side, and the phone slips from my grasp. Everything is falling into place. Everything makes sense now. I turn a slow circle, scanning the streets and the buildings. We’re all standing on a corner. The sidewalks aren’t too busy, and there’s only light traffic on the roads. Ahead of us is wide open. The bridge that crosses the river leads to large, tall buildings.

  We’re sitting ducks.

  Then I hear it. It’s barely audible, but the sound of a single gunshot is unmistakable.

  Oh, no…

  I turn back to face Josh and Ruby. They’re both staring at me. I can see in their eyes that they haven’t yet realized what I have.

  That we’ve lost.

  I look at each of them in turn. “I’m sorry. I never—”

  The words catch in my throat as my world turns black.

  27

  13:37 CEST

  I take a deep, desperate breath. My face is warm and wet. I wipe my eyes and open them, blinking fast to remove the last droplets of blood from my eyelashes. The first thing I see is Ruby, standing motionless in front of me, her eyes wide, her face a dark crimson mask.

  No…

  Time stops. I catch my breath.

  No…

  She reaches out to me and puts her hand on my arm. “Adrian…”

  Her voice sounds a thousand miles away.

  I turn to Josh. He, too, is standing still, staring at me through unblinking eyes, his features hidden behind a thick layer of blood.

  I don’t feel anything. No pain. No emotion.

  Is this what death feels like? Is this what death is? Stuck forever in your final moment, trapped in purgatory as you watch the people around you stare at your corpse, covered in your blood?

  Except… I’m breathing. My brain’s telling me my chest is moving in and out as my lungs fill with oxygen. I can sense the movement.

  So, am I dead, or not? I don’t understand what’s happening. I heard the gunshot. I have to be.

  I try to turn my head, but it feels heavy, as if I’m trying to roll a concrete block back and forth on my neck. I settle for moving my eyes, resting my gaze on Ruby again. She’s staggering backward, her arm still outstretched, her eyes still wide.

  “Adrian…” she whispers.

  “R-Ruby?”

  She stands still. I shift my eyes left, and look at Josh. He’s exactly the same. His gaze is fixed on me, unblinking, glazed with shock.

  “J-Josh…?”


  He doesn’t react.

  It’s hard to frown. All the muscles I need to do it are refusing to work. I look him up and down.

  “Josh?”

  Then I see it. On his face, beneath the blood. A dark spot in the center of his forehead.

  Is that a hole?

  No.

  No, it can’t be…

  No!

  His body falls backward in slow motion and lands with a dull thud on the sidewalk. His head lolls to the side, and blood seeps from the bullet hole above his eyes, quickly staining the ground around him. His arm falls lifelessly over the curb and I hear a faint crack as his knuckles smack against the surface of the road.

  “Josh!”

  I sink to my knees as I stare at the dead body sprawled before me. The empty vessel that once belonged to my closest friend. I clutch at my chest, which feels as if it’s locked in a vise. I can’t breathe. I feel drunk with anger. I feel myself fading in and out of consciousness. My eyes are heavy with anguish. My brain is fighting to shut down, to protect me from the agony. My jaw hurts from clenching so tight, I fear my teeth will shatter. Each breath out is an increasingly louder growl, a guttural, primal vent of emotion. Finally, I lean back on my haunches, and allow my head to roll back. I stare up at the bright, cloudless blue sky, and scream until my lungs burn.

  I feel a hand on my shoulder and snap my head around to see Ruby standing over me. “Adrian, we have to go!”

  I shake my head slowly. “No. No more running. I’m done. It’s over. All that matters now is making sure each and every one of those bastards turn cold, and I don’t care if I have to tear this fucking world to the ground to do it.”

  “I know, and I’m going to help you, but we need to leave. They’re everywhere!”

  Huh?

  The hollow, distant noises suddenly rush to the forefront. I notice the screaming of people around me first. Then I hear tires screeching. I quickly look along the street. The corner nearest to me is part of an intersection. Both directions leading away from me are blocked by cars parked at a hurried angle. The doors are open, and men are walking toward us, fanning out into a wide semi-circle, holding guns by their side, watching me. Instinctively, I count them, noting the positioning. Eight guys, all roughly six feet apart, slowly closing in on us, trapping us against the café.