“I count four cars.”
“You have to hold them off, I’m about to take the shot.”
“I’ll do what I can, but you need to hurry, or we’re not making it out of here. There’s only so much I can—”
“Ruby, relax, you’ve got this. Just buy me as much time as you can.”
The line goes quiet.
“Ah!”
No, it doesn’t! The high-pitched squealing of gunfire rings out in my ear. I quickly yank the device out and throw it over to the case.
She’ll be fine, and I need to concentrate.
I look back through the scope. The pope’s not reached for the chalice yet, and Martinez is back in line. He seems to be smiling…
I line the shot back up, same as before. I feel my heart begin to race. This is it. Time slows to a familiar, comforting crawl. Everything I’ve been through, everything I’ve done… everything I’ve lost… has led me here, to this moment, to this shot. My finger tightens on the trigger. I fight to control my breathing, as adrenaline and excitement try to take over.
I’ve got this.
I’ve… got… this…
…
…
…
“Drop your weapon!”
Oh, fuck off!
I don’t move. I stay focused on my target.
“Back away from the rifle, right now!”
That was a different voice. I could hear it clearly enough, despite the ambient noise surrounding me. So, there’s at least two of them. Great.
I also noticed that voice was American, so I’m assuming some of The Order’s men have finally followed me across the pond.
There’s more movement. If I was to guess, I would say they were shouting down from the top of the tower at first, and now they’re trying to jump down to the level I’m on to physically grab me.
Weird they’ve not just shot me, but I’m not complaining.
If they’re climbing down here, I only have a few seconds.
I can see Martinez as clear as if he were ten feet away. The reticle is lined up, and the shot is calculated. My body is tensed, my breathing regulated…
“Put down that weapon!”
I hear the impact as at least two people land on the roof. They can’t be more than a few feet away from me.
I breathe in…
And out…
In…
“Drop it, now!”
And out…
I squeeze the trigger.
A split-second later, I feel a hand on my arm, pulling me. The rifle is knocked over as I roll over on my back to see two faces glaring down at me. I stare at the barrels of their guns, both pointing at me.
The scene freezes. I hold my breath, waiting for their bullets to riddle my body.
“Shot fired! Shot fired!” yells one of them into a mic attached to his cuff. He looks at me, holding my gaze for several moments. “Say again… Is the primary hit?”
More silence. I continue to look up at him. I’m trying to ignore the guns, trying not to think about if Ruby’s still alive…
“Copy that.” His eyes refocus on me. “You lose, asshole. You missed.”
I frown. “I did?”
“Yeah, the pope’s still alive.”
Wait, what?
“But I… Was anyone hit?”
“One of the bishops standing beside him.”
“Which one?”
“Why do you care, asshole? It doesn’t matter. You’re done. After this, you better believe your life is over.”
“If that’s the case, there’s no reason not to tell me. Who was hit?”
The man exchanges a quizzical look with his colleague, and then looks back at me. “It was Cardinal Martinez.”
My whole body relaxes and my right arm hangs loosely over the side of the roof. I stare up at the sky, feeling the rapid patter of the rain on my face, and smile. Then I start chuckling to myself, lightly at first, but it quickly degenerates into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.
I got him, Josh.
It’s over. Whatever happens now, I don’t care. It’s all over.
We did it, man.
We did it.
34
June 17, 2017
13:16 EDT
I loosen my tie and shift awkwardly on the spot. I hate wearing suits. The sun is high and bright, and while it isn’t scorching, the warm breeze is making me hot and uncomfortable.
A respectful silence rests over the crowd, the gentle flow of the Potomac faintly audible behind me.
It’s been a long few days.
I did what I set out to do. The Order is dead. I took out Martinez, cutting off the head of the snake. Those guys on the roof, and all those cars that surrounded me and Ruby in the castle… that was the FBI—dispatched from the U.S. Embassy in Rome on the president’s authority. They didn’t know what the hell was going on, they just knew where I would be, and had their orders to escort me back to American soil.
When we arrived at the embassy, we were immediately detained until official orders came through from Washington to expedite us back to the U.S. Everything from our hotel room was brought over and handed to the Feds as evidence. All our weapons were confiscated.
We were questioned for a few hours, and I was open and honest about what I was doing in Rome. They confirmed they had their analysts working on Josh’s laptop, so I knew they had the evidence to back up my claims about The Order.
I confirmed my identity, which caused some initial outrage, but once everyone had calmed down, I simply detailed my involvement in the events that took place the day before, and reiterated why I was there.
I kept Schultz’s name out of it. I figured there was no sense in trying to drag him into all this if he had suddenly decided to deny all knowledge of me, which was a genuine concern.
But I was wrong. President Schultz came through for me big time, just as he promised he would. He ordered the FBI director to personally release both me and Ruby, and then made a public address to the nation to explain everything.
Or, at least, the version of things he promised me he would tell them.
He told everyone the truth about Cunningham’s involvement in 4/17, and how me killing him was self-defense, after I discovered evidence of the conspiracy. Upon learning of the much larger threat from The Order, it was agreed that the U.S. Government would fake my death, using Cunningham’s murder as justification, and send me to infiltrate the ranks of the shadowy organization, to uncover what they were planning, and bring them down from within.
He said it was my decision to take that risk, because I believed the American people had suffered enough, and I wanted to protect the ideals of a government they could trust.
A slightly exaggerated twist on what really happened, obviously, but still plausible.
He also went on to explain I’ve been a life-long member of the Special Forces, not a hitman, as was previously documented. The operation in Rome had to be conducted in secret, to avoid being compromised, although he was very clear about having told the Vatican what was happening beforehand.
Again, not quite how it happened, but under the circumstances, I doubt anyone from the Vatican is going to come forward and say he’s lying.
The FBI has all the information Josh and I took from Sterling’s office, so they know the true extent of The Order’s reach, which I imagine they will keep to themselves. Last I heard, they were heading up a massive, coordinated, global effort to track down every name on that spreadsheet.
Better them than me.
That was a big list, and would result in a lot of dead bodies if it was left to me.
Finally, he confirmed the operation resulted in the tragic and untimely death of Josh Winters, CEO of GlobaTech Industries. He explained how Josh had served this country alongside me for many years, and he would be granted a military funeral, in recognition of everything he had done for the United States, and for the world.
His statement made headlines everywhere, as you would expect
, but people seemed to buy it. He officially exonerated me the next day and wiped my slate clean. So, here I stand, a free man for the first time in my life, beside a fresh plot in Arlington National Cemetery, surrounded by a whole bunch of people I’ve never seen before. I’m staring blankly at a large coffin with the American flag draped over it, which contains the body of my best friend.
I smile to myself. I hope he appreciates the fact I wore a suit. If this were the other way around, he’d be standing here in jeans and a T-shirt!
Next to me, Ruby snakes her arm underneath mine, linking me, and moves closer. I glance sideways at her. She’s wearing a black dress and heels, and looks amazing. Schultz’s act of generosity wasn’t limited to helping me. Ruby had her slate wiped clean, too, for which we’re both grateful.
A few bodies farther along the row, President Schultz stands, solemn and tall, surrounded by Secret Service agents. He really stuck his neck out for me with this. I owe it to him not to waste this second chance.
I owe it to myself.
I owe it to Josh.
I can’t speak for Ruby, but when the dust has settled, I’m leaving. I don’t know where I’m heading yet, but it’ll be far away from here. Far away from any memory of Adrian Hell. This will be my second attempt at burying him, and this time, I’ll do it right.
The father has just finished his service, and the seven marines are moving into position for their three-shot salute.
They lift their rifles.
I take a breath and close my eyes as I place my cast over my heart.
The first shot rings out.
I flinch involuntarily as I feel Josh’s blood spray across my face.
Second shot.
I fight to stop myself lunging forward as I watch his body fall slowly to the ground.
Third shot.
I feel Ruby’s hand tighten around my arm as I open my eyes again. My breathing is fast, my vision cloudy from tears I can’t escape.
Until now, I hadn’t really taken the time to process anything that’s happened. After I saw him die, I didn’t allow myself to stop and mourn him. I had to focus on the shot, on taking out Martinez, and stopping The Order for good. Then, in the days that followed, it was a whirlwind of interrogation, de-briefing, and reacclimatizing to life in the United States as a free man.
But now, as I watch the soldiers expertly folding the flag that covered Josh’s coffin, the enormity of what’s happened is hitting me like a wrecking ball, over and again on my chest. I feel as if I’m standing still, and the whole world is rotating around me, turning itself on its head. If it wasn’t for Ruby holding my arm, I would probably fall over right now.
I focus long enough on what’s going on to notice one of the marines standing before me, holding the triangle of the flag out to me. Josh and I weren’t just friends… we were the only family each other had in this world.
“I… er…”
Ruby reaches for the flag on my behalf, and takes it from the marine, who immediately salutes me before marching away.
I shake my head. “Thanks.”
Ruby smiles kindly. “Don’t mention it.”
I lift my head and stare out at the sea of headstones as the father finishes his prayer. “…as we commit his body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust…”
I watch as the marines begin lowering the casket into the grave.
This was never meant to be you, Josh.
This was always supposed to be me.
The crowd slowly disperse, paying their respects as they pass by the coffin, and the president. Very few people acknowledge me.
Ruby grabs my arm and turns me to face her. She steps in close, and reaches up, kissing me on the cheek. “You okay?”
I nod but don’t say anything.
“Listen, I’ll give you a few minutes alone.” She gestures to the flag. “I’ll keep hold of this until you’re ready to leave. Take your time.”
She walks away without waiting for me to respond, heading toward the car that brought us here. Someone clears their throat behind me, and I spin around to see President Schultz standing there, his protection detail keeping a minimal, but respectful distance.
Without thinking, I extend my hand, which he shakes without hesitation. “Thank you, Ryan. For all this. For everything.”
He nods. “For Josh, this was the least I could do. For you… hell, son, it’s the least you deserve. Did you know, it’s been two months to the day since Matthews sent the world into chaos? Two months. In that time, you’ve assassinated a sitting president, faked your death, joined, and subsequently waged war against a secret organization of killers, and taken out the man behind it all as he stood three feet from the pope. You’ve done all that with most of the world on your ass, and not once have you blamed anybody. Not once have you complained about it. You just picked up a gun, and kept shooting, right to the end, no matter the risk.”
I smile very briefly. When you put it like that…
“I once said to you that I would never like you because of who and what you are, regardless of the good you’ve done along the way. But some things change. The world owes you a debt it’ll never know.”
“I appreciate you saying that, Ryan… Mr. President. Thank you.”
He steps closer. “Just… don’t waste this second chance, son. You won’t get another one.”
I glance over my shoulder and look back at the casket as it disappears into the ground. “I won’t, don’t worry. Adrian Hell is down there with Josh. I’m done.”
“Huh. I seem to remember you saying that once before…”
“I did. But this time, Josh isn’t around to bring some crazy terrorist shit to my front door, so things will be different.”
I try to smile, and show him I’m joking, but any attempt I just made was weak at best.
“If you want my advice, Adrian, be who you are, just learn not to answer your door when shit comes knockin’. You’ll find the life that awaits you after today will be a lot easier to live that way. Oh, and that girlfriend of yours… Ruby, is it? She seems good for you. Maybe try keeping her out of trouble, too.”
He pats me on my shoulder as he walks away, quickly followed by the secret service. I turn back to face the grave. The crowd has gone now, the last of them driving away as I stand here. I take a moment to look around, soak up the scenery. It’s an incredible sight, seeing all these graves belonging to fallen soldiers. It’s peaceful, but not in an eerie way, like you would expect from a cemetery. The sound of the river behind me, the birds tweeting in the trees lining the borders… it’s serene. It’s humbling. It reminds you that nothing worth having in this life comes free or easy.
I crouch beside the hole and gather up a fistful of dirt in my left hand as I stare down at the lid of the coffin. I let out a long breath. “The last time I stood in a place like this, I was visiting my wife and daughter for the first time. That was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, but I got through it because I knew you were waiting in the car. You had my back. From the day I found them murdered, all the way through the ten years I spent running, up until the moment I looked down at their graves and said sorry, you kept me going. You protected me from myself. You kept the barrel out of my mouth. And now I’m here, and I can’t help but wonder who’s going to get me through this if you’re not around. I guess that makes me a selfish asshole, but hey, who’s left for me to piss off, right?”
I smile as I blink away the tear I feel forming in the corner of my eye.
“You know I’ve been trying to get a handle on all this emotional shit, but now the dust has settled, there’s just so much of it I’ve not had chance to deal with, I’m not sure I know how to cope. I’ve been so caught up in everything that’s been going on, I suddenly realize how alone I am. Tori’s gone. Cunningham basically blew up Texas, which destroyed any remnants of the life I had there. Lily was a kindred spirit, and she was taken from me by the same enemy who took you. And without you, I have nothing, lite
rally nothing tying me to this world. Is it wrong that I’m angry with you for dying? You were the last one to go, so it’s your fault. I’m blaming you. You’re the selfish one for leaving me. You’re the stupid one for not seeing the bullet coming. You’re the…”
I trail off and take another long breath.
“Sorry.” I rap my knuckles on my cast, directly above my WWJD tattoo. “If you were here now, you’d shout at me for wallowing, or feeling guilty, or just plain talking shit.” I smile. “Yeah, I know. You were always smarter than me. I still blame myself for your death, even though I had no way of knowing it was coming, or preventing it, even if I did. Don’t be mad at me about it—it just feels like something I need to do for a while. But I’ll be alright, I promise.”
I glance over my shoulder, and see Ruby leaning against the car, absently staring out across the Potomac at the Washington skyline beyond.
“Yeah, now that I think about it, I reckon I’ll be fine. Eventually. I’m gonna miss you, man. You were my brother and I owe you my life. So, I’m going to honor you by living it for once.”
I stand and throw the dirt onto the lid below me.
“Say hi to my girls for me. I’ll see you soon.”
I walk away without looking back, wiping the tear from my eye as I approach the car. Ruby walks to meet me. “Hey. You say everything you need to?”
I nod. “I think so, yeah.”
We get in the car. She’s driving. She starts the engine and turns to me. “What now?”
I think for a moment. “There’s one last thing I need to take care of.”
She frowns for a moment, and then smiles, before driving away, leaving Josh in our rearview, resting in peace.
35
June 19, 2017
10:03 AST
Each step I take along the dusty road kicks up a small cloud at my feet. The streets of Baghdad are gridlocked, as an endless stream of fifty-year-old cars inch ever closer to their destination, sounding their horns at every opportunity.
I’m wearing a loose-fitting white shirt and combat pants, with heavy boots, and a scarf wrapped around my head, covering my nose and mouth. The black sunglasses shield me from the relentless glare of the sun and from the perpetual whirlwind of sand. They also offer anonymity.
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