by Ben Follows
“Or it could make me seem like an idiot who shot himself in the foot.”
“That’s a risk you have to take. Are you willing to do that?”
Nicholas shrugged. “It’s the only option that doesn’t involve doing whatever Dimitri tells me to, so I’m listening.”
“There are two groups that need to be eliminated," said Jake. "The first is The Compound, which until this morning I was working for. They are the people responsible for Frank Tanners’s remaining among the living until he allegedly died in the factory. The other group is Dimitri Kulovich’s inner circle, which he has kept small, with only himself, Paul Vincent, and Dirk Davidson directly involved. Dirk Davidson might know something, but I doubt it. If those two groups are eliminated before you release the video, it will be a show of strength instead of appeasement.”
Nicholas nodded. “I’m following the logic, even though it sounds terrible. Hypothetically, if we were going to do this, how do we do it?”
Jake smiled. “You’re really going to hate this part. We’re going to need the help of the feds.”
“No.” Nicholas looked to Keelan, who had stood and walked over to the table at the side of Nicholas’s office where the whiskey was kept. “You agreed to this?”
“Let him finish,” said Keelan, pouring his glass. “It makes sense.”
Nicholas contorted his face but turned back to Jake. “Go on. I’m not a fan at the moment.”
“I didn’t expect you to be. The first thing we need to do is find where The Compound is.”
“What do you mean where it is? You don’t know?”
Jake sighed. “I spent most of my life there until a few weeks ago, but I haven’t got the slightest clue. We arrive there, taken from orphanages and hospital nurseries when we’re too young to know anything, and then we spend our entire childhoods in The Compound, with walls too high to see the outside world except for the tops of a few pine trees. The few times that we are allowed to leave the compound, we’re drugged and taken out with blindfolds over our eyes to the location of our next training session. The last time I left it, I was drugged and woke up in the arrivals area at the Boston Airport. The Compound could be anywhere in the world for all I know. Only once you’ve been loyal for ten years of fieldwork are you allowed to know where the compound is located.”
“Well,” said Nicholas, “even by my standards that’s terrible. But also it leads to a massive problem in your plan. How are we supposed to take them down if we don’t know where they are?”
“Simple, we use me as bait.”
“How so?”
Jake shifted in his seat. “I know enough to put The Compound in serious trouble. They’ll know that I betrayed them, and they will be sending agents after me. More importantly, they’ll be sending agents who don’t know me and won’t have any connection to me. Since I only left the agency recently, that leaves agents who have been in The Compound for a while. The agents who come for me will know where The Compound is. The trick will be not allowing them to kill themselves before we can remove one of their teeth.”
“Teeth?”
Jake opened his mouth and pointed out the fake tooth. “Every agent has a fake tooth installed which has poison in it and can be destroyed by biting down on the back molars. It’s a quick suicide method for agents who are captured or fail a mission.”
“That’s barbaric,” said Nicholas.
Jake shrugged. “It’s the rules we grew up by.”
“Okay, I get that we need to capture whoever they send after you. We can coordinate that. Where do the feds come into it?”
“We need them to be the ones who attack The Compound. It can’t be you. You don’t have the manpower and you shouldn’t be involved. We need to show that The Compound is weak and was taken down by the government. The feds have the resources to track down everyone who gets away, and they will make sure they track down every criminal they wrongly thought was dead. What you need to focus on once we get the location is tracking down Dimitri and his cronies and taking care of them, making sure that they don’t get the jump on us. Dimitri has shown he can do some serious damage. If he gets wind of the plan, he might feel it necessary to flex his power and start his own counter-attacks. This can all be over within a week, and you will be in a better situation than when it started.”
Nicholas paused, thinking about what Jake had said. He had to admit that it made sense. Although he wondered about something. “What’s in it for you, other than revenge? You could get revenge by yourself.”
“Not this way. I could kill the director myself, but I couldn’t destroy him. I couldn’t completely dismantle all he’s created. That I need you for. But that’s not all.”
“What about Dimitri and Paul?”
“As soon as this is over, you release the video to your people, explaining what you’ve done and daring them to call you out. They most likely won’t. At that point you can kill Paul and Dimitri with no negative repercussions.”
Nicholas was grinning. “What else?”
Jake paused, as though searching for the words he wanted to say. “I want protection once this is all over. I don’t want to live the life they set out for me. I am willing to pull my weight as an employed assassin for you. I don’t really have any other skills besides what they taught me at the academy. I request that I get to choose who I kill, so that I only kill people I believe deserve it, but I can be the best assassin you’ve ever seen.”
Nicholas shook his head. “I can’t do that.”
Jake raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”
Nicholas shrugged. “Because you don’t want to. It’s not your nature. If you wanted to do that, you wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t be risking everything for revenge. You would either be hiding out somewhere, still be working for them, or you would have killed yourself for failing. This isn’t what you want. You want a normal life. I can see that in your eyes. If we do this—and it is an if—then we will protect you, and we’ll find something else for you to do if you really want a job. Okay?”
“Okay,” said Jake, wringing his hands. “That sounds fair.”
Nicholas stood, and Jake did the same. “You’ve given me a lot to think about, Jake, and if you don’t mind I’d like to discuss it with Keelan in private. We’ll be in touch.”
They shook hands, and Jake said, “Keelan has my number. We can meet with the FBI agent tomorrow if you’re on board.”
“All right,” said Nicholas. “We’ll let you know what we decide.”
Jake thanked him again and left the office. Nicholas waited until the door clicked shut before turning to Keelan, who had just opened a new bottle of whiskey.
Chapter 41
Jake sat in the car he’d stolen in downtown Boston, looking out at the Crescent Point Cemetery. He had hoped that Karen would return the messages he left, but she had yet to acknowledge that she had gotten them. The sun shone overhead, as though mocking the funeral being held.
He was parked at the corner of the cemetery under a large tree. He took out the binoculars to watch the crowd gathered around the open grave. The closed casket that contained what remained of Officer Amanda Obrasey was hoisted onto the shoulders of a dozen police officers, including the chief himself, who was constantly reaching up to wipe tears off his face with his free arm. Jake reached up and wiped a tear from the binoculars. At the front of the casket was Zach Cameron, his broken leg raised in front of him in his wheelchair, his right arm reaching to grab on to the casket as someone else pushed him. He was openly sobbing, making no effort to hide it.
Jake had only met Obrasey once, when she had interrogated him in the jail. Even then he’d seen her as strong-willed and willing to do anything for what she believed, even if it went against what anyone else thought.
The casket was put down, and a minister walked to the head of the casket, holding an open Bible. Jake couldn’t hear what was said, but he imagined it was beautiful. Once the minister was done, he stepped back and the casket was lowered slowly in
to the ground. A wail from one of the women was so loud that Jake could hear it from his hiding spot. The mourners walked past and threw handfuls of dirt into the grave, crying, before walking past Zach. Many gave him a pat or a hug, but he didn’t react. He just continued staring forward through tear-filled eyes.
The chief stayed behind as the crowds dispersed, the ripples of black-clothed individuals spreading out around the Crescent Point graveyard. The only people left were Zach, an older woman Jake assumed was Obrasey’s mother, and a few police officers.
Jake took his eyes from the binoculars and was surprised to see Carl Magnusson walking toward him.
There was no reason why Carl should know he was here. He rolled down the window as Carl approached.
“Carl, nice to see you.”
Carl walked up to Jake. “Get out of here before I break your face.”
Jake frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Carl crouched down beside the car so they were at the same height. “Karen told me all about the messages you’ve been sending her, and she told me to bring a message back to you, which I’m happy to deliver. Fuck you, fuck everything you stand for. I don’t give a fuck if it wasn’t your fault or what role you played in what happened. I. Don’t. Fucking. Care. You have lied to us, deceived us, manipulated us, and have been involved in destroying the hopes of the city and any chance of getting this town out of the shitter. You and whoever the fuck else have ruined this town, and I would have told the chief about you being here already if he wasn’t so emotional right now. I probably will tell him when he calms down, and he will hunt you like a to the ends of the earth. Do you understand me? Get out of this town while you still can.” Carl paused for a moment as though he needed to cool down or he would explode before continuing. “Oh, I almost forgot. Karen told me to tell you that she would never go out with you in a million fucking years. You are a creep and a monster, and you deserve to die for what you’ve done. Call her again and she’s calling the cops. Get out of this town. Never come back.”
Carl stood up and straightened his suit before turning and walking back to the remaining people gathered around the grave. Jake watched him go and saw Karen standing beside the casket. She looked up, and although she was so far away that her eyes were little more than black dots, he knew she was looking at him, and he could feel her hatred.
Jake jumped as his phone rang—an untraceable burner phone. Keelan Ochre was the only one with the number. He answered the call, a thankful distraction from the fear Carl’s words had put in him.
“Hello?”
“Nicholas accepted your offer," said Keelan. "We can meet in the back room of the bar in Boston. I’ve used it before. I’ll be posting people in the area to make sure your FBI friend doesn’t fuck us over.”
“I’ll set up a meeting time with Agent Thompson.”
“Good.”
“See you then.” Jake trailed off, realizing Keelan had already hung up.
He sighed, thankful he had something to occupy his mind. He put the car into drive and left the graveyard, watching the crowd of black-clothed mourners disappear into his rear-view mirror until they were little more than specks.
Crescent Point was a ghost town; Jake didn’t know what to make of it. He roared down the main drag and didn’t see another human being. He left the town and pulled onto the highway to Boston.
He tried to distract himself by attempting to find flaws in his plan, but Karen was always there, her voice echoing the words Carl had said. It was intermixed with Sarah stating they weren’t good or bad, they just were, that they were doing the only thing they knew how.
A few weeks ago, as he had killed Doug and graduated the academy, the world had seemed so simple, so straightforward. Now he was beginning to see what people meant when they said the world was a complicated, confusing place.
Chapter 42
Thompson returned to the Crescent Point police station almost twenty-four hours after he had left. Instead of the chaos and disorganization of the crowds of the previous day, there were only a few reporters waiting in the reception area and even fewer people waiting for the next news.
Thompson knocked on the chief’s office door and walked in when he was prompted.
The chief was still wearing his black suit from the funeral.
“How was it?” said Thompson, taking his seat.
“Terrible.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to make it.”
“Don’t worry about it. Have you found anything?”
“I think so.”
“Dirk?”
“He isn’t talking. He’s demanded a lawyer. I get the sense he genuinely doesn’t know anything. Dimitri and Paul?”
“We had to release them. Their lawyer pulled some strings and used some laws I didn’t know to get them out.”
“Anything new at the factory?”
“We found a few burned bodies in the subbasement, at least two more than the number of our people who were down there.”
“Frank Tanners?”
The chief shrugged. “It’s impossible to tell. And we haven’t got he slightest idea who the other guy is. There’s something else.”
“What?”
“Jake Lavelle was at the funeral this morning.”
“You saw him?”
“No, he was hiding and watching. I only heard about it later. Apparently he’d been calling Karen all night, and she sent Carl Magnusson over to give him a piece of her mind, tell him to ‘f’ off.”
“So why do you seem uncertain?”
“They want me to put out a reward on Jake Lavelle, and if he’s talking to you, then I don't know what to do.”
Thompson nodded. “Tell them you’re working on it, but don’t do anything yet. I have a meeting tonight to figure this out. I’ll get back to you tomorrow.”
“Thank you. Has Emerson had his funeral yet?”
“It’s on the weekend.”
“If you need support, let me know.”
Thompson nodded. “It’s just friends and family. Federal agent stuff. Thanks for sending his body. We appreciate it.”
“It’s the least we could do.”
Chapter 43
Jake had signed into a hotel room under a fake identity and left his weapons there, except for the ones hidden beneath his clothing. He was nervous, and his heart was beating fast, but there was no doubt in his mind and heart that he was doing was the right thing. Not once had he even considered going back to The Compound. That part of his life was over.
When he arrived, he had to pass through three different levels of security checks before being admitted to the small back room. The main area of the bar was empty, a sign at the front explaining it was closed for a private event.
Keelan Ochre was sitting at the head of a long table normally used for parties. He looked up when Jake entered. “There’s drinks behind the bar if you want one. There’s water from the tap if you don’t.”
“Thanks.”
They sat in silence until Thompson arrived fifteen minutes later.
“Agent Thompson,” said Keelan. “Thank you for coming.”
“Ochre? Where the hell have you been? You’re the third guy. Dammit. We’ve been looking for you. Guess I’ll have to call that off.” He laughed to himself. “And I didn’t have much of a choice but to come. I don’t have any other ideas.”
“It’s a good decision, regardless. I’ll allow Jake to take it from here.”
Jake outlined the plan he had given to Nicholas, although he left Nicholas’s name out of it. Thompson glared at him for the duration of the explanation, as though trying to figure out what to do with him, but by the end he was nodding along with Jake and seemed to be a convert to the idea.
“All right,” said Thompson. “I’ll give you credit for coming up with the plan, it’s quite clever, and it just might work. There’s an awful lot of variables, though. For starters, you don’t even know where this Compound is. That’s a big one.”
&nb
sp; “Do you have a better plan?”
“No, that’s why I’m considering it. I’ll need to talk to the higher-ups. I can leave your names out, but I don’t know if they’ll agree to it.”
“How about this?” said Keelan. “We meet here in twenty-four hours. If you show up, then you're in and we can begin serious planning. If not, you will not send a team of FBI agents here to arrest us. Once we’re gone you can start tracking us down, but this is a neutral zone, understood?”
Thompson nodded. “The same goes for you. I can’t be grabbed or attacked in this area.”
Keelan nodded. “Agreed."
Thompson arrived the next evening right on time, and the plan went forward.
Chapter 44
Almost a week passed before The Compound agents were sighted by the guards that had been posted around Jake by Keelan. Jake, Keelan, and Thompson had been meeting on a daily basis in the back of the bar, which was open for business since the owner had insisted they couldn’t rent it out every night. They had become comfortable with one another, and Thompson had begun divulging details about the investigation from his end, including the fact that Dirk was still refusing to talk and that Dimitri and Paul had disappeared.
The leading theory was that the voicemail messages from Dirk to Paul and Dimitri had signaled them. They had then remotely set off explosives at the factory, which had been concealed as machines. The leading evidence for this theory was that the workers who had unloaded the machines had disappeared.
Jake mentioned that it seemed like Dirk might have been the scapegoat all along.
“Unfortunately, you may be right,” Thompson said.