The Devil You Know

by James P. Sumner

  Then there’s Ruby to consider. She doesn’t want the excitement any more than I do. But I also know she would walk through fire if I asked her to.

  I need more.

  “Tell me about this initiative you mentioned,” I say. “And give me the full inside scoop, not your watered-down, redacted bullshit.”

  Schultz shifts uncomfortably in his seat. “I can’t do that unless you agree to come on board. This is beyond top secret.”

  I shake my head. “I won’t agree to anything unless I know everything. I’ve been down that road with the U.S. government before. Take it or leave it.”

  He pauses, seemingly weighing up his options.

  “Fine,” he says with a heavy sigh. “But a word of this leaves this office…”

  I hold up a hand, stopping him from making an embarrassing threat we both know he won’t—or can’t—carry out. “Relax. I’m not going to tell anyone. Chances are I’ll be doing all I can to forget this anyway. Just give it to me straight.”

  He screws his face up in a final moment of indecision, then sighs so hard that he starts coughing. “It’s called Project Blackstar. I can count on one hand the people who currently know about it. Including you. There’s going to be a committee meeting next week about it. Buchanan’s sending someone from GlobaTech to sit in. Someone he trusts.”

  I nod. “Okay. Well, if you want my opinion, tell him to send Ray Collins. I’ve worked alongside him a couple of times. There aren’t many people in this world I trust, but he’s one of them. His input will be valuable.”

  “Noted,” says Schultz.

  “What about funding? If Buchanan’s D.E.A.D. unit is anything like the CIA one I used to run, the cost of doing that kind of business isn’t cheap.”

  “Money is covered. Don’t worry about that.”

  I raise my eyebrow. “That doesn’t sound like full disclosure to me…”

  He rolls his eyes. “Jesus Christ. Fine. I’m pulling funding from various military and intelligence projects, both official and otherwise. Internally, there’s a lot of reshuffling and downsizing going on within the DoD. We’re currently funding things that either aren’t needed anymore or don’t have as many people as they used to. We’ve built up a nice little nest egg to play with, so money won’t be an issue.”

  “Don’t you have to justify every expense in the budget to the Senate?”

  He nods. “We do, and we will. I’m not hiding anything from you, Adrian. That’s simply not your problem. You would have an operating budget that would make most countries jealous.”

  “Okay. And who would I answer to?”

  Schultz sits upright in his seat and fixes me with a hard stare.

  “Me.”

  “You and…”

  He shakes his head. “Just me. I would seek counsel from the committee and from GlobaTech, but the final word is mine alone. I point you in the direction of the enemy, and you do the job however you want.”

  My eyes widen involuntarily. “Wow. That’s a risky blank check to write me, isn’t it? I mean, we’ve met before, right?”

  Schultz shrugs. “Part of the reason you’re perfect for this is because you think for yourself. I don’t expect you to question any order I give you. But I do know that you would execute that order in the right way. You would do what needed to be done—nothing more, nothing less.”

  I smile. “That was a compliment, wasn’t it? You were just being nice to me.”

  His expression is like stone. “Don’t be an asshole about it, son.”

  I smile wider. “Sorry. Old habits.”

  “I might not always agree with what you do, but I must admit… you’re a man of unwavering principle. You do what you do because you believe it’s right. You don’t condone the loss of innocent life. And you certainly don’t take issue with putting bullets in people who deserve it. We need you, Adrian. The country needs you. I need you.”

  I run a hand absently over my beard. It’s grown out over the last week or so, thicker than I’ve ever had it before. It’s itchy as hell but oddly comforting. Ruby said she likes it too, which helps.

  “How would this work?” I ask. “I mean, I wouldn’t know where to start recruiting for something like this. I haven’t kept tabs on anyone on this side of things for a long time.”

  “Glad you asked.”

  Schultz stands and walks over to his desk. He opens a drawer to the right of his chair and retrieves a small flash drive. He walks back over and holds it out to me. I stand and take it from him.

  He points to it in my hand. “That’s an encrypted drive with ten classified personnel files on it. Ten of the absolute best this country has to offer, from all branches of the military, official and otherwise. You’re to pick three and recruit them. Approach them however you want. Tell them whatever you feel is appropriate and necessary to get them on board.”

  I stare at the drive in my hand.

  I hate these things. Again, nothing good has ever come from me having one.

  Schultz points to it again. “Don’t access that drive until you’re one hundred percent sure you’re in. It’s programmed to wipe itself twenty-four hours after being opened.”

  “Huh. Fancy. So, how long do I have to decide?”

  He shrugs. “How long do you want?”

  I think about it. “Give me a day?”

  He nods. “You have one day.”

  “All right, then.” I turn to leave, but another question comes to mind. “Who’s your back-up?”

  He looks confused. “What do you mean, son?”

  “I mean, if I say no, who’s your next choice to do this?”

  Schultz sits down behind his desk and starts ruffling through some papers in front of him.

  “There isn’t a second choice,” he says without looking up.

  “Really?”

  He stares at me. “I honestly haven’t considered the possibility of you saying no.”

  “Really?” I say again, chuckling this time. “A little presumptuous, isn’t it?”

  He shakes his head. “I don’t think so. I have a pretty good insight into how you think, son. And I’ve seen you act on your principles firsthand more times than I care to admit. Something this important… I think we both know you won’t say no.”

  Am I offended by that?

  “I’m that predictable, am I?”

  He simply smiles at me and nods to the door. “We’re done here. I have a meeting with the Portuguese ambassador in five minutes. Call me when you’ve made your decision.”

  His abruptness catches me off-guard.

  “Right. Well, then… thanks for your time, I guess.”

  He murmurs something, but I can’t make it out. I take one last look around the room and catch myself reminiscing about the last time I was here.

  Those were the days, huh?

  I turn and leave, shoving the flash drive into my pocket.

  Now to give Ruby that same sales pitch and see what she thinks.

  3

  11:04 EST

  The hotel Ruby and I are staying in is on Massachusetts Avenue, just off Dupont Circle. It’s a short walk from the White House. I reckon it would usually take around twenty-five minutes at an even pace. It took me a little under twenty because it’s mid-November and currently forty-three degrees outside. I didn’t think it was possible to be colder and more uncomfortable than I was in Tokyo, but here I am, having the universe prove me wrong yet again.

  Can your balls get frostbite?

  I open the door to the room. Ruby is lying on the bed, on her front, with her legs bent back in the air, reading a magazine. She’s wearing… very little.

  I smile.

  Her pajama shorts look more like a thong.

  She looks over as I close the door and smiles. “Ranulph Fiennes returns.”

  I roll my eyes and smile a humorless, barely tolerant smile.

  She laughs. “So, how did it go? What did Schultz want?”

  I shrug my coat off and lie on the bed be
side her, hugging my chest and rubbing my arms. I let out a long, painful breath, almost resenting the fact that I have to relay the convoluted explanation Schultz had given me.

  “He offered me a job,” I say.

  Ruby frowns. She pushes herself up so that she’s kneeling and sitting back on her heels. “Are you serious?”

  I nod. “Sadly, yes.”

  “I’m guessing he doesn’t want you as the new V.P.”

  “Not quite. He’s pretty worried about some big, pending threat. Says he’s working with GlobaTech to figure it all out, but he’s painfully aware that the U.S. government can’t keep up with the advancements in technology and warfare—not like GlobaTech or this apparent new wave of bad guys.”

  “Okay. So, how can you help with that?”

  “He’s putting together his own version of Buchanan’s D.E.A.D. unit. Y’know, Ray and those guys.”

  “And he wants you on it?”

  I shake my head. “He wants to me to build it.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “Nope. He wants me to recruit three people from a list of the best the DoD and CIA has to offer. Then he wants me to train them and, I think, lead them.”

  She shifts on the bed so that she’s sitting with her legs crossed in front of her. Her expression tells the same story as what’s in my head right now—a mix of confusion, concern, excitement, and flattery.

  “What did you say?” she asks after a moment.

  I shrug. “I said I’d think about it.”

  “And?”

  “And what?”

  “What are you thinking?”

  I sigh heavily. “I’m thinking we should be on the next plane to anywhere.”

  She nods patiently. Her eyes search my face, reading me like a book only she can translate.

  I raise my eyebrow. “What?”

  “Nothing. So, why you specifically? What can you offer this… super team that no one else can?”

  I sit upright and rest a hand on her leg, absently stroking the soft flesh of her thigh. “Schultz gave me the hard sell. He said the future of warfare is privatized. It’s about influence and money, not bullets. He said GlobaTech have been leading the charge for a few years now, leaving most world militaries in the dust. He also said that as we evolve, so do the bad guys. It’s at the point now where he genuinely doesn’t think his military is equipped to deal with post-4/17 problems. Couple those concerns with whatever he and Buchanan think is brewing, and he’s basically running scared.”

  Ruby stares blankly ahead, processing it all.

  “He wants his own D.E.A.D. unit, so the government has at least some skin in the game,” I continue. “A small unit answering only to him, which gets to solve problems without politics and bureaucracy getting in the way.”

  “Just like Ray’s team…” she observes. She looks at me with those gorgeous green eyes. “But don’t they have countless units like that already? CIA black book-type stuff. SEALs. Deltas. All those people. It’s all pretty much limitless counterterrorism, right? What do they need something else for?”

  “That’s what I said. His argument was that, even though those people have more freedom to do the dirty stuff, they still have limits. They still serve a committee and an agenda. There’s no place for that in the new world.” I gesture to the TV. “You’ve seen how the news works nowadays. What use is a ghost with a license to kill when you can topple governments with a fucking tweet?”

  Ruby rolls her eyes. “Oh, like you know what Twitter is.”

  “I read about it in a newspaper once.” I flip her a one-finger salute and smile. “Schultz has a point. He was… nice to me. It was weird. He complimented me.”

  “Damn. He must be serious.”

  “He is. Says I’m the first and only choice to train the limits out of these people. Make them like me.”

  “And that’s a good thing?”

  She smiles playfully.

  I push her gently away. “Yes, that’s a good thing. He said that despite his reservations about the life I lead, he can’t ever fault my moral code. He trusts me to make these new people the deadliest threat to terrorism the government has ever had in its arsenal, while keeping them on the right side of the moral debate. I was actually quite touched by that.”

  Ruby’s hand rests on my arm. “You should be. The president’s right, y’know? About all of it. You’re a great man with a good heart and no issue doing terrible things to those who deserve it. The perfect combination.”

  She beams at me. I see love and pride in her eyes. I lean forward, and we kiss until my heartrate increases. When she moves away, her expression has changed. It’s softened into sympathy and concern.

  “Adrian, I have to say something. I want you to know this is one of those times when I’m not being an asshole to amuse myself, okay?”

  I smile. “Okay.”

  She takes a deep breath. “What happened in Tokyo was… tough. It was tough on everyone involved but especially on you. I love you. I respect you. There are times, even now, when I still actually fear you a little a bit. I’m in awe of who you are and what you’re capable of.”

  I nod, trying not to go red. “But?”

  “But… you’re only human, and right now, you’re recovering from something that has likely changed you forever. Physically and mentally. Are you sure you’re up for this?”

  I reach out and brush the hair from her face, tracing the back of my hand down her cheek.

  “I’m tired and sore, but I’m fine. I’m still me. Miley broke me physically. Of course, she did. Christ, the whole world saw her do it. I’d be an idiot to try and deny that. But mentally?” I tap my left temple with my trigger finger. “I’m as strong as I ever was.”

  Ruby smiles patiently. “Newsflash, hot shot: you were never that strong mentally, and we both know it.”

  I glance away. “Yeah. Fair point.”

  “Let me ask you this. And again, I’m in full not an asshole mode here. How are you managing the pain we both know you’re still in?”

  I know what she’s asking me and why. I developed a dependance on the painkillers I was initially given, quickly and completely. They needed to be that strong because I had been beaten to within an inch of my life. But they were addictive. I hit them hard to help me get through the violence I needed to commit. I can’t believe how strong Ruby was to stand by me. I wasn’t worried that they came close to destroying me. What hurt was how close they came to destroying us.

  It’s a genuine concern, and I’m grateful she asked.

  “I’m managing it fine,” I say. “Look.”

  I reach into my back pocket and pull out a thin cardboard box of drugstore painkillers.

  “I take them only when I absolutely have to, and even then, I stick to the recommended dose. They’re not super effective, but they take the edge off. I’m healing every day, and the stronger I get, the less I need them.”

  Ruby looks at the box, then back at me. I see her body tense, the way it does when you stop yourself from moving.

  I hold the box out to her. “It’s okay. Check them.”

  Reluctantly, she takes the box and looks inside. She sees the two foil sleeves of tablets. One is half-empty.

  “I’ve had them a few days,” I add. “See? Only when I have to.”

  She looks away as a tear escapes down her cheek. She tosses the box aside on the bed and looks at me.

  “I’m sorry for asking,” she says. “I’m sorry for doubting you. I just—”

  I place my hand on the side of her face and use my thumb to softly wipe the tear away. “Hey, you don’t have to apologize. I know why you’re asking, and I appreciate it. I might make bad choices sometimes, but I learn from my mistakes. It’s the only reason I’m still alive after two decades of doing this shit.”

  Ruby nods and places her hand on mine. She leans into my palm and closes her eyes as a warm smile spreads across her beautiful face. When she opens her eyes again, any sadness and doubt has gone.


  “Okay,” she says. “So, how does this all work? Where do we start?”

  I lean back against the headboard, momentarily holding a hand to my ribs as I search for comfort.

  “Well, I haven’t said I’ll do it yet. I have twenty-four hours to think about it.”

  “Oh, please. We both know you’re going to do it.”

  “We do?”

  She springs to her feet and stands before me, bouncing on the spot like a cheerleader about to start her routine.

  “Of course, we do. You’ll never turn down the opportunity to prove someone right when they tell you how good you are. Besides, I know better than anyone that when the shit’s about to hit the fan, you’ll always try to help.”

  I smile, feeling my cheeks flush a little. “That right?”

  She jumps back on the bed, landing on her knees beside me, and rests her hands on my stomach. “Yup. Because despite the fact that you’re one of the best assassins to ever live, you know, deep down, that you will always use your wonderfully violent talents to help people.”

  “I guess.”

  “I guess? Adrian, where are we right now?”

  I look around the room and shrug. “In a hotel.”

  “Which city, dickhead?”

  “Washington.”

  “Right. And what happened last time you were here?”

  “I made the front page of every newspaper in the world before my death was faked by a clandestine organization of assassins who eventually tried to kill me.”

  Ruby laughs. “Exactly! There are few people who can do what you do. That’s why Schultz asked you to do this. And that’s why you’re going to say yes. This isn’t something you will ever allow yourself to walk away from.”

  I struggle to my feet and walk over to my coat. I take out the flash drive and stare at it.

  “What’s that?” asks Ruby.

  I hold it up for her to see. “This contains ten personnel files. Ten candidates for the team. I need to pick three, then recruit them.”

  She reaches over the side of the bed and retrieves a laptop from a bag next to the bed. She opens it up in front of her and holds out her hand.