A chain link fence surrounds the buildings. A rolling gate topped with barbed wire blocks the entrance. Inside, I can see three vehicles parked haphazardly. They all look like black versions of the Range Rover we had.
I rest the assault rifle between the seats.
“That’s yours,” I say to Rayne. “For the welcoming committee.”
“No sign of anyone yet,” he muses.
“All those vehicles must’ve brought someone. Remember: always presume the worse.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know—always be paranoid.”
I draw one of my Raptors, ready. “Hey, it ain’t paranoia if the bastards are really after you.”
He nods toward the gate up ahead. “Do you want me to…”
I smile. “I really, really do.”
Rayne hits the gas as we approach the entrance.
“Cup your balls, so they don’t fall, folks!”
We burst through the gate, flatten it with the impact, then run over it almost immediately. There’s a loud bang as the tires are shredded by the barbed wire. Rayne slides us to a stop in front of the door to the larger building.
I’m out and have my second Raptor drawn a second later. I move around our vehicle for cover. Rayne quickly joins me, rifle in hand.
“You ready?” I ask him.
He nods. His lips are pursed with determination. “Let’s get our team back.”
We stand from cover as men start to pile out of the building. Eight… nine… eleven… fifteen of them in total. They fan out as they clear the door, seeking cover behind vehicles and walls nearby. All are dressed in Tristar black.
How many of these clowns does Holt have? Jesus.
I look over at Rayne. I recognize his hard expression all too well. Narrowed, focused eyes. A snarl held back on his lips. It’s the look of a man about to go to war with no way of knowing if this is his last sunrise.
“Hey.” He looks at me. “Shoot to kill. No hesitation. This is us or them. You understand?”
He nods. “Way ahead of you, Boss.”
Rayne starts firing, aiming at any movement on his side of the building’s entrance.
I like him.
I bring both Raptors up and start shooting at my side. I clip three almost straight away.
Sorry… four.
No way Holt didn’t know we were coming, but this will definitely let him know we’ve arrived.
Five.
We can’t linger out here too long. It gives him—
Six.
—time to prepare. Time to hurt the team. Time to hurt Ruby.
That can’t happen.
Shit!
I duck behind the hood as a burst of gunfire shatters the windshield from my left, almost taking my head off.
I look over at Rayne.
“Reloading!” he shouts.
I roll my eyes. “Thanks for the head’s up. How many do you have left?”
“Bullets?”
“Bad guys.”
“Oh. Three. You?”
“Two.”
More thunks! in the aluminum chassis inches above my head.
I glare upward. “That’s it…”
I pop up and split my aim, pointing the Raptors at ten and two. I fire two bullets in each direction.
Seven.
Eight.
I duck back down as Rayne stands. He fires three controlled bursts and remains standing.
“Got ’em,” he announces. He looks over as I get to my feet. “How many did you take out?”
Without looking, I aim to my two o’clock and fire two more rounds. I hear the thud of a body behind one of the vehicles over there.
“Nine,” I say.
“Six. Good work.”
“We can compare body counts later, Fabio. Let’s go.”
We reload and head for the entrance. I take a look around as we cross the open space. No sign of life anywhere else out here. No sign of any security cameras. And most importantly, no sign of that goddamn drone.
Rayne takes point, walking in a slight crouch, rifle aimed straight and steady. He moves with precision, checking every angle as we proceed along a corridor. I’ve holstered one of my Raptors. The other, I’m holding low and ready, measuring each footstep as I follow.
The corridor divides the building down the middle, with rooms branching off on either side. It kind of resembles a ribcage. Stained, broken tiles hang from the wall. There are a few crates stacked along the sides, which appear empty. Rooms on either side stand empty.
“Where is everyone?” whispers Rayne.
“Gotta be here somewhere,” I mutter back.
As we near the opposite side, the corridor branches left, winding around a large room that occupies most of the width of the building. There’s a set of double doors just to the right. We follow the corridor around to the left, which brings us into a small vestibule with another set of double doors leading into the same room.
We exchange a nod.
Holt and the team have to be inside.
I silently gesture for Rayne to head back around and cover the other doors. I’ll take these. We’ll breach at the same time and hit them from both sides.
I signal to him to go on three. He confirms and disappears around the corner. I wait a few moments, then let out a low whistle. He responds.
One.
Two.
Three!
I step back and kick the doors open. I move in with my gun raised. I hear the noise of Rayne’s entrance over to my right.
I quickly take in the room and—
Oh, shit.
I hold my hands up. Rayne does the same.
Six more Tristar guards are facing us, automatic weapons aimed at both doors. Three men have me dead to rights. Same for Rayne.
The room is oblong, like a shoebox. Opposite us, built into the bend of the corner, a large L-shaped console flashes and buzzes. Lights flicker. Screens are bright with information. Three men sit along it, their backs to us.
Over to the left, I see Jessie, Link, and Ruby. All have their wrists bound, hanging from meat hooks affixed to the ceiling. Their feet are barely touching the floor.
In the middle of it all, visible in the gap between the two groups of guards, is Holt. He’s wearing a suit with no tie. The jacket’s open. His white shirt has bloodstains on it that likely aren’t his own. He’s standing there, calm and calculated, smiling as he points a gun right at me.
“Adrian Hell,” he says. “Right on time.”
I sigh with frustration.
Damn it.
29
08:01 CEST
I glance over at the team, working my way along the line to look at each of them in turn. They’ve been beaten. My eyes linger on Ruby a second longer. She has blood and bruising on her face and arms. Her clothes are torn in places, revealing the skin beneath.
Someone’s going to pay for that.
“Hey, honey,” I call over. “Sorry I’m late. Be right with you. Ruby, Jessie… I’ll get you down too, okay?”
Ruby manages a weak smile. Jessie doesn’t say anything.
Link spits out some blood and sighs. “Jesus Christ…”
Holt’s eyes narrow at me. “Do you think you’re funny?”
I shrug. “Only when I’m awake.”
“Are these really what you want your last words to be? You’re going to die here, Adrian. I hope you know that.”
“You first.”
Holt smiles at me. It’s a sickening, wide grin that displays every bad intention he’s ever had in one expression. “Put your gun down. Both of you. Slowly.”
I do. So does Rayne.
He waves his gun at me. “And the other one?”
I roll my eyes and retrieve the second Raptor from behind me. I place it next to its brother.
“There you go,” he says, lowering his and pacing in front of me. “Your president is deluded if he thinks this pathetic collection of military rejects can stop me or what’s coming. Blackstar? He would’ve had more
luck if he’d just sent you.”
I frown. “Wow. There’s a lot to unpack there. First of all, he’s your president too, dumbass.”
Holt shakes his head. “I don’t recognize the authority of an overweight hillbilly from a state that no longer exists. He was never elected.”
I think for a moment. “Okay, that’s a surprisingly fair point. But you think we’re rejects?”
“Just them. I know you better than that. I’ve seen your file.”
“Which file?”
“The one The Order kept on you. It’s far more detailed than anything that’s still hanging around in the Pentagon’s basement.”
“Ah, yes. The Order. I forgot you were a survivor of that. How’s your boss? Oh, wait…”
His smile drops for a split-second, but he recovers without skipping a beat.
“You may have stopped Martinez three years ago, but you didn’t destroy The Order. We simply disbanded and went our separate ways. Now I can continue his work. Continue our mission to bring order to the world.”
I shake my head. “Except that wasn’t your mission, was it? See, you people were brainwashed. Given a shit-ton of expensive Kool-Aid. The Order began centuries ago as a religious sect. Assassins who believed they were doing God’s work. Like The Blues Brothers with sniper rifles. But they died out long ago. Their history was little more than a footnote in the Vatican archives until your boss found them and decided to resurrect the idea. I’ve spent the last six months training these rejects to understand and fight a new type of enemy at a new type of war. Well, all that started with The Order, who were nothing more than thugs and killers in Armani suits, using corporate espionage and media campaigns instead of sending troops into battle. Frighteningly effective but ultimately a lost cause.”
“Such a shallow and ignorant assessment of our history,” says Holt. “If you mattered to me at all, I would be offended.”
I shrug. “Give me a minute. I’ll offend you whether I matter or not. Now I’m curious—how did you know about Blackstar?”
Holt laughs. “You were right, Adrian. I’m offended you would feel the need to even ask that. I’m Horizon. We have resources that allow us access to all kinds of information. Do you honestly think I don’t know every word spoken in the Oval Office?”
I fall silent. That’s worrying. There’s no reason for him to lie. It explains a lot, like how he’s been able to move and conduct business almost unseen. He isn’t psychic. He doesn’t have next-level foresight. He just knew which direction people were looking in.
“Yes…” he says, staring at me. “The realization. The defeat. It’s written all over your face, Adrian. Tell me, how did you think this would play out? Honestly. That you would waltz in here and arrest me? Charge me with war crimes?”
“Why not?” I look over at Ruby. “The beatings you guys took—were you hanging there when you took them?”
She nods. “Yeah.”
I look back at Holt and tut loudly. “There’s that pesky Geneva Convention that keeps getting in the way. If you went to The Hague, you would be locked away forever.”
He holds his hands out to me, pressing them together at the wrist. “Then arrest me. You’re a company man now, Adrian. Do your job.”
I shake my head. “I didn’t come here to arrest you.”
He grins. “Well, what else are you gonna do? Look around, assassin. I have control of the drone, I have your team captive, and I have you at gunpoint, dead to rights. I’d say you’ve lost, but doing so would suggest that this was a game you ever stood a chance of winning in the first place.”
I need to stall him, so I can think of something. Only thing I hate worse than an arrogant bad guy is an arrogant bad guy who makes a good point.
I crack my neck. “So, let me guess… you’re gonna make us all watch you level the Vatican with your new toy before shooting us and disappearing?”
He tilts his head, narrowing his eyes. He’s still smiling, but I think it’s more bemusement and confusion now.
“What?” I shrug. “You thought your grand plan was impossible to figure out?”
He shakes his head. “Not really. I’m just surprised you were smart enough to do it.”
I nod toward Rayne. “To be fair, he figured it out. I just shot everybody.”
Rayne frowns. “Hey, you didn’t shoot everybody. I took out six back there. You only got three more than me.”
“And what about the six at the intersection? And Falikov?”
“Oh, yeah…”
I turn to Holt. “You should see your boy Falikov now. I tenderized his head with a car door so badly, even dental records wouldn’t identify him.”
Holt shrugs. “I know. My drone has cameras. I wasn’t impressed. All I saw was a man who wasn’t in control. A man who is reckless and, ultimately, predictable. You’ve done everything I expected you to. Even when you and your girlfriend were running around Paris. You’re exactly like my old colleagues said you were.”
“Considering I’m so reckless and predictable, I still managed to stop you guys three years ago. I also managed to kill quite a few of you, including one of your Horizon buddies. Number seven. What number were you?”
“Four.”
“Right. Well, it’ll be nice to add another to my collection. Maybe I’ll get around to completing the whole set one day.”
“Unlikely. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a world to change.”
He turns his back to me and walks over to the three men at the console. I look at the men in front of me, holding their guns at me with unwavering precision. Same with the ones guarding Rayne. I flick my gaze behind him, to the team. All three of them are staring at me with expressions of hope and concern.
Truth is, my plan went to shit the moment we kicked the doors in. I know what we need to do. I’m just not sure how we’re going to do it.
Unless…
It’ll get you killed.
Will it?
Almost certainly.
Almost is good. Almost means there’s a chance it won’t.
A really small chance.
But a chance, nevertheless.
You’re insane.
Probably.
Do it!
See? Satan’s on board.
He’s also insane.
Oh, for sure. But that’s why he’s the fun one.
Silence.
My devils have spoken. If today’s the day when my book is written, at least I’ll have a big finale.
“Hey, Adam,” I call over. He turns to me. “Remember the intersection?”
He nods. “Yeah.”
“You wanna try it?”
He furrows his brow for a moment, then smiles.
We move in unison. No warning. No countdown. No wind up.
I lunge forward, thrusting my forehead into the nose of the guy standing directly in front of me. I quickly turn and kick the guy to his left in the balls, as hard as I can. The impact with his pelvic bone stings the top of my foot through my boot. I shuffle around him, putting his body between me and the third guy, on the right. I reach around and grab this guy’s hand, controlling it to aim his weapon in front of him, and pull the trigger. A short burst rips into the torso of the third guy. I then deliver a swift elbow to this guy’s temple, dropping him like a stone.
I slide into a crouch and scoop up my Raptors. I put two bullets in the guy I headbutted, then one for luck in each of the other two.
By the time Holt’s reacted and turned around, I have both guns aiming at him. Over to the right, Rayne is holding one of the assault rifles, having dispatched the three Tristar operatives guarding him. He’s also aiming at Holt.
“Drop it,” I shout over. “Now.”
Holt alternates his aim between me and Rayne. I don’t think he’s properly panicking yet, but he’s certainly more concerned than he was a moment ago. Reluctantly, he tosses his gun away.
“Didn’t see that coming, did you?” I glance at Rayne. “Go and free the team. I’ve got
this guy.”
He dashes across the room without a word and begins unhooking them.
“You’re just like the other Horizon was,” I say to Holt. “Blinded by your own arrogance. Now call off your drone.”
“No.” He looks back at the three men working the console. “You know what to do.”
Before I can react, there’s a flurry of activity. Hands move with speed and precision over the various keyboards.
“Hey!” I shout over. “Step away from there right now!”
But I’m too late. All the screens flash red. Holt starts laughing.
“You were saying?” he says.
I move toward him and place a gun barrel against the side of his head. “What did you just do?”
“The drone is locked onto its target. I’d say you have about twenty minutes.”
“Then stop it.”
An evil grin creeps across his face. “I can’t.”
“Bullshit. Stop it right now.”
He shrugs. “It can’t be stopped. And even if it could be, I wouldn’t.”
The team appear around me. They look broken and tired, but they’re alert and focused. There’s plenty of time to recover once this is over.
“What’s he done?” asks Ruby.
“He’s going to use the drone to destroy the Vatican.”
“Are you fucking serious?” says Link. “Why?”
I stare into Holt’s eyes. “Because he’s the bargain basement version of his old employer. He thinks blowing up the religious center of the new world will plunge it back into chaos. Kickstart a whole new wave of conflict across the globe.”
He nods. “And from that chaos, a new order will rise, Adrian. A new Order that will finally fulfill the vision Martinez had for us all. And there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”
I jab the butt of the gun into his nose, then turn to Rayne. “Watch that piece of shit.”
The team step away, giving me space. I move toward the console and aim both guns at the three men sitting behind it.
The Devil You Know Page 22