A Necessary Kill (24 page)

I pace slowly away toward where the window used to be, feeling the cold wind rushing in from outside. I step carefully onto the balcony, avoiding the sea of shattered glass, and dial a number from memory.

I just hope to God he picks up.

23:03 EDT

I pace back and forth as best I can, impatient, conscious of how quickly we’re running out of time.

Come on… pick up, Josh, you—

“Yeah?”

Man, he sounds pissed!

“Josh? It’s me. Are you alright? Have you seen—?”

“The news? Yeah, I’ve seen it. What the fuck is happening? Where did this even
come
from?”

I sigh. “The abridged version? This is Cunningham’s endgame. He struck a deal with North Korea to wipe out all of GlobaTech’s forces and establish itself in all the affected regions around the world. North Korea thinks it has a partnership with the United States, and that the two nations will essentially divide up the planet between themselves.”

“That is fucking ridiculous! Have you even heard
yourself
when you say it out loud?”

I can’t help but smile. “Yeah, it’s beyond insane, I know. But that’s what’s happening now. Cunningham knows where every single asset of yours is—public or otherwise. Josh, can you do anything about this?”

“How does he… y’know what? Never mind. I’ve got everyone doing everything they can. I’ve got more men with more firepower getting ready to deploy wherever I can get them to the fastest as we speak. Schultz is coordinating with Homeland and the NSA—two agencies we’re pretty sure aren’t under Cunningham’s influence… They’re just acting as anyone would under the circumstances. With Schultz bringing them up to speed, we’re starting to slowly take back the country.”

“I think that might be too little, too late. What’s happening is just the first phase.”

He sighs. “And you’re gonna tell me the second phase now, aren’t you?”

“Cunningham’s using the Koreans like he did El-Zurak. They’re the bad guys, and he’s going to jump to everyone’s defense and kick their ass. And when he’s done that, he intends doing something that under any other circumstances would be impossible and clearly insane.”

“Which is?”

“He’s going to unite the world under the banner of the United States, using our own military as a kind of global army. It’ll be a dictatorship on the largest possible scale. He’ll control everything.”

Josh sighs down the phone again. “Bollocks.”

“Exactly. But I think he’s right when he says people are going to love the idea, given everything that’s happening. They’ll be blinded by the sense of security and won’t see if for what it is.”

“Yeah, good point. Just out of interest, how do you know all this? It’s not on the flash drive hanging around your neck…”

“No, it’s not. General Matthews tracked us down and told us everything. He said Cunningham’s trying to kill him for failing to kill me. He’s here with us now.”

“And you believe him?”

“I do. He’s given us a case-load of evidence to back it up, too. But then The European burst in here and tried to take
him
out instead of us. His friends in the White House must be done with him. It explains why he came to me, anyway.”

“Fuck… So what happened with The European?”

“Ruby killed him.”

“Oh, good. So she’s okay?”

“She’s doing fine, considering.”

The line falls silent for a moment.

“Jesus, Adrian, how did we end up involved in this shit?”

“You got me. I was just minding my own business, running my bar.”

“Yeah… I bet
that
life seems a million years away right now, huh?

“You’re not wrong, man. So what’s your plan? Can you hold off the North Koreans?”

“I don’t know… that’s a big fucking army, Adrian. We do alright for ourselves, don’t get me wrong. And in terms of technology, we’ll kick anyone’s ass, any day of the week. But man for man, bullet for bullet, they outnumber anything we’ve got six to one, at least.”

“Are you seriously trying to tell me that one member of your elite private military can’t kill six North Korean soldiers?”

“Well, when you put it like that…”

We share a quick laugh, and then I remember the reason I was calling.

“Listen, Josh, I know you’ve got a lot on your plate, but I don’t suppose you’ve had a chance to—”

“Put everything in place for your bat-shit crazy plan? Yeah, you’re good to go. I’ll leave you a message with the details. It’s still mental, but it’s prepared as much as it can be. The rest is up to you, boss.”

“Thanks, Josh—you’re a legend, do you know that?”

“I do.”

“Heh… According to Matthews, killing Cunningham isn’t going to stop what’s now in motion, but I’m gonna do it anyway. I’m gonna knock on his front door, walk inside his house, and put a bullet between his eyes.”

He laughs. “Y’know what? I believe you, you big, scary bastard! It’ll be like Heaven’s Valley all over again.”

I smile. “Yeah, except there might be a few more men.”

“And the house is a little bigger—
and
better protected.”

“And a little whiter…

“So, thinking about it, it’s not much like Heaven’s Valley at all, is it?”

I pause. “Not really, no… But taking down Pellaggio was fun, wasn’t it?”

“It sure was beautiful to watch,” he says fondly. “So am I right in assuming the words
Inner
and
Satan
will be making an appearance soon?”

I think about it for a moment. Apart from back on the highway with those three SUVs full of CIA agents, I’ve not really lost it enough to revert to my more animalistic instincts. I think this situation is so big, so… unique… I can’t afford to lose control. I need to rely on my skills, and I need to stay disciplined enough to do what needs to be done.

“I don’t think so, man. Not this time. The world is at war… I can’t lose control if I want to do this.”

“Huh… Fuck me, Adrian. I never thought I’d see the day where things got so bad even your dark side couldn’t help.”

“I guess it’s not dark enough anymore.”

“Either that or you’ve finally trained him to
think
as well as
maim
. And if that’s the case, can you grab a gun and go kill some North Koreans, please? Because you’ve just become the most frightening thing I’ve ever known!”

“Thanks!”

He chuckles, almost nervously. “I’m not
entirely
sure that was a compliment, I’ll be honest…”

“Yeah, Ruby says I struggle spotting them.” I glance over my shoulder at her. She’s sitting beside Oscar on the edge of one of the beds, staring in disbelief at the TV. “Listen… Josh. What I said when we last spoke… I know you said not to think about what could go wrong and everything, but… well, shit doesn’t really get much more
wrong
than this. You’re waging a war with North Korea, and I’m about to go and kill the president… Just in case either of us doesn’t make it out the other side of this thing, I just wanna say… y’know…”

“Adrian… Boss… it doesn’t need to be said. I know. And the same goes for you.”

I smile. “I love you, bro.”

“Beers at The Ferryman when this is over?”

“Bet your ass.”

“Go do your thing, Adrian Hell.”

“Good luck, Josh.”

I hang up and stare out at the city for a moment. I’ve got my plan. And it’s going to work. A couple of tweaks are needed in light of the information Matthews has kindly provided, but that’s not a problem.

I let out a heavy sigh.

This is it…

I head back inside. Ruby looks over as I step through the shattered balcony door. “Everything okay?”

I nod. “As much as it can be, under the circumstances.”

I move over to the bed. Oscar stands and steps to the side so I can see all the weaponry laid out behind him. There is a
lot
of firepower! I pick up a suppressed handgun. It’s a Beretta, similar to my old ones but not as cool. I regard it in my hand for a moment and then turn and take aim at Matthews.

“Give me your cell.”

I hold out my hand, and he reaches inside his pocket, takes out his phone, and hands it to me.

I look down at it. It’s turned off, like he said. “What’s the security code?”

“Four, seven, eight, two.”

“Thanks. Now, is there anything else you think I should know? Anything else that might help us stop this?”

He shakes his head. “It’s all in the case. Just, please, promise me you
will
stop him.”

“Oh, you’ve got my word on that, General.”

I pull the trigger, and a split-second later, Matthews’ head snaps back. A deep crimson sprays across the wall behind him. He slumps forward and falls to the side.

I look at Ruby and Oscar in turn. Neither of them says anything.

“Pack everything up, including his briefcase.” I hand the gun to Oscar. “I’m sorry about this, but you’re here, which means you’re part of the fight now. I need all the help I can get. I’d give you the ‘if you want out, now’s your chance’ speech, but there’s no point. There is no out, understand? You grab a gun, and you don’t stop shooting until everyone’s dead. Whether that’s us or them, that’s for fate to decide. But this is it. We’re gonna lay low here until the morning. As soon as Jonas arrives, we’re leaving town.”

“You gonna tell us the plan?” asks Ruby.

“Once we’re all together, yeah.”

She smiles. “Groovy.”

Oscar hangs his head. “Shit…”

11:46 EDT

We gathered our things and found an empty suite one floor down. We broke in and spent the night, though no one slept much. We just sat, mostly in silence, watching the TV. I worked my way through the documents in Matthews’ briefcase, mostly to keep my mind occupied.

I contacted Jonas and left him an update. While it was good The European was finally dead, I had to assume our hotel was compromised. If he had been working for the powers that be and he managed to find us, chances are
they
know where we are, too. I told Jonas to meet us in the short-term parking lot of the Atlantic City airport.

We commandeered a Mercedes saloon car from the lot at Caesar’s and headed there, stopping briefly on the way for breakfast. We’re currently parked nose first in a space not far from the entrance to the airport, anonymous in a sea of vehicles patiently waiting their owners’ return.

Oscar’s standing next to the car, leaning against the driver’s door with his arms folded across his chest. Ruby’s still inside, stretched across the back seat with her eyes closed. I’m not sure she’s actually asleep, though. She’s holding her shoulder, which I know is still giving her grief. I’m sitting on the hood with my leg resting up on it. The warmth of the engine is providing some relief from the pain and stiffness in my knee—a result of my run-in with The European last night.

I’ve got the flash drive in my hand, spinning it absently between my finger and thumb. All this time, I’ve been hoping the information on this drive would cause people enough concern that it might keep me alive long enough to stop Cunningham, but it turns out it barely scratches the surface.

North Korea is still invading most of the eastern hemisphere. The assault has been relentless, according to the news reports we’ve watched and heard. Even the most naive of us can see this had to have been planned months, or even years, in advance. It’s too slick, too coordinated… Cunningham’s a real sonofabitch, and the more I think about how he’s played us all, the more I blame myself for not stopping this sooner. First it was Cerberus, now the Koreans… I’m sick of arriving at the party too fucking late.

Well that ends right now.

“Heads-up,” says Oscar.

I look back at him over my shoulder, and he gestures to my left with his head. There’s a car approaching, and even from where I’m standing I recognize Jonas’ squat frame behind the wheel.

Oscar moves along the side of the car and stops next to the trunk. I follow him and knock on the window as I pass. Ruby sits up, instantly awake and aware.

“Showtime,” I say.

She nods and climbs out, and we form a loose line by the Mercedes. The car slows to a stop next to us, and Jonas gets out.

He regards each of us in turn with an expressionless gaze before stretching his arms and back. He idly glances around the parking lot and looks up as a plane takes off nearby. He watches it climb until the noise is barely audible.

He looks at me and gestures to my bruised cheek. “So… how’s it going?”

I shrug. “Oh, we’ve been having a blast… You good?”

“I’m here, aren’t I?” He looks at the others. “This the rest of the team?”

I nod. “Yeah, this is Ruby DeSouza…” She nods at him, a gesture he returns. “And this is my arms dealer, Oscar.”

“Arms dealer, huh? This doesn’t sound like
your
usual gig…”

Oscar smiles humorlessly and casts an unhappy glance at me. “It’s not.”

I pat him on the shoulder. “Forgive ol’ Oscar here—he’s always a little cranky before lunch. Come on, we need to make tracks. You can put your car in our space, we’ll take our ride.”

He nods. “Okay. You figured out a plan yet?”

“I have. I’ll tell you on the way.”

12:35 EDT

Oscar’s driving, and we’re coasting along Route 40 toward I-295, which will take us into Wilmington, Delaware. I asked Ruby where her friend lives—the one who put together the body wrap she wore just before she was committed to Stonebanks. That needs to be our first call.

Ruby’s up front, staring straight ahead in a kind of trance. I think she’s psyching herself up or something. There’s a very somber atmosphere in the car. No one has ever experienced a global war before. I fought in Desert Shield, but that wasn’t on the same scale as World War II, for example. What’s happening now… all
this
… is. And the real kicker is that because of 4/17, the North Koreans are just walking in and doing what they damn well please. It’s a very worrying time. Even though we know the fighting is on the other side of the world, we can’t help looking up every now and then to see if there are any planes overhead waiting to drop bombs on us. The people not directly under attack are slowly being crushed by their own paranoia. The scenes on the news say it all—it’s chaos.