Paradise Burns

by J. P. Sumner

  Both myself and Clara nodded. Neither of us spoke. Clark looked at me.

  ‘Adrian, after you killed Jackson and took the deeds to the land, why didn’t you take them straight to Pellaggio?’

  I shrugged.

  ‘I couldn’t allow the mafia to have access to that land, knowing what it was. It would be just as dangerous as if I’d allowed Dark Rain to keep it.’

  Clark nodded, like he was thinking about what I’d just said. He turned to Clara.

  ‘And you, Clara, why did you turn your back on Dark Rain after the years you’ve spent fighting for them?’

  She looked at me, then at Clark.

  ‘Same reason Adrian kept the deeds. I had no idea their end game involved selling uranium, and I wanted no part of it. It’s just difficult walking away from someone like Ketranovich.’

  ‘You’re right,’ said Clark. ‘It’s not. I have the same problem that you do.’

  ‘You do?’ I asked.

  ‘Yes. An investigation took place in the aftermath of Jackson’s demise,’ he began, briefly glancing at me as he mentioned Jackson’s name. ‘I work for GlobaTech Industries, and I’m proud to do so. The investigation revealed that Jackson was also on the payroll of a small group of individuals working to their own agendas from within my organization. It was these gentlemen who were working to fund Dark Rain, and to ultimately use them to shift liability for the uranium while mining weapons-grade material. The board of directors have ordered an immediate halt to all activities undertaken by this group, and have seized all assets relating to their operation.’

  ‘So you expect us to believe that you’ve pulled your funding from Dark Rain and screwed them the way Jackson screwed Pellaggio?’ I asked. ‘And that’s supposed to immediately absolve you of any accountability and make you the good guys?’

  ‘Adrian, I think we both know that in this world, things are too gray to simply have good guys and bad guys. But yes, whatever ties my company had with Dark Rain have been severed. And we’re actively looking to clean up the mess Jackson made, which is why I’m asking for your help. I also think Jackson was a greedy little prick for trying to go behind everybody’s backs and do a deal with the mob, and he got what he deserved.’

  He smiled.

  ‘But that’s purely my opinion.’

  ‘So what happens now?’ asked Clara.

  ‘Dark Rain needs to be stopped. They’re heavily armed, well prepared and have roughly three thousand men tucked away at their compound, ready to fight for them, according to the last status report from Jackson.’

  ‘I’m assuming nobody’s informed Ketranovich of these recent developments yet?’ I asked.

  Clark smiled.

  ‘Don’t worry, we’re working on a strategy to neutralize Dark Rain as we speak. They’ll get the message soon enough. For now, you’re part in this is officially over.’

  ‘Just like that? After everything we’ve been through?’

  ‘Just like that. Adrian, you can’t take on an army be yourself. You need to get your affairs in order, then get out of town. You’re done here.’ He paused a moment. ‘Well, almost.’

  ‘Why, what else do I have to do?’

  ‘Just one last thing, I promise. I want you to give me the deeds to the land. I will personally sign them over on GlobaTech Industries’ behalf to the U.S. government, who will ensure the land is mined clean and the uranium disposed of safely.’

  ‘That’s a big ask, under the circumstances,’ I said. ‘I appreciate you saved my life, but that doesn’t mean I trust you.’

  Clark smiled.

  ‘Fair enough,’ he said. ‘Perhaps this will convince you.’

  He pulled out his phone, dialed a number and put it on speakerphone as it dialed. He placed it on the edge of Clara’s bed, so it was in the middle of the three of us. He smiled at us both as the phone was answered.

  ‘Schultz,’ said the voice on the other end of the phone.

  ‘Sir,’ Clark said. ‘It’s Robert Clark, GlobaTech Industries. I’m sorry to disturb you at this hour, but I have you on speaker with Adrian Hell and Clara Fox. We spoke of the situation in Heaven’s Valley yesterday.’

  ‘Ah, Bob, good to hear from you,’ said the voice. It then spoke slightly louder, so as to address the whole room.

  ‘This is Ryan Schultz. I’m the Secretary of Defense for the United States.’

  Holy shit!

  I’m on the phone with the Secretary of Defense. I mean, short of speaking to the President himself, it doesn’t get much bigger than that. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I was star-struck or anything, I just couldn’t believe how high up the proverbial food chain this whole thing has gone.

  Schultz continued.

  ‘Adrian, I’ll make no secret that I dislike what you do for a living, son. But I cannot deny you’re a resourceful sonofabitch. In getting us the information you have, you’ve done your country a great service.’

  ‘Well, Mr. Secretary,’ I said. ‘I didn’t do it for my country. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done to stay alive. But I appreciate you calling and thanking me - that means a lot. I just did what anyone else would have, I guess.’

  ‘Well, whatever your motivation, the information has proved invaluable to our efforts,’ said Schultz. ‘But if you ain’t doin’ it for your country, you need to help us now as a service to your fellow man. I need you to hand what paperwork you have pertaining to the uranium site in Heaven’s Valley over to Bob Clark. GlobaTech are one of our biggest contractors, and we trust them implicitly in this matter.’

  ‘With respect, sir, how can you trust an organization that funded an underground militia and attempted to supply them with uranium?’

  ‘That was a deal brokered by a clandestine group of individuals operating inside a much larger company. Those individuals have ceased all activities relating to the project, and management of the resources have been given to Bob Clark. Bob here is one of us, do you understand?’

  ‘I do.’

  ‘Good man. I read your file, Adrian. You were a helluva soldier. You’re wasting your life as a hired gun.’

  ‘I appreciate the sentiment, sir, but this is what I do and I’m exceptionally good at it.’

  ‘That’s as maybe, but you’re still a goddamn killer. I don’t condone it, but this once I’ll overlook it.’

  ‘Very kind of you.’

  ‘Obviously, it should go without saying that details of what’s happening here are classified at the highest level. I would hate to think there’s any risk of information getting out about such things.’

  ‘You have my word, Mr. Schultz – the moment I’m outta this city, the whole thing will be completely forgotten.’

  ‘We appreciate your co-operation on the matter, son.’

  Clark picked up the phone and took it off speaker. He had a quick, one-sided conversation, during which he agreed a lot, then he hung up.

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen. He clicked the top of it and held it out to me.

  ‘So, shall we?’

  THIRTY-SIX

  Robert Clark left the room shortly after I handed over the deeds. He said he had to arrange a meeting with his lawyers to straighten everything out.

  I was sat with Clara, who hadn’t said much since we’d got off the phone with Ryan Schultz. I’d been pacing around the room, running things through my mind. Was I right to trust GlobaTech? My gut says I was, and not just because the Secretary of Defense vouched for them.

  What’s my next move? Can I just leave? I had no chance taking on Ketranovich and Dark Rain on my own, I admit that. But I felt responsible, and consequently obligated to finish what I’d inadvertently started. There’s no doubt Dark Rain were out to kill me. And Pellaggio will definitely want my head on a spike after all this. I wasn’t convinced it’d be that easy to just walk away.

  I looked over at Clara. What about her? Dark Rain was after her too. She had the money I took from Jackson. I just had to convince her to use it and get
out of town. I didn’t want her to go through anything else, she’s been through enough already.

  I’m aware of how hypocritical I sound – me and Clara are in the same position, really. I’m thinking I should stay when most people would be urging me to leave, yet I’m one of those people trying to get Clara to leave when she’s thinking the same way I am. Maybe it’s just male pride. With all due respect to Clara, I know she’d understand that to an extent. But I know she’ll want to see this thing through, just as I do.

  She saw me thinking.

  ‘What’s the plan, Adrian?’ she asked. ‘Are we done here?’

  I thought I’d try the chivalrous route anyway.

  ‘You are,’ I replied. ‘Clara, use that money and clear out of here - start a new life. Between me and GlobaTech, I promise I’ll stop Dark Rain.’

  Clara laughed.

  ‘You macho asshole! I’m not going anywhere, and you knew that before you even opened your mouth and fed me that bullshit line.’

  I smiled and held my hands up.

  ‘You got me.’

  ‘So, seriously, what’s the plan? Me and you – we’re in this ‘til the end, no matter what, right?’

  I smiled, touched by the sentiment.

  ‘Well, forgetting that we’re top of Dark Rain’s hit list for the moment, we still need to find this scientist. Once Ketranovich finds out that GlobaTech have turned their backs on him, and realizes he’s lost any chance of access to the uranium site, that scientist is as good as dead.’

  ‘Agreed. But where do we start?’

  ‘You said you knew a few places Dark Rain could use to house them, right?’

  ‘Yeah, but I don’t know for sure if they’re in use.’

  ‘It’s okay - right now, that’s all we’ve got to go on and it’s worth a shot.’

  I picked up a pen and some paper from Clara’s bedside table and took down details as she gave me the addresses. Then I took out my phone and rang Josh, putting him on speakerphone.

  ‘Hey Boss,’ said Josh’s cheery voice. ‘Still alive then?’

  ‘Just about,’ I replied. ‘Josh, you’re on speaker and Clara’s here. We’re in her hospital room.’

  ‘You found her? How’s she doing? Sorry - Clara, hey. Are you alright?’

  ‘I’m fine,’ she replied, laughing. ‘Just got shot a little bit.’

  Josh laughed.

  ‘I can see why you like her, Adrian,’ he said.

  ‘Thanks, asshole,’ I said, laughing but avoiding Clara’s gaze. ‘Listen, you had any luck on our missing scientist yet?’

  ‘No-one of any significance has been reported missing in the last six months, sorry,’

  ‘Try searching back eighteen months,’ said Clara. ‘Dark Rain will have been planning this a long time, so it’s feasible this scientist has been in play a lot longer.’

  ‘Hmm, good idea’, I said. ‘Also, Josh, Clara’s got a few locations of safe houses that Dark Rain use. Can you look into them, see if there’s any recent activity, etc?’

  ‘Yeah, of course,’ said Josh.

  I gave him the address details and asked him to ring me back if he got anything.

  After I hung up, we sat in silence for a few moments. I like to know how something is going to end before I start it. I like to play out every possible outcome first, so I can prepare for anything going wrong. I hate surprises. Josh says I have O.C.D. but I just like to be thorough and cover my own ass.

  This whole thing has been a disaster from the moment I entered Heaven’s Valley. I needed my exit strategy. I need to stop Dark Rain from doing whatever the hell it is they’re doing. It’s not going to involve uranium now, which is a small comfort, but they have the numbers, the weapons and the token megalomaniacal leader, so nothing’s going to end well there.

  I also have the mob to contend with. Whichever way you look at it, Jimmy Manhattan had a point - I did go back on my contract by not fulfilling every stipulation of it. And I told them to shove it up their ass when they questioned me about it. It’s something I’ve never done before, and it’s the only golden rule in the world of contract killing. Nobody wants to hire someone who might not do what you pay them to. I know these are extenuating circumstances, but nobody else will ever know that. Pellaggio’s empire stretches far and wide, and I won’t be able to outrun them, or any bad press they put out about me.

  I looked over at Clara, who had fallen asleep. I looked at the clock on the wall. It was the middle of the night, and I’d had a long couple of days with very little respite. I sunk into the chair and put my feet up on the table in front of me. I rested my head back and stared up at the ceiling, in an effort to stop my mind racing.

  I’ll just close my eyes for a second and rest them.

  I was out like a light.

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  I woke with a start. It took me a minute to come round and realize where I was. I looked over at Clara. Her bed was empty. I sat up and looked at the clock again. I’d been asleep nearly eight hours.

  Whether it was the fact I was thinking about it before I fell asleep, I don’t know, but I woke up with a clear plan how I can solve my current list of problems.

  My phone was on the table. I checked it and saw I’d had a missed call from Josh a couple of hours ago. I rang him back.

  ‘Josh, it’s me.’

  ‘You sound half asleep. You alright?’

  ‘Yeah, I nodded off in Clara’s room. I just woke up and saw your missed call. Clara’s gone from her room as well.’

  ‘Uh-oh...’

  ‘What do you mean, “uh-oh”? Josh...?’

  ‘Well, I rang you and she answered. She said you were sleeping. I told her I’d had some luck and got a hit on both the missing scientist and one of the locations you gave me.’

  ‘That’s good news, isn’t it?’

  ‘I told her what I had, and I think she may have gone off on her own to rescue them...’

  ‘What?!’

  ‘That’s why I tried ringing you back, but there was no answer.’

  ‘What exactly did she say?’

  ‘She said she’d go and check out the address. I said she should probably wait for you. She said she felt fine and wanted to go on her own. Said she felt responsible.’

  ‘Ah, shit! What’s the address?’

  ‘It’s a few miles from the hospital you’re in, so you’re gonna need a car. Listen, Adrian, I’m sorry – I had no idea she was basically a female version of you!’

  ‘It’s okay, I just need to find her. I’ll ring you back.’

  I left Clara’s room and ran down the corridor and into the waiting room where I met Robert Clark last night. A couple of the soldiers were walking around, still dressed in their non-descript black and red fatigues. I walked over to one of them.

  ‘I need a car,’ I said.

  ‘What for?’ he replied.

  I quickly explained why, omitting any details about the scientist that Dark Rain had kidnapped. The soldier looked over at his partner, who shrugged back at him. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys.

  ‘It’s the black Jeep out front,’ he said, handing the keys over to me. ‘Don’t scratch it.’

  I took the elevator down to the ground floor, went outside and located the Jeep. I climbed in, pulled out of the semi-circle driveway and set off down the road. I rang Josh again.

  ‘Right, I’m on the road now – give me directions,’ I said.

  ‘Okay,’ he began. ‘Keep straight for another two miles, then turn right at the junction.’

  ‘Will Clara be there by now?’

  ‘Easily, yeah.’

  ‘Shit.’

  ‘Adrian, I’m sure she can take care of herself – you worry too much.’

  ‘They sent a hit squad to shoot up an entire building, just because she was in it. And now she’s heading to one their safe houses to try and save a scientist who just became disposable. Plus, as far as I know, she’s unarmed.’

  ‘All v
alid points. You wanna know about our missing scientist?’

  ‘You’ve found out who it is?’

  ‘Well, the search results were surprisingly narrow. Once I filtered for location, I was left with literally one name: Jonathan Webster. He’s a nuclear physicist who worked out of Columbia University in New York. He apparently went to a conference about fifteen months ago and never came back. He sent a note to his colleagues a couple of weeks later saying he resigns from his position at the University. No explanation, and hasn’t been seen since.’

  ‘Sounds like our guy. We sure he’s at this particular safe house?’

  ‘Satellite imagery from the last three weeks shows regular movement at this particular location. Out of all the addresses we got from Clara, there was only one other that showed any activity, but I ruled it out because of the location. It was miles away on the other side of town, close to the state lines. It’d make no sense keeping him there, as this place is in close proximity to the mine.’

  ‘How the hell do you find this stuff out?’

  ‘Trade secrets,’ he said, clearly smiling smugly down the phone. ‘If I told you, I’d have to kill you.’

  ‘Even if you could kill me, you’d have to take a ticket and get to the back of the line of people who wanna try.’

  ‘Yeah, you do seem to be a popular target at the moment, eh?’

  ‘Looks that way. Good job I’m not heading to a building that’s likely to be filled with people who have guns and orders to shoot me on sight... Oh, wait.’

  Josh laughed.

  ‘Even when faced with such adversity, it amazes me how you always find time for sarcasm.’

  ‘I’m glad someone’s impressed. I’m turning right now. Where do I go from here?’

  ‘Okay, carry on and take your fourth left, then your first right. It’s the second house on the right hand side.’

  ‘Got it, thanks Josh.’

  ‘Just add to it to the list of things you owe me. Be safe.’

  I hung up and navigated my way to the house. It was a quiet suburban neighborhood. All the houses were detached with expensive cars on the driveways and well-manicured front lawns. It was hard to believe that somewhere so quiet and peaceful could house soldiers fighting in an extremist militia. What goes on behind closed doors. . . Even in this type of neighborhood.