“Get the hell off me!” says a woman’s voice.
That’s definitely Chambers.
My jaw muscles tighten and I go short of breath as I feel my anger start to rise. While there’s always an exception to every rule, I still generally don’t condone violence against women. If they’re trying to kill you, then fair enough. But you don’t hurt them just for the sake of it.
I hear Manhattan talking to Pellaggio.
“Danny, stay focused. You can have your fun when all this is over, but for now... we all carry on as planned. Understand?”
“Yeah, I understand, Jimmy. But Adrian and this FBI bitch stay here. I’ve got big plans for them when we’re done with this city.”
That doesn’t sound too promising…
I have to avoid firing my gun until I’m ready to engage the large group on the main floor. I’ll be a sitting duck if they decide to come running right now. But at the same time, I have to get in there and rescue Chambers. With Manhattan and Pellaggio in the same room, I can’t pass up the opportunity to take them both out and put an end to all this. Rushing in there is a stupid plan, and it'll likely end up with either Chambers or me being killed… or both of us.
Think, Adrian—think!
If only I could ring Josh…
Well, I can’t, so I’ll just stick with what I know… fuck it.
I stand and kick the door open.
In my mind, the entire scene slows down. I scan the room, which looks identical to the one I woke up in—even down to the desk and wooden chair, which Chambers is sitting on. She has her back to me. Manhattan and Pellaggio are standing behind the desk in front of her. Both are unarmed. To the right as I enter, there’s one of the minions, who is armed—his rifle aimed at her.
Everyone looks up, their faces a mix of shock and confusion. The guy in the corner swings his gun lazily toward me, but I drop to one knee as I turn and fire a three round burst into his chest. The force of the impact pushes him backward and he hits the wall, sliding down to the floor and leaving a crimson stain behind him.
I stand up again quickly and take aim at Manhattan and Pellaggio.
Everything resumes normal speed.
“Hey fellas,” I say. “Miss me?”
“What the fuck?” shouts Pellaggio. “How did you get free?”
Hmmm, what would Josh say right now?
“Ah, a magician never reveals his secrets,” I reply with a smile.
I see Pellaggio’s right hand move behind him. I quickly snap my aim to him.
“Both hands front and center, asshole,” I say. He reluctantly complies. “Grace, you alright?”
“I’m fine,” she says. “Just get me out of here.”
I look up at Manhattan. “You heard the lady—untie her.”
I hear commotion close by outside the room. I assume the five guys from the warehouse are coming to see what’s happening...
I emphasize the fact my rifle’s pointing at him by nodding at it.
“Today would be nice, shit-for-brains,” I say.
Manhattan takes a deep breath and opens the top drawer of the desk, pulling out another blade. Not a scalpel this time, but a combat knife with a leather grip and a long blade that has one serrated edge.
“Do you keep knives in every desk you have?” I ask. “Jesus!”
He holds the blade in his hand for a moment, seemingly weighing up what options he has.
“Nice and easy,” I say.
Manhattan’s smiling, but he complies without incident. He moves behind Chambers and cuts the ties on her wrists, then crouches down and does the same with her ankles. I step back, almost behind the door, so I can cover the room and everyone in it with ease. He stands slowly, his narrow eyes staring a hole through me. His entire body is tense; the rage seeping from his very pores. But he doesn’t move.
Chambers stands, rubbing her wrists to get the blood flowing. She turns to look at me. She doesn’t smile, but she looks like she’s past hating me. Her eyes betray her feelings—a mixture of regret, sorrow, anger and determination.
She marches over to the dead minion and picks up his Carbine. Then she turns to face Manhattan and, without a word, slams the butt of the rifle into the side of his head. He drops almost instantly to his knees.
“Bastard!” she shouts, looking down at him as he reels from the blow. She quickly raises the gun, aiming it at Pellaggio. “And you, you piece of shit,” she says. “You start talking, right now. What the hell’s going on here?”
Pellaggio looks at me, seemingly surprised at her approach to interrogation. I simply raise an eyebrow, smile, and shrug, as if to say you’re on your own. I look at her, admiringly. Now I’ve seen her in action, I like her even more.
I swap sides so my back’s to her, allowing me to cover the door. I can still hear the guys outside. I assume the reason they’ve not yet rushed in, guns a-blazing, is because they know their bosses are in here.
At my feet, Manhattan’s trying to stand. I kick him in his side and he collapses on his front, groaning in pain. If I thought I’m too old for this shit, he definitely is!
“Talk,” says Chambers. “Why are you doing all this?”
I look over my shoulder at him. “And don’t feed us the bullshit about this being all about me,” I add. “We all know there’s more to it than that.”
He smiles at us both. A sickening smile, far more confident than his current situation warrants.
“Fine,” he says. “You wanna know what I’m doing?”
He pauses for effect.
What a prick…
“I’m going to start a war!”
18.
??:??
MANHATTAN’S LYING ON the floor, trying to tell him to keep quiet, but he doesn’t have the energy. His words are coming out as a dull groan. He gives up and focuses on trying to get to his feet again.
Pellaggio’s statement was dramatic, and cause for great concern, but I don’t understand it.
“Details, asshole!” she yells, clearly feeling the same way.
I’m aware that time’s running out for us, so whatever we’re going to get out of Pellaggio, we have to get it fast.
“In a way, this is all about you, Adrian,” he says. “About your actions in Heaven’s Valley.”
“Make your mind up,” I shout over, without taking my eyes off the door. “I thought you said this wasn’t about taking revenge on me?”
“Oh, I will have my revenge for the fact you killed my entire family,” he says. “But this isn’t just personal—it’s business. My father lost millions of dollars, not to mention a large amount of assets, because of the betrayal of his business associates and the actions of a small few.”
Chambers half turns to me, keeping one eye on Pellaggio. “Adrian, what’s he talking about?”
I run what he’s just said through my head. Starting a war; loss of money and assets; a small few... There’s only really one logical explanation.
“He’s referring to Dark Rain,” I say. “My guess is that he blames them for his Daddy’s business deal falling through, because ultimately, they were given the land that he wanted.”
Manhattan has managed to crawl over to the desk and is using it to drag himself to his feet. He looks exhausted from the effort and, as he shuffles to get comfortable on it, he glares at Pellaggio, seemingly pissed at him for opening his mouth. He’s breathing heavily through his nose—his lips are clasped shut, forming a thin line of frustration. He looks like he wants to say something, but keeps stopping himself. I doubt he’ll be thinking of a way to talk himself out of this—he’s smart enough to know when he’s beaten.
“Jimmy?” I say, watching his personal dilemma. “Something to add?”
Manhattan lets out a heavy sigh. “After your initial involvement, Adrian, Roberto blamed GlobaTech and Dark Rain for his losses—which were… considerable. They took the land he was supposed to buy, and then you came along and took it from them before giving it away. He was planning how to recoup
those losses when you… ah… paid him a visit.”
“I ain’t here for the re-run, Jimmy,” I say, impatiently. “What’s happening here and now?”
Pellaggio speaks up before Manhattan gets a chance to answer me.
“We’re gonna devastate this city and make sure those Russian bastards take the blame!” he shouts, practically spitting the words out. I can see the venom in his eyes—the unwavering belief in what he wants to do.
Chambers and I exchange a worried look.
What else can he possibly intend doing?
Actually, I’ve just remembered some of the things on his shopping list… He can do pretty much whatever he wants.
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” I say after a moment. “And here’s why: you do realize that the people in Dark Rain were just as pissed off at Russia as they were at everyone else? And everybody knows that—including the U.S. government. Framing the Russians in the hope that the U.S. will retaliate against them won’t achieve anything. It’s causing chaos for nothing!”
“I’ve lost everything!” he screams, his eyes wide. Even Manhattan looks on with curiosity, almost like he’s never been fully aware of Pellaggio’s torment until right now. “Because of you, I have no one. But it doesn’t start with you. If you look at the reasons you were there, and trace it all back to the beginning, it’s because of those Russian bastards that the whole thing happened the way it did. And you’re all gonna pay!”
Manhattan interrupts, trying to add some decorum to the room. “The events unfolding now have been meticulously planned for almost a year,” he says. “And we will not be stopped—by you or anyone else.”
His gaze flicks over to Chambers then back to me.
“Call your men off,” she says. “This is over—there’s no need for any more bloodshed.”
I admire her optimism, and her ability to remain professional under the circumstances, but things are far from over. We’re still outnumbered, and we still have no real idea what Pellaggio intends doing next. They won’t be coming along quietly, I know that much.
“Grace, we have to move. Can you cover these two?” I ask.
“Yes,” she says, matter-of-factly. No doubt, no fear, just a job that needs doing.
“Good. We’re leaving—stay behind me.”
She organizes her prisoners, keeping them covered with the rifle, and stays a few steps behind me.
I notice that we require very little interaction in order to function as a highly effective team. It’s nice. I remember how I got it all wrong the last time I found myself in a similar situation to this, but things are different with Grace. I’m not dealing with another killer, like me. I’m dealing with the law. And I know she’s got my back—not because she agrees with working alongside a bad guy, but because it’s simply the right thing to do to get the job done.
I open the door slowly and edge out, trying to see where the other guys are. I have two dead and two in custody, which leaves six still active. Five are about to die, I know that much. My guess is the remaining minion is outside by the vans.
I keep low and make my way slowly into the corridor. There’s no sign of life, but I know they’re here.
“Stay low,” I whisper behind me. “And that means all of you. I don’t want either of you getting shot in any crossfire.” I turn to look at them both. “But make no mistake—step out of line from this point on, and she’ll put a bullet in the pair of you.”
They both look at her and she smiles in return.
I make my way to the crossroads in the corridor. I press myself against the right hand wall and peer around the corner into the main warehouse.
The plywood splinters inches from my head as a hail of bullets comes flying toward me.
“Shit!”
I dive back around the corner for cover. I look behind me down the corridor, to make sure everything’s alright. Chambers has stepped away from them both and is covering them tightly, but from a small distance. From the position she’s in, she has all the angles covered, and enough distance that they can’t surprise her.
Despite the gunfire, I manage to smile. She never ceases to impress me.
I hold my Carbine around the corner and fire blind, trying to buy myself some time. I peer around the corner again. I can see four out of the five guys, all behind cover of boxes and shelving, poised and ready to shoot on sight. The fifth guy must be closer to me, likely against one of the front walls of the office area, just around the right corner of the corridor I’m looking down.
I can’t take them all out in one move, because they’re too spread out. Plus, I have to make sure Manhattan and Pellaggio remain unharmed until I can figure out how to get them out of here.
I look at my options. I can either stand here trading pot shots with them, hoping I kill them before I run out of bullets, or…
I stand and look at Chambers, right in the eye.
“I need to ask you to trust me,” I say.
She regards me for a moment, her hard gray eyes unblinking. “I do,” she replies. “Do whatever you have to do to get us out of here.”
“Okay then.”
I walk over to them, take a hold of my rifle and slam the butt into both Manhattan’s and Pellaggio’s faces in turn. Both of them fall to the floor—Pellaggio is dazed but awake; Manhattan’s out for the count.
“Wait here,” I say.
She stares at me, bewildered. “Well, I could’ve done that,” she says quietly, sounding dejected that she didn’t get a chance to hit either of them herself.
I walk back to the corner and peer round at the main warehouse floor. I lean round and slide my rifle across the floor as far as I can toward the group of men.
“Adrian!” she says with a hushed urgency. “What are you doing?”
I wink at her and smile. “I told you to trust me.”
“You’re insane.”
“Yeah, people keep telling me that.”
“I wonder why?” she mutters, mostly to herself.
I poke my head around the corner. “You guys win!” I shout out. “I’m unarmed and I’m coming out.”
I take a deep breath and stand up, then walk out into the main warehouse.
The loading bay door is still open, and the afternoon sun is shining in. Outside, I see the two vans still parked near the bay doors. There’s a light breeze blowing through the warehouse, which is more likely a draft from in there than the actual wind from outside.
I’ve got my hands up, elbows bent, and palms open, facing the front—my body language giving a clear message of surrender and compliance.
“Take it easy, fellas,” I say, as the first of them emerges from cover. “I’ve got no weapon. Your boss has my friend and I know when I’m beat.”
They all congregate in a wide circle around me, similar to how they had when we first arrived. Except there’s only five of them now. They’re holding their weapons loose at their sides, sensing no threat from the surrounded, unarmed man.
Like I hoped they wouldn’t.
As they move in closer, their formation becomes more rigid. I stand facing the loading bay door, with two guys just behind me, at my four and eight o’clock. I’ve got two more just in front of me, at my ten and two o’clock, with the remaining guy dead ahead at my twelve o’clock.
I lower my hands and hold them out in front of me, as a further gesture of submission.
“Be gentle, boys,” I say, smiling.
As expected, the guy at my twelve o’clock steps forward to restrain me. I’m facing him square on, and as he approaches, I discreetly slide my right foot behind me about three inches, bringing my heel up so all my weight is on my toes, giving myself some extra leverage. I let him get within three feet of me…
I push off with my back foot and explode forward, catching him flush on the bridge of his nose with my forehead. Bone crunches under the impact as I crush his nose, flattening it into a crimson mess that erupts across his face.
As he starts f
alling, I use my momentum to fall forward into him and grab the barrel of his gun. I push with my body weight and swing him round by his rifle, spinning him so we swap places and his body is shielding mine. As he turns, I slide the rifle off his shoulder and hold it with my right hand by its barrel, like a baseball bat.
No one’s reacted yet, and I’m taking advantage of every valuable second of surprise that I’ve got left.
I grab the guy by the collar with my left hand and push him as hard as I can off to my left while stepping out to the right. The guy collides with his colleague who was originally on my two o’clock, temporarily neutralizing them both.
As I make my way right, I swing the rifle and connect with the ten o’clock guy, smashing the butt into the side of his head. Maintaining my swing, I follow through and round, spinning a full circle counter-clockwise as I duck low. As I come around the second time, I hit the eight o’clock guy on the outside of his left knee. The impact takes both his legs out from under him, causing him to drop to the floor.
I come to a stop on one knee and flip the rifle around in my hands, ready to shoot. I fire two short bursts at the four o’clock guy before he has time to process what’s happening and react. I hit him in both legs and he goes down hard, screaming in pain.
I stand and look around. The guy at my two o’clock is just getting to his feet, pushing his semi-conscious colleague off to the side. I walk over as he gets to one knee and thrust my right knee forward, catching him sweetly on the side of his face, on the bend of his jaw. He’s out before he hits the floor.
Slowly circling, breathing heavy, and trying to control my adrenaline, I look down at the five bodies. Satisfied it’s over, I look back at the corridor and see Chambers standing at the crossroad with her mouth open, staring at me. We lock eyes for a moment, but I turn away. She’s not going to like this, but it’s not over quite yet.
This is war…
I level the Carbine and fire a three-round burst into each of the five guys’ chests. Their bodies twitch on the floor as the bullets drill into them.
Hunter's Games Page 17
