The Devil You Know

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The Devil You Know Page 3

by James P. Sumner


  “So, what are you waiting for? There’s work to be done, bitch.”

  We smile at each other.

  God, she never ceases to amaze me.

  People say there’s someone for everyone. That one person you’re destined to be with. I thought I had already loved and lost mine. When Janine was taken from me, I never wanted to find anyone else. I never believed I could. I was lucky to meet Tori. She personified everything about the new life I was trying to build. She loved me for who she thought I was, and it was amazing for a while. But it all went to shit when she found out who I really was, and she ended up a casualty of my old life, like so many others.

  But then Ruby came along. It’s like I made her in a machine. She’s perfect for me in every way. That’s when I realized the saying is wrong. There isn’t just one person for you because people change. The man I was pre-Adrian Hell… there was one perfect woman for him. It was Janine. But she’s gone, and so is the man I was back then. Same goes for Tori. She was perfect for the man I was trying to be when we met. But she’s gone now too, and so is he.

  There’s one perfect woman for the man I am now, and I’m looking right at her.

  “Well, hang on a sec,” I say. “When we access this drive, we have twenty-four hours before it wipes itself. We can’t start until we’re one hundred percent on board.”

  Ruby shrugs. “And?”

  “And… I haven’t said I’ll do it yet. This is a big deal. I’ll only agree to it if you’ll do it with me. Me and you, side by side.”

  She smiles. “I know. Do you think I would let you do something this important without me?”

  I smile back. “Well, I thought that might be the case. But I wasn’t about to speak for you or make any assumptions.”

  “I go where you go,” she says. “Without you, life’s too boring to waste my time on.”

  “Okay, then.”

  I take out my phone and make a call, placing it on speaker as it rings out.

  Schultz answers. “Buchanan owes me fifty dollars.”

  I frown. “What do you mean, Mr. President?”

  “He bet me fifty bucks you would call within three hours of the sales pitch. I said you’d call within two.” He pauses. “Ninety-six minutes. He owes me fifty dollars.”

  “Glad I could help.”

  “So, what’s it to be, son? Can I count on you?”

  I let out a heavy breath and look at Ruby for confirmation. She nods.

  “Yeah, I’m in,” I say. “On one condition.”

  “Name it.”

  “Ruby’s in with me. She and I are gonna run this thing.”

  “I recruited you, son. Not your girlfriend.”

  “She’s every bit as capable as I am. She’s also the only person in this world I trust completely. You think I’m working for you without someone to watch my back, you’re insane. Sir.”

  Schultz sighs down the line, causing static through the speaker.

  “Fine. But she’s your responsibility.”

  “Suits me.” I wink at her.

  “Have you looked at the files yet?”

  “We’re about to.”

  “Okay. Pick your three and go get ’em. You have six days. You have a direct line to me. I’ll arrange whatever you need to get the job done. There’s an address on that drive. An abandoned RAF base in London. That’s where you’ll get them to meet and where you’ll train them.”

  “London?”

  “The U.K. will know you’re there, as a courtesy, but they won’t know why. It has to stay that way.”

  “Okay. Six days?”

  “November eleventh.”

  “I’ll be in touch.”

  “Godspeed, son.”

  The line clicks dead.

  I toss the flash drive to Ruby, who immediately slots it into the side of her laptop. I move over and sit beside her.

  “Time to go to work, baby.”

  She smiles. “Yes, sir.”

  I recognize the mischievous glint in her eye as she opens the first folder. Images and documents flood across the screen.

  Let’s see who we’re dealing with.

  4

  November 6, 2019 — 08:17 EST

  I’m sitting opposite Ruby, eating breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant. I’m tired, but the coffee is flowing, so I’m sure I’ll manage. It’s busy but not crowded. Not exactly five-star, but I don’t exactly care. They serve coffee and food, so I’m sold. I can see Ruby discreetly looking around at the décor. She has that this isn’t The Ritz Carlton, but it’ll do look on her face.

  We stayed up late last night. Sadly, it wasn’t for the usual reasons when I’m awake until the early hours with Ruby. We were engrossed in the personnel files of the potential recruits for Blackstar. With the limit on how long we could view the files, we worked into the night to narrow ten people down to three.

  We did.

  Now we just need to recruit them.

  Ruby sips her coffee. “So, where do you want me?”

  I raise an eyebrow as I finish chewing my toast. “Honey, we’re in a restaurant. They frown on that sort of thing here…”

  She rolls her eyes and throws a packet of sugar at me.

  I laugh.

  “You know what I mean, asshole,” she says, smiling.

  “I do.” I pour some more coffee. “The two in the States should be easy enough. We’ll take one each.”

  “What about the third?”

  “I’ll get him.”

  “You sure? That’s a long-ass flight.”

  “It is, but it’ll be the trickiest one, and I don’t want you in that situation.”

  I see her eyebrow flick up. I’m about to get the Ruby Special, I think.

  “And why’s that?” she asks. “Don’t think I can handle it because I’m a woman? Think I need to be protected by the big, strong man? Don’t think I—”

  I hold my hand up. “Okay, knock it off, Beyonce.”

  Ruby sticks her tongue out playfully.

  “We just need to play to our strengths here,” I say. “You would be best served heading down to North Carolina, I think.”

  “Okay. That’s the Marine Recon guy at Camp Lejeune, right?”

  I nod. “Sergeant Lincoln March, yeah.”

  “What are we saying to these people?”

  I shrug. “No more than we have to at this stage. Best thing to do would be to stroke their egos a little bit. Big them up, make them feel special for being chosen. I guess they are, to be fair.”

  “You think that will work?”

  I shrug again. “That’s how the CIA recruited me.”

  She tuts. “Imagine my surprise.”

  “Whatever. It’s how I recruited you from that nuthouse a couple of years ago.”

  She glances away. “Whatever.”

  “Yeah, exactly!”

  We share a laugh.

  “So, that leaves you with the chick in Spokane?” she asks.

  “Yeah. Makes sense. It’s quicker to fly from there to the third guy than it is to fly from here. I don’t want to be too close to the deadline.”

  “I guess we’re lucky that two out of three are on base.”

  “I don’t know if it’s luck, really. The military just isn’t as busy as it used to be. A lot of them are grounded for now.”

  “True. Not much action going on.” Ruby pauses. “Not that it’s a bad thing.”

  “Yeah, a lot of global issues are being handled by GlobaTech. Well, by the U.N., but it’s the same thing, for the most part.”

  “Why is that? Surely, GlobaTech would appreciate the help.”

  “I guess it’s because involving your military in the affairs of another country can be viewed as political. That’s a can of worms we’ve just about shut for the first time in fifty years. No one’s in a rush to open it again. GlobaTech are neutral because the U.N. is neutral. There’s no agenda or hidden motivations. They just want to help.”

  While 4/17 was tragic beyond measure, it’s hard
not to admit that, on some level, it did actually achieve what Cunningham wanted it to. I’m not saying there weren’t better ways to go about it, but this is probably the closest we’ve come to world peace in our history.

  But millions paid for it with their lives. That’s not something we will ever recover from. Countless generations will always remember what happened that day. They will always remember the cost of the foundations upon which this new world is being built.

  I just wish it could’ve been different. It should’ve been. I should’ve done more.

  Blackstar can be my way of making up for it. That’s how I justify this to myself. I might not have been able to prevent the disaster, but at least I can help clean up the shit that’s emerged in its wake.

  Those of us who are left to live in this new world deserve that.

  “Do you think the military will ever get back to the way it was?” asks Ruby.

  “I hope not. If it does, it’ll be because the world needs it to. That would mean we’ve gone right back to where we were before all this, and the sacrifices we all made were for nothing. I hope every country learns from this.”

  “Same. Although, we both know, probably better than most, that evil will always exist.”

  I sigh. “That’s why we’re here—to make sure the people fighting it are still equipped to do the job.”

  Ruby sits back in her chair, nursing the mug of coffee in her hand. She stares blankly at the liquid as it swirls around in front of her.

  “Crazy to think the concept of war can evolve,” she says.

  “It’s unavoidable. When people change, so do their actions. For years, there has been conflict in the Middle East. We got involved with Iraq and Afghanistan. India and Pakistan were at each other’s throats for years, as well as everyone else’s. Russia and China always had some beef they involved people in. And for what? It always boiled down to money and religion.”

  Ruby laughs to herself. “Look at us, sitting here engaging in the moral debates of history. We’ve probably killed more people between us than most serving soldiers ever will.”

  I smile at the irony. “Fair point. Although, we actively avoid trying to kill innocent people. And we certainly never hide behind bullshit reasons or agendas. I’m not saying it’s completely different, but it’s not the same. Say what you want about what we do, but at least it’s honest.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. Just makes you think, though. All this…” She gestures to our table, then to us. “The reasons might change, but the results will always be the same.”

  “It will. You’re right. It’s the nature of the beast. We’re here to make sure the good guys can still hold their own in the fight. That’s all. Probably the most noble thing I’ve done in a long time.”

  Ruby smiles softly and leans forward, placing her hand on mine. “Now we both know that’s bullshit. I refer you again to the last time you were in this town. You knew what it would mean for you if you did what you did. But it needed to be done, and you did it anyway.” She sits back again and finishes her coffee. “You ask me, the world would be a much better place with more men like you in it, Adrian.”

  My cheeks flush with color. Ruby and I aren’t exactly a typical romantic couple, but every once in a while, she’ll surprise me.

  “Thank you.”

  She waves a dismissive hand. “Don’t get me wrong. You’re still not all that. You did just get your ass handed to you by a little girl, after all.”

  She smiles as I flip my middle finger at her.

  “Actually, I think you’ll find most of my aches and pains are a result of being blown up on a boat, not from the torture or the subsequent fight.”

  Ruby stands and pushes her chair underneath the table. Then she moves to my side, leans over, and kisses my forehead. Staying close to me, she whispers, “By an itty… bitty… girl.”

  Then she turns and leaves.

  I watch her walk away, which is a sight to behold.

  “I guess I’ll grab the check, then?” I shout after her, prompting a few people sitting close by to glance over.

  Ruby simply waves her hand without looking around, then disappears out of sight.

  5

  12:48 PST

  I step off the plane at Spokane International Airport and stand on the blacktop of the private runway. I look over at the main terminal as I stretch out the stiffness accumulated on the seven-hour flight.

  I didn’t fly commercial, but it’s still uncomfortable spending so long on a small plane. At least I wasn’t paying for it.

  I check my watch.

  These time zones are going to kick my ass when all this is over.

  A rental car has been prearranged for me. I stroll over toward the main building and head inside. My business is beyond top secret right now, but there are still some official hoops I need to jump through. Our illustrious leader has given me a government ID to help the process along.

  I flash it to the various security checkpoints scattered through the airport, and I’m ushered through without fuss, much to the chagrin of the hundreds of passengers forced to line up like normal.

  I navigate the sea of travelers, avoiding larger groups where possible by dodging through the gaps in the crowd. I’m in the unfortunate position of still being recognized. It’s hard to avoid when I made global news multiple times in just a couple of years. It’s usually okay walking along the street, but whenever I’m in crowded areas—especially ones with large TVs showing world news channels twenty-four-seven—I sometimes get the odd side glance. Despite Ruby’s argument to the contrary, I don’t like the attention.

  From stepping out of the plane to reaching the main entrance of the airport, it’s taken me about fifteen minutes. I see the rental desk over to the right. There’s a small line of people. I’m happy to wait. I could flash my badge and be a dick about it, but I have plenty of time, and I’d rather not cause a scene.

  Five minutes later, I step up to the window. The woman sitting behind the glass gives me a warm smile. I keep the small talk to a minimum and hand her the details of my rental booking. Two minutes later, I’m outside with the keys, scanning the nearby lot for my sedan.

  Having an inconspicuous car is great for wanting to blend in when you’re on the road. It’s not so great when you’re trying to find it in a parking lot among fifty of its clones, all painted in variations of the same goddamn color. How the hell am I meant to—

  Never mind. Found it.

  It’s a Lexus. Big and roomy. Dark gray. A hybrid too. Its battery is good for fifty miles or so. The gas tank kicks in when the battery’s depleted, but it self-charges as you drive and reactivates when it’s full. Efficient and environmentally friendly.

  The technology behind the solar, self-charging roads I drove on in Dubai a couple of years ago hasn’t quite made it this far west. It’s a shame, but I’m guessing it’s just a matter of time.

  I don’t drive much, and I’ve never really been into cars, but the smooth, near-silent purr of this Lexus as I fire it up gives me chills.

  Now for the most important part…

  I tune the radio to find a rock station. It takes me almost a minute to find a local station playing Whitesnake.

  I smile to myself.

  Perfect.

  I grip the wheel and take a deep breath. This is it. As soon as I leave the lot, I’m on the clock. Serving Uncle Sam. Trying to recruit the military’s best and brightest without telling them what I’m recruiting them for.

  Much the way Julius Jones did with me, all those years ago.

  Too many years.

  I’ve come full circle, it would seem. I’m rejoining the big, scary war machine to go and find people to be the next me. The student becomes the teacher and all that.

  I ease out of the lot and head along Flint Road, toward the highway.

  In the immortal words of David Coverdale himself… here I go again.

  13:23 PST

  Fairchild Air Force Base is only fifteen minutes aw
ay from the airport, so the drive is painless enough. The base is commanded by an outspoken colonel, whom I’m hoping I don’t have to make nice with. When I told Schultz who my picks were, he assured me that my visits with them would be authorized.

  Well, for two of them, anyway.

  I’ve been on military bases before, though not for a long time. They’re like small, self-contained towns. They have residential areas, shops, restaurants, schools, and a post office. Up to a thousand people could be living full-time on the base, and Fairchild is no different.

  The person I’m looking for is on active duty but is currently stationed on base, testing new UAVs. I’m assuming I need to head for the hangars.

  I turn off the highway and head along South Rambo Road.

  Ha! Rambo…

  A half-mile later, I take a right and turn into the base. There’s a checkpoint outside the Reserve Center. I present my credentials and am permitted entry without question. I see the hangars away to my left and follow the road toward them.

  I pull over near some other vehicles and kill the engine. I take a moment to look around and get my bearings.

  Okay. Showtime.

  I get out of the car and stretch again, being careful not to overdo it and aggravate one of the many things still hurting. I had to dress for the occasion, so I’m wearing a tailored gray suit. No tie.

  I hate this, but Ruby said she thought I looked hot, so I’m tolerating it.

  I grab my overcoat from the back seat and shrug it on over my jacket. It’s November, and I’m standing out in the open directly below Canada.

  Let’s just say I’ve been warmer.

  There’s an icy wind tearing around the base. My old man would’ve called it a lazy wind. It can’t be bothered going around you, so it goes straight through you and chills you to the bone.

  I walk toward the nearest hangar, positioned beside a runway. I approach three men in fatigues who are standing outside it. They look over as I reach them.

  “I’m looking for Captain Vickers,” I say. “Can one of you point me in the right direction?”

  One of the men, who looks younger than he probably is, looks me up and down. “Can I help you?”

 

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