“Big talk for a guy hiding behind his advisors and fancy screens in the Situation Room, watching the world fall apart.”
He scoffs. “I’m not hiding, you arrogant sonofabitch. I’m standing in the middle of my Oval Office, preparing to lead this country into war.”
I smile. Now I know exactly where he is. Sucker. Seems my initial gamble paid off…
“A war that you started.”
“I don’t know what would possess you to make such outlandish claims, but I’m—”
“Charles… Charlie… Chuck… Chuckie… Chuck-a-roo… Chuck-a-reeno… Let me stop you right there before I throw up. I’m not recording this call. I’m not live on Fox News. I’m not streaming this on YouTube, alright? It’s just me and you having a conversation. So, please, for the love of all that is holy, quit with the bullshit.”
Another moment of silence.
“What do you want?” he asks.
“Me? I don’t want anything. I just thought it was time we had a chat, that’s all. You’ve been chasing me up and down the East Coast for days now — indirectly, of course. I wouldn’t expect you to get your hands dirty because you’re a fucking coward—”
“I’m a coward? Coming from you, I’ll take that as a compliment!”
I frown. “Meaning?”
“Meaning, Adrian, you’re the one who’s running away from everything. You’re the one who’s letting your friend do all the real fighting for you. And you’re the one who left your little girlfriend back home, all alone, to embark on this foolish crusade.”
I fall silent, gripping the phone so hard I think I might actually crush it.
“What, nothing to say?” he continues. “No smart-ass comment? No — I didn’t think so. We’ve had our eye on her since the beginning, you know — ever since you escaped back in Atlanta after witnessing General Matthews commit the most heinous, most treacherous of acts. An act I had no knowledge of or involvement in, by the way. Yes… maybe I’ll send a couple of CIA agents over to that backwater town of yours in Texas, bring her in for aiding and abetting a known terrorist. That could get her life in prison, if I wanted…”
I take a deep breath. The following words won’t be easy to say, but they’re essential.
I crack my neck. “Do whatever you want. She doesn’t mean anything to me, anyway. All that matters to me is my next hit. I’m an assassin, remember? And we both know I’m far from insignificant, so stop kidding yourself that you’re in control here. You’ve been trying to kill me for almost two weeks, and yet here we are, talking like old friends. I imagine by now you’ve found out Matthews is dead and I have the documents that can bury both you and your entire administration.”
“You’re a terrible liar, Adrian. Now, if you have a point to make, I suggest you make it. I’m a busy man.”
“My point, Mr. President… Mein Führer, whatever you prefer to be called, is simply this: It’s over. I know everything, and I’m going to make sure the rest of the world does, too. You’re not going to swoop down and save the day because GlobaTech is going to kick North Korea’s ass all the way back to the Stone Age. And you’re not going to kill me, because I’m better than you. And smarter than you.”
“You have a very high opinion of yourself, Adrian.”
“I’ve never been one to fly in the face of public opinion…”
“You arrogant prick! You do realize I have the resources of the most powerful country on Earth at my disposal. Every intelligence agency is looking for you. The military will soon be patrolling the streets of every city in every state, protecting the American people from the threat of war. You are but one man. Are you honestly trying to tell me you think you can beat me? That you can stop what I’ve spent my entire life planning?”
I pause and look into the eyes of each person standing with me. People who, in a short space of time, I’ve come to respect and trust and believe in. People who are prepared to fight with me. People who are prepared to die for my crusade.
There’s only one answer I could possibly give…
“There’s an old saying, Charlie: ‘It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.’ You’re the worst thing to ever happen to humanity, you steaming-hot piece of shit, and there’s no escaping what’s heading your way. You can’t hide from it, you can’t stop it… Nothing in this world can save you from what’s coming.”
“Really? And what exactly is coming?”
“Me.”
I hang up the phone, drop it on the ground and stamp down hard with my heel, smashing it.
Ruby steps forward and puts a hand on my arm. Her eyes are soft, her expression genuine. “Adrian, I’m so sorry…”
I smile gratefully at her. “Ruby, it’s fine. She’ll be fine. I need you to focus, okay?” I look at Jonas briefly, then back at her. “The two of you have an important, and difficult, job ahead of you. You cannot fail, do you understand?”
They both nod in agreement, and Ruby reluctantly steps back, moving next to Jonas.
I thought I could keep Tori away from all this. I guess I was kidding myself. But what Cunningham said did nothing except add more fuel to the fire. I just have to trust that I’ll stop Cunningham before he finds a way to use Tori against me.
I close my eyes. I allow myself three seconds for every negative and unhelpful emotion to swirl around inside my head, screaming and tearing away at me.
I take a deep breath… hold it… and breathe out slowly, expunging all those feelings. They’ve had their fun, now I’m done with them. All that’s left inside me now is determination and fury. My Inner Satan is watching me. Normally, I can feel him ready to fight against logic and break free. But not this time. This time, it’s different. There’s nothing holding him back anymore. He’s standing unrestrained, looking on with curiosity. I don’t need to lock him away behind a door anymore. He’s no longer the personification of unbridled primal rage. He’s a weapon. A tool I’ve finally mastered. I’m in complete control, and it feels both liberating and terrifying at the same time.
“Okay,” I say to everyone. “We ready?”
There’s a silent collective nod.
“Good.” I pick up the briefcase, which has been standing beside me, and hand it to Ruby. “Do whatever you gotta do to get this in front of Secretary Phillips.”
She takes it off me with a deep breath and nods again. “We’ve got this, Adrian. You focus on what you need to do, and we’ll see you in Washington in a few hours.”
I look at Ruby and Jonas in turn. “Good luck. Both of you.”
I walk over to the Mercedes and slide in behind the wheel. A moment later, Oscar gets in beside me. I watch in the rearview as Ruby and Jonas get into Veronica’s car and drive off.
“You sure you’re okay, Adrian?” he asks.
I rub my tired eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine. This is the home stretch. Just need to get it done.”
“I don’t mind driving…”
“Oscar, I’m fine. But thanks.”
I start the engine, ease away from the curb, and soon settle into an easy cruise, which should see us all the way to Annapolis.
We’ve taken 301, which runs across the state line and cuts through Maryland, crosses the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and leads us into Annapolis. Ruby and Jonas will be on I-95 heading for Washington, DC, which is a slightly longer run. We’ll meet up to prepare our approach once Oscar and I have the van.
We’ve traveled mostly in silence, broken up by the low radio in the background. I can’t even begin to tell you what’s going through my head right now. Tori was meant to be safe. I’ve kept my distance purely for that reason. Maybe I’ve been kidding myself this whole time. Was she really ever going to be safe with me out here doing what I’m doing?