Abomination (29 page)

“I told you I’d come back with a plan and I have one,”
said Ryan. “At least hear me out. If you still think Jennifer will be in
danger, then I’ll press on without you.”

“You have my attention,” said Derek.

The two men talked for half an hour before Ryan left
alone. He still wasn’t sure if Derek would commit to the idea of going after
the Colonel first, but he couldn’t waste valuable time trying to convince him
it was the best approach. He understood why he wanted to stay behind and
protect Jennifer, but the head of the snake needed to be cut off before anyone
involved would be safe again.

He pulled into the driveway of the FBI house and noticed
two unfamiliar SUVs parked on the curb. He heard Steve’s voice in the kitchen
when he walked through the front door.

“Speak of the devil,” greeted Steve. Tom and Dallas were
sitting beside him at the table.

“It always amazes me how fast you get around,” said
Ryan, shaking his hand.

“I tend to move a little more quickly when I’m pissed,”
said Steve. “Your package is upstairs with a few of my guys. We managed to get
his teeth fixed while he was a guest at our facility.”

“Hopefully, he’ll cooperate and keep them.”

“Oh, I don’t think you’re going to have a problem with
him. He’s been extremely helpful giving us intel on the layout of the lab. I
didn’t have the heart to tell him he’s actually coming with us.”

“I’ll take care of that,” said Ryan. “We need to move
fast on this. When can we have everything in place and everyone geared up? I’d
like to leave this afternoon.”

“This afternoon?” asked Steve. “I guess that’s doable.
How about you and I have a little chat?”

“Sure, we can talk after I go over the plans,” said
Ryan, missing the hint.

“No, I think you and I need to talk now. The deck?”
asked Steve, less as a question and more as a demand.

“Five minutes, Steve. We need to get rolling.”

The two friends walked outside, and Steve wasted no time
starting the conversation. “You don’t have to do this.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Ryan, cocking his
head.

“You don’t need to go with us,” continued Steve. “We’ve
got a way inside, and we can get to Alex before he knows we’re even there. I
don’t care how fast or strong he is, he’s not bulletproof. Once he’s out of the
picture, the Colonel will be easy picking. I hope you don’t take this wrong, but
we don’t need you.”

“Don’t underestimate his abilities,” said Ryan. “But I’m
not going with you because you need me; I’m going because I need to end this.”

“Do you need to end this or end him?”

“You can’t do one without doing the other,” said Ryan.
“You know that.”

“I agree, but why do
you
need to do it?”

“This conversation is about over, Steve. I’m going. When
did you become so philosophical about killing bad guys?”

“I’m not, but I’m also not an FBI agent. And you won’t
be either if you do this.”

“It has nothing to do with me being an FBI agent. I
suspect my days or even hours are numbered before the deputy director pulls the
plug on my team and my career.”

“But you don’t know that for a fact, Ryan. If he’s
dirty, then he can be exposed. And if you’re the guy doing the exposing, then
your career stays intact. You won’t be very popular, but you’ll still have your
principles.”

“What’s this really about, Steve?” asked Ryan, becoming
impatient.

“It’s about crossing that line and never being able to
step back. It’s about you risking everything you’ve worked your ass off to
achieve since you joined the Marines.”

“Haven’t you been paying attention?” asked Ryan. “I
didn’t cross it, they did. They’ve been using me and my team the second I
accepted the assignment. All of this has been orchestrated by Colonel Brown and
my boss. We were never supposed to take any of them alive. They simply used us
as government assassins to secure a billion dollar investment. This isn’t about
trying to expose a conspiracy anymore. This is about –”

“Revenge,” interrupted Steve.

“Justice,” replied Ryan. “Justice for Peter, Richard,
Kristina, Scott, and everyone else who died at the hands of the real monsters.
Their answer to the problem they created is to kill anyone that threatens the
project. And they’re obviously not going to stop because of my efforts. The
victims will never have justice if Colonel Brown is alive.”

“Once again, buddy, I don’t need you to accomplish that
goal. I’m just trying to figure out why you need to be the one to kill him. Is
it because they killed Kristina?”

“Ah, now we’re getting to the real reason for this
little chat,” said Ryan. “You really think I just want revenge for what they
did to her?”

“Like I said, when you cross that line, you can’t step
back. I know you two had feelings for each other, but is that enough of a
reason to do this? When the dust settles, you may be the one in jail. Where’s
the justice in that?”

“I’ll admit to you, Steve, I want to make him pay for
what he did to her, but it’s not the reason he needs to die. He’ll beat the
system I’m normally willing to accept as flawed. He has a good chance of walking
away from this without a scratch. I simply can’t accept that. He’s destroyed
too many lives for him to keep his.”

“I’m just worried the last one he destroys will be
yours,” said Steve. “Maybe I’m not willing to accept that.”

“I appreciate your concern,” said Ryan, “I really do.
But you of all people should know why I need to be the one.”

“Oh, I know why. That’s not what bothers me. What
bothers me is what happens after. You and I have spilled the same blood in the
same mud, but we did it as Marines. It was our duty. It may not have made it
easier to kill another human being, but it did make it easier for us to justify
it to ourselves. What you’re about to do is different. Very, very different.”

“You don’t need to protect me from the ugliness of
taking a life, Steve. Like you said, we’ve been there before.”

“You’re not listening to me,” said Steve. “I’ve been
where we’re about to go many times, but you haven’t. I’m not saying I built my
security company on body counts, but in order to make it successful, I’ve had to
operate outside the boundaries of the law. You’ve never done that. You’ve
always relied on that clean-cut line between the ones that enforce it and the
ones who break it. All that goes away when you come with me. Are you ready for
that? Are you ready to operate in that gray area?”

“Absolutely,” answered Ryan.

“Okay, just don’t come looking for a job when this is
over,” said Steve, smiling. “You’re too high profile.”

*****

Even though the genetic enhancements made him keenly
aware of his surroundings, Derek was still human and just as susceptible to
sleep deprivation as anyone. The many sleepless nights lying awake and vigilant
in the foxhole behind Jennifer’s house were catching up with him. As he walked
through the front door of his hideout several miles away, he didn’t notice the
man sitting in the dark corner of the blacked out living room.

“Good morning, sunshine,” greeted Joshua, causing Derek
to stumble backwards into a table.

“I almost shit myself,” said Derek. “What the hell are
you doing here?”

Joshua stood and moved in closer to Derek. “What
happened?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not here because I wanted to take a sixty-mile
walk, Derek. I’m here because I felt something was wrong. You know I’m quite
sensitive to that.”

In spite of being face to face and alone, Derek knew he
couldn’t kill him. He couldn’t even think about it and run the risk of Joshua
sensing his aggression. The sociopath always carried a weapon, and Derek’s gun
was in another room. If he was to have a chance, it needed to be a complete
surprise. But even then, he’d have to find a way to clear his mind and ambush
the seasoned predator. Derek told Ryan it would be as simple as walking up to
him and putting a bullet in his head, but he knew differently. He was still the
best weapon the feds had against Joshua, but the strongest of the four UA
Marines would also be the hardest to kill. The only thing Derek could do in the
hideout was try to redirect his anger, but more importantly, to not think about
Jennifer.

 “Everything is fine,” replied Derek. “I went to check
on my sister. I spent the night in the loft of her barn. While I was there,
Ryan and his team showed up to ask her some questions. They started looking
around the property including the building where I was hiding. I was about two
seconds away from having to kill them when my sister called out and they left
the barn. I was a little stressed.”

“A little stressed?” asked Joshua, “You were more than a
little stressed. Did your sister know you were there?”

“Of course not. I just needed to put my eyes on her. She
worries about me. In fact, I check on my other sister and parents whenever I’m
here. None of them know.”

“I can’t begin to tell you how stupid that is,” said
Joshua. “Checking on your family is an urge you can actually control. And you
need to control it. We’re too close to a resolution to make idiotic mistakes
now.”

“Easy with the idiotic and stupid comments. You’ve done
a few things to draw unnecessary attention to yourself as well, so enough with
the lecture. I’m going to continue checking in on my family, Joshua. In fact,
I’ll be looking in on my parents tonight. Don’t worry, everything is fine.”

“Is it?” asked Joshua, as if he knew differently.

“Yes, it is.”

“Really? I only ask because I’ve been waiting here for
you since yesterday. Where did you spend the night? I’m getting the sense you
were somewhere you don’t want me to know about.”

“Why does it matter where I was?” asked Derek. “I have
no idea what you do or where you go when we’re separated. And I don’t really
care. Why are you so concerned about where I’ve been?”

“I told you I sensed something was wrong,” said Joshua,
moving even closer to Derek. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“As you can see, I am.”

“I don’t understand why you’re being so hostile towards
me,” said Joshua. “I came here out of concern.”

Derek lowered his head and took a deep breath. He filled
his mind with thoughts about Peter, Richard, and Joshua during better days; the
early days of the project when they all felt more like brothers than volunteers
for research. He took a seat and asked Joshua to do the same.

“I’m sorry, Joshua. I should be thanking you for
checking on me instead of giving you shit. I’m just getting sick and tired of
having to look over my shoulder 24 hours a day. I know I’m never going to have
my life back, but any life has to be better than the one I’m living now. You’re
the only friend I have on this fucked up planet.”

“I’m not your friend, Derek. I’m your brother. And I am
my brother’s keeper. This will be over soon, and you and I’ll be sitting on
some tropical beach living that better life, I promise.”

Derek and Joshua spent the afternoon going over their
plan to assault the Michaels Lab in Maine. Less than ten miles away, Ryan and
his team were doing the same.

“Do you think he’ll show?” asked Steve.

“I hope so,” replied Ryan. “I’d feel more confident
going up against Alex with him behind us. It took a lot of bullets to bring
Peter down and we’ll be using half the men we had at the farmhouse. Whether he
shows or not, it’s critical we get inside undetected.”

“Our guy will pull through,” said Dallas. “He’s more
afraid of the Colonel than he is of us.”

“Okay, ladies,” said Steve, looking at a message on his
phone. “The plane will be here in thirty minutes. We’ll meet up with my men at
the hangar for the briefing. When is Red Team being picked up?”

“Paul said the Colonel chartered a plane that’ll be here
in about four hours,” replied Steve. “We’ll definitely beat them to Maine. He also said the Colonel wanted to see him as soon as he arrived. I thought the poor
bastard was going to cry.”

“Seriously, Dallas,” said Ryan, “Is he going to be able
to hold his shit together? If he breaks down and turns on us, we’re all dead.”

“He’ll hold it together, Boss. I’m pretty sure he wants
to keep his new teeth. The Colonel mentioned something to him about reassigning
his men to perimeter security. He needs every man he can muster right now. Even
if he thinks they’re a bunch of fuck-ups, they can still pull a trigger.”

“I agree,” said Steve. “If he’s not where we need him,
we’ll know before we get too far inside. I like this plan, Ryan. It’s solid.
Even if Derek doesn’t show, it’s still solid.”

“Did Derek give you any idea when he’ll let us know?”
asked Dallas.

“Yeah, we’ll know by tomorrow morning,” answered Ryan.
“Okay, let’s gear up and head to the airport. We’ve got a plane to catch.”

*****

Joshua and Derek finished their discussion and planned
on traveling to Maine in two days. Derek ate and caught a few hours of sleep
before getting ready for his nightly vigil.

“Isn’t your parents’ place over thirty miles from here?”
asked Joshua.

“Yeah, it’s going to take me a little while to get
there. I have a route that allows me to run along railroad tracks most of the
way. It’ll take me about an hour to get there.”

“I still think you’re taking an unnecessary risk going
alone. Why don’t you let me come with you? Four eyes and claws are better than
two, my friend.”

“I appreciate the offer, Joshua. But I enjoy the
solitude. It’s the only time I seem to be able to relax and clear my head.
You’re a bit of a talker,” he said, smiling.

“True, it is a long time for me to stay silent. Be
careful tonight, Derek. You know I can’t finish this without you.”