Hunter's Games (36 page)

One… Two…

The missile explodes, and a small cloud of fire erupts briefly in the sky over the Bay. Seconds later, fireworks start flying, signaling the end of the service aboard the Jeremiah.

“Oh my God!” she shouts in both surprise and excitement. “You did it!”

I stand up slowly and look at her. A pulsating ache resonates around every inch of my body. My legs feel weak, and I can barely support my own body weight. She steps in close to me and throws her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. It hurts like hell, but it’s totally worth it.

I let out a heavy sigh. I’ve done it. After everything we’ve all been through over the past few days, in the space of a few seconds, it’s finally over. I step back from Chambers and turn to look at Pellaggio, just in time to see him running full speed toward me. I’m slow to react and just about manage to push Chambers away as he drops his head and spear-tackles me, sending us both crashing into her and to the floor.

“You sonofabitch!” he snarls. “You’ve ruined everything! I’ll kill you!”

He gets into a full mount position on top of me, resting on his knees, which are straddling my chest. He starts raining blow after blow down on me, connecting with my face and chest. I struggle to bring both my arms up to protect myself, writhing left and right with my body in an effort to evade the punches and look for an opportunity to escape. As I turn away from a big right hand, I steal a glance up and look behind me to see if Chambers is okay. I can see her lying on side a little away from us, not moving.

A punch catches me on my left cheekbone—punishment for getting distracted—and I feel myself almost lose consciousness, but another punch to my right cheek knocks the cobwebs away again. I look into his eyes, seeing the unbridled rage and fury burning behind them. He’s not going to stop, and I know I can’t take many more heavy punches.

I move my upper body to my left as much as I can, narrowly avoiding yet another powerful right hand. I catch his arm at the wrist and buck with my hips, using every ounce of strength I have left. It’s just enough to dislodge him and, using the arm I have a hold of for leverage, I manage to roll him off me to the left.

Seizing the opportunity, I struggle to my feet, standing up at roughly the same time he does. He comes at me again, but toe to toe in a straight-up fistfight, he’s got no chance against me, even in my current condition. Plus, he’s so far gone with his anger, he’s not thinking at all—he’s operating on pure hatred, and he’s going to be easy pickings for me.

He’s holding his right hand way behind him as he moves toward me. You can see the swing coming a mile away. Don’t get me wrong, if it connects, it’ll do some serious damage. But it’s so easy to telegraph, there’s more chance of Elvis hitting me than Pellaggio.

I dodge backward as the punch comes and watch as he hits thin air. His momentum carries him all the way around nearly, so as he’s spinning I smash my right elbow into his right temple. He drops like a stone and skids toward the edge of the walkway.

I bend over, resting my hands on my knees while I catch my breath. I look over at Chambers and see her making her way slowly to her feet.

“You... okay?” I ask, out of breath and barely able to speak.

She’s holding her head, but seems unscathed for the most part.

“I’m fine,” she replies. “You?”

I stand up straight and stretch my back, making the ‘okay’ gesture with my right hand. She looks at Pellaggio, then at me. She takes a deep breath and walks back along the gantry to where I dropped my Beretta. She picks it up by the barrel and walks back over to me, holding it out to me.

“It’s unfortunate I wasn’t able to make an arrest,” she says. “What with Danny Pellaggio catching a stray bullet during a shoot-out…”

She raises an eyebrow, but never quite manages the smile that should’ve gone with it. I take the gun from her and nod. Pellaggio’s making his way to his feet, holding on to the railing as he drags himself up.

“Okay,” he says, with a desperate, fatigued laugh. “You got me. Well done you! I’ll come quietly. Due process, and so on.”

Leaning back on the railing, he holds his hands out at Chambers, his wrists together in a gesture of restraint.

She finally manages a smile before turning her back on him.

“Wh-what are you doing?” he asks, panicking. “I’m surrendering!”

I take a step forward, raising my gun so he looks directly down the barrel. “You’re past the stage where you get to just come along quietly and sit in a jail cell,” I say. “The FBI
know
you died on Alcatraz.”

“B-but I’m still alive!” he says, his eyes widening as the panic makes way for fear. “I’m giving myself up! I’m surrendering!”

“To who?” I ask calmly with a smile.

Without another word, I pull the trigger and put a bullet through his left eye. The force of the impact pushes him through the old, wooden railing, and he plummets two stories, landing with a sickening thud on the ground below. I glance over the edge, seeing his crumpled body staring back at me. A large, dark red splatter has formed where his head impacted the ground.

I should’ve done that twelve months ago—it would’ve saved me so much trouble.

I look back at Chambers, who’s walking toward the edge.

“I wouldn’t, if I were you,” I say. “You don’t need to see that.”

She looks at me, her jaw clenched and her eyes looking the darkest I’ve ever seen them. “Yes,” she says. “I do.”

I nod and walk off down the gantry toward the staircase, leaving her to have her moment of closure. I walk down the stairs and retrieve my other Beretta. I take a quick look around the old Quartermaster building, my eyes resting for a moment on Gregovski before heading over to stand in the doorway. I look out at the prison complex down the East Road. It’s dark and the sky above me is being periodically lit up slightly by the fireworks from the Jeremiah.

After a few moments, Chambers appears next to me.

“What now?” I ask her.

“I need to call Wallis,” she replies. “I left him in charge on the Jeremiah.”

I nod.

“What about you?” she asks.

“That depends. Am I still a person of interest to every agency in America?”

She smiles. “After this? I wouldn’t think so. Not by the FBI anyway—I’ll see to that.”

“Thank you.”

“Any idea if you’re going to stick around? Maybe help us with the aftermath of all this?”

“I don’t think so. I think the best thing for me to do is put some distance between myself and this city for a while.”

“I guess you’ve earned a little holiday,” she says with a shrug and a smile.

I look over my shoulder, back at the bodies of Pellaggio and Gregovski one last time, and then set off walking. I stop after a few paces. I look back at Chambers and make a gesture with my left arm, silently asking her to link it.

“You coming?” I ask.

Without a word, she strolls over to me, takes my arm, and we set off together down the East Road once again. This time, taking the easy route back to the harbor.

27.

September 28
^th
, 2014

13:59

AFTER CHAMBERS AND I had made it back to the mainland, we linked up with Wallis on the Jeremiah, where he told us they’d been able to track down Pellaggio’s men and find where they’d planted their bombs on board. I was then taken away in an ambulance, courtesy of the FBI, and driven to the hospital where I got patched up. Chambers had ridden with me, holding my hand the whole time.

We’d both got some much-needed and long-overdue sleep at the hospital, and in the early hours of the next day, we’d returned to the Field Office and de-briefed Josh on what had happened. He said he’d seen some of it on the satellite feed but got worried when he’d lost contact with me.

Chambers was escorted off to give the official de-brief to Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Webber, so Josh and I had taken that as a sign to leave quietly. We made a quick call to Robert Clark, thanking him for his support and offering our services in return, should he need them. He was grateful and we left it at that.

We ate, drank, and rested for the next day, keeping a low profile as we watched the various news channels around the city report on what had happened. Or, at least, what the authorities had told them had happened. I suspected some of the official statements given had omitted a few of the grittier details.

Then I got a call from Chambers to say that the FBI had arranged a funeral service for Special Agent Johnson, and that we’d be welcome if we wanted to pay our respects. I watched that man get gunned down in the line of duty right before my eyes, because of a situation I still hold myself accountable for. So, despite our initial differences, I absolutely had nothing but respect to give him.

It’s early afternoon now, and the sun’s beaming down as I stand in the National Cemetery on Lincoln Boulevard. Close friends and family are sitting in two rows of chairs directly in front of the open grave. FBI agents are standing solemnly just behind them. I can see Chambers stood beside to Wallis. She’s wearing a black trouser suit and even in mourning, she looks as great as always.

The coffin’s in front of the grave with the American flag laid over it.

I’m standing further away under the shade of a large tree with Josh beside me. We decided it would be best to keep a respectful distance. I've cleaned myself up and I’m on the mend, wearing my jeans and boots, a black shirt and my leather jacket. Josh is wearing his usual t-shirt and jeans with sneakers and a zip-through black hooded top. We don’t really have the wardrobe for this type of thing. We usually just focus on putting the body in the ground, not pausing to pay our respects afterward as well.

I bury my hands in my pockets and stare at the ground, lost in thought. I can feel Josh staring at me.

“What?” I ask, without looking at him.

“Nothing,” he replies.

I sigh. “Come on, out with it.”

“There’s something bothering you,” he says. “I can tell, so don’t waste your time denying it. If you don’t wanna tell me, I’m cool with that, I guess. But I’m worried about you. This has been a really shitty week, Boss. Are you sure you’re alright?”

He knows me too well for me to hide anything from him.

“Something Gregovski said, back on Alcatraz,” I say after a moment.

“What was it?”

“We were fighting, and I said to him that every Russian who has tried to kill me has died in the process.”

“True,” he says with a shrug.

“Gregovski said, and I quote, ‘Not all of them’…”

“You think he means—”

“Clara?” I say, finishing his sentence. “Yes, I do.”

“Look, you know we ain’t letting her go. If she’s alive, we’ll find her when the time’s right and play hide the bullet with her head. But don’t let it eat at you, man. Stay focused on the future.”

I finally turn to him. My jaw clenches as I struggle to find the right words to say. I’ve been meaning to say this for over eight years, and now the time’s right, I want to make sure I do it right.

“But things do eat at me, don’t they?” I say. “I’m not sure I can look to the future without first addressing my past.”

“What are you saying, Boss?”

“I’m saying, I think it’s time.”

“Really?” he says, his voice a mixture of excitement and concern.

“You said yourself, me and Agent Chambers—we clearly feel things for each other, but I can’t allow myself to move on like that. Not with the death of my family still hanging over my head. I need to go back to the beginning, to Pittsburgh. Put things right and deal with Wilson Trent once and for all. Put the memory of Janine and Maria to rest, along with my guilt. After everything I’ve been through over the last few days, I realize now that the life we lead might not afford me many more opportunities to do it. And I need to move on. It’s time, Josh.”

I let out a sigh. That wasn’t easy for me to say.

“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted you to say that, Adrian. Watching you sweep those demons of yours under the carpet time and time again, carry the guilt on your shoulders the way you do—none of it was your fault. It was Wilson Trent who murdered your family, not you. And until right now, you’ve never been ready to aim those Berettas of yours back at him and avenge your wife and daughter. I’ve got your back, Boss, as always.”

Before I can say anything else, Josh nudges my arm and nods at Chambers and Wallis, who are walking toward us.

“Hey,” says Wallis, shaking both Josh’s hand and mine in turn.

“I’m glad you could make it,” says Chambers, with a smile.

“I’m sorry about Agent Johnson,” says Josh. “I know how hard it is when you lose a colleague. He was a fine agent.”

“Thank you,” she says, before looking at me.

“Adrian, there’s someone who wants to talk to you.”

I raise an eyebrow quizzically before looking at Josh, who simply shrugs. She turns and walks off and I follow her without another word.