Swords of Exodus [Dead Six 02] (19 page)

Millions died.
A pit formed in my stomach. My own Dead Six had been involved in an intervention in a foreign country. Had D2 and D3 been doing the same thing? Had Project Red started the Chinese civil war?

Ling didn’t seem to notice my racing thoughts. “I met Bob Lorenzo by chance,” she explained. “He told me there were four men who knew about Project Blue. Three of them are dead. One was a United States Senator, the other two were your former superiors, Curtis Hunter and Gordon Willis.”

I clamped my eyes shut. “Jesus.”

“I think you can see why Agent Lorenzo was so interested in you.”

“So who was the fourth guy?”

“I do not know. Neither did Bob. He didn’t know the man’s identity, but his investigation indicated that he had fled to The Crossroads.” Ling said that last part like she expected it to mean something to me.

“Don’t know it.”

“It’s a lawless region, the intersection of North China, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia, kept lawless by the inability of those nations to control the remote parts of their territories.”

“Okay. This is where you met Bob? What were you doing there?”

The Exodus operative looked at me for a moment, but said nothing. She was hesitant again. “We are planning a very large operation there. The Crossroads is controlled by a powerful warlord known as Sala Jihan. The profits come from his mines, mines that hundreds, maybe thousands, of slave workers die in every year. It’s not a secret, simply another blight on the world that Western media ignores.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

Ling’s expression hardened. “Exodus intends to eradicate Sala Jihan and remove his vile stain from the earth.” Ling was a very well-spoken, calm, almost dispassionate woman. Half the time she seemed very cold. Seeing that fire in her, the true believer, still surprised me, even though I already knew it was there.
But holy crap, there was the crazy.
Ling continued, “In Agent Lorenzo . . . Bob, we found a kindred spirit. Before he was captured he asked me to find you. He said you would be able to help.”

“What the hell do all these people expect me to know?”

“Michael . . . I have no right to ask this of you. You’ve been through enough, but in order to secure my organization’s blessing on the rescue attempt, I told them that you would be an asset to us.”

And there it is. “
I thought you said I wasn’t cut out for Exodus?”

“That’s not what I said. It’s not like we’re above taking in outside help, as you’re well aware.” She waved her hand, indicating Lorenzo’s island. “Lorenzo is going to The Crossroads to search for his brother. I promised him that we would do everything we could to help him in this endeavor if he helped us save you, and Exodus always fulfills its covenants. But for you, Michael, there is no obligation. You do not have to come with us, but I’m asking for your help.”

I blinked hard. This was insane. “What is it do you think I’m going to be able to do?”

“I
know
what you can do. You’re a warrior,” Ling said. “I also know what you’ve been through. I do not wish to place such a burden on you. Let me ask you this: if not with me, where will you go? Majestic will not stop hunting you. They may have the entire intelligence apparatus of the United States at their disposal. Anyone you associate with, anyone who shelters you, will be in danger. Exodus is uniquely prepared to deal with people in your position. Let me help you one more time, Michael. I’m not forcing you to join. I’m not forcing you to fight our battles. I swear to you, you can walk away if you wish.”

“I’m not sure what to do, Ling.”

Standing up unexpectedly, she brushed the sand off of her pants. “All I ask is that you weigh your options carefully. Whatever you decide, a plane will be here tomorrow, and I will be leaving on it. Sleep well, Michael.” Ling walked away without looking back.

LORENZO

St. Carl Island

February 18th

We’d had one final meeting with Ling to discuss travel arrangements and contacts in The Crossroads. I was far more comfortable seeing to my own than tagging along with Exodus. She’d told me that their little turboprop Cessna would be leaving and a larger, longer-range jet had just landed to take them to Europe in the morning. Of course, it had also landed on my airfield without my permission. At this point I think Ling was doing that just to piss me off.

Antoine passed on several contacts and specific intros to use with Exodus operatives in the region. Shen updated Reaper on some of the radio frequencies and code phrases we could use to communicate, though I was positive he didn’t give us any of the important ones. Ling hit it off with Jill by complimenting her decorating of the living room. It was a real chick bonding moment. Everything was now set for our meet in The Crossroads.

That left only one thing in question.

“What the hell do you mean,
you’re not sure if Valentine is going with you?
”

“Easy, Lorenzo,” Jill put her hand on my arm.

“I always mean exactly what I say,” Ling stated. “Michael is not my prisoner. He is free to do as he pleases. If he does not wish to accompany us on this mission, then that is his choice.”

“Holy shit, Ling. After all we went through to get him . . . And you want to just leave him . . . And on my island? Oh fuck that. Get him
off
my island.”

“What would you have me do?”

“Have Shen choke his ass out or Antoine can throw a bag over his head and carry him, I don’t care!” Considering how wanted Valentine was, he’d been here too damned long already. “I don’t give a shit what you do, as long as he’s on your fucking airplane in the morning, because otherwise I’ll—”

“He’s no trouble,” Jill interjected. “We’ve got space.”

“Oh, hell no!” I shouted.

“I know you don’t like him, but we’re not going to be here anyway! He’s been through a lot of trauma, Lorenzo!”

“Trauma is when Majestic finds out he’s here and then
kills us
, Jill.” Shen, Antoine, and Ling exchanged glances and then politely backed away from the table like they totally weren’t paying attention to the erupting argument. “Stop right there. You Exodus bastards aren’t sneaking out of this one. Get Valentine out of here or I will.”

“And what do you intend to do with him?” Jill demanded.

“He can learn to
swim
. Or hell, I’ll be generous. I’ll give him an inflatable raft. Haiti’s that-a-way.”

“Mike helped save my life, Lorenzo,” Jill shouted. “Maybe you should go inflate that raft for yourself.”

“Oh, snap,” Reaper said. “Somebody’s sleeping on the couch tonight!” I glared at him. “Never mind.”

Ling shifted. I looked to see what had gotten her attention. Valentine was standing in the doorway, looking pale and tired.

“Oh good, our house guest has arrived. Feel like apologizing to me?”

Valentine didn’t say anything in response.

“Apologizing for what?” Ling asked.

“Sticking a gun in my face under my own roof.”

“Sorry,” he said, totally not meaning it. Valentine nodded at Jill. “Good to see you, Peaches.” She smiled at the use of her alias from Quagmire, because of course this asshole would be charming to my girlfriend. Then Valentine looked at Reaper. “Good to see you too, Skyler.”

Reaper frowned at the use of his hated real name. “I’m with Lorenzo. This fucker’s got to go.”

“Yeah, about that, we were just discussing your leaving on a jet plane tomorrow.”

“Or we were discussing about how you were welcome to stay here until you felt better,” Jill added.

I turned back to her. “No. We weren’t.”

“He’s been through a lot, Lorenzo. He’s a
good
man.” Jill was starting to get her
stabbing face. “
If it wasn’t for him, I’d be dead.”

“You still might get the chance if he gets spotted and they track his escape back to us! Do you feel like becoming a fugitive again? Because that’s what we’ll have to do if they connect us.”

“Mike can stay here as long as he needs to. That’s what Hawk did for me!”

Of course, she’d bring somebody doing a good deed into it. I smashed my hand into the table. “Damn it! He’s—”

“Gone,” Ling pointed out.

I looked back at the doorway. Sure enough, Valentine had left.

Apparently he’d made his decision.

LORENZO

St. Carl Island

February 19th

I’d gone to the airport to see them off. Ling hadn’t seen Valentine, and she seemed a little sad about that. I was sad too, because now I was contemplating how to get rid of him, up to and including murder, without my girlfriend finding out of course.

However, it turned out that Valentine had decided to leave after all. He showed up as Exodus’ Gulfstream jet was being loaded, with all of his earthly possessions shoved into one of my laundry bags.

“Hey,” he said when he saw me hanging out by the hangar. “Jill gave me a lift. She’s back by the gate.”

“She’s nice like that. So, what are you going to do?”

Valentine stopped and looked over the St. Carl airfield, at the brilliant green trees surrounding it, and then across the vast ocean. “I don’t know. All I want is to be left alone. I don’t want anybody else dying because of me.”

“I know that feeling well.” I didn’t
hate
Valentine exactly, but he had a way of screwing up my orderly existence that was borderline supernatural. “Maybe I’ll see you in The Crossroads, but if not, good luck.”

The plane was warming up behind us. “If I think of anything else, anything that can help you find your brother, I’ll call.” What remained unspoken was how unlikely that really was.

There was still one thing that was bugging me, though. Mostly because it had come up during my argument with Jill, and I actually didn’t know the answer. “The news said that Gordon Willis offed himself. I bet Jill five bucks that was a crock and you murdered him.”

“Yeah, I killed him. Shot him in cold blood, right in the heart, right in his own house . . . Do you think that’ll make Jill think less of me?”

I shrugged. “Hard to tell. It wasn’t like she was his biggest fan.”

“I heard her stick up for me last night. She called me a good man. I don’t even know why that matters to me. Do me a favor . . . Don’t tell her the truth. Make something up.”

I could respect that. “You know Majestic will never rest.” The assumption was that I would probably never see Valentine again, so I might as well say it. “They’ll find you eventually. Me springing you will just make them think you’re even more valuable than they thought before. They’ll hunt you to the ends of the earth until they find out what they want to know about this Project Blue.”

“I’m beginning to get curious myself,” he replied with a wry smirk. “When you find your brother, tell him I’m sorry that I didn’t know what he thought I knew. I . . .” Valentine trailed off, looked away for a second, and sighed. Finally he held out his hand. “Thanks for getting me out of there.”

I hesitated, then took his hand and shook it firmly. He gave me one last nod, and then left to face his destiny, a man living on borrowed time. I watched the plane leave St. Carl, and bank sluggishly toward the west.

Jill was waiting for me at the airfield’s gate. “So was I right?”

“You were right. Gordon committed suicide.”

“Told you so. I win.”

I handed her a $5 bill.

Chapter 10: Blue Eyed Girl

VALENTINE

Location Unknown

February 21st

The flight from the Caribbean was long, punctuated by a refueling stop, but I spent much of it sleeping. Dr. Bundt told me that I needed rest, and offered me a sedative. I refused. I’d spent more than enough time pumped full of drugs. I wanted my mind to be clear, even if clarity hurt.

I was still in shock. My entire world changed in an instant when I woke up on Lorenzo’s island, and already it was changing again.

We touched down at a bustling airport in a picturesque coastal city. I didn’t know where we were, and didn’t bother to ask. The Exodus jet taxied to a private hangar, where three large BMWs with tinted windows were waiting for us. I was hurried into the back of one of the cars and we sped across the city, eventually leaving the urban landscape and the sea behind.

We drove for over an hour, far into arid, mountainous countryside. Our destination was a sprawling estate surrounded by rugged, rocky terrain. At its center was an ancient, partially-crumbling castle tower. It was accompanied by many newer-looking buildings, including a mansion that overlooked a cliff.

A short while later I was left standing alone in a large, ornately-decorated office. The far wall was one large bay window that stretched from floor to ceiling. Through it rugged mountains, brown under a clear blue sky, stretched out as far as the eye could see. I moved closer to the window and looked down. The mansion was built on the precipice of a cliff. Beyond the glass was a vertical drop that had to be several hundred feet.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” someone asked, in an Oxford English accent. “Forgive me, Mr. Valentine, I didn’t mean to startle you.” An older, well-groomed gentleman in an expensive-looking grey suit walked confidently across the room and stuck out his hand. At his side was a much younger, prim-looking woman in a pencil skirt and high heels. Her hair was done up in a tight bun and thick-rimmed glasses adorned her face. She held a tablet computer in her hands. The man looked me in the eye as I shook his hand.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“Mr. Valentine,” the woman said, in a Mary Poppins English accent, “allow me to introduce Sir Matthew Cartwright, High Councilor of Exodus.”

“Thank you, Penelope,” he said, sounding just a bit embarrassed. “Of course, with your current popularity, that is an alias. I do not intend offense.”

“Understandable,
Sir
Matthew.”

He smiled. “The Sir part is correct, but the Crown hands out titles like candy these days, so pay it no mind.”

“High Councilor? So you’re the Exodus commander?”

“One of thirteen, actually. It’s mostly a formality. Exodus is an organization which takes pride in its traditions. In any case, welcome to Azerbaijan.”

Azerbaijan.
A little country on the Caspian Sea, I recalled, used to be part of the Soviet Union. “So, does this
Council of Thirteen
run Exodus then?”

“Run it?” He seemed taken aback by the question. “It would seem that Ling hasn’t told you much about our organization, has she?”

“She’s told me practically nothing.”

“Yes. Quite the stickler for operational security, that one. Well, it’s all for the best. But since you’re here, I think it’s only fair that we pull back the veil just a bit, as it were, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Uh, sure,” I said. He seemed excited to tell me all about Exodus. Despite everything I had to admit I was curious. For all that I’d done with Exodus, the Mexico op, fleeing Zubara, staying at their secret base in Southeast Asia, and being rescued by Ling, I still knew very little about the organization. They were well-funded, with a global reach, and had access to state-of-the-art equipment. I also knew that if Ling was typical of their membership, they pursued their goals with a passionate tenacity bordering on fanaticism. That tenacity had saved my life multiple times, however, so I could hardly complain.

“Our lineage can be traced back a very long time, to the Crusades, in fact. Our founders were wise men, knights, scholars, men of the cloth, originally brought together on a quest to free the Holy Land. They were no strangers to war, but the corruption they found disgusted them, craven acts of barbarism from both sides, fueled by greed and lust, burdensome truths, even by the harsh standards of the day. The needless suffering they witnessed had disgusted them.
Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
A secret meeting was held in Constantinople, and a pact was made.”

“I see.” I hadn’t been expecting an in-depth history and philosophy lesson.

“These men decided to pursue a higher calling, of protecting the common man, the poor and the downtrodden from the injustices of the mighty. It was a noble goal, quixotic even, and like many such things, it failed for a very long time. Sadly, it still does, occasionally.”

“Ling told me Exodus goes back six hundred years.”

“Correct. Our organization, as it exists today was based upon that earlier pact, but was founded in the fifteenth century, during the waning days of the Byzantine Empire. This time we had a few more persuasive leaders, and Exodus was born. In a world filled with evil, we would be a sword of righteousness.”

“They call you people terrorists.” I didn’t have to specify who
they
were. The United Nations, INTERPOL, and numerous national governments were all on the list.

Sir Matthew chuckled. “Indeed they do. Supposedly, our world is made up of orderly nation-states and codified international law. You and I both know that there is an entire world that exists in the cracks between those borders, beneath that thin veneer of societal order, Mr. Valentine. Civilization only ever dangles by a thread. We bring justice to the truly evil. Many of our warriors are former victims themselves, willing to save others from the depravities they themselves have experienced. Exodus does not bow to diplomatic or economic pressure. We are not beholden to the weak wills of politicians. We don’t negotiate with evil. We do not care what is popular, we simply care that things are
right.
”

I raised an eyebrow. “Who picks what is right?”

“A fine question,” Sir Matthew agreed. “A question which would surely be debated by our membership, which is why Exodus does not waste time delving into the grey areas. Why muddle things when there is so much pure, unquestionable evil to go around? I speak of real evil, Mr. Valentine: the massacres, the brutality, and the slavery that goes on, ignored by the civilized world, every single day. I’ve read your dossier, about your career as a mercenary. You’ve seen these things for yourself, have you not?”

Before I could answer that, the heavy wooden double doors that led to the office flew open. In rushed a slender young woman with hair that was such a light shade of platinum blonde that it almost looked white. I hadn’t seen her in a couple of years, and she’d definitely grown, but there was no mistaking this girl.

“Michael!” she said, hurrying across the room and throwing her arms around me. I felt myself blush a little as she hugged me enthusiastically. “I’m so happy to see you!”

I composed myself and stepped back a bit. “You’ve grown,” I managed. In the time since I’d last seen her, the gangly teenager had matured into a lovely young woman with striking features. She was still short, the top of her head not quite making it to my shoulder, but her hair was longer, almost reaching to her waist.

“Yes. I understand that the two of you have already met,” Sir Matthew said. He seemed uneasy for some reason. I didn’t think it’d be possible, but Penelope looked even more uptight.
Did I just commit some kind of faux pas?

“Michael saved my life,” the girl said.

“Mexico,” I agreed. “It’s been a long time, kiddo. And I don’t even know your name.”

“I’m sorry about that.” Her intense blue eyes looked deeply into mine. It was almost unsettling. She had the most unnatural eyes I’d ever seen, and that’s coming from somebody with heterochromia. It felt like she could see through you. “My name is Ariel.”

“Like in
The Little Mermaid
?”

“I loved that movie when I was little. That’s where I picked my name from.”

“Wait, what? You picked your name?”

She ignored my question. “Come with me! Let’s go for a walk. I want to show you around. You’ve been through a lot.”

Sir Matthew protested. “Ah, My Lady, Mr. Valentine and I have much to discuss . . .”

“Later!” she said, interrupting him. “There’ll be plenty of time to talk about the work later. He needs to relax! You have no idea what he’s been through!” She tugged on my arm and began to lead me out of the room. I looked an apology to my host.

He shrugged. “As you wish, My Lady. Mr. Valentine, we’ll talk later.”

Ariel was visibly fighting off tears as we casually strolled down a long hallway. Brilliant sunlight spilled into the corridor from a row of floor-to-ceiling windows on one wall. Paintings and tapestries lined the other wall. It was a really nice place, even with a teenage girl trying not to cry.

“I’m sorry, Michael,” she said, rubbing her eyes. “I get overwhelmed sometimes. Seeing all the scars on you was just too much.”

Most of my scars were covered by my clothing, so I wasn’t entirely sure what she was talking about. The girl was strange, there was no doubt about it. I can’t say I’ve spent a lot of time around teenaged girls, but this one was a lot more emotional than I was prepared for. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not!” she insisted. “Every time the work comes into your life, you suffer. You lost so many friends to save me. And Sarah . . . Michael, I never knew her, but I’m so sorry.”

“How do you know about Sarah?”

She hesitated for the briefest instant. “Ling told me.”

I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, remembering the vivid dream about Sarah I had when I was still in captivity. It seemed so real that it still shook me to my core. “It’s okay,” I repeated. “It is what it is. I made choices, and I have to live with the consequences of those choices.” I didn’t want to talk about it anymore. That didn’t seem like the sort of thing you should dump on a teenage girl.

“Things will get better for you.” Ariel sounded remarkably confident in her statement. “They will. I know it’s been a hard road for you, and I don’t think it’s over yet, but someday things will be better for you. You’ll see. You are supposed to be here.”

“Why? Why did Exodus get me out of that hole? Why risk so much on my account? Ling saved us in Zubara. As far as I’m concerned, any debt owed to me from Mexico was squared.”

“Ling proposed the operation.” Ariel’s demeanor visibly changed. She sounded less the emotional teenager and more like a veteran commander. The transition was almost unreal. “The organization wasn’t very receptive to it. The operation at The Crossroads is our priority. There aren’t a lot of people to be spared, much less aircraft and intelligence and everything else that would be needed. Sir Matthew didn’t think it was worth the risk to save you. We’re always hesitant to do anything in the US. He lobbied the Council against Ling’s proposal. But you are too important.”

“I don’t know anything about Project Blue, if that’s what you mean.”

“I know. I don’t know anything about it either, and that troubles me. But you’re still important.”

“Okay, hang on a sec. What is it you do for Exodus anyway?”

“Things . . . I don’t know.”

“Things?”

“I’m like an advisor.”

“Kiddo, please don’t be offended by this, because you’re obviously a very smart girl, but how are you at all qualified to advise an international, clandestine, completely-illegal paramilitary organization?”

Ariel covered her mouth with one hand and giggled like I’d just said something funny. “I have a . . . unique way of seeing things. Patterns, connections, causalities that other people don’t see. That’s how I help with the work, and that’s how I know you’re important, Michael. I just know it. I wanted to find you ever since you disappeared. I just didn’t know where you were, until Ling met Agent Lorenzo.”

“That was a crazy coincidence.”

“I don’t believe in coincidence,” Ariel said firmly. “Fates intertwine. It’s all connected, even if we can’t see the end yet.”

I said nothing. I didn’t believe in fate, and I certainly didn’t want to get into some kind of philosophical argument with the strange girl, but when she put it that way, with such determined conviction, I began to wonder.

Ariel continued after taking a deep breath. “After Ling found out where you were, I knew we had to get you back. When I was being held by those men in Mexico, I gave up. I know what it’s like to be left in a dark place without hope, and so does Ling. We were the ones that lobbied the Council. But we couldn’t spare a lot of people.”

“So Lorenzo was brought in.”

“Yes. I hated to do it. He was trying so hard, living on the edge of peace, and we pushed him back over. I hate myself for it but it needed to be done. His own brother knew it needed to be done.” Ariel sniffled a little. “Do you know how hard it is for someone like that to change his destiny? It scares me to think what we might have unleashed.”

“Don’t get all metaphysical on me, Ariel. Lorenzo’s a dangerous, angry little man, but he’s just a man. If he hadn’t been smart enough to wear a vest one day in Zubara, I would’ve shot him dead, and that would’ve been the end of him.”

My young companion looked thoughtful for a moment. “And then you, yourself, would have died in Zubara too, am I wrong? Fates intertwine, Michael. Remember that. We needed him because it wasn’t your time, so it must have been the right thing to do,” She sounded more upbeat and very confident. I didn’t bother asking her how she knew about Lorenzo saving my life. Exodus knew a lot more about me than I was comfortable with.

“I thought I was a dead man,” I said. “But then there was Ling, waiting for me when I woke up. Just like before. My guardian angel.”

Ariel smiled at that. “She loves you, you know.”

Huh
? “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Love is a pretty strong word, don’t you think?”