Page 147 of Agency

“So what do we do, Alpha?” I asked after a moment.

Instruction didn’t come back for a long moment. But, when orders did, I couldn’t help but agree, as shitty as following them made me feel.

“What can we do, Bravo?” Jericho finally asked in reply. “We’re beat, at least on this part of the game. But, we can take our Ws in the other categories. Finish up and get out of there. Let’s go home.”

“Right, Alpha,” I replied with a sigh of discontent. “Okay. Finishing up.” Because, yeah, Jericho was right. Our team had accomplished every mission objective, at least, leaving only one with an asterisk. That was better than some ops back in the service.

“Good thing,” Andrew said over the coms. “Because I’ve got movement down here. Vehicle incoming. Only a few minutes out.”

I went back to Management’s death bed, stopped at the open door.

“…LLC, and Consolidated Blackmoor Holdings LLC. There are more shell companies, too many to list, but they all serve the same purpose: to be a financial and legal shield to hide the true activities of Backlund and his many associates.” Morgan’s eyes didn’t even move to mine. “Remember this face. Remember that men like him are only able to exist in the shadows.”

Morgan nodded, and I went over and hit the pause button. I slipped the phone back into my pocket, Management’s eyes boring into mine as I did.

“I take it you have what you came for?” Management asked.

“I do. There’s a car headed this way, though. Are they yours? Backup?”

“Few of my surviving agents answered my call to defend against you. Only the three downstairs.” He shook his head, slowly. “I suspect it is Valerie, or someone else working for her. She always has a backup plan.”

“In case we didn’t kill you, you mean?”

He nodded. “About the server files?” he asked. “Valerie stole them, did she not?”

The corner of my mouth twitched, and Management smiled a smile dry as grave dust.

“She always was my best student. The apprentice has eclipsed the master.”

“You want us to try and evac you?” I asked, surprising even myself. “We can maybe get you to one of the cars, or…”

He shook his head. “My chances of survival are slim no matter what choice I make. I choose to die here, in bed, and not in one last desperate act.”

“Bravo One?” Andrew called over the coms. “Better get a move on. They’re not far out.”

“Roger,” I said. “On our way, Bravo Three.”

My eyes flickered down to the Mossberg still lying on the floor next to the bed, then back to Management’s flinty gaze.

“Good luck, Backlund,” I said. “Something tells me you won’t need it, though.”

Management smiled that dry smile again, and, as Morgan and I went to leave, I could almost hear the cemetery wind howling.

Chapter Forty-One

Ambyr

Headlights fast approaching, we made our way out of the house and sprinted for the hill on the southern side of the small compound.

I wasn’t sure who occupied the vehicle. My aunt? A whole kill team meant to remove all trace we’d been there? Regardless of who might be coming, none of us wanted to stick around and find out.

We hit the tree line just as the car arrived and four men climbed out, all armed and wearing dark gear. Down in a crouch, I watched as they proceeded towards Management’s cabin and entered through the front door.

“Come on,” Andrew said, grabbing my shoulder. “We should get a head start in case they think we’re a loose end to tie off.”

Two minutes later, and I don’t even know how many hundreds of meters away, there was the unmistakable sound from behind us of a shotgun firing. Distant, for sure. But distinct.

And followed almost immediately by another.