Dead Six

“Never mind. Excuse me, gentlemen. I’m tired, too. Stand by. Gordon will be here in a few minutes. Remember what I told you.” Colonel Hunter left the room without another word.

“He didn’t tell us anything,” Tailor grumbled. “I’m sick of all this innuendo and double-talk. People need to quit dropping hints and shit. They either just need to tell us straight up or shut their mouths.”

“Skullduggery gives me a headache,” I said, rubbing my temple. My shoulders sagged from the weight of my body armor and gear. I still had a shotgun slung across my back. I just wanted to take a shower and go to bed. I was in no mood for any of Gordon’s bullshit.

But even when Gordon wasn’t around, he could still piss you off. Another twenty minutes ticked by before Gordon strolled into the classroom. He had his suit jacket hanging over the crook of his arm. He tie was loosened and his shirt collar was unbuttoned. It was as casual as I’d ever seen him. He was wearing a leather shoulder holster with a Glock tucked under his left arm. He looked like a TV cop.

“Mr. Valentine!” he said jovially, vigorously shaking my hand. Gordon was one of those people who seemed like he was trying to crush your fingers during a handshake. “Mr. Tailor! Good to see you both. How was your flight?”

“I shot a man and kicked him out of the helicopter, Gordon,” I said.

“I know. Nicely done, Mr. Valentine. Excellent work rolling with a changing situation. I know things were tense, and I know you gentlemen have been under a lot of pressure. Please believe me when I say your efforts are paying off.”

“Is that so?” Tailor asked.

“It certainly is!” Gordon said. “We’ve been watching you two very closely. I’m prepared to offer you, both of you, full-time positions with my organization.”

“What organization is that, exactly?” I asked.

Gordon smiled. “You know the drill, Mr. Valentine. Need-to-know. And unless I can count on you to make a commitment, you don’t need to know.”

Tailor lit a cigarette, not bothering to ask if it was okay to smoke in the classroom. “What exactly are you offering us?”

“A full-time job,” Gordon replied. “You two would start right away. We’d have you on the next flight out of Zubara. You’ll head back to our training center stateside for indoc and processing. After a couple weeks of R&R, of course. Paid R&R. You two have more than earned it.”

I was speechless. Tailor kept asking questions. “So we’d just leave?”

“I’m going to level with you,” Gordon said, leaning in conspiratorially. “And this goes no further than you two. Project Heartbreaker is winding down. Your mission tonight was probably the last major operation we’re going to take on.”

“What? What happened?”

“I had to fight to make Project Heartbreaker happen,” Gordon said. “My superiors never really believed in it. It was a constant struggle to get funding and resources. That’s why you were always so short on manpower and equipment. That’s also why we ran you so hard. We had no choice. I never wanted to send you two out on missions, alone, with no back up. A lot of decisions made over my head forced my hand, I’m afraid.”

“Like risking our lives to capture some guy then changing your mind later and ordering me to kill him?” I asked bitterly.

“Yes, like that,” Gordon said. “I hated to do that, Mr. Valentine. I still think Rafael Montalban would’ve been an excellent asset. But the situation changed, and so did my orders. I asked you to carry them out, and you did. That sort of dedication and ability to adapt to a dynamic situation is why we’re having this conversation right now. It’s no accident your chalk was sent after Rafael Montalban. My organization needs people of your caliber.”

“Okay, okay,” Tailor said, interjecting before I could say anything else. “What would this position involve?” I couldn’t believe it. Is he seriously interested in Gordon’s offer?

“You’ll work for me. Things are changing quickly. I need people I can count on so we can stay on top of things. I need people who can carry out tough jobs despite limited resources and information. The pay is far better than you’re making now. You won’t have to deal with any bureaucratic bullshit. You two will answer only to me.”

I found it darkly humorous that Gordon didn’t consider himself a bureaucrat. “You mean like Anders?”

“Yes!” Gordon beamed. “As a matter of fact, Anders is my right-hand man. You’ll be working with him a lot. He’s spoken highly of you both.”

“I’ll bet,” I said. “Did he tell you he let Singer bleed to death without even trying to help him?”

“I was fully briefed on that operation, Mr. Valentine. I know that was tough, but the import—”

I cut him off. “Tough? Tough? Is that what you’d call that? We’ve had thirty percent casualties, and you call that tough?”

“You need to control your temper,” Gordon snapped. “I’m trying to offer you a job!”

“Don’t fuck with me, Gordon. I’ve seen full well what your jobs involve! And I’m sick of this shit!”

Tailor stepped between me and Gordon, trying to calm me down. I don’t know if it was fatigue, stress, or a combination of the two, but I was on the verge of blowing up completely. My heart was pounding in my chest. I was so mad I was almost shaking.

“Fine!” Gordon said, gesturing sharply with his hands. “I’m trying to do you a favor. If this is how you want it, forget it. Mr. Anders warned me about this. He told me that when things start to get tough and you lose a couple guys, you fall apart. I didn’t believe it. I’ve seen your record. But you know what? He’s right. You can’t handle it, Valentine. You’re not cut out for this. This was a mistake. I need solid, dependable men. I don’t need guys that turn to mush when we take a few casualties. Shit happens. People die. That’s the way it is.”

Something clicked just then. I stepped back and straightened myself out. My eyes narrowed. My face went blank. Tailor saw the expression on my face. His eyes went wide, and he turned to Gordon.

“Listen, you wanna leave now,” he said. “Val had a bad night. Bad timing, you know?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Gordon said. “Forget the whole thing. You two want to go down with this ship, you’re more than welcome. We can always get more. You know how many people there are like you out there? Half burned-out shooters, desperate for their glory days and the old run-and-gun, who jump at any offer we give them? They’re all so eager, and they don’t ask a lot of questions. You, for example.”

“Gordon, I’m warning you,” Tailor said.

“I’m not afraid of you, Valentine,” Gordon said, looking at me over Tailor’s shoulder. He gestured to the pistol under his arm. “I’m not some paper-pushing desk jockey, you know.”

“Gordon, there’s no way you’re going to get that gun out before Val blows a hole in your chest. Everybody just calm down now!”

“I’m perfectly calm,” I stated. “I’m not angry at you because my friends died. We knew the risks when we signed up. I’m angry because my friends died as a direct result of your incompetence and blatant disregard for our lives. So I’m going to have to decline your offer.” I turned around and walked away, but paused at the door. “Gordon, if I ever see you again, I’ll kill you.” I turned and left the room.

Chapter 17: