EREMY 16.1
Time seemed to stop as the two women collapsed onto the floor and for a moment, he thought he had missed his target. A sensation ran down his spine. It was a feeling that was quite familiar to humans and defined as fear but to him, the Jackal, the Terror of Hindu Kush, it was not necessarily the truth.
Jeremy wasnt sure if he was ever afraid of something or not. It might be the poor kids in Angeles Philippines who love beating him up because of his high nose and pale white skin, or might be it was his mother's boyfriends, a bunch of useless twats that were terrible at everything except drinking and finding reasons to slapp him in the face. However, all was nothing but past, a distant time, a chapter of life that was closed and would never opened again. The bullies were punished and those useless drunkard didn't dare to touch him since he was 17 and his mother no longer walked among the living.
Afghanistan was more like a reward to him than a punishment. Spending entire life in the cramped suburbs, where the air was squeezed in the smell of trash easily made people crave for a opened space. This godforsaken country was all Jeremy need. He loved the afternoons when the rocks in the valley gradually went from white to the color of a cat's eye to purple, the emerald green rivers flowed across the border and the winds blew down from the mountains, carrying the smell of snow, the smell of damp wood and of the Taliban. Perhaps the unilateral isolation in enemy territory had once made him shiver a little on a cold windy night, but when the guns began to sing their own song, his body was warmed up with the hot blood boiling in his vein.
However, Jeremy didn't see any excitement after the shot he had just taken. All he got was just a horrific prospect of him killing that insufferable Major.
"Kayle…. Are you okay? "
He called but she didnt answer back. The Russian spy fell on Kayle Wilson, the knife fell from her hand and blood quickly spilled onto the floor. Too much blood and he could not tell whose blood it was.
"Damn it." Jeremy muttered under his breath as he moved closer to check on them "Say something, Wilson."
There was still no response from the major when he kicked the knife aside. However, Jeremy could now feel a bit more reassured because it seemed that the Russian woman was truly dead. The left side of Collena's neck revealed a red incision with blood coming out from the artery, perhaps the bullet had pierced the vertebra and killed her immediately.
"Kayle, are you okay?"
A faint cry rang out when the body of the female spy suddenly moved. Jeremy swore, then raised his gun and aimed at the head.
"Je..Je .. remy. Help me.."
Kayle Wilson's voice sounded odd and intermittent, but Jeremy was still able to recognize it. was she injured? Impossible, He thought to himself. I didn't miss that shot.
This had nothing to do with his childish pride in markmanship. Jeremy had deliberately aimed at the target's chin instead of her head to minimize the danger. It was very likely that he would have missed and if that had happened, the Major would survive with few broken shoulder bones . However with that wound on Collena's neck it was impossible he had missed the shot.
Without hesitation, Jeremy pushed Collena aside, the woman who once laid kisses on his cheek was now just a corpse with half of his white cotton coat gradually turning creepy dark red. Strangely, Despite of being a souless bloody shell, the beauty didn't seem to leave her at all and many would think she were sleeping.
"Now, now. Just take it easy."
Jeremy laid the major on her back before checking her shoulder. There were no bullet holes and all the blood on the uniform didn't belong to Kayle Wilson. However, for some reason, her eyes widened abnormally, her pupils dilated and her body showed signs of seizures.
"I ... I ... I ..." Kayle tried to speak with clenched teeth. "She ... I ... Je ... Jeremy ... She ... have ...inj..injected."
It took a few seconds for the Jackal to put those words together into a complete sentence. He looked around and swore when he spotted a syringe lying under the washbasin.
"Fuck!"
The bitch had injected something into Kayle and Jeremy couldn't do anything in this case. However, that didn't bother him that much because it seemed to be some kind of anesthetic rather than poison and Jackal are quite confident in his judgment. It would be irrational to assume that the Russians suddenly wanted to kill Kayle Wilson after going through a lot of trouble to kidnap her.
"We have to get out of here right now." Jeremy glanced at Collena's corpse. "These people often doesnt go alone."
This was what troubled him most. There was no way the Russians only sent two agents to kidnap a US military officer on Japanese soil. There must be a support team waiting around here in case thing went south and if it was the truth then that would be the worst scenario for Kayle and him. The jackal didn't mind fighting them, but even him couldn't fight and protect his half-dead companion at the same time.
Fuck you Emerson!
Not a fucking shit went as planned. The damned lieutenant colonel assured Jeremy that this would be similar to one of his reconnaissance mission and all he needed to do was pretending to fall into the Russian trap and let them put some bugs on. After that they would depart peacefully and the old man would take care of the rest. Of course, none of this happened. The fat bastard John tried to smash Jeremy's head with a wrench before had his own skull smashed like an egg with the same wrench meanwhile his wife almost cut Kayle's throat.
He should have told her the plan before they set up. He should have done something when Collena was about to lure her into a trap. He should have better shot them both at the moment he got out of the car. The Jackal chuckled at those thoughts before dismissed them. Regret was for losers and he was definitely not a loser. If the younger him had kept thinking about what should have happened, he would never have escaped that slum.
Je..remy? What ... are.. y..you ..do..ing ...? "
The Major protested weakly as he lifted her up with his strong arms. Her head buried in his chest while her whole body was soft like a noodle. She totally lost control of her body.
"Jerry ..." He hesitated. "From now on, you will call me Jerry, Ok?"
He didn't know where the name came from neither he was interested in being called like that. Tom & Jerry was the popular show to most Filipino children and swearing to God, he hated that fucking mouse. He also hated many other things. Peas that always rolling on the plate, cheap B-class action movies of that fat Steven Seagal, the wretched father refused to acknowledge him and especially at the moment, unwanted erection.
Damn it.
The little boy in his pant reacted violently to the plump chest and the lovely curls of Kayle Wilson. Despite her unpleasant nature, she was indeed a beautiful woman, but he had to admit that he prefers sluty Irish version of Collena more. Independent and intelligent women have a habit of despising men and bringing melancholy, a thing that he already had too much and had no need to get some more. More importantly, climbing a slope with a log between your legs was not easy at all. When Jeremy reached the damn Toyota, he could barely breathe and he wished it were because the way up here was too long.
"Maybe I should reduce my daily egg rations, Wilson." He smiled as he put the Major leaning against the car door, not expecting her to understand half of what he had just said. " Sit still… Nah, forget it. You can't even lift you hand, let alone stand up."
The next thing on his list was to call the old geese. They gave him a phone with 16 registered numbers and he had to change the number daily as an identification password. An extremely intricate process even though Jackal fully understood the Black ops mission always required secrecy and people like Emerson always had an unhealthy obsession with the monitored line and many other weird fears. But he truly hated changing his Sim after waking up, and he could not understand why they didn't use the military's communication satellite if they were so afraid of eavesdropping.
"So who monitors the military line? Don't be so naive, Captain. "
As always, Emerson never revealed his entire plan and Jackal could only obey his orders. Hart Sayer would never allow a subordinate officer to question his superior, especially when that superior officer was his precious friend but behind the locked doors, in darkened rooms without window, when it was just him and that sly old man, there was no rank between them.
"Pick up the phone, damn it." He grumbled. "You two are busy fucking each other or something?"
By the third ring, there was a voice on the other end of the line. The one holding the phone was no other than Emerson.
"Report it."
Cold and straight to the point. In order to match the gentleness of the southern nobles for the people from his class, Emerson treated him like a black slave who worked for his ancestor on a cotton field.
"They are dead."
"Oh ..." There was a short silence on the line, but then Emerson rebuked him. "Didn't I tell you not to make any rash move?"
"Go to hell, Emerson. Why do you think I killed them? reconnaissance mission my ass, they're here to kidnap her and almost kill me along the way. "
"Kidnap? I do not understand."
"THEY. WANT. KIPNAP. KAYLE. " He emphasized each word, "Now do you understand? They don't come here to bug us or spy on us. The fat bastard you met a few days ago in Tokyo almost killed me while his wife lure Kayle into a trap to slaughter. "
"An interesting surprise ... How is Major?"
"Still alive." He said, "The injuries are not serious, but they injected something into her body."
"Symptom?"
"There are signs of convulsions and she cannot move or speak."
"Ah, it sounds like T-23, an anesthetic that KGB likes to use. Our Russian friends really appreciate the tradition. But there's nothing to worry about, you just need to take her to a safe place and wait for effect to wear out. "
Jeremy almost wanted to shout, he knew what Emerson meant when he mentioned, "A safe place."
"Are you fucking kidding me? Why can't we return to the base? "
"We need two prisoners for questioning,but now all we have is two corpses. What do you want me to do with these two corpses, Captain?
"I don't care. Do you know their tactical team is still around here? That's right, they'll be here in a few minutes and we'll be dead for sure. We have to…"
"Don't be naive." He said, "If there's a tactical team, you'll be dead in the first place. No, they only have one or two realtors and I want to capture him alive. Do you understand what I mean? "
"No, I don't understand at all, dear Lieutenant Colonel." Jackal chuckled. "I don't know what game you're playing as I want to find out. All I know is that you just made a mistake and there's no guarantee you won't make another mistake. "
Ever since their first meeting, Jeremy had an uneasy feeling about Emerson Wilkes and his prejudice were not wrong at all. This man was a cold-hearted bastard with ice flowing in his vein and would not hesitate to sacrifice his subordinates to complete the task, especially when that subordinate was Jeremy whom he hates the most.
"I strongly advise you not to disobey now!"
"I'm not disobeying. I am just questioning your commanding abilities"
And it was always a bad idea to question leadership competencies. A familiar male voice interrupted their conversation and it didn't sound friendly at all:
"So it mean you are doubting my commanding abilities too, Captain?"
It was Hart Sayer! Oh right, Unit 22 was still under the command of the Colonel and Emerson needs his approval to conduct any operation. Hart's over-reliance on Emerson had upset the Jackal for a long time, but he didnt know how to change it. Convincing the old colonel against the friend who had been fighting with him side by side for nearly 30 years was nearly impossible.
"No, Colonel. I just express my concern based on... "
"Expressing your concern? What do you think this place is? A reality show? " Hart scolded, "I don't need to hear your damn opinion or your damn concern, Captain. As long as I remain commanding officer here, my decision is absolute and if you do not want to go to the court martial then do as Emerson said. Remember that if I can help you get out of Afghanistan, I can put you behind the bars too. "
He left many corpses in Afghanishtan. Most of them were ordered by the US government while the rest were not. Jeremy rarely distinguished a Pashtun who wanted to kill Americans with a Pashtun who had been in CIA's payroll and at the same time, transporting heroine for the Taliban. SOCOM clearly didn't approve his habits so denunciations were submitted and if it hadn't been for Hart, the Jackal would have been locked in a cage for the rest of his life.
"I understand, Colonel." He lowered his voice, trying to be as humble as possible when speaking to this man "I'm sorry."
"You will have the opportunity to apologize for your insolent attitude towards your superior. Now get Kayle Wilson back into the car and continue your routine to Tokyo. Don't do anything suspicious and give them a chance to follow you "
"Do you think they will fall into such a simple trap?"
Emerson reassured him. "When the enemy sees you, they only have two options. One is following you and the other is coming up here to check on his comrades. Whatever the case, we will be well prepared to welcome them."
Or the Russian could give him and Kayle a shower of bullets and they would be like fish in the barrel. What a foolish and risky plan. Jeremy was not afraid to take the risk cause that was a part of his job anyway but he didn't want Kayle to participate while she couldn't even stand up by herself.
"I think we should bring Major back to the base first. She wont be able to survive if they attack us "
"There will be no attacks." Hart impatiently reminded him "Major Wilson is the main target of the Russians so of course they will not dare to harm her. Besides, you can't find a more perfect bait anywhere right now, am I correct? "
Kayle would certainly not be pleased to hear those words. She was annoyed because she felt that she was treated like a pawn and it was hard for Jeremy to blame her for thinking so. Hart might be more humane than Emerson ever could be but in the end, he was still the commander of a special task force and the responsibilities associated with that position forced him to put soldiers in danger in the order to fullfill the mission.
"Understood." He reluctantly agreed. "But where is the safe place you just mentioned, Lieutenant Colonel? I am not aware that we have safe houses in Tokyo. "
"A motel or a hotel of your choice. But make sure it's easy to defend and you should inform us first. "
Like all men, Jeremy liked the idea of going to a hotel with a beautiful woman, but if that happened, he had certain standards. His lady had to be elegant one in a velvet dress and high heels, not having seizure per minute in a bloody military uniform like this.
"If that's the case, we need to change our clothes first." Jeremy grinned. "It's hard to rent a room with her bloody collar."
"Well, you should look into the car of our Russian friends then." Hart suggested, "In my experience, KGB agents often carry a ton of clothes on their mission. Remember that guy in Beirut , Emerson? Yeah, The guy who looked exactly like John Lenon stading at the airport."
They werent wrong to say that old men prefer living in the past than the present. Hart wasn't that old to be honest but the colonel's mind was always clung to the memories of his younger days and sometimes it only caused more troubles for the Jackal. The Marines in Helmad were pretty annoyed when his superior kept calling their enemy Mujahideen instead of Taliban and in the few months after that Jeremy found himself had to escape from ambushes without any proper covering fire.
"I'll contact you after it is done."
"We are looking forward to your success."
Jackal hung up and sighed deeply. The mission had just become more complicated than he had expected while solutions were based on the strange speculations of Hart and Emerson. It was hard to believe that the Russians only sent two of their operators on such risky mission and anyone with more than two brain cells would know that was the truth.
They are not amateurs.
And indeed they weren't amateurs. The lock on the trunk of the Toyota was a very special ones and no matter how many time Jeremy kicked it or shot it with his handgun, the lock still remain unscratched. He needed to find the key.
"I hope you are nicer when you are dead, John." He mumbled as he walked over to the fat man's body, still couldn't stop thinking about hard-hiting punches that were thrown at his face ealier. "Fucking fat bastard, he's cousin of Butterbean or something?"
Now he looked more like a watermelon that got smashed in half than a bean. It was a difficult fight and Jeremy didn't remember how many times he had hit the guy's head using that wrench until it was completely deformed. Overkilling was never necessary, but recently the Jackal had trouble controlling his temper and getting punched by an ugly fat man only worsened his mood more than ever.
"What the hell is it?"
In the pocket of the Russian agent's jacket, Jeremy found a tweezers, a wooden bead, a pendant carved with the face of a merciful looking goddess , some mint candy and a small notebooks written in a strange language. With the humble knowledge gained at the Catholic school , he's pretty sure this wasnt Russian because on the land of bears and ice, they used the Cyrill alphabet, not the Latin alphabet.
Some kind of code? It was very likely so cause using a least expected and strange language for communication wasn't a new thing in the espionage world, but now wasn't the time for him to guess. Time was running out and the key was still nowhere to be found.
If it weren't here then it could only be there. Jeremy stood up and looking down at the foot of the mountain, where the white - painted public restroom was located, where Collena was lying in a pool of her own blood. This was the first time he'd killed a woman and it felt so terrible that he didn't even want to think of it. The jackal had never been a chivalrous warrior, but there were always lines that even he didn't want to cross.
But if i hesitated, another woman would certainly die and isn't it different than I killed her myself?
Either way, Jeremy would be seen as a murderer, so he had to lean on a classic excuse in the order not to feel guilty. Collena was an enemy and intended to harm Kayle Wilson, he told himself, she was about to kidnap a US Army officer, my colleague, and also the muse of someone that i admired so I have no choice. It might sound a bit cliché and silly but this was actually the method that the vast majority of soldiers choose to rationalize their killing, to justify the reason they were still here breathing while the enemy wasn't.
"I have to go down there." He turned to speak to Kayle but immediately realized that she had fell aside, lied on the ground with both of her eyes shut when he was paying attention. "Hey, are you okay?"
The Jackal cautiously approached and lightly touched her neck. There was still pulse, though it was a bit slower than usual. It seemed that she was just unconscious, but was this a normal symptom of those who had been injected with T-23? Emerson made no mention of the unconsciousness and Jeremy had every reason to doubted the Lieutenant Colonel's professional opinion after his previous erroneous judgment.
Can't leave her here alone
He knew that as well as he knew he couldn't carry her down there and get back here again, so much time would be wasted and time was something they didn't have much at the moment. With no other choice, Jeremy picked Kayle up and put her inside the red Toyota, hoping Hart wouldn't mind if he changed a few small details in his plan.
"Automatic?" Said the Jackal with contempt as he sat in driver's seat "You disappoint me, John."
Jeremy started the engine with the key in the drive and was quite pleased that the engine was running smoothly. John had cleverly obstructed the carburetor in the belief that he wouldn't find out what was wrong with the car, but the fat man didn't expect that the Jackal was a skilled mechanic. He had completed his repairs in the first 15 minutes and played his role perfectly after that so that two Russian agents could have time to put some of their bug on the Mecedes, something that hadn't happened.
Thinking of the previous kidnapping, Jeremy still had no clue what its purpose was. It was true that Kayle was the military attaché of this US delegation, but that position by itself didn't mean she possessed any valuable information to exploit. He was sure she didn't know about the ambassador's agenda or the US government's intentions in the Special Region more than the people who sat in front of television screen at home and even if she did know something, he was sure it was all nonsense that the State Department wanted her to listen and repeat like a parrot.
So why did the Russians take all sort of risk just to approach an unimportant target? Aiming at a senior official from the embassy or State department made more sense, and even their timing was very weird. They had a lot of chance from the day Collena met Kayle in Tokyo but only decided to attack when she was closest to Shino Base and was traveling with someone else? Jeremy didn't see any logic here, and perhaps neither did Hart. The old man had his reason when he said he wanted to capture the accomplices of Collena and John for questioning.
Only if I can lure them into a trap. Clouds surrounded both his mind and the Toyota as they were halfway down the slopes, Only me and her, a Glock and 24 bullets fighting the whole FSB tatical squad.
Jeremy was an arrogant man, but he never let his ego overwhelm judgment, a huge difference that kept him alive while other arrogant idiots all now slept with worms in the cemetery. He was fully aware of the fact that even if there was only one or two tango waiting for them as Hart had predicted, the danger wouldn't be lowered. These guy were professional killer specially trained to end someone else's life with terrified efficiency, not a random 16-year-old guerrilla boys with AK-47s in his hand. Going toes to toes with them was a whole different level.
I don't have much time left"
Jeremy looked down at Tokyo Bay and saw light fading on rippling waves. A flock of birds out of nowhere flew past his head and headed towards the woods below. It was impossible to know what kind of bird it was, but he guessed it was crows because of their distinctive Quack Quack.
Night is the perfect time for predators
Frightened by that omen he drove the Toyota drove like a madman on the mountainside road and only slowed down he reached the public restroom. The Jackal leaned over to check on the woman next to him to make sure she was still breathing before stepping out of the car with a fully loaded Glock. The surroundings were strangely cold and deserted, leaving him with a feeling of unease.
Someone else is here.
The lone warrior cautiously observed his surrounding and spotted the stalker. It was a crow perched on the edge of a public restroom roof. A hideous creature with a sharp beak and dark sinister eyes kept staring at him.
"What are you looking at?" The Jackal asked, his voice was challenging and full of disgust, but the crow still didn't respond. "Tired of living?"
He picked up a pebble and threw it at the crow, but missed. The creature exclaimed in amusement as if it were laughing at him before flapping its wings and flying aways.
"You Bastard!"
Normally he would give this cursed animal like it a clean shot in the head but bullets were now something he didn't have much to spare as well as time or determination. Two people were dead and one of them was a woman so Jeremy hoped to be able to call it a day without any more casualties, even if it was just a damn crow.
And he was wrong. Very wrong indeed.
A dark and hideous barrel pointed straight at the jackal's chest as he entered a public restroom and the one who was behind it was none other than the woman he most didn't want to see again.
"Hello…. handsome."
Collena sat with her back against the wall next to the sink and greeted him with a bloody hand on the gauze bandage on her neck and a smile on her lips. Even though she tried to look as cheerful and lively as possible, her face still had the pale look of a dying person with blood-stained locks clinging to her cheeks. The wound wasn't as serious as he thought, but it was not mild at all.
"Did you come to pick me up, Captain?"
He shook his head and the Russian spy then sighed sadly:
"I had the feeling that it wasn't the case. Now…. Please put that thing aside if you don't mind, Captain. "
"Put the gun down, Collena. You will die with that wound "
It wasn't negotiating tactics, it was just fact. Without proper medical intervention within ten minutes, she would certainly die from blood loss but it appeared that he wasn't the only one who realized it.
"I know," Said clamly the woman. "Now please throw your gun aside!"
Jeremy had no choice but did what she asked. The public toilets didn't provide any reliable covers and with this distance even that idiot Loyde could hardly miss.
"Now what?" The Jackal asked after throwing his Glock on the floor, "Will you shoot me then bleed to death or do you want me to sit here watching you bleed to death?"
"Talk first ..." Collena ordered but she was interrupted by a cough and of course she was coughing up blood. "Did you kill Boris?"
So his name was Boris. Things couldn't be any more cliché, can they?
"Yes, I killed him. Do you want revenge? "
Collena grew quite for a few seconds and then replied: "Maybe so, but it doesn't matter now. Question number two: Where is the major? "
"Safety at base on Shino hill."
"Lie, you stayed in the car for a while when you got here and there must be a reason for that. She's in my car, am i correct? "
This time it was Jeremy's turn to grew quite. He couldn't win against a spy like Collena in this kind of game:
"Why do you ask me when you know the answer?"
"To test your honesty of course, I have always loved honesty."
"Give me a break, Dear." He crossed his arms. " You think i don't understand what you are trying toido? Bad news for you, my men will be arriving here soon with helicopters and drones capable of blowing a small army up into the air. What do your friends have? A van with a keg vodka? "
In fact, Hart was forced to use all tricks he knew to keep the base operating at medium capacity, so it wouldn't be a surprise if Rudy came to save him on old Humvees that had fought in Kuwait 25 years ago. The draconian policies of the Japanese had reduced the strength of the US military in East Asia dramatically, and with the current geopolitical situation, things wouldn't improve anytime soon and they had to make do with anything they got. However, the Russian spy did not know that.
"There's no… support." The woman said, "Only Boris and I are here."
"I'm not a idiot. People like you never do something without backup plan. "
"It's true. I…."
Another cough came and Collena's condition worsened. Her body was shaking like a fever, her breathing was shallow and her skin was pale.
"Put the gun down and stop talking." He shouted at her impatiently but his voice was pleaded and it sounded more like a he was begging than threatening, "You're killing yourself, you idiot"
"Are you… worried for me, Jeremy?"
A simple question, but not easy to find the answer. Why did he care whether if she lived or died? Collena wanted to harm Kayle, wanted to kill him and was almost successful at those. In all ways, she was an enemy and that beautiful eyes or good looking face couldn't change that fact.
Even so, but standing and watching a woman writhing with injury made him uneasy and displeased. He disliked the sight as much as he used to dislike the sight of his mother groaning on the her bed with her eyes swollen for accidentally offending one of her clients.
"No."
"You are a strange man, Captain." Once again, she knew he was lying, "Strange but kind."
"No one has ever complimented me for being kind."
"Now someone has and…" She coughed again. "And that person has no reason to deceive you."
The woman turned lightly bandaged, revealing the wound on her neck. Jeremy struggled to hide his disappointment. No doctor or any medical method in the world could save Collena from certain death, and only God knew why she could sit here talking to him.
"I'm sorry."
"Why apologize?" She asked amiably, "If you hesitated back then, maybe you will be the one sitting here waiting for your death, not me."
And in a way, she was absolutely right. When nation, unit, dignity, right and wrong were pushed aside, the only truth remaining was survival. Collena held no grudge against him nor did he hold any grudge against Boris. They were simply strangers who meet at the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Can you please put that down? Talking with a gun pointed at is not very comfortable. "
"Well. if you insist."
Collena placed the gun on the floor before pushing it towards Jeremy. It was a USP using 9mm cartridge, extremely deadly in close combat but right now it couldn't even harm a fly. The safety remained on while the ammunition space was completely empty
This woman had no intention of killing him in the first place.
"May I know the reason?"
"Unfortunately I'm not as kind as you, Jeremy" She managed a smile. "I need you to live and do something for me."
Jeremy laughed at that in a jiffy. He had no intention of mocking her, of course. It was just the whole thing recalled him of a scene in a movie that he had seen long time ago where femme fatale, in her last breath asked the hero to do something for her. Collena was indeed a femme fatale in her own right but him a hero? It was so funny to think there would be a day when the Jackal found himself standing in hero's shoes.
"If you want me to assassinate the president in return then forget it."
"You are the funny ones, are you Captain?"She placed her head against the wall, a sigh escaping her beautiful lips. "And you should listen carefully ... for your own safety, obviously"
The jackal immediately scowled and threw a warning at her. The woman, he realized in horrify, had no intention of toying with him:
"I don't like the where this story lead to, Collena."
"There's a train station called Buriwa, about 20 miles north of here." The woman ignored his warning, "I left a flashdrive in the locker there. Number 67, the password is 2-1-0-0-1-9-0-6. "
"No"
"No? I haven't heard the whol…. "
"I don't need to because I still have my brain." The jackal hissed through his teeth, "You want me to pass on a sensitive document to your colleague? Are you fucking serious, women? Do you know how the US government deal with those commit treason ? 50 years without parole in Federal prisons. 50 years of suffering behind bars! I would rather have you shot me dead. "
Or might be he should shoot her in the head and ended this stupid shit right here, right now. There was nothing stopping him from doing so, except the guilt and a thing Collena called "Kindness"
Kindness?
He almost laughed at the thought of his own goodness. After all thing he had done, could something like that exist within him? No way. Nothing good about him at all! The jackal was not a prince in a shinning armour nor a hero. He was born into sin and fate had said that he would live in wickedness until the end.
"Don't worry, Captain…. The information inside Flashdrive is not intended for my partner. I risked many things to… steal it from them and so you should be careful. The FSB… They will… they won't stop at anything to get it back. "
"If you think that will make me more confident then you are dead wrong."
"No, but I ..."
Another cough came and this time, Collena couldn't overcome it. Completely exhausted, the woman collapsed to the floor, blood gushed out of her mouth and it should have been the end had Jeremy not intervened on time. He quickly grabbed her shoulder while his right hand was placed on the gauze, applying pressure on the wound.
"Damned it, Woman! I told you to stop talking. "
"No ... Jeremy" She whispered, calling him by his name. "You have to show it to everyone… you have to do it or they… will all die."
"Stop talking for the love of God"
But she didn't stop or to be more precise, she didn't want to despite how hurt it was and every word she spoke only hastening her death.
"Bring what you find to the internet… only with that, will they be saved. Promise ... promise me you will do it. Please, Jeremy. "
The Jackal grew quite. He could make a promise then forgot about it later or he could risk everything to fulfill the will of a dying enemy. Be a biggest asshole as he always was or put on a orange jumpsuit for the next 50 years. Normally this would the decision that Jeremy easily had in ¼ seconds but God with his funny way of working, didn't want things to be simple for any man. Collena spared his life while he hadn't and had no intention of doing so.
No matter the reason why she did that. To him , this was clearly a debt.
And a debt needed to be paid.
He might just be the bastard son of a prostitute and certainly not a good man but he was still a soldier with a basic understanding of honor. Honnor called him to pay his debt at all costs, although there weren't any rules or any man demanded him to. Honnor was the only thing left that reminded him that he was still a man and "Jackal" was just a nickname and without honnor, he was nothing but a animal.
"Please, Jeremy…" She begged him as her voice grew weaker "Promise me."
Finally, with the newly found chivalry and admiration for the dying woman in his hands, the Jackal made a decision, one that would make him regret forever:
"Alright, alright, I give up. I promise you "
A smile of victory broke out on the woman's face, making her look a little less pale. Somehow, Collena was sure he wouldn't break his promise, that he would find every way possible to complete the task.
"You went through all of this for a Flashdrive?" He shook his head in disbelief. "I don't know how important it is, but I hope it's worth the sacrifice."
With the last of strength in her body, the Russian spy gentlely raised her hand and touched his face, whispering to him her last words on this earth with incredible confidence:
"Yes… it's worth in every sense. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."
JEREMY 16.2
"You allow yourself to change my plan?"
Hart called Jeremy as they got closer to the Tokyo suburbs. And just as he had predicted, the Colonel was not pleased with his use of the enemy's means of transportation.
"I just improvised, Colonel." The Jackal replied, "As you can see, I don't have a lot of options, and since the mission requires making the most of my time ..."
"Don't be smart-ass with me, young man." Hart interrupted, his patience was now as thin as January's ice. " Always assume that you are right and ignore what other people think. Do I need to remind you that this is the US military and I am your superior?
"No, sir."
"No? I see the opposite. You deserve to be whipped for your insolence. "
The jackal decided not to respond and keep his mouth in check. After serving under Hart's command for a considerable amount of time, he knew this was the wiser move when Colonel was boiling with anger. Once range get the better of him, he would act like a mad bull that crushing anything on its way and any explanation would be like pouring more oil into the fire.
"It's better if we don't hastily conclude that this is a mistake, Hart." It was Emerson's voice "The Russians might find it confusing when one of their cars driving around Tokyo and decide to follow rather than turn it into swiss cheese. The captain might have made the right decision."
It was annoying to receive help from Emerson but if he wanted the Colonel to stop shouting at the microphone then he had no other choice.
"Are you serious?" Though he was still angry, Hart's voice was somewhat softened. "What if they had put a tracking device on the car before?"
"Then it can't be better. Isn't this the purpose of the mission in the first place? Let them follow Captain Underwood and fall into our trap? "
Hard to argue with his logic, but the main problem here was how they planned to ambush those Russians. Because of the fact that Jeremy did not have a safe house, he was forced to find a suitable hotel, inn or motel then barricaded himself in the room until Rudy and the others could came to assist. What a dumbest plan he had ever heard of! The Jackal did not know which business was suitable for the US military to organize ambushes for Russian agents. No, to be more precise, he didn't know a single hotel, motel in Tokyo nor even the way around this damn city.
This was the second time he went to Tokyo and if it weren't for the GPS in the car, he wouldn't even know where he was.
"I don't want to interrupt, sir." He chose his words carefully, "But I'm currently driving without any destination here."
There was a brief silence on the line, then finally Emerson spoke up:
"You haven't chosen the location yet?"
"Looking for a place to capture two Russian agents alive? I'm afraid you are asking for the impossible, Sir. With all due respect, Colonel, I propose to cancel this mission and return Major to our base. It is about getting out of hand"
"No!" Jeremy could hear Hart's fist hitting the table. "I need to know what the Russians are up to and you had messed everything up with your careless action, Captain. Now you should try to find a way to fix it or prepare yourself for the consequences. "
Damn it! The old man was too stubborn for his own good. Of all of Hart's unpleasant qualities, this was the one that he hated the most. He thought that determination was the most important factor that decided success or failure of a operation and might be he was right in some way but it was bizarre to apply that theory to every circumstance. Mission like this one required a bit more flexibility, cunningness than usual and while Jeremy didn't want to admit, he felt fortunate that Emerson was here to speak reason to his friend.
"First, let's find a place so you two can change your cloth " Lieutenant Colonel calmly analyzed the situation. "Right now that should be your top priority. Do you have any idea? "
Jeremy glanced at Kayle Wilson sitting motionless beside him. She was in a coma for more than half an hour and so far there was no sign of her waking up anytime soon.
"I cannot take Major Wilson to a changing room or a public restroom in this state. Must do it in the car, but I need a quite place where people won't notice me.
And as always, Emerson always proved to be resourceful with bold solutions:
"A parking lot of a large supermarket look promising. It's quite wide and no one cares what other people are doing. You can find a suitable spot there. " He suggested, "Are there any supermarkets in the suburbs?"
Jeremy narrowed his eyes, looking at the tiny GPS screen in front of him and was dissatisfied with the results.
"Only one is nearby." He said "Ku-Kuriya ... It's called Kuriya."
"Well then, I think you should take a look at it while we go finding a safe house for you. Be advised, Captain. They may be around there watching you. Report immediately to us when you see anything suspicious"
And with just that, just with a simple instruction and a warning, his superiors hung up, leaving him alone with Kayle Wilson in a strange city, with no air support, no backup.
If you wanted me to die that bad, you should have left me in the prison for good.
Frustrated, Jeremy glanced in the rearview mirror, cautiously observing the white van that had been following the two of them since five minutes ago. The distance between the two cars was only about 10 meters, but because it was so dark, he couldn't confirm whether the person sitting behind his hand was Japanese or Russian except for the fact that the man was wearing a colorful decorated shirt.
This made the Jackal uneasy, even though it might just be a false alarm. In the end, he decided to speed up to loose the tail, but before he could do anything, the van suddenly turned right at the crossroads and headed straight towards the flyover.
A soft sigh of relief was released in the darkness.
One more suspect was excluded from the list and until now, this was the fourth. The words of the deceased female spy haunted his mind and no matter how hard he tried, Jeremy couldn't get rid of them
There is no backup.
His instinct told him that there was bit of truth in it, or it could be he himself wanted to believe it was the truth, but his experience showed the opposite. There had to be a lot of people involved in Kayle Wilson's kidnapping, no other way around. When he was on a mission to capture a Pakistani official who supported the Taliban, there were at least 30 person in the task force. 5 people approached the target, 10 set out the perimeter, 3 drivers, 4 technical assistants and the rest were local CIA agents. It was hard to believe that Russians only sent two of their agents for such complicated mission and if Collena didn't lie to him, then might be she herself didn't know the entire plan, which was pretty common in her profession.
"And you must have some kind of secret that make them think it would be worth the risk." he told Kayle though he knew she was unable to hear him. "A terrifying secret that even you don't know yourself."
But now he himself also had a secret to hide . For obvious reasons, Jeremy could not tell Hart about the flashdrive, nor could he expect Rudy or anyone else to help. He had to do this on his own and that meant it would be extremely bad if it was true that the FSB wanted to reclaim the flashdrive.
With a heavy sigh, the jackal turns the car into a narrow street called Motoyama, the shortest path to Kuriya supermarket according to GPS. It was only 7:30 p.m. but the streets were pretty deserted, and as far as he noticed, the other suburban streets he had passed were in the same situation. Either the Japanese didn't have the habit of leaving the house after sunset or this was a common practice among middle-class families, regardless of skin color or nationality. Jeremy had no answers, he didn't spend too much time in America researching and back in the Philippines, he lived in a slum, where the streets were always filled with barbeque shops, gangsters and prostitutes.
Sometimes he also has some silly thoughts about a life where he made other choices. Would it be the same as what happened behind those windows? A typical middle-class family with a father as the main source of income, a mother at home doing housework and dinners full of laugh or it would drain Jeremy's energy dry as it did to his father, making him tired to the point of going halfway around the world looking for a Filipino woman to seek comfort then gave birth to a bastard?
The jackal thought he had already knows the answer and that was why he didn't hesitate to join the military right after becoming an American citizen. War wasn't so bad if you know how to live with it and in his experience, it only got complicated when things like politics, espionage bullshit, dirty serect or scheming superiors like Emerson interfered. However, before thinking of how to fulfill the promise he made to Collena without ending up in jail, he must complete an equally complex and unpleasant task first.
"Don't you think I want to do this." He glanced at Kayle Wilson, peacefully sleeping in the next seat "It's forced into my hand."
That was a lie. Like any man, Jeremy had no problem undressing a pretty woman unless he was forced to do that while she was unconscious and made him looked like a lowly rapist in the process. People called him Jeremy the Jackal, a pretty cool nickname to be honest and he certainly didn't want it to be changed into Jeremy the Rapist. At first, he intended for her to wear a coat or a shirt over her uniform to hide the blood but then he had to change his mind because there was simply too much blood on it while Collena's collection was all bright-colored sweaters and T-shirt for some reason.
It wasn't a surprise though. As said before, God didn't want things to be easy with anyone, so he could only pray that Kayle would not wake up in sudden when he was unbuttoning her shirt.
"Jer..Jeremy? Where am I?"
Or might be Jeremy should pray for her not to wake up right now and forced him to explain the pervert thing he was about to do.
"Suburban of Tokyo." He replied briefly, "How do you feel?"
The woman groaned softly as she turned her head towards the Jackal. Her movements were slow and she seemed to have some difficulty with her neck " My Head hurt like hell. I could barely feel anything from her shoulders down. Why… are we in Tokyo? Collena…"
"She ..." He hesitated. "She won't bother you anymore."
"I understand." The major sighed, "What about Joh… her comrades?"
"Boris. His name is Boris. "
"Boris? Boris… "Kayle muttered the name for a few times then quickly realized what that meant. Her eyes widened "Russians? Why the hell they… I… I don't understand, Captain. Collena met me in Tokyo and… God, what the hell is going on? "
She was in shock and he could partly understand the reason. Not everyone got tricked into a dirty public restroom by their friend, got drugged then being held hostage and got shot at in a same day. Kayle Wilson for sure was no stranger to dangerous and bizarre circumstances, but like she had said, everyone had their limits.
"I'll tell you if you want." He said. "But you have to promise not to overreact or scream or something like that, okay? It has been a tiring day so I'm not in the mood to argue with you. "
The major gave him a suspicious look, but since she had no other choice, she nodded in agreement. Jeremy started to tell her everything from beginning to the end or more precisely, telling her what he had learned so far. To Kayle's astonishment, he revealed that a few months ago, the CIA had received information that the Russians were planning to spy on US State Department officials and that two strangers were approaching her in the middle of Tokyo was irrefutable proof that they had been looking for.
"The paper that Patrick Hammer told me to give to Emerson." Kayle gritted her teeth. "The red Toyota that he mentioned is Collena's car!"
"Good observation, Sherlock."
"Why didn't anyone do anything?" She raised her voice, " Arrest them now and be done with it?"
"Arrest them for what crime eh? At that time Collena was simply a foreigner in Japan and was having an intimate conversation with you, another foreigner. Furthermore, they was still not sure that the Russian was targeting you. "
For weeks, Emerson had thought him or Hart was whom they were targeting. To be honest, it wasn't difficult to understand why he saw thing that way. Both of the old men had access to sensitive information about the US delegation and American agenda in the special region, so obviously they became priority for enemy intelligence. Normally, it wasn't big of a deal and local CIA agents could handle the situation easily if they wanted to, but Langley's geniuses had a very different view on the whole thing. Washington was see the need to learn more about Russian network in Japan as well as the Kremlin's intentions with the Gate that appeared from nowhere two year ago, so for them, it couldn't be a better opportunity than this.
"In short, they intended to use Collena to learn about the Russian plans and that was the reason Hart told you to go to Northeast Asia headquarters today." He continued with the story. "I dont know the detail but my task today was very simple: Drive the Mercedes down the hill, put up a good act so they can put some bugs in my car and then everyone on their own way. That's all of it, but i think you know how things turn out, right ?"
Kayle Wilson grew quite and based on her expression, he could see she was seen doing her best not to scream. A reaction that Jeremy considered normal because no one would be happy to know he or she had no value more than a fish bait. He himself had suffered the same thing before and only revenge that could make him forget the bitter taste of betrayal.
"Why? Why do they want to kidnap me? It doesn't make any sense. I have nothing for them "
" Trust me, you're not the only one to ask that question."
The Jackal slowed down the vehicle and gave Kayle a hand singal to look toward the end of the road, where a large billboard with colorful neon stood out among the two-story suburban houses. On the sign was the red "Kuriya" in capital next to the cartoonist picture of a very young girl, almost pre-teen wearing a mini skirt that couldn't be shorter. Japan was a strange country of strange people and it wouldn't be the last time he got cultural shock.
"What is it?" Asked the major " Where are we?"
"A supermarket." He replied, "It's called Kuriya."
"Supermarket? What are you going to the supermarket for? "
That was the question that he couldn't find the answer even when he was able to use every cell in his brain. Even though Kayle had promised not to yell, Jeremy was not so naive to the point to think she wouldn't protest when she found out that he was about to take her clothes off.
"They wanted some information on the Russian intentions in Japan, but it seems I fuck everything up for everyone by killing Collena to save your ass." Explained the Jackal "And that's why I had to drive this damn car down here to lure her comrades out while Emerson went to find a suitable place to set up his trap."
" My God, are they fucking serious right now?" She cursed quitely "A stupid plan ever. Didn't they think the Russians would attack have second attack after they had their first attack? "
"Feel free to bring this up to the Colonel if you want. The old man is the one who get excited at the prospect of turning two of us into Swiss cheese. "
"I'm not that stupid." Like him, Kayle knew that an argument with Hart Sayer always led to undesirable results. "But you still haven't explained what we go to this supermarket for."
The Jackal did not respond. He pressed on the gas and drove the car straight ahead, then followed the road signs to find his way into the parking lot. The Kuriya supermarket was very small establishment and when compared to monstrous Malls in the US it looked more like a convenience store. However, the car park was quite spacious and deserted. Jeremy looked around and saw only five Boxy cars that Japanese loved to use, a blue Toyota pickup truck parked next to a seven-seater Honda civic. Everything seemed to fit his requirement except for one thing ...
At the end of the car park, hidden in the darkness and stillness of the night, was a white van.
You must be joking!
Jeremy didn't know what to do. He wasn't sure if it was the same van that had followed him a few minute ago, but if what he fearsed was true, they would be done for. Kayle Wilson could not move, he had only one pistol and they were sitting duck here, completely exposed to enemy fire with no cover around.
"Hey! Do you hear me, Jeremy? " Kayle Wilson impatiently asked, "What the hell are we doing here?"
"Silent." He growled, his left hand gently resting on the gear shift "Hold on to whatever you can. Use your teeth if needed. "
The van's door opened, and a dark shadow emerged from the cabin. He was a Japanese young man about 1.75 meters tall, thin with a rather weird appearance. An old black leather jacket over a white T-shirt, red-dyed hair brushed backwards to reveal an ugly forehead
. Everything on this guy was a collection of all the things that Jeremy could not stand, especially his dodgy eyes and the thuggish gesture of him when he lit his cigarette.
"Russian?" Kayle asked softly, there was panic in her voice. "It doesn't look like it at all."
"Collena doesn't like an cold-blood operative either. It might just be a false alarm, but we should be careful. "
After so many disagreements since they first met, she finally agreed with Jeremy on a certain issue. More than anyone else, Kayle Wilson saw the consequences of being careless and had learned the lesson.
"It's really awsome, isnt it." He smiled faintly. "Two distinguished officers of the US military sat here watching a gangster wannabe smoking his cigarette in horror. What a farce! "
Fortunately for them, this unhappy joke only lasted for a few minutes. That young man seemed to be very busy. After pulling a few drags, he threw it away and strode towards the supermarket, all attention focused on the smartphone in hand. Only after that, Jeremy was able to rested his head on the steering wheel, releasing the breath he had held in his chest ever since:
"Geez ... a few more times like this and I will have a heart attack."
"I thought you was never afraid, Jeremy." She threw a jab into his pride. "Where's your famous courage?"
"Believe it or not, I have my limits, lady." The jackal replied and pushed the gear lever forward. "And please call me Jerry."
"Jerry? I don't think we're that close, my dear fellow. "
"After what I'm going to do to you, we will be that close."
Without waiting for her to ask more questions or explain any further, he parked the car between the green Toyota and the Honda civic, using their large profile to shield them from prying eyes. Kayle Wilson slowly realized what was going on, her eyes widened and glared at him in horror and Jeremy was sure he would recieve the whole punch in the face if her body wasn't paralyzed.
"What do you think you're doing, you bastard?" She screamed while trying her best to get up but failed. "Don't you dare touch me! Do you hear me saying? If you touch me, I will kill you, Jeremy. I swear, you son of a whore. "
Son of a whore? Really? The Jackal laughed, a dry laugh and there was something poisonous, scary in it:
"I have to admit that is a very interesting idea but unfortunately for you, I am not in the mood today."
He turned off the engine and leaned over to Kayle's seat. She tried to spit in his face but Jeremy was quicker. His hand, hard like cold steel immediately pressed on her mouth as he was whispering to her ear with a voice full of menacing:
"Now listen, major. I don't have time to explain or ask for your permission. We are in danger and if we don't get out of here soon, we will be as good as dead. I don't know if you want to live or reunite with your commander Lamb in the afterlife, but let me tell you one thing and that is I don't want to end my life in a ridiculous automatic in the country of people consider raw fish as a delicacy. You'd better shut up and let me do my own thing or I would put the rag in there or sew it up if necessary. Do we understand each other yet? "
If you were an office worker who had to work late tonight, looking for something to eat before going home with your family and accidentally passed by Kuriya supermarket, you would encounter a strange sight. A western man in military uniform was dragging a western woman in military uniform off the front seat of the red Toyota. But it was 8:30 p.m. and the Japanese government was currently banning companies from forcing their staff to work overtime so it was unlikely that you would be that person. And if you was one of the cashiers of the Kuriya supermarket who was having a quiet night and decide to go out to get some fresh air then the local police would receive a report on a rape in the parking lot.
Too bad, the working culture in Japan was very strict and since none wanted to be seen as lazy and irresponsible, there would be no one at the entrance but an old security guard who couldn't see anything clearly beyond 30 meter.
However, if you was Tatsuda Harunobu, the young man with freakish hairstyle, unbelievable ego, no steady job, three failed attempts to join the Yakuza, and currently hiding behind cardboard boxes near the warehouse with a Monocular modified for night observation, you would see the whole thing, from start to finish.
"Yes, I'm sure. Her hair is blond, not black, I'm not blind, Isobe- san" The young man with bright red hair got frustratedly arguing with someone named Isobe on the phone." Huh? You want me to drive that american around? Fine, but remember I will charge extra. "