Page 6 of Fire for Effect

I only hoped that in my last moments, I had the wherewithal to go out with dignity too.

I went over to the laptop, and flipped the camera around so that our little friend could see himself on the screen. I placed the outgoing call, and waited until I was greeted by the most powerful players in the US government.

President Davis Lau, Vice President Anders McCleod, the Secretary of State, Defense, the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Then, of course, the man most familiar to me, the Director of the CIA, Roland Griffith. The man I sometimes called Dad.

The circle was always kept small when we called. It was the only way to keep things secret.

“State your name,” I ordered my trussed-up guest.

He wasn’t going to state his name.

“Fuck you, you fucking traitor!” He spat at my feet.

I shrugged, and gestured for my partner, Agent Sierra, to come over with the papers, wallet, and other identification he had on him at the time of his abduction.

Of course, that was a nice way to put it.

Sierra and I had burned his house down. That bit of arson gave me a warm-fuzzy feeling, as I thought about the woman back home who had a real penchant for lighting things on fire. Fucking Pyro.

Then we picked people off, one by one, as they rushed out of the building from our hastily built snipers’ nest. My partner and I were on one side, and our Bravo Team at the outer perimeter, picking off anyone who made it through the first line.

It was an utter blood bath.

A woman with short, slicked black hair behind the CIA director nodded her head. Something about her was familiar, like I had seen her before. Was she the same CIA woman at the prisoner exchange?

“His identity is confirmed,” Director Roland Griffith nodded back to the woman, and I wondered if she was one of his analysts.

The President steepled his fingers in front of him, the entire room waiting with bated breath. I yawned, loudly, as I thumbed the safety of my Baretta.

Click. Safe. Click. Fire. Click. Safe. Over and over again, like the ticking of a clock. It reminded me of how Sierra’s thumb had frozen Matthews in place two years ago when she trained a loaded weapon right at his head.

My boss, Agent Oscar, lifted his brow, his eyes darting to my hand. A subtle warning telling me to knock it off.

I did.

“Mister Matthews,” The President said with far more respect than the man deserved. “You know that for your crimes, you’ll face death, by military tribunal.”

Matthews snarled again, not making a great case for himself.

The former SEAL had flipped and was in on a plot to attack a ceremony that would honor a Medal of Honor winner. That made him a very special kind of buddy fucker.

“However, we know that there are more like you out there. And we’re prepared to take the death penalty off the table if you’re willing to cooperate with–”

“I’ll save your pathetic offer,” Matthews narrowed his eyes. “We both know that I won’t take it.”

“Mr. Matthews,” the president continued. “Targeting democratically elected officials in a plot to subvert…”

Matthews laughed in a disturbing outburst. Long and awkward, he grew louder until, finally, like a villain in an action movie, his face closed him. He was neutral, like someone had turned him off like a switch. Like he had taken off a mask, then put it back on.

Fucking weirdo.

President Lau clasped his hands in front of him and then gave a sad nod.

“It’s a shame that your years of service are going to be reduced to nothing but a firing squad as a traitor.”

“The hilarious thing about you career politicians,” Matthews scoffed. “Is that your theories and book learning don’t mean shit. You were a lawyer, blah-fucking-blah. Your parents put you in the right schools, and you snow plowed your way to the White House. You never had to earn a thing, never actually had to work in state craft, did you? Just put on a pretty show, did a couple debates, and smacked your face on a few ribbons… you might as well be a real estate agent, with your face on a bus bench.”

President Lau’s ears turned red as he restrained his anger.

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