The Edge Of Justice

The Edge Of Justice Chapter 30

I switched back to the community comm channel, which was silent, and it stayed that way until we reached the base. When we got back the C-130 was fueled and ready to go, so we piled on and I gave the pilot a go after securing Nikki to the bulkhead seat, and cuffing her legs to a ring at her feet. “It's a long flight, so get comfortable.”

“And my hands?”

I looked down at her hands, still zip-tied. “What about 'em?”

She smiled and brought her hands to her chin, then brought them down forcefully on her knee, snapping the thick plastic, never taking her eyes from mine. “This zip-ties are no good for holding someone like you or I.”

I couldn't help but chuckle before shouting to Katrina to throw me another pair of cuffs. She tossed them to me, and I clamped them around Nikki's wrists, leaving her a little room to move within them. When I was done, I looked down at the perplexing woman who had so easily surrendered to me, questions flooding my mind. I leaned against the bulkhead, knowing that the roar of the engines would soon be too loud to hear anything above a scream, and decided to ask a single one before we took off. “Why did you surrender? You could have went with your 'comrades' as you call them, and you wouldn't be chained to an extremely uncomfortable seat.”

She inclined her chin, a smirk on her lips. “Just because they are comrades does not mean they are friends. I joined the Spectres because I thought I could prevent others from getting hurt, at least, that is what I was promised. Promises are nothing in Neal's view, which is why I wanted out. You, Mr. Ghost, presented the easiest way of doing so, one which does not risk my life.”

I shrugged. “I could've let Katrina shoot you.”

She chuckled. “I know of you for more reasons that Neal's indoctrinations. You are a bloody man, but still have a good heart. I knew you would not kill me, so the risk was minimal.”

I was about to retort when Katrina put one finger in the air and moved her arm in a circular motion, letting me know the pilot was getting ready to take off, and I nodded. “We will talk more once we land,” I said to Nikki, making sure her leg cuffs were secure.

“I have one thing to request, Mr. Ghost,” she said, her eyes boring into mine, and I raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you're in a position to make demands?”

“I know what has happened to your family,” she said, leaning back into the chair. “Not their current location, but why they were taken. I know a great deal more than Neal and Mitchell think I do, and I will be willing to share this information, for a price.”

I waved her on, and she continued. “I do not ask for much, only that you attempt to ensure that I am not killed, or sent to a military prison. I know your CIA can not let me go, but I do not expect to be treated badly either. I want your word that you will do all you can to help me.”

I was confused. “Why ask me? Why not just barter your information off?”

“Like I said, you are a good man. You will not wish to see me suffer any more than I can wish that you do not find your family.”

The engines wound up then, filling the cabin with a deep whine, and I nodded, promising that I would do all I could before making my way back to Katrina who was already buckled in her seat. I sat beside her ad buckled myself in and she motioned to me, leaning in to make sure I could hear her. “Learn anything?” she shouted, and I shook my head. “She's perplexing, I'll give you that!” I yelled back.

“We'll see what Prince and Dexide want to do with her when we get back!” she replied, and I nodded, settling in for the long flight stateside.

***

“You really are an idiot, aren't you? How the hell did you get those stars?”

Dexide bristled. “Mr. Winters, we are helping you out of concern for your family, I would ask that you watch your mouth.”

I rolled my eyes. “You're not helping me, I'm helping you, because our goals are aligned. If I get what I want, you get what you want. And I'll say it again, I'm not one of your soldiers or yes-men. When you're being an idiot, I'll let you know.”

“It's idiotic to want to send a terrorist to Guantanamo Bay?”

“Let's take my family out of the equation. When the supposed terrorist has information we need, yeah, it's a pretty bad idea to put them in a hell-hole prison. It's even worse if they're a woman. 'We need all your information, so we're gonna put you, a beautiful woman, in a known hell of a prison populated with nothing but the worst men we can find, who will rape and kill you at their leisure.' Yeah, kinda idiotic if you ask me.”

“So what would you have us do?” he shouted, banging a fist on the table.

“Hold her here. I am sure you have holding cells, interrogation rooms, etcetera, that can hold her until we're done with the mission, and she's no longer useful.”

“And after that?”

“We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

“Done,” Prince said, nodding to Kathryne, who made for the door.

“Wait a minute there, gorgeous,” I said, and she turned back around, rolling her eyes. I looked back to Prince and steepled my fingers. “I'm gonna need unlimited access to her.”

Dexide opened his mouth but I knew what was coming and help up a finger, silencing him. “She specifically asked me to watch out for her, which means she trusts me to some degree. I not only need to know why, but I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who should interrogate her.”

Prince nodded to Kathryne, who rolled her eyes. “I'll let the guards know,” she said before leaving and closing the door of the meeting room behind herself.

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my ankle over my knee. “What's next on the agenda?”

Stacey, sitting to my right, pushed a photograph across the polished brown wood of the table. “We were recording the feed from your contacts, and I was able to isolate the image of the whiteboard in Malcom's office.”

I studied the black and white photo, to see a set of coordinates, an address and a date. “That's three days from now.”

“It is,” Prince said. “And those coordinates are somewhere very unexpected.”

I raised an eyebrow and Stacey spoke. “Russia. Volgograd, to be exact.”

“Never heard of it.”

“Yes you have,” Katrina said from my left. “You just know it as Stalingrad. The name of the city was changed in the sixties, during Khruschev's term as leader of the USSR.”

“So when do I leave?”

“A military incursion into Russia is a very bad idea,” Prince said, ruffling through a file in front of him. “We won't be able to send the Marines with you.”

“I want Adder at least. He's proven himself invaluable.”

“Adder is a soldier,” Katrina said. “He might be stealthy, but not as stealthy as you or me. His skill set not suited to a mission like this, not to mention that he needs time to heal. The medic did pull a piece of shrapnel out of his leg.”

“So just you and I then?”

“Looks like it.”

I smiled. “Then let's get moving.”