"Yeah, I killed him. Shot him in cold blood, right in the heart, right in his own house . . . Do you think that"ll make Jill think less of me?"

I shrugged. "Hard to tell. It wasn"t like she was his biggest fan."

"I heard her stick up for me last night. She called me a good man. I don"t even know why that matters to me. Do me a favor . . . Don"t tell her the truth. Make something up."

I could respect that. "You know Majestic will never rest." The a.s.sumption was that I would probably never see Valentine again, so I might as well say it. "They"ll find you eventually. Me springing you will just make them think you"re even more valuable than they thought before. They"ll hunt you to the ends of the earth until they find out what they want to know about this Project Blue."

"I"m beginning to get curious myself," he replied with a wry smirk. "When you find your brother, tell him I"m sorry that I didn"t know what he thought I knew. I . . ." Valentine trailed off, looked away for a second, and sighed. Finally he held out his hand. "Thanks for getting me out of there."

I hesitated, then took his hand and shook it firmly. He gave me one last nod, and then left to face his destiny, a man living on borrowed time. I watched the plane leave St. Carl, and bank sluggishly toward the west.

Jill was waiting for me at the airfield"s gate. "So was I right?"

"You were right. Gordon committed suicide."

"Told you so. I win."

I handed her a $5 bill.

Chapter 10: Blue Eyed Girl.

VALENTINE.

Location Unknown February 21st The flight from the Caribbean was long, punctuated by a refueling stop, but I spent much of it sleeping. Dr. Bundt told me that I needed rest, and offered me a sedative. I refused. I"d spent more than enough time pumped full of drugs. I wanted my mind to be clear, even if clarity hurt.

I was still in shock. My entire world changed in an instant when I woke up on Lorenzo"s island, and already it was changing again.

We touched down at a bustling airport in a picturesque coastal city. I didn"t know where we were, and didn"t bother to ask. The Exodus jet taxied to a private hangar, where three large BMWs with tinted windows were waiting for us. I was hurried into the back of one of the cars and we sped across the city, eventually leaving the urban landscape and the sea behind.

We drove for over an hour, far into arid, mountainous countryside. Our destination was a sprawling estate surrounded by rugged, rocky terrain. At its center was an ancient, partially-crumbling castle tower. It was accompanied by many newer-looking buildings, including a mansion that overlooked a cliff.

A short while later I was left standing alone in a large, ornately-decorated office. The far wall was one large bay window that stretched from floor to ceiling. Through it rugged mountains, brown under a clear blue sky, stretched out as far as the eye could see. I moved closer to the window and looked down. The mansion was built on the precipice of a cliff. Beyond the gla.s.s was a vertical drop that had to be several hundred feet.

"Impressive, isn"t it?" someone asked, in an Oxford English accent. "Forgive me, Mr. Valentine, I didn"t mean to startle you." An older, well-groomed gentleman in an expensive-looking gray suit walked confidently across the room and stuck out his hand. At his side was a much younger, prim-looking woman in a pencil skirt and high heels. Her hair was done up in a tight bun and thick-rimmed gla.s.ses adorned her face. She held a tablet computer in her hands. The man looked me in the eye as I shook his hand.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Mr. Valentine," the woman said, in a Mary Poppins English accent, "allow me to introduce Sir Matthew Cartwright, High Councilor of Exodus."

"Thank you, Penelope," he said, sounding just a bit embarra.s.sed. "Of course, with your current popularity, that is an alias. I do not intend offense."

"Understandable, Sir Matthew."

He smiled. "The Sir part is correct, but the Crown hands out t.i.tles like candy these days, so pay it no mind."

"High Councilor? So you"re the Exodus commander?"

"One of thirteen, actually. It"s mostly a formality. Exodus is an organization which takes pride in its traditions. In any case, welcome to Azerbaijan."

Azerbaijan. A little country on the Caspian Sea, I recalled, used to be part of the Soviet Union. "So, does this Council of Thirteen run Exodus then?"

"Run it?" He seemed taken aback by the question. "It would seem that Ling hasn"t told you much about our organization, has she?"

"She"s told me practically nothing."

"Yes. Quite the stickler for operational security, that one. Well, it"s all for the best. But since you"re here, I think it"s only fair that we pull back the veil just a bit, as it were, wouldn"t you agree?"

"Uh, sure," I said. He seemed excited to tell me all about Exodus. Despite everything I had to admit I was curious. For all that I"d done with Exodus, the Mexico op, fleeing Zubara, staying at their secret base in Southeast Asia, and being rescued by Ling, I still knew very little about the organization. They were well-funded, with a global reach, and had access to state-of-the-art equipment. I also knew that if Ling was typical of their membership, they pursued their goals with a pa.s.sionate tenacity bordering on fanaticism. That tenacity had saved my life multiple times, however, so I could hardly complain.

"Our lineage can be traced back a very long time, to the Crusades in fact. Our founders were wise men, knights, scholars, men of the cloth, originally brought together on a quest to free the Holy Land. They were no strangers to war, but the corruption they found disgusted them, craven acts of barbarism from both sides, fueled by greed and l.u.s.t, burdensome truths, even by the harsh standards of the day. The needless suffering they witnessed had disgusted them. Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. A secret meeting was held in Constantinople, and a pact was made."

"I see," I hadn"t been expecting an in-depth history and philosophy lesson.

"These men decided to pursue a higher calling, of protecting the common man, the poor and the downtrodden from the injustices of the mighty. It was a n.o.ble goal, quixotic even, and like many such things, it failed for a very long time. Sadly, it still does, occasionally."

"Ling told me Exodus goes back six hundred years."

"Correct. Our organization, as it exists today was based upon that earlier pact, but was founded in the fifteenth century, during the waning days of the Byzantine Empire. This time we had a few more persuasive leaders, and Exodus was born. In a world filled with evil, we would be a sword of righteousness."

"They call you people terrorists." I didn"t have to specify who they were. The United Nations, INTERPOL, and numerous national governments were all on the list.

Sir Matthew chuckled. "Indeed they do. Supposedly, our world is made up of orderly nation-states and codified international law. You and I both know that there is an entire world that exists in the cracks between those borders, beneath that thin veneer of societal order, Mr. Valentine. Civilization only ever dangles by a thread. We bring justice to the truly evil. Many of our warriors are former victims themselves, willing to save others from the depravities they themselves have experienced. Exodus does not bow to diplomatic or economic pressure. We are not beholden to the weak wills of politicians. We don"t negotiate with evil. We do not care what is popular, we simply care that things are right."

I raised an eyebrow. "Who picks what is right?"

"A fine question," Sir Matthew agreed. "A question which would surely be debated by our membership, which is why Exodus does not waste time delving into the grey areas. Why muddle things when there is so much pure, unquestionable evil to go around? I speak of real evil, Mr. Valentine: the ma.s.sacres, the brutality, and the slavery that goes on, ignored by the civilized world, every single day. I"ve read your dossier, about your career as a mercenary. You"ve seen these things for yourself, have you not?"

Before I could answer that, the heavy wooden double doors that led to the office flew open. In rushed a slender young woman with hair that was such a light shade of platinum blonde that it almost looked white. I hadn"t seen her in a couple of years, and she"d definitely grown, but there was no mistaking this girl.

"Michael!" she said, hurrying across the room and throwing her arms around me. I felt myself blush a little as she hugged me enthusiastically. "I"m so happy to see you!"

I composed myself and stepped back a bit. "You"ve grown," I managed. In the time since I"d last seen her, the gangly teenager had matured into a lovely young woman with striking features. She was still short, the top of her head not quite making it to my shoulder, but her hair was longer, almost reaching to her waist.

"Yes. I understand that the two of you have already met," Sir Matthew said. He seemed uneasy for some reason. I didn"t think it"d be possible, but Penelope looked even more uptight. Did I just commit some kind of faux pas?

"Michael saved my life," the girl said.

"Mexico," I agreed. "It"s been a long time, kiddo. And I don"t even know your name."

"I"m sorry about that." Her intense blue eyes looked deeply into mine. It was almost unsettling. She had the most unnatural eyes I"d ever seen, and that"s coming from somebody with heterochromia. It felt like she could see through you. "My name is Ariel."

"Like in The Little Mermaid?"

"I loved that movie when I was little. That"s where I picked my name from."

"Wait, what? You picked your name?"

She ignored my question. "Come with me! Let"s go for a walk. I want to show you around. You"ve been through a lot."

Sir Matthew protested. "Ah, My Lady, Mr. Valentine and I have much to discuss . . ."

"Later!" she said, interrupting him. "There"ll be plenty of time to talk about the work later. He needs to relax! You have no idea what he"s been through!" She tugged on my arm and began to lead me out of the room. I looked an apology to my host He shrugged. "As you wish, My Lady. Mr. Valentine, we"ll talk later."

Ariel was visibly fighting off tears as we casually strolled down a long hallway. Brilliant sunlight spilled into the corridor from a row of floor-to-ceiling windows on one wall. Paintings and tapestries lined the other wall. It was a really nice place, even with a teenage girl trying not to cry.

"I"m sorry, Michael," she said, rubbing her eyes. "I get overwhelmed sometimes. Seeing all the scars on you was just too much."

Most of my scars were covered by my clothing, so I wasn"t entirely sure what she was talking about. The girl was strange, there was no doubt about it. I can"t say I"ve spent a lot of time around teenaged girls, but this one was a lot more emotional than I was prepared for. "It"s okay."

"No, it"s not!" she insisted. "Every time the work comes into your life, you suffer. You lost so many friends to save me. And Sarah . . . Michael, I never knew her, but I"m so sorry."

"How do you know about Sarah?"

She hesitated for the briefest instant. "Ling told me."

I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, remembering the vivid dream about Sarah I had when I was still in captivity. It seemed so real that it still shook me to my core. "It"s okay," I repeated. "It is what it is. I made choices, and I have to live with the consequences of those choices." I didn"t want to talk about it anymore. That didn"t seem like the sort of thing you should dump on a teenage girl.

"Things will get better for you." Ariel sounded remarkably confident in her statement. "They will. I know it"s been a hard road for you, and I don"t think it"s over yet, but someday things will be better for you. You"ll see. You are supposed to be here."

"Why? Why did Exodus get me out of that hole? Why risk so much on my account? Ling saved us in Zubara. As far as I"m concerned, any debt owed to me from Mexico was squared."

"Ling proposed the operation." Ariel"s demeanor visibly changed. She sounded less the emotional teenager and more like a veteran commander. The transition was almost unreal. "The organization wasn"t very receptive to it. The operation at The Crossroads is our priority. There aren"t a lot of people to be spared, much less aircraft and intelligence and everything else that would be needed. Sir Matthew didn"t think it was worth the risk to save you. We"re always hesitant to do anything in the US. He lobbied the Council against Ling"s proposal. But you are too important."

"I don"t know anything about Project Blue, if that"s what you mean."

"I know. I don"t know anything about it either, and that troubles me. But you"re still important."

"Okay, hang on a sec. What is it you do for Exodus anyway?"

"Things . . . I don"t know."

"Things?"

"I"m like an advisor."

"Kiddo, please don"t be offended by this, because you"re obviously a very smart girl, but how are you at all qualified to advise an international, clandestine, completely-illegal paramilitary organization?"

Ariel covered her mouth with one hand and giggled like I"d just said something funny. "I have a . . . unique way of seeing things. Patterns, connections, causalities that other people don"t see. That"s how I help with the work, and that"s how I know you"re important, Michael. I just know it. I wanted to find you ever since you disappeared. I just didn"t know where you were, until Ling met Agent Lorenzo."

"That was a crazy coincidence."

"I don"t believe in coincidence," Ariel said firmly. "Fates intertwine. It"s all connected, even if we can"t see the end yet."

I said nothing. I didn"t believe in fate, and I certainly didn"t want to get into some kind of philosophical argument with the strange girl, but when she put it that way, with such determined conviction, I began to wonder.

Ariel continued after taking a deep breath. "After Ling found out where you were, I knew we had to get you back. When I was being held by those men in Mexico, I gave up. I know what it"s like to be left in a dark place without hope, and so does Ling. We were the ones that lobbied the Council. But we couldn"t spare a lot of people."

"So Lorenzo was brought in."

"Yes. I hated to do it. He was trying so hard, living on the edge of peace, and we pushed him back over. I hate myself for it but it needed to be done. His own brother knew it needed to be done." Ariel sniffled a little. "Do you know how hard it is for someone like that to change his destiny? It scares me to think what we might have unleashed."

"Don"t get all metaphysical on me, Ariel. Lorenzo"s a dangerous, angry little man, but he"s just a man. If he hadn"t been smart enough to wear a vest one day in Zubara, I would"ve shot him dead, and that would"ve been the end of him."

My young companion looked thoughtful for a moment. "And then you, yourself, would have died in Zubara too, am I wrong? Fates intertwine, Michael. Remember that. We needed him because it wasn"t your time, so it must have been the right thing to do," She sounded more upbeat and very confident. I didn"t bother asking her how she knew about Lorenzo saving my life. Exodus knew a lot more about me than I was comfortable with.

"I thought I was a dead man," I said. "But then there was Ling, waiting for me when I woke up. Just like before. My guardian angel."

Ariel smiled at that. "She loves you, you know."

Huh? "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Love is a pretty strong word, don"t you think?"

"I don"t think, I know," Ariel insisted. "She loves you. Duh. You can"t be that surprised."

I thought about it for a moment. "We"ve hardly spent any time together. She never, you know, flirted with me or anything. She was always all about business."

"You don"t know anything about girls, do you? Do you remember, back in Mexico, when we found our way back to the group? You appeared unexpectedly, carrying me in your arms? You were a mighty white knight, dressed in green, but you know. That"s when she fell for you, in that moment."

Just like a Disney movie, except for all the guns. "Heh . . . I guess it was pretty dramatic." I didn"t think of it that way at the time, but I had been busy trying to stay alive.

"I saw it on her face in that moment, even though she couldn"t admit it to herself. It really came together for her while she was taking care of you after you got hurt. The first time, I mean."

I"d been unconscious on that Exodus ship for a long time with Ling watching over me. "Florence Nightingale syndrome?"

"Something like that. I don"t think she"s admitted it to herself. She"s been hurt before. She"s not ready yet."

"What should I do?" Why am I asking this girl for advice?

"I don"t think you"re ready either, Michael," said Ariel, looking up into me with that eerie gaze of hers.

I hadn"t had nightmares about Sarah"s death for a week. That was progress, I suppose.

Still unsure of what to say, and more than a little uncomfortable at how insightful she was, I changed the subject. "Listen, about this thing in Central Asia, I don"t know much-"

"Exodus buries the work in layers of deceit. I hate it. I hate all the secrets and lies. But it"s necessary. Sala Jihan has ways of finding things out."

"Sala Jihan. The warlord?"

Ariel looked up at me like I"d said something strange. "Yes," she agreed. "He must be stopped. Besides, you"re a wanted man. Majestic is almost everywhere, but they"re not allowed in The Crossroads. Jihan"s shadow may be the safest place for you. There are some places that even Majestic can"t go."

"So where do I come in? I"m not in any kind of shape to do much right now."