Paradise Burns (22 page)

FORTY-EIGHT

‘This is going
to be the fun part,’ said Josh.

‘I very much doubt that,’ I replied.

I’d slipped back into the dark alcove while
Josh detailed the next stage of the attack.

‘To your left, as you approach the end
of the south wall, there’s another small alcove in between a large bay window
and the corner of the house. As you face the alcove, there’s a drainage pipe on
the right hand side that leads up almost all the way to the roof.’

‘Okay, the keys words I picked up there
were "window" and "almost". Care to elaborate?’

‘Sure thing,’ he said with a chuckle.

Situations like this were where Josh and
I came alive. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job - as much as someone can love
killing people for a living. But this: the thrill of the assault, the
adrenaline, the danger, the close quarters battle - it’s what I miss from the
old days on the unit, before the dark times.

Josh was no different. He was a good
soldier, and I would entrust him with my life, but he was better at this. He
was a strategist. The logistics. The planner. He wanted to be the one directing
everyone else to victory, behind a desk of hi-tech toys. I’ll never forget the
way he phrased our relationship to me once. He said: ‘Adrian, you always wanted
to be The Man. I always wanted to be the man that The Man relies on.’ No truer
words have ever been spoken. He continued, with undisguised enthusiasm.

‘By "window", I mean a massive
bay window that I’m hoping will have drapes that are closed, otherwise you’ll
be on full view of whoever’s in that room. And by "almost", I mean
that it stops about five feet below the main roof, where the first floor of the
house sticks out and the roof slants for drainage. You’re going to have to
balance on that and climb up the rest of the way onto the main roof.’

‘Excellent. Glad I asked.’

‘The good news is, once you’re on the
main roof, there’s a decent-sized skylight above what looks like a large hall
or room. And it looks like we’ve hit the jackpot, because there’s some kind of
meeting going on in that room - I count at least fourteen heat signatures
gathered together, with five - no, six more dotted around just outside that
main room.’

‘That’ll be a Pellaggio crisis meeting.
I suspect word has got out that I survived the car bomb.’

‘You just gotta get to that roof unseen.
You ready?’

‘Always.’

‘Okay, stay low and as close as you can
to the wall. Be careful as you approach the bay window. I reckon you’ve got two
minutes to get in that end alcove, and up the drainpipe at least above eye
level, before the other patrol realizes they’re two men down.’

‘Copy that.’

I set off, staying low, and headed for
the end of the south wall. My goggles were back in place and I saw no movement
ahead of me. The darkness was concealing the dead bodies for now. With some
luck, they’d stay concealed until I got to the roof.

I covered the distance quickly, soon
approaching the bay window. It was squared off and stuck out a good three feet
from the house. I could make out my next alcove on the other side of it. The
two sides and the front of the window were all glass, from ceiling down to
about waist height. The drapes were open, giving whoever was stood in the
window a full view of the south lawn.

‘Josh, the drapes are open. You picking
up any heat signatures nearby?’ I asked.

‘I’ve got one nearby, yeah. Hold
position. It’s hard to tell which way he’s facing. If his back’s to you, you
should be alright, but until he moves, I can’t tell.’

‘Alright, standing by.’

I crouched low, close to the wall. I’d
be fine, as long as no-one walked into the bay and looked out of their right
hand side window. If they did, they’d see me, even in the darkness.

Almost a full minute past in silence.
Then Josh crackled back onto the line.

‘He’s got his back to you. Stay low and
move fast, I don’t know how long you’ve got here.’

‘Done.’

I moved silently, side-stepping in a
crouch with my back to the window. I was ducked low enough to stay out of view,
but again, if anyone walked to the window, they’d see me instantly.

I held my breath.

‘You’re clear,’ confirmed Josh.

I breathed out as I settled into the
alcove un-noticed.

I tested the drainpipe and it was solid
and well attached. I was confident it’d take my weight. This was the easy part.
I put a hand on either side and began pulling myself up. I’d placed a foot
either side as well, clamping them in place and using my legs to help push me
up.

Climbing hand over hand, I soon scaled
the drainpipe without incident. As I reached the top, I saw what Josh had meant
about the roof. I came up on a slanted roof with tiles and a gutter. The slant
was steep, and standing on it with any degree of balance was going to be
difficult. The main roof of the house was about five feet above that. I couldn’t
see anything to use to climb, so my only option was to stand on the slanted
roof and jump.

I pulled myself up onto the roof and
stood as if I had one foot on a step. My arms were out to the sides for
balance.

I looked up. Then I made a fatal error
of looking over my left shoulder and down below. I’m not particularly bothered
by heights, but I do have an issue with a fall that would kill me. . .

I took a couple of deep breaths to calm
myself and plan out how best to attempt it.

I didn’t like this at all. As it stands,
I wasn’t sure I could make it.

FORTY-NINE

‘Adrian, what’s
wrong?’ asked Josh.

‘I don’t think I can make the jump to
the main roof from where I’m stood. The angle I’m balancing on is too steep,’ I
said.

‘I know it’s not easy, but there’s no
other way up there. You’ve got to make this or it’s all over.’

‘No pressure then?’

‘You got this, man. You just need to
focus. Talk to me when you’ve made it.’

I sighed. I had a bad feeling about
this. I looked up at the roof. It was only five feet above me, but I had to
grab the ledge and heave myself over and I was stood on a steep slope.

I found my balance and allowed myself
enough room for one step before I had to jump. I rubbed my hands on my legs to
dry them, then took the step and jumped. I pushed off and reached to my full
extent. I narrowly missed the ledge. As I landed, my back foot slipped on the
slant of the roof and I felt myself toppling backward. I turned and dropped
onto my front as quickly as I could, spreading my arms and legs out to stop me
from falling off the edge. My left foot and left arm found the guttering and I
stopped. I clung tight to the roof, burying my face in the tiles trying to make
myself invisible.

‘What happened?’ asked Josh, the panic
in his voice obvious. ‘Are you alright?’

‘I missed my jump and slipped as I
landed. Anyone notice?’ I said.

‘I’m looking at every heat signature on
the property. No sudden movements. I think you’re good.’

‘Christ, that sucked.’

I got steadily to my feet and lined up
for another crack at it. I took some deep breaths and focused on the ledge.

I could make this easily any other time.
Now’s no different. Come on! I took my step and jumped up.

I grabbed hold of the ledge with both
hands. Made it! But my left hand was slipping. I lost my grip and my body
smashed into the wall as I hung by my right hand. I instinctively looked away
to avoid hitting my face, but the side of my head banged into the wall. I
gritted my teeth, trying to silence the grunt of pain I needed to let out. My bluetooth
earpiece had hit the wall and fell off the side of my head, landing near the
alcove below me.

Goddammit!

I used every ounce of strength I had to
get my left hand back on the ledge. When I did, I heaved myself up and rolled
over onto the roof. There was a small drop and as I landed I rolled onto my
back and lay there for a few moments, breathing heavily.

My arms, my back and my ribs were on
fire. I had no way of communicating with Josh any more, which means my
advantage over everyone who was below me had all but gone.

The only thing I had left was that they
didn’t know what was coming.

I got up to one knee and caught my
breath. I scanned the rooftop. It was largely flat, with the occasional air
vent sticking up. Just off from center was the large skylight. It was a
triangular prism shape. Both sides were around four feet high and twelve feet
long, joining at the top on a forty five degree angle. The frame of the skylight
was metal.

I stayed low and made my way over to it,
peering through from the side, so as not to cast any shadows on the room below.
It was going to be tricky, with no margin for error, but the plan was to attach
my repel hook to the top of the metal frame. However, I would need to break the
glass in order to do that, so I’d have to jump through the glass and latch it
on immediately as I started to fall. If I got it wrong, I was dead.

I looked down into the room below. It
looked like a huge drawing room or library of some kind. In the middle was a
large wooden table. Six men sat either side, with one at each end. From my
position, the guy at the end facing me had his back to the main doors. The guy
with his back to me had a large fireplace behind him. Looking down, I could see
his balding head with gray hair on the back and sides. His hands were flat on
the table, and were adorned with gold rings on almost every finger.

Roberto Pellaggio.

He was going to die last.

I couldn’t see anyone else in the room
that wasn’t at the table, but I knew they were there from what Josh had told me
earlier, so I’d have to react fast as I dropped.

I unhooked my two MP5s from around my
neck and put one on each shoulder. I checked my repel hook was secured tightly
to my back and belt, which it was. I pulled a length of cable ready.

I then reached into my pockets and
pulled out both smoke grenades. I stood up straight, looking down through the skylight
the whole time.

I’m not one for more modern rock music,
but there is the odd heavy metal song I quite like. As I looked down at Roberto
Pellaggio, who was blissfully unaware of what was about to happen, I found
myself thinking of the lyrics to a song I heard once that always stuck with me:

There’s no escape from this rage that
I feel, nothing is real. Waking the demon, where’d you run to? Walking in
shadows, watch the blood flow.

Right there and then, those words seemed
very fitting. I raised my right foot.

‘Hope you’re watching, Josh,’ I said out
loud. ‘This is gonna be something.’

I brought my foot down onto a pane of
glass, smashing it through. I popped the pin in both smoke grenades and dropped
them down.

My inner Satan had been unleashed.

FIFTY

I lowered my
goggles and switched them from night vision mode to thermal imaging mode -
similar to what Josh would be looking at via satellite. With the smoke grenades
having gone off, night vision wouldn’t do anything except illuminate the dense
fog that was rapidly filling the room below. But thermal imaging would pick up
people’s heat signatures through the smoke, making them visible to me. Albeit
in a weird, glowing, red and yellow kind of way. But that’s all I needed. If I
could see them, I could shoot them.

I grabbed the repel hook and clicked it
into place on the metal frame as I jumped down. I descended fast, flat out
facing the room. I had an MP5 in each hand and I quickly scanned the room. I
fired off a few bursts at the table, taking down four of the men sat along the
sides of the table before anyone had had chance to even get out of their seats.

I’d clearly retained the element of
surprise. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. They had no idea what was
happening, and probably never would.

I was covering the seventy or so foot
drop quickly. I emptied both clips of the MP5s in the direction of the table,
wiping out another seven men in the process, leaving Pellaggio and the two men
sat nearest to him at either side.

I landed heavily on the table and
quickly detached the repel hook from my belt. I threw down my empty MP5s and
drew my Berettas. I scanned the room quickly. Bodies were strewn across the
floor and table. A river of blood was flowing across the floor. Looking at
them, I could see large shapes turning blue as they lay on the floor, the heat escaping
their bodies, leaving nothing but a cold corpse lying motionless on the ground.

I had my back to Pellaggio. I turned to
my right and put a bullet through the head of the guy in front of me. That was
twelve out of fourteen from the table down in less than thirty seconds.

A door off to my left burst open and another
seven men ran through, firing blindly in the smoke. The muzzle flashes lighting
up in the mist like fireworks on the Fourth of July They must be what were left
of the patrols outside. I looked quickly at Pellaggio, who hadn’t quite
registered what was happening or who I was yet. The look on his face was of
sheer terror as he watched his empire crumbling around him.

The seven men fanned out as I jumped off
the table into a crouch. I fired at two of them, hitting one in the chest and
narrowly missing the other.

‘He’s over there!’ I heard one shout, as
the sound of a thousand bullets filled the air. The staccato roar getting
closer and closer.

I stood and ran to my right, firing as I
went. I hit another in the chest and head, his red glow fading to blue through
my goggles. I added him to the tally in my head. That’s two out of the seven
down, leaving five plus two at the table, including Pellaggio.

I holstered the Beretta in my left hand
and retrieved a frag grenade. I pulled the pin and rolled it over to the door.
I dived away to my right as it went off, splintering the wooden decor of the
room and taking out three guys who were stood together near the entrance. Two
left.

I saw the guy at the table stand and try
and drag Pellaggio to his feet. I took aim and shot him square in the chest
three times. I heard Pellaggio cry out in shock and fear.

A burst of gunfire hit the wall just
above my head. I ducked down and returned fire, missing my target but causing
them to dive to the floor. I ran around the far wall, making my way back to the
table from the other side. The two remaining guys had spread out around the
room. The smoke was starting to clear now and they were able to make out my
position.

I could see one of them in front of me
and to the left, clearly trying to stay close to Pellaggio. The other was
moving away to the right, trying to outflank me. He needed to go first. I
dropped to my knee and fired, hitting him in the leg and then the chest. He
dropped to the floor with a thud.

I quickly turned back around and walked
over to Pellaggio. The one remaining guy came over to head me off. He was
lifting his gun to fire as I leveled mine and shot him. One bullet in the head,
right between the eyes. In the silence that had fallen on the room, the sound
of the bullet penetrating his skull was deafening. The squelching explosion of
brain and bone echoing as he fell backward to the floor.

And then there was one.

I was stood next to Pellaggio, who was
rooted to his chair. His knuckles were white as he gripped the arms in fear. He
was looking up at me, eyes wide and mouth open. I lifted my goggles up,
revealing my face.

‘Oh my God!’ he yelled, his voice
quivering. ‘You’re a goddamn monster! P-please, I’m begging you!’

I raised my gun and placed it against
his forehead.

‘What’s the matter, Roberto? Where’s
your anger? Where’s your big mafia boss speech where you call me kid and insult
me?’

‘I’m... I’m sorry, okay! Please, just don’t
kill me – I’ll give you whatever you want!’

I was shocked at how easily he begged
for his life, considering everything that’s happened previously. But it was too
late now.

‘You should’ve made sure you killed me
with the car bomb. Now it’s time to reap what you sow, you piece of shit.’

‘Wha-what are you talking about? I don’t
know anyth-’

I stopped his terrified babbling by
putting a bullet through his brain.

I walked over to a chair that had been
knocked over in the initial panic during my descent. I stood it up and sat
down. I looked around me, seeing bodies and blood everywhere. The place looked
like a battlefield.

I took a deep breath, and another. I
felt my heart rate start to slow down. In the almost eerie silence around me, I
found myself worrying that there was something wrong with me. No normal human
being should be capable of such unbridled violence, surely?

But I soon realized, after everything
I’ve been through in my life, I’m not a normal human being. And I make a living
out of embracing that fact and seeking comfort in it.

My name is Adrian Hell. This is what I
do.

I took another deep breath as I felt my
door close once again.