Hitman Damnation

THIRTY



While Helen slept, I formulated a plan. I hoped she was so tired that she’d sleep soundly for the next couple of hours. That way, I could do what I had to do and get back to her apartment before she woke up. I could simply leave the compound, but my absence the next day would attract attention. The target was so high profile that I needed to maintain the cover a few more days, if possible. What better alibi than being asleep with one’s “girlfriend”?

I carefully lifted her head off my lap and rose from the sofa. Then I draped her legs over one arm, supported her back with the other, picked her up, and carried her to the bedroom and her bed. She stirred a little and looked at me. I went ahead and did it—I kissed her—and said, “You’ll be more comfortable here.” I covered her with a blanket and lay beside her.

My presence seemed to be some kind of solace to her, for she easily drifted back to sleep. I waited a full ten minutes, until she was breathing slowly and deeply, before I quietly got up and left the room.

I found her purse in the living room, rummaged through it, and took her keycard.

As I went from her apartment to my own, I thought about what I was doing. There was no question that I was using her. My original scheme had succeeded. I had become close to someone within the Church of Will and gained access to her privacy. I had secured her trust and deceived her.

How did I feel about that? Honestly, now that I was off the painkillers, I didn’t care.

I was back to my old self.

I supposed I might be a cad, a charlatan, a liar … but I was also an assassin. That’s what defined me.

And yet a small part of me—an ounce of my heart, some grain of my soul—belonged to Helen. She had reached inside me and touched a hidden nerve I never knew existed. I was grateful for that.

It proved to me that I was more than a machine, more than a genetic monster.

And, right then and there, I vowed that I would not allow any harm to come to Helen McAdams.


In my apartment, I armed myself with the one Silverballer I’d taken from that locker at the airport. I’d also procured the C4, blasting caps, and stopwatch I got from Birdie. I always knew these items would come in handy. I was glad I’d left the briefcase in the locker. I had a feeling I wouldn’t be returning to the apartment.

By the time I left my place, it was eleven o’clock.

Charlie Wilkins sat at the desk in his office every night at midnight so he could “pray.” I don’t know what he got out of such a deed. It wasn’t my place to judge someone’s beliefs, whether he or she was a good person or not. What mattered to me was that his habit was a perfect opportunity to accomplish my mission.

Outside it was pitch black and the temperature was quite cool. The moon had disappeared behind heavy clouds. The compound’s streetlights illuminated the various public paths, but between buildings it was very dark. That would be my route.

Using stealth techniques I had learned when I was a boy at Ort-Meyer’s asylum, I moved from structure to structure like a black cat. Silent and swift. Most of the residents were indoors. I heard some voices and laughter in the distance, in the Main Street area, probably in the recreation hall, where members could play pool, Ping-Pong, and other games until midnight. There wasn’t a bar in Greenhill.

The path up the hill to the electrified fence and gate was exposed and well lit. That was unfortunate, but there was nothing else to do except walk with purpose, as if I knew what I was doing. After all, I was a maintenance man. I was sure I could come up with an excuse if a guard happened to stop me.

As a matter of fact, a sentry patrolled the area outside the fence. I spotted him as he passed the gate and slowly moved in the direction of the toolshed. He appeared bored and cold. He probably thought it was unlikely there could ever be any trouble at Greenhill. But I didn’t want him to see me, so I moved through the shadows to the shed and crouched on one side. The man walked toward me and I waited. He paid no attention to his surroundings. He was more interested in the lake and the black sky than anything else. When he was within six feet, I made my move.

Pouncing like a leopard, I moved in behind him, wrapped the Fiberwire around his neck, and pulled the ends.

Fast, silent, and easy. He was out, but he’d live.

I grabbed him under the arms and dragged him to the shed. I quickly unlocked it and pulled the man inside. After stuffing him behind the lathe, I left and secured the door behind me.

My watch said it was 11:15. Not much time left.

I strode with impunity up the path to the gate. Not wasting any time, I swiped Helen’s keycard and went through. But as I headed toward the mansion, noises from the barn attracted my attention. The lights were on in the building and the doors were ajar. Someone drove a yellow school bus from the back and stopped in front of the doors. A man got out to open the doors wider. The driver then drove the bus inside.

I wasn’t sure what that was about, but it made me curious enough to investigate. Besides, I didn’t want to proceed with my plan if there was a chance that men were up and about around the mansion.

So I kept to the shadows and darted from cover to cover until I reached the side of the building. I heard men talking inside. With my back to the exterior wall, I inched to the corner and stood at the edge of the opening. I dared to lean sideways and peer into the place.

There were three school buses. I counted six men moving around them. On one side of the space were several portable clothes racks made of steel pipes. Dozens of uniforms on hangers. U.S. National Guard uniforms.

Interesting.

Were these guys National Guardsmen? Somehow, I didn’t think so.

I thought it best to stay on task, so I quietly moved away from the barn and dashed back to the mansion. Now I was on the east side. Not much to look at except a door that must have been an employee entrance or something, just like what was on the west side of the place facing the gardens. A few windows. I scanned the building for security cameras but didn’t see any.

Slipping around to the back, I heard the water lapping on the shore. The lake was very near, and it wouldn’t be difficult to slip and fall in. There wasn’t anything on the ground to protect someone from doing so. I guess they figured no one would—or should—go to the back of the mansion, where Wilkins’s office was located.

There it was. The wall-sized plate-glass window. Bulletproof. The office was empty. I could see inside because it was dimly lit with a single lamp. There was no exterior illumination; that would interfere with Wilkins’s scenic view. I wondered where he was at that moment. In his bedroom? When would he come to the office to prepare for his meditation? Whatever, I figured I needed to work quickly.

I set about affixing the C4 bricks along the wall below the big window and across the very bottom edge of the glass. One at the east end, one in the middle, and a third at the west end. The C4 came with an adhesive that stuck to anything when the thin film cover was removed. I inserted the blasting caps into the puttylike substance and ran the wire along the ground, connecting each brick and culminating at the third explosive. I then fastened the wire to the stopwatch, which I programmed to go off at exactly 12:02 A.M.

Done. Now to get back to Helen and—

My cellphone buzzed. I had it on silent ring, but I felt it vibrate. I pulled it out of my pocket and checked the caller ID.

Helen. She must have woken up and wondered where I’d gone. That was inopportune. I didn’t answer it.

Looking back at my handiwork, I checked that everything was in place. I was confident the bricks were low enough on the window that Wilkins wouldn’t see them. Then I moved to the southeast corner of the mansion, prepared to slip off into the darkness and make my way back to Helen’s apartment. I was sure I could come up with some excuse to tell her. I couldn’t sleep. I went for a walk. I had to go back to my apartment for something. Anything. It wasn’t a big problem.

But as I rounded the corner, one of the mansion guards appeared near the front of the building. Out doing his rounds.

Between me and my path to safety.