Read Online HL 04-The Final Hour by Andrew Klavan - Free Book Online Page B

could hear him controlling his anger, afraid to challenge Prince. “But the risk is too great. Charlie West is the most valuable asset we’ve ever acquired . . .”
    At that, Mr. Sherman broke in, giving a short laugh. “There you go. I told you, Prince. I told you he was . . .”
    “Quiet,” said Prince curtly.
    That shut Sherman up. It was the only good thing Prince ever did. Made me wish I could have brought him to history class.
    “No one ever doubted West was a fighter,” Prince went on quietly. “It was his trustworthiness that was at issue. That is at issue still. Go on,” he finished—talking to Waylon, I guessed.
    And Waylon did go on. “I’m not a hundred percent sure yet that we can trust West,” he said. I could imagine him staring pointedly at Sherman there. “But I am a hundred percent sure of this: The boy is a natural fighter. He’s fearless. And more than that, I have the sense you could put a hundred bullets in him and he would still get up, still try to bring you down. Assuming he can be trusted, that makes him one of our most important assets. It isn’t worth risking him on a mission that hasn’t been fully prepared.”
    There was a pause. Once again, I took a quick glance at the guard behind me. He had reached the end of the compound now. He had paused by the far buildings under the watchtower. He stood there, scanning the darkness. He would turn and start back my way any minute.
    I looked in the other direction. I still couldn’t find that second guard.
    “It’s prepared enough,” I heard Prince say then. “We knew this was a possibility. Both West and Orton have been taught about that area just in case this contingency arose. They both know the bridge well.”
    “As a training exercise. They don’t . . .”
    “And another thing: Once West pulls off the assassination, we’ll know we can trust him. Once he’s killed for us, he’s ours for good.”
    “But he isn’t fully—”
    “No.” Prince cut Waylon off with finality. “It doesn’t matter. They’re all expendable anyway. All of them. That’s why we use them first. Because it doesn’t matter if they die. If we use them properly, without fear, we can show our enemies that we can do anything, get in anywhere, hit them in any way we want while they can’t even begin to find our center. West will assassinate Yarrow, and if he’s killed, he’s killed. I appreciate your maternal concern for your trainees,” he said, his voice thick with sarcasm. “But they’ll all die eventually, Waylon. That’s what they’re for.”
    Man! I thought. I guess this is why they call him Prince. He’s such a prince of a guy!
    Then Prince said: “In the end, their purpose is simply to prepare the way for the Great Death.”
    I heard a footstep behind me. I turned to see that the guard had started walking back across the compound, back my way. It would only be a few seconds before he would be close enough to see me pressed there against the wall, my figure outlined by the glow from the light inside.
    But I couldn’t escape. I couldn’t leave. The Great Death. I had to find out what it was. It didn’t sound good, that’s for sure.
    I pressed against the building again, listening.
    “West and Orton—they’re part of that plan, too, though,” Waylon answered. “That’s their ultimate purpose.”
    “Yes,” said Prince. “But even if we lose them, even if we lose all of them, even if I have to do it on my own, the Great Death will not be stopped. The basic elements are already in place. Come what may, it will ring in the devil’s New Year. I will make sure of it personally if I have to.”
    I glanced over my shoulder. The guard kept coming toward me.
    “What do you mean, everything is in place?” Sherman asked.
    “It will be.”
    “What about the C.O. device?”
    “It’s being acquired from the Russians. The arrangements are progressing.”
    “When? When will we have it?”
    “Soon.”
    “How much?”
    “Six