We bank left and I feel the chopper begin its descent. I lean forward slightly and gaze out the window. I see the outline of the Burj Al Arab Hotel below us, getting closer with every second that ticks by.
You have to hand it to them, The Order sure knows how to treat its employees.
I feel Pierce’s hand on my shoulder as he forces me back in my seat. “You’ve done so well — don’t go getting any ideas about misbehaving now, asshole.”
I glance at him before staring at the floor again. I try to make it look as if I’m completely dismissing him as a threat. I’m not — far from it — but there’s no harm in having him think I’m underestimating the trouble I’m in. But right now, I’m more concerned about what’s waiting for us both down there.
The Burj Al Arab is quite easily the most opulent and luxurious hotel in the world, and sits about six miles east of the man-made Palm Island in Dubai. It’s shaped like a huge, three-dimensional sail, and as we fly low and circle around to approach the helipad that juts out from the peak, I’m given a pretty good view of the place.
Clear blue seas surround it, and the glare of the scorching sun is blinding as it reflects off the copious amount of windows. I can make out a small group of people standing on the helipad, all dressed in black.
Another welcoming committee. Great.
I stretch my leg out and tap Lily’s foot with mine. She looks over at me and I smile, trying to look calm and reassuring. “You alright?”
She nods vacantly, but doesn’t say anything.
“It’ll be okay, Lily, don’t worry.”
One of the guys sitting across from me chuckles. “You keep telling yourself that, hero.”
I look at him for a moment. He’s not one of the guys Pierce had with him in Vietnam. He looks young, but the network of scars on his face say otherwise. He’s smirking at me, comfortable in his own arrogance.
Prick.
I lean forward and rest my elbows on my knees. “Hey, buddy, just so you know, the only reason I haven’t killed you and all your friends here already is simply because I’ve chosen not to. That’s it. You need to appreciate that doing something like that is well within my skillset. You also need to understand I’m not somebody you want to piss off. Next time you think about opening your mouth, compare the importance of what you’re about to say with the sensation of falling head-first out of a chopper, and decide if it’s worth it.”
Pierce nudges me in the ribs with his gun. “Sit back and shut up. There’s no need to turn this into a pissing contest. We were asked to bring you in, so we are doing. Maybe the only reason you’re so uptight is your own guilty conscience…?”
I glance over my shoulder at him for a moment, and then sit up straight against the back of the seat. I turn to look at him. “I’m not uptight, and I’m certainly not guilty. What I am is slightly aggravated and running low on patience. I don’t appreciate being summoned back and forth like this. Feel free to tell your boss that.”
Pierce shrugs. “Tell him yourself — I could care less. I know who you are, Adrian. I’ve read your file. Shit, I was one of the people who insisted we made our move to recruit you when we did. But don’t for one second think you intimidate me. You’ve been a big fish in a small pond for a long time. You’re good, but you’re out of your depth here. The Order will make you disappear in a heartbeat if they want to. And I’m the guy they’ll send to do it. So I’ll say again — shut your goddamn mouth and relax.”
I hold his gaze for a few seconds before looking away.
I don’t like him, but I’ll let him have his moment.
The chopper touches down on the helipad, and one of the men to my right slides the door back and steps out, ushering everyone else out after him in a loose formation. Pierce gestures to Lily, who reluctantly stands, walks past me without looking, and climbs down onto the clean blacktop of the helipad. I follow her out, stretching and looking up to the sky, closing my eyes and feeling the cold wind brush across my face, countered by the intense heat.
There are six guys waiting for us, all wearing identical black suits. They move efficiently and surround us in a wide circle. Pierce and two of his men step inside it and form a triangle around Lily and me, completely trapping us. He takes point, with his two men behind us. Everyone starts walking, leaving us little choice but to do the same. We’re moving toward a large brick square near the far edge of the helipad, with a set of double doors in the middle.
I feel Lily slide her hand into mine and squeeze gently. I look across at her. She’s walking tall, like she’s regained some of her confidence.
“I’m sorry I dragged you into this,” she says, without looking at me.
I smile for a moment, appreciating the sentiment. “You didn’t drag me into shit. I walked beside you, willingly, just as I am now. We’ll be fine.”
She doesn’t respond, which makes me think she doesn’t agree.
Two men break away from the circle and stride quickly over to the doors, pushing them open and holding them for the rest of us. We walk through and down a short flight of stairs to a small lobby. In keeping with the rest of the hotel, the area is decorated with eye-popping extravagance. The burnt-orange carpet underfoot is thick and clean. The walls have mahogany paneling on them, with thin-framed gold light fixtures spaced evenly along both sides. At either end is a set of double doors, but I can’t tell where they lead. Seems a bit much for them just to be stairwells.
Ahead of us is an elevator. Pierce steps through the outer circle of men and presses the button to call it.
I glance around at the lavish decoration. “Hey, Pierce, tell me something — The Order’s meant to be this big, secretive organization that’s been around forever, right? Yet they’re not particularly big on discretion, are they? I mean, look at this place…”
Pierce half-smiles. “There are degrees of wealth and power, Adrian. Someone like you, you probably chose to hide in plain sight, spending a fraction of your fortune so as not to draw attention to yourself, right?”
I shrug, but say nothing.
“Then you have the people who frivolously spend their millions, living a life many people only dream of, and relishing the attention that kind of lifestyle brings them. Finally, you have the people who are so rich… so powerful… they go beyond the materialistic pleasures of money, living in a way that isn’t dissimilar from people like you. The Order operates in a world beyond normal men and women, where their level of wealth and power actually affords them unparalleled freedom and anonymity. We can go anywhere — we can do anything.” He squares up to me, moving so he’s only a few feet away. He looks me in the eye. “I hope bringing you into this world wasn’t a mistake, Adrian.”
I take a deep breath. I’m doing my best not to rise to him. I’m doing my best not to feel threatened here. I’ve done nothing wrong, I simply did what I had to in order to survive. Anything they criticize me for is nothing more than a learning experience. For the sake of every man here, I’m trying very hard not to feel as if I’m in danger.
I shake my head. “I’m not here to rock the boat, Pierce. I’m here to live out the rest of my life doing something I’m good at. That’s all.”
Behind him, the elevator arrives with a ding, and the doors slide open. He nods at me and smiles. “Good.” He gestures behind him with his thumb. “Now, get in.”
The carriage is surprisingly spacious, and we all fit inside comfortably. I can’t see what button is pushed, but the doors close, and mechanisms rumble into life, and we begin our descent. I glance sideways out the corner of my eye at Lily. She’s tapping her foot and cracking her knuckles.