46.
New York, United States
Phoenix raises a hand in a gesture of exasperation. He sits back down in front of his makeshift desk and slightly pivots his screen to keep it out of Macmillan's view.
"Both of them?" he asks.
Macmillan stands firm.
"Yes, sir. Fisher and Lucy. Arrested upon their arrival at JFK. But," he adds a bit too hastily, "our third man who was covering Lucy in Paris managed to escape. He was supposed to take the next flight; we were able to warn him in time. He left Europe for North Africa by the sea."
Phoenix begins to type on his keyboard, indifferent to the arguments his henchman tries to make to downplay the seriousness of the situation.
Knowing his employer, Macmillan had turned off his mobile before coming to announce the arrest of their small mercenary group's two key members. He is not sure how Phoenix will react and prefers not to take any risks.
"Macmillan... This is your business after all..."
Phoenix brings the screen back into position.
"You've fulfilled your contract, nothing can stand in the way of my plans now. Here is the agreed amount. I've just transferred it to your offshore account."
The mercenary, relieved, confirms the payment sum displayed on the monitor.
"What you do with it is of no concern to me," Phoenix continues. "It's up to you whether you want to keep the share of your collaborators who are behind bars."
Macmillan contemplates responding to this insinuation but holds back. It's better not to contradict his employer. Phoenix turns in his chair.
"One more thing."
"Sir?"
"I know you respect your teammates. But let me give you a piece of advice. If Kinkaid has got them ... flee the country as soon as possible."
Macmillan remains impassive.
"They'll end up talking, believe me. And if it's not them who spill the beans, it will be one of the clues they've left behind. Kinkaid is a tenacious bloodhound."
Macmillan exits the basement of the house without further farewells.
He orders his team to pack up all the equipment. The mercenary has no intention of staying a minute longer than necessary. His two best elements have been captured, but that's not what worries him the most. His client has been strangely calm upon receiving the news. Sure, Phoenix might not care anymore, now that everything is in place for his scheme to proceed. He could also suddenly change his mind and decide to eliminate any trace of his small team... For his part, Macmillan is firmly intending to replace all his mobile and land communication devices once he gets home, and subscribe a plan with no SMS support! Likewise, he's determined to keep an eye on his last client's actions, at least until he's sure he's no longer a pawn to be sacrificed on the enigmatic albino's chessboard.
In the basement, Phoenix unplugs his laptop. He will take refuge elsewhere, a location not even Macmillan knows about.
He hasn't really entertained the idea of eliminating Macmillan's crew. What for? They've served their purpose and pose no threat. Soon he'll be far away, and nothing will be able to connect him to these men, even if they get arrested.
He packs up some files, important backups, and leaves the dwelling through the small side exit of the basement even before the mercenaries finish clearing the place. A rented SUV awaits him two streets away. He loads his belongings, climbs aboard, and activates his hands-free kit.
YOU ARE READING
Unlimited Plan (*)
Misterio / SuspensoWhen Jeremy Baltac-former member of a hacker elite group turned cybersecurity engineer-learns about the disappearance of an old teammate, he has no idea it's the starting point of a real race against time. Members of his former group are being elimi...
