American Vengeance by John Cutter

Author:John Cutter [Cutter, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lume Books
Published: 2015-11-26T00:00:00+00:00

9. Down for the Count

Sullivan stood on the balcony of the Mossad’s Paris apartment, staring at the traffic on the street, smoking one cigarette after another. He’d been that way for almost two hours. His uncustomary brooding was making everyone in the apartment uneasy.

“I have never seen him like this,” Moshe said, pouring himself another cup of coffee. “I am sad and angered by Sabra’s death, but Jack … he acts as if he had been in love with her. He’s been like this for two days. Frankly, I am concerned. Perhaps he should take some time off and abandon the pursuit of Hassan the Red.”

Rolff shook his head.

Moshe frowned at the taciturn German. “Why not? He’s not concentrating. He’s a danger to himself like this.”

“You don’t understand,” Rolff said, leaving Moshe waiting for him to say more.

“Well, explain, goddamm it!”

Rolff lifted his coffee cup to his mouth and took a gulp. “I know nothing about what he felt for the girl, but I do know why he is so moody. He feels that he had failed to accomplish his mission. I feel that way too, but for Sullivan it’s different. He has run hundreds of vengeance missions in his life, and he has always eliminated his target. Always. It’s going on five months now that he’s been chasing Hassan, and every time he gets close, the bastard slips through his fingers. Sullivan is depressed, angry with himself; he’s having doubts. He’s like a veteran heavyweight who’s never lost a bout in his life suddenly facing up to the fact that he very well might lose his first fight.”

Moshe stared down into his coffee cup. “This is bad … this is very bad. When a man has doubts, he becomes vulnerable. I want Hassan dead as much as anyone, but what if we lost Jack in the process? Would it be worth it?”

“You think we should pull out now?” Rolff said. “Back down from Hassan and let him go on with his dirty business, let him continue to kill whoever he sets his sights on? I know what Sullivan would say to that.”

Moshe sighed. “You’re right. Hundreds of people have died at Hassan’s hand, and who knows how many others will be killed if he isn’t stopped? How can you weigh one man’s life against all those other lives?”

“You can’t.”

Moshe and Rolff simultaneously looked to the French doors where Sullivan had been standing silently, listening to their conversation. “Jack, I — what I meant is —”

“You don’t have to apologize, Moshe. I know the score. Sure, we were able to foil Hassan’s attack on the Chandler and his ambush on the ILO, but I’m no closer to him than I was months ago when Project Scalpel started in Beirut. But I’ll tell you one thing: I won’t give up … I can’t give up now.”

Rolff nodded gravely. He knew just how Sullivan felt.

“But it’s you I’m concerned about,” Moshe said. “I can’t imagine what the world would be like without the Specialist.

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