Issue 19 – Time Enough for War (Part 2)
- Istanbul, July 3 2039
The old warehouse was dark and damp – just the kind of environment all kinds of scum thrive on, Blackwood thought as he once again wondered if the whole plan of his was actually a good idea. Perhaps it was too complex after all. Plans within plans, layers of secrecy and deception, all of that to keep his enemies at bay.
But, he told himself, this was what he lived for – to see his carefully laid plan come to fruition. He had lived through a tumultuous time and simple fighting did not excite him anymore. But this... this was another game entirely.
He smiled at the man next to him. For all his wisdom and experience, Sokolov didn’t look through his ruse. Not yet. He might eventually, but if that ever came to pass, Blackwood would be ready. Sokolov was a practical man – he would come around. The other two, however, were a different story. Seagrove was smart but young and naive and Grey was just too embittered. Besides, he knew her secret – there was very little Blackwood didn’t know.
His line of thought was interrupted by the arrival of the person they were both waiting for. A small, shifty man of middle-eastern descent was carefully approaching them, his eyes darting around, looking for danger lurking in the shadows. He’d find none – Blackwood made sure they weren’t followed and Sokolov bribed a few local boys to keep an eye out for trouble.
Sokolov came forward first and extended his arm in greeting. Blackwood followed his lead.
“Ahmed. A pleasure.”
He turned towards Blackwood.
“Adrian, this is Ahmed Ibrahim, an old partner of mine.”
The other man only nodded and shook their hands. His grip was weak and his palms sweaty – he was clearly nervous and only the prospect of a lucrative deal, offered on Seahawk’s behalf by Sokolov, drew him out into this open. However, appearances can be deceptive, Blackwood reminded himself and the idea amused him greatly. He had to suppress the urge to grin. In Ibrahim’s case, it certainly was mostly deception – nobody would expect such a diminutive man to be one of the most important middlemen in Istanbul.
Ibrahim shifted his attention to Sokolov and smiled nervously for the first time. A brilliant act, Blackwood was sure, honed to perfection.
“Glad to see you again, effendi.”
Sokolov smiled in return so genuinely that Blackwood thought whether he had underestimated the old commander after all.
After a few more pleasantries, the three men sat on the dusty crates that littered the decrepit warehouse – despite being dressed in a light suit, Ibrahim didn’t seem to mind the dirt, a sign of wealth, Blackwood decided. Or yet another act.
“So, to business then. You, gentlemen, and your people need to get out of Istanbul. Fast. The word’s already out on the street about what happened. Despite this city’s... how shall I put it,” Ibrahim waved his hand dismissively, “official neutrality, Clayburn holds tremendous influence all over Europe, even here. It’s only a question of time before he gets the Corporate Council to vote for your expulsion.”
“You are, after all, renegades,” he smiled apologetically.
Sokolov nodded.
“Fair enough, that’s why we are here. We have money and we need ships. Enough to move us to the Mediterranean and across the ocean.”
Ibrahim barked with laughter.
“Effendi, you might as well wish for a unicorn.”
Sokolov frowned and it took Blackwood a lot of effort not to show his disappointment.
“Come on, Ahmed. I know you can do better than that. You have that kind of reputation.”
Once again, Ibrahim glanced around to make sure they were alone.
“Nobody will deal with outlaws, Fyodor, you know that. Not officially, anyway, but the nasty business in the Balkans keeps all the captains on edge. And nobody wants to get on Clayburn’s bad side; such people have a nasty habit of disappearing. You heard about Lodestar, I presume?”
Both men nodded. Ibrahim shook his head with mock sadness.
“Nasty business that. Sending an assassin so juiced up on combat cocktail that even a private army couldn’t stop him, a bad way to go. And that was Lodestar’s own HQ – who knows what can happen in Istanbul.”
The three men sat in silence for a while, pondering the information. Blackwood frowned to himself. Yes. That was the thing about the terror tactics employed by the Clayburn Corporation. They worked. Finally, Ibrahim broke the silence.
“There might be a way though.”
“Oh?”
Ibrahim sighed.
“Back in better days, Turkey used to be a powerful ally of the United States. There was a large military base. Abandoned now, of course, like so many others.”
The sun was already high in the sky and the warehouse was warming up rather quickly. Ibrahim wiped his brow with a handkerchief before continuing.
“I happen to know a few gentlemen who managed to salvage some valuable equipment from there. Including a rather large number of C-17 planes.”
Sokolov was about to say something but Ibrahim stopped him with a raised hand.
“I offer no guarantee that they will listen or agree to anything, but a pile of credits might change their minds. A very, very large pile of credits,” he concluded and gave Blackwood an important look.
Sokolov kept frowning.
“That’s no good. Even at their best, these planes don’t have the range we need to get away from Clayburn’s influence. Half of Africa is in his pocket, or another corporation. The world is a small place to hide.”
Ibrahim shrugged.
“It’s either that or nothing, effendi.”
“Hmm... I think I might have an idea,” said Blackwood with a thoughtful expression, finally nodding to himself.
“I’ve heard of another abandoned base in Sinai. I’ll have to ask my people. But for now... we have a deal, mister Ibrahim.”
Ibrahim smiled.
“Excellent. I will contact you as soon as I know something.”
He extended his hand. They shook it and the meeting was concluded. Ibrahim slid down from the crate, once again oblivious to the state of his suit, and, despite its white color, disappeared into the shadows in the last act of showmanship.
As they headed out through the door, they heard his voice echo through the room for the last time.
“Oh and gentlemen? Please try not to die until then.”
