All Debts Come Due In Time
Deathstroke sighted down the scope of the rifle with his left eye, ignoring the damp earth against his armor. He’d been in this position for the better part of two hours, blocking out the twinge in his muscles and smell of the dead man beside him. All that matters now, as he lies upon the hilltop overlooking presidential estate one mile away, is that his target is in his sights and nearly two years of work has come to this moment.
“You always were an idiot, President Fuentes.” Slade whispered under his breath, watching the man give his speech from the podium. Several hundred Costa Lindans watched him with rapt attention as Fuentes outlined his plans to make Costa Linda a major player in world politics over the next few years. The man touted several reforms he would enact by midnight tonight, as well as finally putting to rest the conflict of the presidency of the island nation, thanking Catalina Reyes for bowing out and acknowledging his “rightful and just” leadership. His wife stood beside him, beaming proudly.
Slade remembered finding her drenched head to toe in petroleum oil after his routing by the Outsiders. In a way, they were all responsible for her death as well, and they would answer for it.
Today, however, belonged to General Fuentes’.
Fuentes was still speaking when Calculator’s voice came over his Bluetooth.
“Slade, the charges are armed. When you give the signal, I’ll shut down all communications for exactly three minutes. I won’t be able to teleport you during that time. Can you make it inside?”
“You handle your part, Calculator, and I’ll handle mine.” Deathstroke says.
“I still get paid if you die, right?” he asks.
“If I cared what you thought, Calculator, I might be offended by that statement. Deathstroke out.” he says, ending the communication. Deathstroke adjusted his sight again, and saw that this target was exactly where he wanted. He took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger.
First Lady Fuentes head erupted in a shower of blood and gore, painting President Fuentes in crimson and ruining his expensive suit. The entire crowd was silent for the briefest of moments as the First Lady slumped and fell to the ground. Fuentes turned to her in shock, and then fell over clutching his arm as Slade’s second bullet ripped through his arm.
That was when all hell broke loose.
Deathstroke dropped the rifle and sprinted down the hill, freeing the remote detonator from the pack on his belt and hit the first button.
The Costa Linda Treasury Building exploded. Slade hit the second, third and fourth buttons. City Hall, Costa Linda Penitentiary, and the Fuentes’ back up security bunker all exploded within seconds of each other.
He pressed the last button on the dial, figuring Fuentes’ men already had him inside the mansion, and smiled to himself as he watched the right half of the mansion explode. Deathstroke hoped the President was still alive in there.
He didn’t come all this way for a quick death.
-Ten Minutes Later-
Deathstroke used his booted foot to push the last dead man off the end of his sword and down onto the marble floor of Fuentes’ home. The President of Costa Linda was ten feet away trying to crawl across the floor. He kept slipping in a trail of his own blood as Deathstroke stalked toward him, the tip of his sword scraping along the ground. Fuentes looked back with fear in his eyes as the black and orange clad mercenary trailed him, uttering cries in his native tongue even as he tried to turn over.
“Deathstroke, you killed my wife!” Fuentes yelled as his skin became paler.
“You sold me out to Quantum, murdered Catalina Reyes and then you let the Outsiders dupe you into breaking our deal. Why should I believe you?” Slade asked.
“You…you…look, I can pay you. Whatever they offered you to kill me, I’ll double it. I’ll triple it, and I’ll even give you the man I was working with. Just let me go.” President Fuentes said as the fire raged around them.
Slade reached into another pack on his pouch and pulled a cell phone-sized objected and tossed it at Fuentes, who barely caught it.
“Your bank account information is there. Thirty-five million dollars buys your life tonight. An extra five million makes sure you never see me again. You have two minutes to arrange the transfer. Meanwhile, who were you working for?” Slade said.
President Fuentes glared at Slade with pure hatred, but did as he asked, tapping on the mini-computer. Fuentes watched as the computer processed the demand and extracted forty-million dollars. He started to hand back the device, but Slade didn’t take it right away as Fuentes spoke.
“His name is Hollister. Mr. Hollister. He came to me and said that his people could give me Costa Linda if I sold you and Miss Reyes to him. I don’t know where he is; he calls me from a blocked number.”
Slade nodded. “That’s fine. You’ve been most helpful. When I ruin this organization, I’ll have you to thank. By the way, look at the screen.”
Fuentes looked down and found that not only was the forty-million now taken from his account, but the remaining thirty million had also been taken…along with the money in his Swiss and Cayman Islands accounts.
Then the screen flipped, and the money from the Costa Linda Treasury, Magadon Oil and Teresin Mining Company began to decrease, until over three-hundred million dollars, minus Calculator’s fee, vanished from Costa Linda’s coffers. The country would feel the loss of this money for years to come, and both of Quantum’s companies on the island were now unable to pay their bills, employees, taxes, fees…or bribes. Every place that Fuentes had been skimming money off the top from to pad his lifestyle was hit, and now the country was headed toward a recession, where just hours ago, they were ready to step onto the world stage.
The rest of the blood left Fuentes’s face as he realized what Deathstroke did to him. He was so weak from blood loss he could barely speak, but he tried all the same.
“Quantum…they’ll…they will kill you for this, puto.”
Slade shrugged. “I expect them to try. But now I’ve got the money to deal with them on their own level, and every one of my people who got screwed over what you did to us is going to get compensated for their time. Meanwhile, your people will starve, and you’re going to have to fight every criminal that I just broke out of the penitentiary to keep a hold on the island. Maybe the Outsiders will come back and help you, or even the Great Ten. Either way, my job here is done.”
Fuentes sputtered angrily. “And what will your employers do when they learn you didn’t kill me like they wanted? What happens to your vaunted word then, Deathstroke?”
“Oh, General, did I ever tell you who paid me to kill you? Let me explain. This whole thing was free. I ruined your country because I felt like it, and you just paid me to do it. Now, you likely won’t bleed to death here on the floor, but in case you want to cheat Quantum out of killing you for being an idiot…” Slade pulled a gun from the holster and tossed it to him.
“There you go.” he said and turned to walk away.
Fuentes looked at the gun, then at Slade’s back. He grabbed for the gun, put it under his chin and pulled the trigger.
Click.
“Come now, President. I’m a man of my word. Besides, did you think I’d make it that easy for you?”
And then Slade was gone.
--Later-
“Calculator, did everyone get paid?"
“Yes. Everyone got the ten million they deserved, and a small bonus. I got mine, too. What are you going to do with the rest?”
“I’m going to keep paying people back. First, find me a black Aston Martin, and book me a flight to Italy. Then get me the head of MI6 on the line.
Then get me everything you have on James Hollister.” Slade said as drove toward the airfield.
“You always were an idiot, President Fuentes.” Slade whispered under his breath, watching the man give his speech from the podium. Several hundred Costa Lindans watched him with rapt attention as Fuentes outlined his plans to make Costa Linda a major player in world politics over the next few years. The man touted several reforms he would enact by midnight tonight, as well as finally putting to rest the conflict of the presidency of the island nation, thanking Catalina Reyes for bowing out and acknowledging his “rightful and just” leadership. His wife stood beside him, beaming proudly.
Slade remembered finding her drenched head to toe in petroleum oil after his routing by the Outsiders. In a way, they were all responsible for her death as well, and they would answer for it.
Today, however, belonged to General Fuentes’.
Fuentes was still speaking when Calculator’s voice came over his Bluetooth.
“Slade, the charges are armed. When you give the signal, I’ll shut down all communications for exactly three minutes. I won’t be able to teleport you during that time. Can you make it inside?”
“You handle your part, Calculator, and I’ll handle mine.” Deathstroke says.
“I still get paid if you die, right?” he asks.
“If I cared what you thought, Calculator, I might be offended by that statement. Deathstroke out.” he says, ending the communication. Deathstroke adjusted his sight again, and saw that this target was exactly where he wanted. He took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger.
First Lady Fuentes head erupted in a shower of blood and gore, painting President Fuentes in crimson and ruining his expensive suit. The entire crowd was silent for the briefest of moments as the First Lady slumped and fell to the ground. Fuentes turned to her in shock, and then fell over clutching his arm as Slade’s second bullet ripped through his arm.
That was when all hell broke loose.
Deathstroke dropped the rifle and sprinted down the hill, freeing the remote detonator from the pack on his belt and hit the first button.
The Costa Linda Treasury Building exploded. Slade hit the second, third and fourth buttons. City Hall, Costa Linda Penitentiary, and the Fuentes’ back up security bunker all exploded within seconds of each other.
He pressed the last button on the dial, figuring Fuentes’ men already had him inside the mansion, and smiled to himself as he watched the right half of the mansion explode. Deathstroke hoped the President was still alive in there.
He didn’t come all this way for a quick death.
-Ten Minutes Later-
Deathstroke used his booted foot to push the last dead man off the end of his sword and down onto the marble floor of Fuentes’ home. The President of Costa Linda was ten feet away trying to crawl across the floor. He kept slipping in a trail of his own blood as Deathstroke stalked toward him, the tip of his sword scraping along the ground. Fuentes looked back with fear in his eyes as the black and orange clad mercenary trailed him, uttering cries in his native tongue even as he tried to turn over.
“Deathstroke, you killed my wife!” Fuentes yelled as his skin became paler.
“You sold me out to Quantum, murdered Catalina Reyes and then you let the Outsiders dupe you into breaking our deal. Why should I believe you?” Slade asked.
“You…you…look, I can pay you. Whatever they offered you to kill me, I’ll double it. I’ll triple it, and I’ll even give you the man I was working with. Just let me go.” President Fuentes said as the fire raged around them.
Slade reached into another pack on his pouch and pulled a cell phone-sized objected and tossed it at Fuentes, who barely caught it.
“Your bank account information is there. Thirty-five million dollars buys your life tonight. An extra five million makes sure you never see me again. You have two minutes to arrange the transfer. Meanwhile, who were you working for?” Slade said.
President Fuentes glared at Slade with pure hatred, but did as he asked, tapping on the mini-computer. Fuentes watched as the computer processed the demand and extracted forty-million dollars. He started to hand back the device, but Slade didn’t take it right away as Fuentes spoke.
“His name is Hollister. Mr. Hollister. He came to me and said that his people could give me Costa Linda if I sold you and Miss Reyes to him. I don’t know where he is; he calls me from a blocked number.”
Slade nodded. “That’s fine. You’ve been most helpful. When I ruin this organization, I’ll have you to thank. By the way, look at the screen.”
Fuentes looked down and found that not only was the forty-million now taken from his account, but the remaining thirty million had also been taken…along with the money in his Swiss and Cayman Islands accounts.
Then the screen flipped, and the money from the Costa Linda Treasury, Magadon Oil and Teresin Mining Company began to decrease, until over three-hundred million dollars, minus Calculator’s fee, vanished from Costa Linda’s coffers. The country would feel the loss of this money for years to come, and both of Quantum’s companies on the island were now unable to pay their bills, employees, taxes, fees…or bribes. Every place that Fuentes had been skimming money off the top from to pad his lifestyle was hit, and now the country was headed toward a recession, where just hours ago, they were ready to step onto the world stage.
The rest of the blood left Fuentes’s face as he realized what Deathstroke did to him. He was so weak from blood loss he could barely speak, but he tried all the same.
“Quantum…they’ll…they will kill you for this, puto.”
Slade shrugged. “I expect them to try. But now I’ve got the money to deal with them on their own level, and every one of my people who got screwed over what you did to us is going to get compensated for their time. Meanwhile, your people will starve, and you’re going to have to fight every criminal that I just broke out of the penitentiary to keep a hold on the island. Maybe the Outsiders will come back and help you, or even the Great Ten. Either way, my job here is done.”
Fuentes sputtered angrily. “And what will your employers do when they learn you didn’t kill me like they wanted? What happens to your vaunted word then, Deathstroke?”
“Oh, General, did I ever tell you who paid me to kill you? Let me explain. This whole thing was free. I ruined your country because I felt like it, and you just paid me to do it. Now, you likely won’t bleed to death here on the floor, but in case you want to cheat Quantum out of killing you for being an idiot…” Slade pulled a gun from the holster and tossed it to him.
“There you go.” he said and turned to walk away.
Fuentes looked at the gun, then at Slade’s back. He grabbed for the gun, put it under his chin and pulled the trigger.
Click.
“Come now, President. I’m a man of my word. Besides, did you think I’d make it that easy for you?”
And then Slade was gone.
--Later-
“Calculator, did everyone get paid?"
“Yes. Everyone got the ten million they deserved, and a small bonus. I got mine, too. What are you going to do with the rest?”
“I’m going to keep paying people back. First, find me a black Aston Martin, and book me a flight to Italy. Then get me the head of MI6 on the line.
Then get me everything you have on James Hollister.” Slade said as drove toward the airfield.