Avenger (15 page)

“Your phone call this morning,” the man began in Polish, “was it satisfactory?”

“Very,” she replied. “They’re impressed with the operation and can see the fit it would be with their own businesses. I believe they’ll proceed.”

“Are you sure you’re ready to be controlled, Dee?”

“Nobody will ever control me again, Dariusz,” she answered. “They’re offering ridiculous money, more than I ever envisaged, including an ongoing percentage once the deal is done. As it stands, I could take their money and walk away from all this. But if they want me to stay and run things then it will cost them more and it will be on my terms. Don’t worry, I’ll look after you. Or maybe
you
could run it for them.”

She sipped coffee, black, from a gilt-rimmed antique cup and paused a moment to enjoy the light breeze that washed over the terrace, bringing with it the smell of the ocean. She breathed in deeply through her nostrils and closed her eyes for just a moment as the breeze gently whispered through her hair. Past the palms and across the high perimeter wall she could see a pair of double-crested cormorants swooping out above the sea, quarreling with each other as they searched for food. She decided that a swim after lunch would go a long way toward easing the burden of her responsibilities.

“Do they want to see you again?” he asked. “These investors.”

“Once more,” she replied. “In a few days, to discuss the details. And, of course, they want to understand more about the arrangement with the Chinese. As far as I know they aren’t aware of what happened in Hong Kong, which is why we have to resolve things quickly before it becomes more of a problem. We have to secure Wu Ming’s end of it – and the money of his Triad backers – as soon as possible.”

“How have you explained it to them so far?”

“Simple. Wu Ming is old and tired. He wants the cash without the work. So, he is hungry for his operation to join mine. Handing over control of his network and labor-supply chain to me ensures him a healthy slice of my global income without any effort or ongoing liability. And adding his operation to mine gives me almost twenty-five percent of the industry globally. The investors know that. And as they run most of the rest, they see their opportunity. In fact, they were about to explore a deal with the Chinese themselves, when they learned from our partners in the Middle East that there was already a negotiation in play. So they’re happy to leave me to close the deal with Wu, and then it’s just a matter of how badly they want it all.”

“That’s good, very good,” he replied. “But I think you have something else on your mind, too?”

“I’m concerned, Dariusz,” she replied. “The police infiltration in Hong Kong has unsettled me. I feel like my personal security is fucked.”

He dismissed this out of hand. “What are you concerned about? Hong Kong was nothing. The cops were chasing the chinks, not us.”

“How do we know that?” she said, her voice slightly raised. “How do we know that they weren’t after me?”

“You’re being paranoid, Dee. Look where you are. Nobody else knows you’re here. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Nothing to worry about?” She placed her cup down carefully, ensuring that it sat perfectly within the circular recess of the saucer. Then she stood, towering over him. “There was an armed raid by the Hong Kong Police Force on a factory I was supposed to be visiting, and there was a fucking police undercover agent working in the same factory. I think I’m entitled to be paranoid! Why do you think I’ve been taking precautions all these years?”

“But you weren’t even there – it was
Ş
tefania in your place. Your precautions worked. They always do.”

“You don’t get it, do you? The police obviously thought it was me. The only reason
Ş
tefania was there instead was because
I
decided to send her. Not you. I’ve had a feeling for a while that things haven’t been quite right.” She took a deep breath and calmed herself. “I can’t afford for this to be happening right now. I’m feeling exposed.”

“Like I said, you’re paranoid.”

“How could they have known unless someone is informing on me?”

“Do you suspect someone? Do you suspect me?” His tone was sharp and suddenly aggressive. The conversation was beginning to turn sour.

“I promoted you. You should remember that,” she remarked. “Try to stay on track. Someone is informing and I need to know who. We’re about to seal this deal with the Chinese. It’s beyond important and I don’t want anything to fuck it up.”

“That won’t happen.”

“I want to know every detail.”

“But we went through all this already, last night,” he said. “What more do you want to know?”

“I want to hear it all again,” she snapped. I need to know if I’m missing something. So start talking.”

“Dee, we got everyone out before the cops even knew we’d been there. Wu lost a few of his guys. Who fucking cares?”

“But what about ours? I thought you said we had two killed as well?”

“They were the two assholes I hired in Hong Kong – Czech crooks on R and R. They looked enough like us and wanted some extra cash to buy more girls. I told them they’d be guarding someone; nothing special, easy money. But they ended up dead in a gunfight. R and R!” He laughed. “I didn’t even have to pay them.”

“None of ours got killed?”

“None. When the trouble started upstairs in the factory, I sent the Czechs to see what was going on. They didn’t have a fucking clue. Meanwhile, we got that little bitch
Ş
tefania out.”

“Wu won’t be happy that his people were killed, but he’s not to know that the Czechs weren’t actually mine. We can use that; convince him we lost people too. We need to arrange to meet him again. Soon.”

“I brought two of the boys back with me, the others are coming in from Guadalajara. They’ll be back later tonight. They can help Godek take care of your little protégées and the others can take a few days off.”

“The returning crew are not to touch the girls anymore,” she said. “Godek knows that, right?”

“Of course. I’ve told them already myself. Besides, there’s plenty of fresh meat to choose from in town, or they can go up to San Pedro. Backpackers everywhere there. The boys won’t bother with your two.”

“Where’s Godek? I haven’t seen him this morning.”

“I’ve sent him up to Belize City to collect Marcos and have a break. He’ll be back tomorrow.”

“OK.” She paused. “Do you have any new ones to show me?”

Dariusz picked up his iPad from the table, tapped in a couple of commands and handed it over.

“Marcos has his eyes on those two. They’re Norwegian, working in a bar up in Cancun and they’re homesick. Apparently one of them has a sick relative or some shit.” Dariusz watched her scrolling through the images on the iPad. “They’re both around nineteen or twenty, and fucking hot. They’ve been traveling for almost a year, are running short of funds and trying to save enough to get back home.”

She looked up at him. He returned her smile.

“They’re perfect,” she said. “We can give them to Wu. The personal service. A goodwill gesture.”

“Exactly. He loves the blondes.”

“He’d pay good money just to fuck girls like these two. If he gets to keep them for a while, I’m sure he’ll be happy to reconvene our meeting. Only this time it will really be with me and it will be here.”

“You want to bring Wu here?”

She nodded but kept looking at the girls on the screen.

“OK,” he replied. “If you want those girls for Wu, then Marcos will get them for you.”

“I want them. How will Marcos play it?” she asked.

“He told me he’s already spun them a line about being a talent scout for a movie being shot down here – the next
Mission: Impossible
or some shit like that – to get them excited. He’ll tell them he needs beautiful, tanned blondes for a big scene, promise them walk-on parts because he reckons they’re perfect, and once they’re done with the movie he’ll get them a ticket straight back to Norway.”

“Tell him to go ahead, only change is that the movie’s being filmed in Hong Kong. They’ll be a lot more cooperative and excited if they think they’re already on their  way back home. Once he gets them there, Wu can have them. We have to keep the business with the Chinese moving, especially now that we’re being considered for expansion. You got any more?”

“Just some possible new partners who each have a strong supply chain of laborers, one in the Philippines, one in Vietnam, and another one in Guatemala. But I have to check their figures some more. I can take you through that later.”

“OK. So, how is
Ş
tefania?”

“Who cares?” he said.

“Just tell me.”

“What can I say? She freaked when the shooting started but we got her out quickly. She didn’t see anything.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time we’d lost one” She paused, thinking. “What was her name – the one who got stabbed when the deal went wrong in Cambodia?”

“Abelina,” he answered immediately. “The Swede. Now she was a great fuck. She loved it.”

“Yeah, that’s right. She was sweet. Shame. At least she didn’t die in front of anyone.”

“That would have been hard to explain,” said Dariusz. “As far as anyone knows,
you
made a miraculous recovery.”

“What if it was her 
– 
Ş
tefania? Informing on me to the police. Have you thought of that?”

He remained silent for a while, contemplating this. “I hate that little bitch,” he said. “I should have had one of the boys slit her throat before we got on the plane to leave Hong Kong. I was close, believe me. She talks too much … in the airport, on the plane; ordering the boys around like she’s actually in charge. She’s dangerous.”

“She’s reckless, but we can deal with that. All it means is that we retire her earlier than usual. Is there any chance she could have been alone somewhere long enough to contact the police? Borrowed a cell phone from a stranger? Left a note somewhere, or even an email?”

“There’s no way,” he replied emphatically. “I’ve never trusted her. One of us is with her at all times. She’s never alone. I won’t even let her take a piss on her own.”

“OK. Where is she now? Did you get her back in one piece?”

“Yes,” Dariusz replied. “She’s here, in her room. I haven’t allowed her access out here yet. Not until I saw you.”

“Good. Does she suspect anything?”

“Nothing. The bitch was excited about coming back because she believes you’re actually going to release her.” He laughed. “She’s even fallen for all that shit you tell them about getting a big payout and starting their lives over.”

“The system works. Anyway, now we have a replacement,” she replied. “Jovana will be ready soon, but not soon enough. I’ll have to make the trip to meet with the investors myself. So, in the meantime, we stick to the plan. Give
Ş
tefania her reward week. Then arrange for her to meet Marcos, and he’ll take care of everything from there. But she must not meet the new girl.”

“Don’t worry.
Ş
tefania’s in a room at the opposite end of the house, nowhere near Jovana. Besides, Jovana’s just getting started with all the treatments and shit you give them. They won’t run into each other.”

“They’d better not. Jovana is special. I don’t want anything unexpected messing her up before I need her.”

“‘I need you?’”

Elizabeth Reigns was standing in the hall outside room 333, Morgan’s room, brandishing her cell phone, Morgan’s text message still on the screen. He was leaning against the open door, looking sheepish and deflated.

“You speak to me like I’m trash, wait until I’m almost home and then text me ‘I need you.’ What the fuck, Morgan? Have you been drinking?”

“No, of course I haven’t. I left the bar when you stormed out.”

She glowered at him.

“OK, that didn’t come out right, either. When you walked out. I left the bar when you walked out, and I came back up here. Are you going to come in?”

“I haven’t decided yet. I came back just to make sure you hadn’t done anything stupid. You look like you’re OK to me.”

Reigns stood her ground, arms crossed, sizing him up. Morgan could almost hear her foot tapping. It wasn’t but it might as well have been.

“OK, listen, you were right.”

“About what?”

“About me being a complete asshole. I’m sorry I spoke to you like that. It was fucked up and wrong and I’m sorry. I’m just not thinking straight.”

Now she was looking into his eyes. The cell phone had disappeared and her arms were uncrossed. She was softening but still not happy.

“Please come in, Beth,” said Morgan. “I promise I’ll behave.”

“If I see that look of ‘asshole’ come over you once, Morgan, just once, I’m outta here.”

Reigns walked in, kicked off her shoes, dropped her bag and phone on the floor and wandered over to the window. Morgan closed the door, followed her back into the room and sat on the end of the bed. She pushed the curtains aside and looked out across Thurloe Place to the Victoria and Albert Museum.

“It’s even more beautiful at night,” she said. “Have you ever been in there?”

“Not for a long time.”

“Some girl drag you through? I can’t imagine you going in on your own.”

“Something like that,” he said. “I take a bit of encouraging when it comes to museums and opera.”

“How did I guess?” She smiled and Morgan caught her reflection in the window. He sat studying the silhouette of her lithe body against the blaze of streetlights. Spectacular, he thought. She returned his gaze through the reflection for just a second, pulled the curtains closed again and sat down on the sofa, tucking her feet up underneath her, just as she’d done the night before.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d come back,” he said.

“I almost didn’t,” she replied. “Seriously, I’m pissed about what you said to me, but I couldn’t just leave you over here, moping.”

“I’m glad you did. I would have understood if you hadn’t, though.”

“I meant what I said, Morgan,” she replied. “So, I hope you’re not expecting me to be all ‘Oh, poor baby, I didn’t mean it,’ because I won’t be. I meant it and you needed to hear it.”

Morgan just nodded, walked across the room and put the kettle on.

“Jesus! Are you making tea? It’s, like, ten pm. What is it with you and tea?”

“It helps me think,” he said. “And just making it takes my mind of other stuff. Besides, it’s better than getting pissed.”

“I’d already decided before I got here that if you opened that door and were drunk, I was going to turn right around and head home.”

“Fair enough. So, would you like one?”

“Sure. Chamomile if you have it. Then you can tell me what’s going on.”

“You’re over near the Festival Hall, aren’t you?” Morgan found the chamomile and as the kettle finally boiled, dropped the bag into a cup and poured steaming water over it.

“Yeah, the White House Apartments,” she replied. “It’s close to everything, which is great. And you? I think Mila mentioned you had a place in the country somewhere?”

“Yeah,” he replied. “In a town called Farnham, in Hampshire. I love it down there. You should visit sometime. Do you want me to leave the bag in or out?”

“Oh, in. I prefer it in,” she said, and flicked him a look he definitely didn’t expect to see tonight. He smiled in response. “Maybe I will visit sometime, when I’m invited properly.”

“There you go,” he said, handing over the tea. He returned to collect his and headed back to the end of the bed.

“No, you’re not sitting over there. Come sit with me. I won’t bite.” She patted the cushion beside her. Morgan obeyed.

They were close again. Close like they’d been downstairs in the lounge bar but private now, like they’d been in her cabin aboard the Gulfstream.

They both sipped their tea in silence, watching each other, thinking, assessing, exchanging glances, and then eventually placed their cups on the floor.

“So, come on then, Alex Morgan. Enough stalling. What’s going on with you?”

Morgan took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said downstairs,” he began. “All of it was true; too true. You hit a raw nerve and I reacted badly. I’ve kept myself going these past few months because I knew that the boss needed me. We’re busier than we’ve ever been and he’s had us all in the field. But I decided before I went to Africa that I was going to take a break as soon as I was finished there. I needed it. I could tell I was close to burning out, you know? Then, no sooner had I wrapped up in Malawi than the call came in to meet Dave and stand by to extract you.” Morgan stopped for a while and rubbed his face. He didn’t want to sound like he was whining but he couldn’t stop the words from pouring out. Reigns put her hand on his shoulder. “Where I come from, we never, ever let down a colleague who’s in trouble. That’s a no-brainer. So, I diverted to Hong Kong, thinking, OK once this one is down, I’ll take a break. And then—”

He stopped again. He could feel his hands beginning to shake and his face becoming taut. He began pressing his thumbs hard into the flesh of his palms, kneading until it hurt. Reigns reached across and took hold of them. To Morgan, his own hands suddenly felt like bricks in the soft cradle of her delicate fingers. Instantly, he relaxed. Somehow, she had a way of making everything seem OK.

“I know I’m burned out, Beth. It’s fucking obvious. I know it. You know it. Fuck, the boss probably knows it, too. And, if things were different, there’s no way I’d be getting onboard any flight that wasn’t taking me straight to a beach somewhere with nothing but grass huts, hammocks strung between palm trees, and no fucking phone reception, but that all changed today. It changed when that fucker walked into Dave’s hospital room and killed the poor bastard in his bed.” Morgan stopped. He wiped his sleeve across his eyes. “I can’t stop now, Beth. I can’t. I don’t have any choice in this. I owe it to Dave. He’d do the same for me. So I’m going after these fuckers like a shark after blood and when I’m done, and only then, I’ll rest. Not before.”

Elizabeth Reigns released Morgan’s hands and stood up. She lifted his face to look at her, holding his gaze, her face full of warmth, understanding and hunger. As Morgan sat, transfixed by her raw power, she unbuttoned her blouse and dropped it to the floor. Then she took his hands and brought them up to the zip at the back of her suit pants. Morgan eased the zip down slowly until the pants loosened around her waist and slipped easily from her body into a crumpled mess around her ankles.

She stepped out of them and led him over to the bed.