Deadly Crossing (Tom Dugan 2) (8 page)

Chapter Seven

Kairouz Residence
London, UK

The smell of fresh-baked cookies filled the spacious kitchen, and Gillian watched as Tanya took two from the pile and then hesitated before placing a third on her plate. Mrs. Hogan beamed as she set a glass of cold milk beside Tanya’s plate.

“Now that’s what I like to see,” the cook said. “A girl with a healthy appetite. A girl needs a few curves. None of this string bean stuff. It ain’t healthy.”

Tanya laughed around a mouthful of cookie and took a swallow of milk to wash it down. “If I keep eating your cooking, Mrs. Hogan, I think I have more than ‘few’ curves,
da
? Soon I look like beach ball.”

“And a beautiful beach ball you’ll be, dearie,” Mrs. Hogan gave Tanya’s back an affectionate pat.

Gillian smiled, amazed at the change in Tanya that even a short time in a safe environment had caused. The scars were deep, but Gillian knew they would heal, given time, and she wanted to keep the girl’s life as stress free as possible.

Beside her on the counter, Gillian’s cell phone chirped, and she recognized Anna’s number on the caller ID.

“Yes, Anna,” she said, and then listened a moment, tensing slightly.

“No, we’re fine and enjoying some of Mrs. Hogan’s delicious cookies. Thomas? He is? Well, we’ll be sure to save him some cookies. Yes, dear, and thank you for calling.” As Gillian disconnected, Mrs. Hogan gave her an inquisitive look.

“Mr. Dugan is coming over in a bit. Can you keep some of these cookies warm for him?”

“Aye,” Mrs. Hogan said and began taking warm cookies from the plate and wrapping them in a tea towel.

Gillian strolled nonchalantly to the kitchen windows and gazed out into the backyard. “It’s certainly a lovely day out.” She locked the deadbolt on the back door as she passed.

“Why does Mr. Dugan come here?” Tanya asked, obviously still somewhat ill at ease in Dugan’s presence.

“Oh, he’s just coming to collect some papers Alex forgot on his desk this morning.”

“And speaking of cookies gettin’ cold,” Mrs. Hogan said, “where is Cassie? She’ll want some of these while they’re nice and warm.”

Tanya laughed. “I do not think she wants to be disturbed. She is in room, having video chat with Nigel. She is very nervous, I think, about asking him to dinner. I thought maybe better to give her some privacy. Do you think Nigel will come?”

Gillian paused, thoughts of Anna’s call momentarily forgotten. With all that was going on, she’d contemplated postponing the dinner with Nigel, but his ship was only in port another two days, and Cassie had warmed to the idea of the dinner. At this point she couldn’t postpone it without disappointing Cassie.

“He better, if he knows what’s good for him,” Mrs. Hogan said before Gillian could reply. “I need to get a look at him and decide whether or not he’s suitable for our Cassie.”

Gillian wondered, not for the first time, if young Nigel understood what he was in for.

Outside Kairouz Residence
London, UK

Nazarov saw the Kairouz woman moving toward the kitchen window and ducked down behind the hedge. After a long moment he chanced another peek over the hedge and saw her back as she resumed her place near the center island. He nodded to himself. They were all in one place, and this should go quickly. He looked over at his men crouched beside him behind the hedge. He’d kept Yuri, Anatoli, and Dimitri with him and concealed the other two among the lush landscaping at the front and back of the stately home. He planned to be in and out in five minutes and doubted he’d need lookouts, but it was better safe than sorry.

“Remember,” he whispered, “do not speak unless absolutely necessary, and then only in English and use few words. Yuri and I will grab the girl, and I want Anatoli and Dimitri to take care of the women. I don’t think they will give us any trouble, but you are not to harm them. Keep your guns visible for intimidation, but do not draw them unless needed to enforce the point. I don’t want one going off by mistake. We just tie them up, take the girl and leave. Understand?”

His men nodded.

“All right. Pull down your masks, and let’s get this done.”

His men did as instructed and followed him toward the kitchen door. He quietly tried the knob and, finding it locked, stepped back and nodded at Yuri. The massive Russian backed up half a dozen steps on the flagstone walk and launched his three hundred pounds pounds of muscle toward the door, striking it with his shoulder. It yielded with the sound of splintering wood, and Yuri crashed through with the others close behind.

Yuri and Nazarov wrestled Tanya off the stool, but to Nazarov’s surprise, she was not the frightened girl of a few days before, and she fought like a tiger. As he struggled to hold the writhing girl, he glanced over to see Anatoli and Dimitri closing on the two women. The pair stood back to back and were obviously combative rather than intimidated. His men approached tentatively, mindful of orders not to harm the women. Anatoli shot Nazarov a questioning look.

“Take them! Now!” Nazarov barked, and his men rushed in. To unexpected results.

“Keep your bloody hands off me, you bastard!” shouted the older woman as she pulled a kitchen knife from the capacious pocket of her apron and slashed Anatoli’s outstretched hand.

Anatoli cursed as he retreated, staring at the blood gushing through a cut in his glove.

His curses were soon joined by those of Dimitri, as his partner was on the receiving end of a savage kick to the groin from the Kairouz woman. Dimitri doubled over, and the woman shot past him toward the hallway.

“Cassie! Lock your door, and call the police!” the woman screamed as she ran toward the door.

“Shit,” Nazarov said, as he struggled with the squirming Tanya. “Beat her down,” he yelled at Yuri, and the big Russian nodded and delivered a massive blow to the side of the girl’s head. She went limp, and Nazarov dumped her on the floor and took off after the Kairouz woman.

“Cassie! Lock your door,” the woman screamed again, as he burst into a long hallway and spotted her at the far end, racing for an ornate staircase. Her toe caught on the edge of a carpet runner that stretched the length of the hall, and she sprawled on the hardwood stairs. As Nazarov rushed to her, she raised her head, intent on calling out again, and he silenced her with a vicious open-handed slap, Arsov’s cautions forgotten in the crush of events.

He dragged the woman to her feet, savagely twisting her arm behind her and clamping his other hand over her mouth before pushing her toward the kitchen, controlling her with pressure on her arm. Christ, he couldn’t believe things had gone completely to hell so quickly.

In the kitchen, he was greeted with the ludicrous sight of Tanya unconscious on the floor and his three underlings surrounding the fat cook. The woman was in a corner, holding them all at bay with her knife.

“Yuri, get over here and help me,” Nazarov said, and Yuri left the cook to the others and rushed to Nazarov’s side.

“Tape her mouth,” Nazarov said, nodding at the woman squirming in his grasp. He twisted the woman’s arm back further, and she gasped against his palm clamped over her mouth.

“I’m going to take my hand away while my friend tapes your mouth,” Nazarov whispered in her ear. “And if you scream again, I’ll break your bloody arm and then kill everyone in the house. Do you understand?”

The woman bobbed her head, and Nazarov checked to see that Yuri had a piece of duct tape ready before he moved his hand from the woman’s mouth.

“Cassie! Call the police! Lock your doo—”

Nazarov gave the woman’s arm a savage twist, but only Yuri mashing the tape across her mouth silenced her. It was an imperfect job with the woman’s mouth open, and Yuri grabbed the roll and quickly wound a length of tape around her head several times, covering the bottom half of her face, as the woman fought.

“Tape her hands and feet, and cover her eyes! Quickly,” Nazarov said. He restrained the woman, and Yuri rushed to comply, but no sooner than they had the Kairouz woman subdued, the fat cook took up the cry.

“Cassie! Call the police!” the cook shouted.

“God damn it! Shut that bitch up! Now!” Nazarov yelled at Anatoli and Dimitri as he pushed the bound Kairouz woman to the floor. “Go help those idiots,” he said to Yuri before starting for the hallway.

“Where are you going?” Yuri asked.

“Obviously to find this Cassie. And I hope like hell she didn’t hear any of this fiasco and call the police.”

Kairouz Residence
London, UK

Cassie laughed and shook her head at something Nigel said, and then winced as the headphones pinched her ear. As she reached up to adjust them, she saw a look of concern on Nigel’s face as he stared up from the screen of her laptop.

“If the headphones are uncomfortable, why don’t you take them off and just use the speakers?” he asked.

“Because,” said Cassie, “there is NO privacy in this house. Everyone seems to think I’m two years old, and every time I close my door, I can just imagine them with their ears pressed against it.”

Nigel laughed. “Surely it can’t be that bad?”

“Well, I suppose not really, but sometimes it seems like it. I know they all love me, but it’s really tiring to be treated like a child. It seems even worse after I told them about us, but maybe that’s my imagination. Anyway, maybe it will be better after you come to dinner.”

Nigel’s face clouded. “About that, I really don’t know—”

“Oh, Nigel, you ARE coming, aren’t you? I couldn’t bear it if you don’t come after I’ve told everyone.”

“Well, about that—”

“That’s it isn’t it? You’re angry that I told about us without discussing it with you. I am SO sorry. Please don’t be mad. I was just so happy, and it slipped out, and Mum pounced on it and wheedled the rest out of me—”

“Cassie, Cassie, calm down,” Nigel said. “I’m not angry that you told. We had to tell them sooner or later. Perhaps it would have been better if we discussed it, but I understand how it happened, and I’m not the least bit angry. Okay?

“O-okay. But then why don’t you want to come to dinner?”

“I WANT to come, but I have the watch. I know you think I’m the commodore of the fleet, but I’m a very, very junior officer who must do as he is told.”

“But can’t you talk to the captain or something? I know, I’ll have Papa call him and tell him to let you—”

“Absolutely not,” Nigel said. “None of my shipmates must know about us.”

Cassie’s face fell, and tears welled up in her eyes.

“Cassie, what is it?”

“Is it… is it because I’m… I’m… you know … Are you ashamed of me?”

“Cassie, oh God, no! Ashamed of you? Never EVER think that. I’d shout your name to the rooftops if I could. You’re beautiful and caring, and I feel incredibly fortunate that you care for me.”

Cassie blushed at Nigel’s praise. “And just who are these women you’re comparing me to, Mr. Havelock?”

Nigel smiled, relieved at her mock indignation. “No one you have to worry about, and that’s a promise.”

“Well, I still don’t understand why you want to keep our relationship a secret from everyone. I could understand it when Mum and Papa didn’t know, but what’s the point now?”

“The point is, that you’re the daughter of the chairman of the board of my employer, and some cheeky bastard is bound to make a snide remark about you or our relationship. At that point, I’d be compelled to punch him in the nose, and I don’t think that would be very good for my career.”

“It’s bound to come out sooner or later. You’ll just have to learn to control yourself.”

“I’m not quite rational in regard to you, but I’ll try to work on it.” Nigel touched the computer screen, partially obscuring his face.

Cassie touched her own screen in return, as if they could share a tactile connection digitally. When she removed her hand, Nigel’s face came back into view and took on a look of concern.

“Cassie, the door behind you is opening.”

Cassie turned as she spoke. “Probably just Mum—”

A man in a black ski mask burst into the room, and Cassie leaped from her chair, the cord from her headphones to the laptop almost dragging the laptop off the desk before tearing the headphones from her ears. The intruder closed the short distance between them, trapping Cassie against the desk before she could move away.

“Who are you?” Cassie demanded as the intruder threw her over his shoulder, then started through the door toward the stairs.

She struggled at first, then let herself go limp, dead weight over the man’s shoulder. She felt him relax, and as they started down the stairs, she struck, driving her right knee into his chest and hammering the side of his head with her elbow as she threw all her weight to one side, overbalancing him.

The man cursed in a foreign language as they collapsed on the stairs in a jumbled heap, and Cassie felt his grip lessen. She squirmed from his grasp and almost got away, crawling back up the stairs, but a strong hand closed on her ankle.

“Not so fast, you little bitch,” he said and pulled her back down.

She twisted in his grasp and flipped over on her back to kick at him with her free leg, but he was too strong and too fast and was soon on top of her, grabbing at her flailing arms. Cassie clawed at his face, and her fingers closed on his ski mask and ripped it from his head. The man stopped, as if shocked, and then his face flushed red.

He drew back his arm, and Cassie felt his fist explode against her face.

***

The cook was still bellowing when Nazarov returned to the kitchen, his mask back in place and the girl over his shoulder. The cook’s cry died on her lips at the sight of the girl.

“Cassie!” she said, her eyes on the girl as Nazarov lowered the girl to the floor and began to tape her hands and feet.

Yuri took advantage of the cook’s momentary distraction to grab her right wrist, and with the threat of the knife neutralized, Anatoli and Dimitri closed in. They subdued her quickly, physically but not verbally, for she continued to scream abuse until they got tape over her mouth. Seconds later, she was trussed up on the floor beside the Kairouz woman.