by J M Dolan
* * *
Jamee sat warming her hands around the cup of coffee Abi had generously laced with a liberal dash of coffee liqueur. They sat at the kitchen table while the kids occupied themselves outside building a snow fort. It had started with big sloppy flakes drifting down onto the dormant brown grass. In a wink, it became a fierce snow squall which left an accumulation of three inches of new wet snow.
As quickly as it developed, the snow quit. Now the sun was out sparkling bright on the cold, downy fluffiness that covered the ground. The children had clamoured to go out to play in the first real snowfall of the season. There excitement would be mitigated in the long months ahead as the depth of snow piled up and the cold deepened.
Jamee could see the walls of the fort were beginning to take shape when an impromptu snowball fight broke out and the missiles started flying. The girls were squealing and ducking for cover while Simon, with wild shouts, kept up a steady pummelling. The crisp air brought the sounds of laughter into the kitchen. Finally, exhaustion took over and all three dropped to the ground to make snow angels instead.
“It’s real nice to be back home again after a couple of days in the city,” said Jamee. Her hands moved up and down the smooth sides of her cup as though the action brought her comfort as well as warmth. She was dressed in her favourite jeans and a bulky red sweater over a white turtleneck. Abi was equally casual.
“Your house is comfy Sis, but I’ve missed my things around me,” admitted Jamee. The statement was followed by a big sigh. Jamee starred into her coffee mug.
“So what’s got you feeling so bruised — man troubles?”
“It shows?”
“Not really, but a sister knows these things. It’s Sam, isn’t it?”
“We had a fight.” Jamee paused. “No, that’s not right. Sam was trying to be what he is, a decent up-standing guy, and I was itching for a fight.”
“Or, just an excuse to cool things?”
“You’ve got this sister thing down pat, don’t you? That genetic code factor, certainly provides insight, but then you know the history, too.”
“And Sam doesn’t.” Abi’s expression was a mix of sympathy and mild exasperation. “Why don’t you just tell him why you find it so hard to be in a serious relationship?”
“Because, I really don’t think it would help things if he understood. What would help, is for him to be a testosterone driven male with only one thing on his mind — sex.”
Abi smiled into her coffee mug.
“But no, he wants all that mushy stuff. Just when you’re not looking – trust my luck to find a hot guy with a sensitive side.” Jamee snorted in disgust.
“You realize, you’re doing what you always do. Making jokes to avoid a serious discussion. That’s your go-to defence. Joke or act all independent. Jamee, you can’t always call the shots, sometimes your heart needs to lead.”
“I let my heart lead once, and you saw where that got me.”
Abi leaned forward to lay her hand on Jamee’s wrist, stilling the motion of her sister’s hands. “Let your big sister give you some advice. I think he’s a keeper Jamee. I think you know you could trust Sam with your life. Your work together on this case has proven that.” Abi paused. “I believe it’s safe to say, you can trust him with your heart, too.”
Abi was right, Jamie realized. Crap and more crap… Her trust issues were costing her a man she admired and a chance at happiness. There was nothing she would have liked better than to use the case as an excuse to delay dealing with the personal part of her life. She wasn’t being honest with Sam, her sister, or herself and it was time to face things. She’d start now.
“I promise I’m working on it, Abs.” Jamee’s expression was earnest with a bit of guilt mix in. “I might have a fence or two to mend when it comes to Sam. I need to concentrate on resolving this case first. Then we’ll see,” Jamee promised.
Abi gave Jamee’s wrist a little squeeze before letting go.
“I will admit to one thing,” confessed Jamee. “I haven’t met anyone for a long time who I connect with like I do with Sam. Maybe it’s enough to make me take a chance and trust we could make it together.”
“Cut the old baggage loose, Jamee.” Abi hugged her.
“I’m tempted, but it’s hard to let go, and I’m not the only one I have to consider.”
She felt the vibration in her jean pocket and shifting to one hip, dug out her cell phone.
“Well look at that,” said Jamee, “Scrumptious Sam, is on the line.”
“Hey,” crooned Jamee, purposely keeping it carefree. “What’s shaking?”
Sam’s deep voice came to her, the resonance smooth and sexy.
“Maybe we can investigate, a little shaking later, babe. For right now, the test on the DNA water bottle sample came back.”
“No kidding, that was quick. And, the results, Kemosabe?” Anticipation made her drum her fingers on the table.
“You called it, the results confirm Aleksey Volkov, is the notorious Wolf.” Sam paused. “It would seem Volkov has been taking sporadic absences from his job at the Prosecutor’s Office in Kiev. He’s been moonlighting as the Wolf, a special operative for the SVR, and running a Russian spy sleeper cell. Volkov is a GRU agent and Veronika Kaminski’s handler. He played us all along.” Sam sounded aggrieved and Jamee smiled.
“The information validates my theory, but I’m still stunned,” said Jamee.
“It’s a real coup. The world’s been looking for the identity of the Wolf for several years. Not only is Volkov the wolf, under his alias he’s provided crisis management for several Russian Oligarchs. He functions as the middle man between the money and getting the dirty jobs done.
“The RCMP,” continued Sam, “confronted Mstislav with this new info and he’s in the lockup, singing like a bird. They’ve charged Mstislav with human trafficking, kidnapping and multiple sexual offences. Likely, some of his goons will be included in the roundup. Sergeant Dunbar and his team are busy sorting through evidence to see if they can add murder charges, somewhere along the line. Apparently, now that Mstislav has absorbed the certainty of his indefinite incarceration, he’s determined to take Volkov with him.”
“This is fantastic, Sam.” Jamee was startled by the leaps and bounds the case had suddenly taken. She could hardly take it all in. Essentially the case was finished. For all thoughts and purposes, their relationship could be, too.
Sam continued while she was distracted by her thoughts. “Mstislav only knew Volkov as the Wolf, but he had no trouble identifying him from photographs. He had worked with Veronika Kaminski too — calls her, The Stone. It’s a real page turner.”
Abi had stepped out of the room to check on the kids while Jamee was on the phone with Sam. Jamee welcomed the privacy, hoping that the conversation would take a personal turn.
“Hey, Jamee,” called Abi. Come see this. There’s a strange vehicle pulling up the driveway.”
“Gotta go Sam, I’ll talk to you soon.”
Jamee entered the room and swung the telescope set up to watch wildlife in the yard towards the lane. Breath hissed through her teeth in surprise and fear. Her hands shook with the adrenaline rush as she hit Sam’s redial on her phone. Damn it, Volkov was in her driveway. Damn it all to hell.
“Round up the kids Abi, and bring them inside.” She spoke over her shoulder while moving to a locked cabinet in her office. She kept the cell phone to her ear, a rush of relief washed over her when Sam answered.
“Sam, I need you, Volkov is here.”
“Get out if you can,” he snapped, “sit tight if you can’t. No heroics. I’m on my way,”
Jamee twirled the cylinders on the combination lock to the gun safe and swung open the heavy door. She wasn’t much at hand to hand combat, but her father had made sure she was an excellent marksman. She removed a stun gun from the case. Nothing gave her reason to think Volkov was armed, and if he was responsible for Odessa’s murder, it was likely his forte was hand to hand comb
at. Jamee had no intention of letting him get that close. The inherent danger of taking a lethal weapon to an altercation was that the opponent might find a way to use it against you. She’d have to be on her game.
Jamee started to close the safe door, and then with a change of heart, reached for the Remington 7mm Express. It was a light single shot firearm. The only kind she believed in. Abi would need protection for herself and the children in a worst case scenario and this fit the bill. A scenario, Jamee wasn’t planning to let happen.
She grabbed a handful of shells, and took one last look through the telescope. The small SUV was pulled off the road and tucked in behind the caraganas. She could just make out the back bumper and had no way of determining if he’d left the vehicle.
Jamee entered the kitchen carrying the stun gun and rifle as discreetly as she could. Abi was helping the children out of their outside clothing. Snow encrusted mitts and toques littered the floor. The boots were by the door. Angus was tugging at the sleeve of his coat and declaring himself stuck.
Abi glanced towards Jamee as she entered the kitchen and raised a questioning brow when she spotted the artillery.
“Say Abs, remember when we were kids and we’d take that old lantern down into the basement and into the back cellar. You know,” she kept her voice casual to avoid scaring the kids, “we’d pretend we were corsairs waiting in the ship’s hold, ready to spring out when the pirates boarded the boat. Why don’t you take the kids and show them how it’s done? Some work, I need to take care of, has followed me home. I’ve called Sam and he’s on his way, but I could use the privacy. My guest isn’t big on kids.”
Abi started to speak, but Jamee shook her head. “You should get going, the kids are going to love that game. I’ll give you the pirate’s blunderbuss, and once all’s clear, you can open the cellar doors and hotfoot it to the garage.”
Jamee passed the rifle to Abi and dropped the shells into her sister’s pocket.
“You might want to leave those coats on, but go with shoes not boots. Not so much noise. Remember you’re lying in wait for the pirates.” Jamee winked at the kids.
Jamee leaned forward and kissed her sister’s cheek. Abi didn’t voice the questions her puzzled expression said were on her mind but nodded.
Turning away, Abi quietly hustled the children along through the dining room to the door under the stairs. Angus was wide-eyed with adventure, but the glances Adaira and Alana tossed Jamee’s way, made it clear that they weren’t fooled by the diversion. All three Blair females guessed something unusual was up. But, to Jamee’s relief the girls were following their mother’s lead. Jamee wished she’d arranged a signal so Abi would know when it was safe to leave the cellar and escape to the garage.
Trouble was, Jamee just wasn’t sure of the timing. Her best bet was to engage Volkov in the house. Let him come to her then it would be safe for the others to be off and away from the farm. Jamee would have to rely on being able to hear Abi’s vehicle pull away. Then she’d make her move. With any luck, she’d overpower Volkov, and have him trussed up like the Christmas turkey before Sam arrived. Yeah, that was the plan. It remained to be seen how it would all play out.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Jamee switched on the alarm system then turned some of the room sensors off. She was thankful now for the money she’d spent on the high tech system.
Her fingers flew over the key pad while she locked and alarmed all exterior windows and doors, with the exception of the root cellar double-doors and the back porch. The porch door led into the kitchen. That was the route she wanted Volkov to take. He wouldn’t be able to gain entrance to the root cellar from outside, the doors locked from the inside only.
Jamee accessed the images from the exterior security cameras with her phone. Hunching low, she slipped into a good pair of runners lying by the back door and called Tess to her.
Jamee wanted to maintain a low profile so that if Volkov was skulking around, he wouldn’t be able to pinpoint her whereabouts. With the dog beside her, she put Tess’s training collar on, it would give her better control if the dog got excited. Next to the stun gun, Tess was her only other protection. Jamee found a spot in the kitchen where she could unobtrusively see the outside porch entry. The location gave her a quick escape to the dining room in case she needed an emergency exit. If that possibility developed, she’d get to the door under the stairwell that led to the cellar. Once in the basement, she’d follow Abi’s route out the root cellar escape hatch. Not much of a plan. Buck up, girl. Her mom’s voice echoed in her head. It was time to be brave of heart.
The monitor finally caught movement beside the back porch and Volkov came into view. Jamee had left the porch to kitchen door ajar, and she was rewarded when the handle slowly turned. The door swung open and Aleksey Volkov materialized. Instead of a business suit he was dressed casually in jeans and a leather coat.
Jamee scanned him for a discernible weapon. There was none she could see. Was it an indication Volkov was confident in his close quarter fighting abilities? Another reason she couldn’t let him get near her. Bloody hell, would she rather he’d been carrying a gun? No, but remembering Odessa was garrotted, Jamee resolved to keep herself out of reach.
His stood still and visually searched the kitchen. He hadn’t spotted her. The vibration of a growl in Tess’s throat made her tighten her hold on the dog in warning.
Volkov turned towards the dining room and Jamee realized her mistake. She didn’t want him between her and the basement entry, a stairwell on the far side of the dining room. The short door led to Abi and the kids. Unless she changed his trajectory, once he was in the dining room he could get behind her through the pantry which connected to the kitchen and the dining room. She could either chance he would move into the dining room and then upstairs, or reveal her position.
Damn, she hadn’t thought that one through and she couldn’t afford any more mistakes. Abi and kids were in the basement. She might just as well get the show on the road, force him to make a move. Jamee signalled Tess to heel, and got to her feet.
If he was surprised to see her, it didn’t show. Jamee spoke first, intending to take control of the situation.
“Aleksey, interesting to see you again,” Jamee’s voice was casual as though she’d just invited him to tea.
“Hello to you too, Jamee,” Volkov was equally cordial. “I came to retrieve something of mine. Though now — I suspect you may have been expecting me. Where did the children and your sister disappear to? We should keep this civilized and invite them to join us.”
There was a fanatical edge to his voice and an intensity in his eyes that was anything but civilized. Jamee was sure she was about to meet the real Aleksey Volkov, a psychopath turned killer.
“Gee, they had to leave. Sorry, a prior engagement, you understand?” Jamee spread her hands wide in apology. Volkov looked like he didn’t believe her for one minute.
“How about you get them out here,” he demanded, “and we’ll discuss last week’s meeting refreshments. Where do you keep your empties? I’m looking specifically for the water bottle I used.” Volkov pretended indifference, his eyes were serious. “A little oversight on my part. I forgot to take it with me when I left.”
“You snooze, you lose,” Jamee’s voice trembled a bit in spite of her show of bravado. Sweat tickled down her back. “I was one step ahead of you on that one. Sergeant Dunbar has kindly already taken my recyclables for me.”
Volkov’s expression changed in an instant. The civilized mask disappeared and the man transformed into the Wolf before her eyes. It was bloody creepy. Was he a schizophrenic? Jesus Mary and Joseph!
“While I wish I could enjoy your company longer I’m a little busy, so I have to ask you to leave.” Jamee was certain the request would fall on deaf ears, but she wanted to keep the upper hand.
“No need to show me to the door,” he snarled. “When the time comes, I can find it on my own. You think you’re clever, but that smart mouth is going to
get you killed, bitch.” He spat the words out at her.
“My apologies if I’m boring you, but you really should leave before the RCMP show up. They always get their man, and that’s not just in the movies,” she warned.
She edged a step along the wall, the dog tight to her leg. The animal’s low growl clearly audible. “I’m just giving you a fighting chance. More than what you gave Odessa. The authorities have your DNA, they know you’re the Wolf, and whatever they don’t know, your pal Mstislav is filling them in on. You’re just wasting valuable time here with me.”
For a moment Jamee thought he was actually going to take her advice and leave. It didn’t happen. He took a step towards her, studying her as though she were an insect he’d pinned to a board.
She needed to buy more time. Sam was on his way and she still required some way to signal Abi. Jamee took another step closer to the pantry door. Volkov wouldn’t realize that it led to her escape route. The pantry provided access to both the kitchen and the dining room through two sets of swinging doors. She needed to keep him talking.
“So, it was basically, a cooperate or we’ll kill your whole family kind of operation? Kill one off to keep the rest in line. Pragmatic cutthroats, aren’t you?” she baited him.
“That was Mstislav’s job. I don’t like to play with the merchandise. Letting Veronika do so…was the worst decision of my life.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” Jamee edged a little closer to the panty’s swinging door.
“The Stone was a top-rate spy, but she should have been terminated by GRU before she started thinking above her station. My mistake was I kept her in the field too long. I should have retired her after she offed the old guy. Then a twit like Koval takes her out. What a joke.” His laugh was devoid of humour.
