#2 Shades of Gray: From Moscow, With Love
Page 49
Chapter Forty
Plans Into Action
Fifteen minutes earlier...
The raven landed next to the wolf in an alley beside the Bes Hotel, and the wolf looked to the large bird with its golden-yellow eyes. Across the street was Melissa's safe house. The raven cawed and took once more to the dark sky and from its lofty view, the large bird looked over the vicinage and surveyed the area. Death would soon be on the wind.
About a block away from Melissa's safe house, Nikolai sat in the Cadillac. He removed his suit jacket, laid it on the back seat, reached into the glove box, and removed the Glock 19. "It is time. Are you ready, my sister? We have been given the go ahead."
"Yes." Natasha checked the wrist sheathes and whispered to her knives, "Do not worry, my Sweets. You will taste blood soon enough."
"Then let us begin our job. There are no restrictions on which Closing we perform first."
"I am pleased Voice gave us the go ahead on an early Closing for the Phoenix."
Nikolai tucked the Glock 19 in a holster strapped to his back, grabbed a box, opened it, and removed a Winnow Mask type D. He looked over the full head gear and decided the military version would do nicely. They won't have to wear other masks for the WM-D would keep their identities from prying eyes. He opened the ash tray under the vehicle's console and removed a plain metal lighter. Nikolai put the WM-D on, grabbed his jacket from the back, exited the car, and placed the jacket on. He put the lighter in its pocket and headed for the trunk.
Natasha threw her coat in the backseat, put on her WM-D, and joined her brother as he opened the back. "Oh... That smell. It is awful!" She waved her hand in front of her mask and motioned inside. "I can smell that thing even through the filter."
"I almost forgot I grabbed it." Nikolai looked at the thing in the trunk. "What you smell is the smell of urine."
"Are you going to use that thing now?" his sister asked.
"No, not yet. It might come in handy later." Nikolai punched the thing in the face, rolled it on its side, and removed the Thompson Submachine Gun's case and a gasoline can. He set both items on the sidewalk and shut the trunk. "Tasha, are you clear on the plan?" he asked over the Winnow Mask's transmitter.
"Yes, very clear." She straightened her red leather outfit, grabbed a gasoline can, her satchel, and started across the street.
A few minutes passed, and her brother crossed. A couple walking down the sidewalk looked up and saw the man in the WM-D, his gasoline can, and gun case. They turned and went back the way they came. Nikolai laughed and made his way up to the stoop. He threw the gas on the house, removed the Tommy, and lit the lighter. "Alright you muckers, I'm the gee picked for this Closing, so let's do this," he shouted and then said over the WM-D transmitter, "Tasha, I'm in position."
"As am I." Natasha stood on the roof of an adjacent house overlooking Melissa's backyard. "One of them has come out. She is the woman who was with the Phoenix. I am taking aim. It is too late, she has gone back in."
"No matter," Nikolai replied. "They should flee the house soon and then we will have our fun."
"Are you sure they will split into two groups?" Natasha questioned.
"It is my guess, if they flee before I set the fire and if they prolong anymore, I will set it ablaze. If it comes to that, they may all leave at once or split into two or more groups, so be on your guard, my sister."
Natasha removed a knife and glanced at a road flare she held in the other hand and then looked to the backdoor. "Nothing new on my end. This is boring. Do make them come out."
"It is time." He stepped back and threw the lit lighter at the side of the house. The gas ignited, and flames quickly engulfed the wall and front door.
"I have movement!" Natasha yelled, excited as she readied to throw her knife.
A blur of dark colored material emerged from the house and made its way to the gate and at first, she didn't know what it was then she realized it was a large blanket or two. A hand reached up from under the forest-green comforter and opened the gate, and they started out the gate like a delirious Chinese parade dragon.
"A group of them has come out of the house covered with two large blankets," she reported as she drew back her hand to release a deadly knife. Two bullets whizzed by her head, and she ducked behind the ledge. Natasha pulled the top of the road flare, threw it over the roof, and hit the fence. The gasoline ignited, and flames rapidly spread across the wood as a little girl screamed. The fire lapped at the comforter and hissed as it was repelled by the cloak of forest-green. The flames ate away at the wooden fence, but cowered from the comforter as the last of the Chinese parade dragon exited the gate. A second wave of bullets whizzed by Natasha, and she heard the little girl scream again.
"Nikolai!" Natasha yelled. "They made it past the fence and are running through the vacant lot. I don't know how many came out."
"Understood." Nikolai aimed the Tommy at the front door consumed by flames and shot. He sent an onslaught of metal, hoping to clear a path inside for himself. He stopped, reloaded, ran at the door like a maniac, and kicked it in. Nikolai quickly checked inside the entry, then the living room, and soon he had checked the entire house. "Tasha."
"Yes, my brother."
"The house is clear. They all must have escaped out the back. Have you followed them?"
"Yes, they have gone underground like rats. They have made our job much more interesting." Behind her, Melissa's safe house burned, lighting up the dark heavens in a halo of red, yellow, and orange. "Do bring the car to the back street. It is time we ashed the Phoenix."