[Sei Assassin 01.0] Contract: Snatch

by Ty Hutchinson

  “But Demir has to know we’ll be heading to the port. We have to reach it before he shuts it down.”

  “We don’t know that he hasn’t already done that.”

  “What are you trying to say?”

  “I think we should consider hiding out someplace until nightfall. We’ll have a better chance in the dark.”

  As much as I wanted to keep moving, I couldn’t deny that Kostas’ rationale made sense. We were running blind to the port and still needed to locate the fishing boat. Neither of us could determine whether waiting offered a better chance. Demir could flood the entire port with lights and turn night back into day. I had no intention of underestimating what that man would do to catch me. “Tell you what, let’s get closer to the port so we can assess the situation better. We’ll decide then if it’s worth waiting.”

  Kostas nodded, and we continued moving through the backyard patios. It was not without interference, though. More than once, we surprised people. Thankfully none of them were naked or owned a rifle.

  When we reached the end of the block, we stopped at the last patio. It was empty, and we had two apricot trees providing cover. “How is your ear?” I asked as I caught my breath.

  Kostas shrugged. “So long as I keep running, it’ll keep bleeding. I’m okay, though.”

  “I’m out,” I said as I removed my handgun from my waistband.

  Kostas checked the clip in his gun. “I have a few shots left and another loaded clip.”

  I wiped the gun clean of my prints and tossed it into a bush. “What’s your best guess on the distance to the port from here?”

  “Mile and a half at the most.” He looked around the patio before walking over to the sliding glass door and peering inside. “Doesn’t seem like anybody is home.” He took a few steps back and looked up at the second-floor balcony. “We’d have a clear view of the port from there.”

  53

  We were able to enter the apartment through a lower window secured only by a flimsy lock. I jiggered the lock catch loose with my knife and then popped the window off its frame. We searched for weapons. If naked man had a rifle, perhaps others in the neighborhood did as well. No such luck. The décor and the clothing in the closets and drawers told me a couple, most likely middle-aged, lived there. The furnishings were modest and her collection of jewelry was mostly costume. These were working-class people who saved up every year so they could sip cocktails under an umbrella at a beach resort.

  “You hungry?” Kostas said, his head buried inside the refrigerator.

  We hadn’t eaten since the burgers back in Ismil, and my mouth watered at the mention of food. We quickly sat down to a meal of smoked cheese, olives, almonds, a few boiled eggs, one-week-old Turkish bread, and half a jar of strawberry jam. It gave us both a much-needed energy boost.

  Kostas popped the remainder of a boiled egg into his mouth and brushed his hands together. “The calendar hanging on the wall shows the owners will be out of town for another two days. Holiday, I imagine. We’re good for the night.”

  “That’s helpful.”

  “It’s best we try to leave this place the way we found it. They might not notice we were here.”

  I nodded, swallowing.

  “We’ve still got about six hours until sunset,” Kostas noted as he pushed his chair back from the tiny wooden table “Might as well relax. Why don’t you take a bath? You might even find some clothing in the closet that fits you.”

  “A bath sounds like a great idea, but I doubt her clothes will fit me. I saw some of it earlier. She’s tall, but I’ll take a closer look.”

  “I’ll be out on the balcony surveying the port.”

  Before heading into the bathroom, I looked through the woman’s dresser drawer and closet. A fresh change of underwear would work, but her pants were too long. She had shorts, but the waist was too big even in the smallest pair. I took the smallest blouse I could find and stuck with my jeans.

  I stripped off my clothes and then stepped into the shower. The initial blast of cold water felt refreshing. Eventually it turned warm and soothing as it ran over my skin. I shampooed and conditioned my hair and scrubbed every inch of my body. It had been a while since I appreciated a shower that way. I had no intention of rushing.

  After I toweled off, I perused the woman’s array of beauty supplies scattered across the faux marble counter. I used her body lotion and applied moisturizer to my face. My skin thanked me. I blow-dried my hair, dressed, and stuffed my dirty clothes in the bottom of their laundry hamper before heading out to the balcony.

  “How does it feel?” Kostas asked as I joined him on the balcony. He had a cloth pressed up against his ear.

  “Beyond words. And your ear?”

  “The bleeding stopped. I’ll be fine.”

  From the balcony we had a clear view of the bay, and the boats in their slips. I could see four roads that all led that way. A brisk run would have us there fairly fast. “What’s the situation?”

  “Two Askeri Inzibat vehicles drove by so far. They’re searching. Let’s hope they don’t initiate a door-to-door. As for the port, I don’t see a whole lot of movement down there. It’s a concern.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Doesn’t seem right. It’s like Demir is baiting us by making it look like he’s not there.”

  “But he is. I can feel it.”

  “The guy underestimated us in the past. I doubt he has any intention of doing it again. He has something cooking, but what?”

  “What about your friends? Can they help?”

  Kostas ran his hand through his hair. “This mission is officially terminated. I’m not even supposed to be here with you.”

  “I didn’t ask about the mission. I asked if your friends, your Turkish friends, could help.”

  “Maybe, but I’d like to assess the situation a bit more.” Kostas looked around. “If you don’t mind staying out here and keeping watch, I think I’ll take a shower.”

  After Kostas left, I turned my attention back to the port and thought more about what he said, that Demir might be baiting us into a trap. In the short time I’d known him, I’d come to believe he was capable of doing anything. With Greece just an hour away, there was no telling what Demir would do to stop me.

  Being on the verge of putting this ordeal behind me heightened my emotions, not because I hadn’t been in situations that endangered my life before, but because I wanted so badly to begin the search for my daughter. Even with all the uncertainties of her safety and her whereabouts, I had an aching feeling inside me that I could only attribute to an undeniable, growing love for a child. Mine.

  54

  By the time Kostas had finished his shower, three more Askeri Inzibat patrols had passed by the apartment building where we squatted. “They’re increasing. The last two stopped at the corner and seemed to be coordinating efforts.”

  “Doesn’t surprise me,” he said as he sat down in the chair next to me. “The gunshots from the run-in with the naked man didn’t help. I’m surprised they’re not on foot and knocking on doors.”

  “Maybe that’s his plan. He wants us to make it to the port.”

  “Or he’s not as bright as we’re making him out to be.”

  We both sat quietly, contemplating our situation. The vehicle patrols had enough of a presence to keep us at the apartment to nightfall. It didn’t really matter if Demir had a plan and we were walking into a trap. We had to get to the port and on that fishing boat. I knew I wouldn’t truly be out of his grasp until I set foot on Greek territory.

  “This is worth a thought. Surely he must know we need a boat to escape, and if so, do you think that’s what he wants? Does he plan on blowing us out of the water? If you were able to get your hands on C4, surely he has the means to come after us with serious firepower.”

  Kostas clucked his tongue. “I can’t say that’s not a possibility. It’s not like the Greek or Turkish navy patrol the channel between Cesme and Chios. Sinking the boat is one way
to finish us off quietly, though there is the off chance he might want you alive.”

  “I can’t see why. I’m of no value to him.”

  “You were valuable enough for him to keep you alive at the prison.”

  “He thought I had information he needed.”

  “He still might.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I don’t intend on getting caught again.”

  Kostas and I tried to figure out the best approach to reaching the port but continued to come back to the obvious: there was none.

  “We have to accept that we’ll be running blind. There simply is no way for us to gauge what we’re up against,” I said.

  “Easy for a ninja-like assassin to say.”

  “If you follow me, you should live.”

  “Where did you learn those parkour moves anyway?”

  I remained silent, long enough for Kostas to realize I wasn’t answering his question.

  “Oh, now suddenly you’ve lost the ability to move your mouth. I don’t get you. You should know by now I don’t have a hidden agenda. I don’t see why you need to be so hush-hush about everything.”

  I sensed irritation in Kostas’ tone. I took a deep breath and let it out before responding. “There’s a reason I’m good at what I do and have kept myself alive while doing so. I don’t reveal much. The more a person knows about you, the more they have to use against you.”

  “So now I’m the enemy. Might I remind you that I’m the guy who’s getting you out of this mess?”

  A few choice responses danced on the tip of my tongue but I held on to them.

  “A mess that you got yourself into by doing something illegal, I might add.”

  I stared straight ahead and did my best to tune him out.

  “Why don’t you answer me? What’s the big deal?”

  I swear, if he doesn’t stop…

  “I don’t get it. That question wasn’t out of line, considering our predicament. Why can’t you tell me how you learned to somersault over a fricking wall?”

  I wasn’t sure how things escalated so fast on his end. Maybe it was the stress of the day or that Kostas hadn’t planned on encountering so many obstacles when he decided to continue with me to Chios. It didn’t help that I had a quick temper. The beating in my chest became noticeable, and my cheeks grew warm. The more he insisted on having this discussion the more I wanted to ignore him.

  “Sei, why don’t you start acting like an adult and a little less like a pouting little girl?”

  Shut up!

  “Okay. If this is how you want to repay my generosity, then you can find your own damn way to the port.” Kostas stood up with enough force to push his chair back over and then headed back inside the apartment.

  I didn’t know why I didn’t just answer him. Well, I did know why. I didn’t feel like telling him. But his insistence only made me clam up further when he should have let me be. I might have clued him in.

  55

  It was nearly sundown when Kostas reappeared on the balcony. “I’m sorry about acting like an idiot,” he said, taking a seat beside me. “I didn’t mean what I said about not helping you.”

  “I should have answered you. It was a simple enough question, it’s just that. I—”

  Kostas waved his hand. “We’re both under a lot of pressure. I shouldn’t have pushed so hard. I just wanted to know more about you, and not because I want to develop you as an asset, but as a friend.”

  “It’s takes a lot for me to be friends with others. It has to click in my head, something that I want. Don’t take it personally. Just give me time.”

  Kostas nodded before pointing toward the bay. Juxtaposed against the clear bright skies was a large patch of dark clouds rolling in across the horizon. We could clearly see rainfall pouring down from them. “Looks like a storm is moving our way. The channel crossing will be rough.” A breeze rustled the leaves on the tree just below the balcony.

  “Will the boat be able to handle that?” I asked.

  “These storms tend to move in and out of the area fairly quickly. I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”

  As I watched the storm clouds gather, I thought more about Kostas’ offer to help and his access to information that may prove helpful to me. I didn’t know much about the man who set me up, Tark, but he seemed to know quite a bit about me. Identifying and then locating him would be a difficult task, at best. Deep down inside, I knew Delacroix probably wouldn’t lead me anywhere, and with Kashani out of the picture, that left the man who set me up.

  “The other day you said you could help me. If I needed information, could you give me that? And what would you expect from me in return?” I asked, still holding my gaze on the horizon.

  “It depends. What sort of information are you looking for? As for what I want in return, I’ll know when I know. I might run a name by you. I might ask you to give up a previous employer.”

  “Would you utilize my skills?”

  “I wouldn’t say that was out of the question. We, of course, would find some way to compensate you if that scenario came about.”

  I pursed my lips and then bit the lower one. “Someone set me up.”

  Kostas turned to me. “What are you talking about?”

  I told him about the contract, leaving the details of my daughter out of it.

  “So that’s how you ended up in Diyarbakir Prison?”

  “You didn’t know? Hmmm, I thought you had access to information.”

  “I only knew that Kashani was helping you get out of Turkey. How you ended up in Demir’s custody wasn’t a concern.”

  “Well, now you know,” I said, crossing a leg over the other. “I want to find him: Tark.”

  Kostas’ exaggerated breath flapped his lips. “I don’t think helping you find someone so you can kill him is something that’s mutually beneficial to the CIA.”

  “He has something of mine. I want it back.” As much as I wanted to keep my daughter out of the discussion, it seemed more unlikely that I could.

  “You sure you two don’t have history?” A frown appeared on Kostas’ face. “Because you must have done something really messed up for him to land you in a Turkish prison.”

  Until then, I had been cautious about the information I revealed. But the fact was the less he knew, the less he could help. And I couldn’t deny the real possibility that Kostas might be able to identify and locate Tark with CIA resources.

  Silence had run its course. It was time to sing. My only hope was that bringing my daughter into the conversation wouldn’t further complicate the matter. Kostas appeared to have a bleeding heart. “I have a two-year-old daughter. She’s missing, and he claims to know where she is.”

  Kostas leaned back in his chair, both eyebrows arched. “You have a family?” He clasped his hands together. “Wow, I didn’t see that one coming.”

  “Just the daughter. That’s it,” I clarified.

  Kostas kept quiet, so I explained how I discovered my daughter hadn’t died at childbirth, but had been kidnapped.

  “News like that would knock anyone off their feet, and I can understand why you took the job.”

  “The doctor clinched it for me. He admitted to participating in the kidnapping. The child I buried wasn’t mine.”

  “But you have no hard evidence that the girl in the photo is really your daughter or that she’s even still alive?”

  “Timing wise, she’s the right age. And she looks like me. Locating Tark is the next step in piecing the puzzle. Are you able to help me do that?”

  Kostas tilted his head from side to side. “Perhaps, but it won’t be easy or fast, and I can’t promise what I find will lead you to Tark.” Kostas scratched at his chin for a moment. “I know I told you no information until you did me a favor, but I didn’t expect to hear this. Once we’re out of this mess, I’ll dig around.”

  “Thank you.”

  “It’ll be dark soon,” he said. “We should move out once the sun sets.”

  We agr
eed that I would lead the way to the port, and Kostas would follow in my footsteps and do exactly as I said. I felt confident that I could reach the port unseen, but traveling with someone who didn’t have my skill set would be challenging. I made it clear to him there was only so much I could do. He had to make it work.

  We gave the place a onceover, making sure that at first glance, it wouldn’t be noticeable that we were there. If our escape were delayed for some reason, we didn’t need the couple returning home and sounding an alarm. I fluffed pillows, and Kostas picked up any trash. He also buried his dirty clothes in the bottom of the hamper. Once we were convinced that we were leaving the place as we found it, minus some food and few items of clothing, we left.

  56

  Together the night cover and the suburban neighborhood proved to be invaluable for the first couple of blocks. However, my real concern was the city center, where retail shops and restaurants replaced the quiet homes and apartment buildings. It helped that I still had my headscarf and Kostas wore the typical male Turkish attire: a white button-down with a brown sport coat.

  We stuck to the shadows of the homes that lined the road. When we had to be out in the open, we decided to move as a couple in love, as briskly as we could without drawing attention. We managed to get past three Askeri Inzibat patrols. For the first two, we ducked out of sight. The third, however, caught us out in the open, but our smooching-lovebird disguise allowed us to skirt by.

  “Just think, just a few hours ago we weren’t talking to each other,” Kostas said, walking with his arm around me. “Now we’re madly in love and swapping spit.”

  “It feels like I’m kissing my arm.”

  “I think I heard a soft moan.”

  “That was me cursing under my breath.”

  As we approached a man walking his dog, Kostas pulled me closer to his side. While we saw no evidence on the TV in the apartment, that didn’t mean we didn’t make the local news. We took no chances, and Kostas relished every second of it.