by james
name or aliases on them sighted at any checkpoints. But then she could easily hire anyone
she wanted, and apparently had. Two weeks later John’s pregnant wife had climbed into
his car with their three year old daughter, Bella, and John’s world had ended in an
explosion of mangled steel, burnt bodies and shattered dreams.
The powers that be removed John, then Jacob, off the case and reported Mr. Jacob
Angelovsky dead. He changed his last name and moved around after that. Hitting one
bottom after another. The first year, Ian had worried John would do something stupid and
once he almost had. Ian reminded John that at the rate he was going, Elianya Hellinski
would win. If John wanted vengeance then he’d better the hell stay alive long enough to
see it through instead of fucking wimping out.
So John had gone back to work behind the scenes. The contact man for many of
them. It kept him in the loop where they could watch him, where he still knew what the
hell was going on. And when Ian needed him too, John was there to help set things in
motion so that when they were both of out this godforsaken job, they had something else
to do that still expounded on their skills. KB Securities served the high ended client with
whatever they needed. Bodyguard, security system, secure transportation
DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 34
Ian Kinncaid couldn’t wait to get back to the real world … or would that just be
the civilian world? A world away from shadows and sanctioned killings would be nice.
He’d settle for drug and murder free, but Utopia was a bit beyond most. Hell, he’d just
settle to be Ian Kinncaid again.
“John.” He stood and walked to the fridge pulling out two bottles of water and
tossing one to his partner. “Viktor wants it done as soon as possible.”
John took a deep breath.
“What made the bastard finally turn on her?”
Ian took a drink and set the bottle very carefully on the counter. “The fact she
went behind his back and opened up negotiations with the American ring he nixed last
year.”
“Woman was never one to back down.”
“No, and apparently her new clients are of a special breed of depraved humans.
She supplies them with children.”
John, in the process of taking a drink, paused and then lowered the water bottle,
his eyes weary. “Well, we both know she’s not one to start up an adoption ring.”
“No.” He washed the sour taste out of his mouth with a slow drink of water and
watched his friend.
“Son of a bitch.”
“Yeah.”
“You should have let me kill the woman years ago.”
“Should have, but we’d both have been in a brig and you know it.”
John shrugged. “We wouldn’t have left any trace. She would have just
disappeared.”
Ian held up a hand. “I don’t want to know anymore. You do what you have to, let
me know how I need to help, but unless you really think I need to know, I’d rather not
have the details.”
John took a long drink of water before saying, “You mean like you kept the details
from me of one Nina Fisher and of course our dearly loved Congressman Burbanks?”
Ian ignored the references to the times he helped rid his family of those who
would have harmed them.
“When?” John asked.
Ian looked at his friend “As soon as possible. I’m supposed to find her and get the
deed done.”
“Wonderful.”
Ian thought about how to phrase his words. “I don’t want to just take her out,
John. If she’s into kids, I want to know who, where, when and where the hell she picked
them up. I won’t leave any child in the kind of hell Elianya would provide.”
“Agreed.” John took a deep breath, then sat and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I
suppose now would be the time to inform since it came up, I wasn’t sent to just watch
your back, there’s more going on here. What exactly do you know about the child porn
ring going on?”
Ian shook his head and stood, the water roiling in his stomach. “What ring? Or
should I say which ring?” When he’d first come on this sting, he’d been opened to a
world he’d rather have just heard about. Pornography in surplus in dark shadows better
DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 35
left alone, murder, enforced prostitution.… He’d mentioned once to his superior how he
didn’t know how he was supposed to make a difference here. Pete had told him it wasn’t
about making a damn difference, but following orders and getting the job done. Mr.
Dimitri Petrolov’s job was to move up the ranks in one Viktor Hellinski’s organization.
No one cared about the girls, no one cared about the dark aspects. They were all worried
that Mr. Hellinski was tied into fronting terrorists.
“What about the porn ring?” he asked with a sigh. “The one Viktor’s just learned
of and is so pissed about?”
“One that has a strong base of supplying here in Prague. We think the kids are
being taken from low income families, though that’s still undecided. Some cop in your
Connecticut stumbled upon a murder that apparently led to sex crimes. The victim had a
computer and all sorts of info on the financial end of a child porn ring. Dots are leading
back to here, but it’s still sketchy. However, Interpol and boys from both our governments
are wanting this one cracked.”
“Of course they do.” Child porn. Ian closed his eyes and shook his head, wishing
the hot sickness would vanish “You know where I want to be right now?”
John’s chuckle grated across the space. “Anywhere but here?”
“Anywhere but here, any person but me.”
John’s eyes narrowed on him. “You know anything about this?”
Ian shook his head again. “No, but then we’re just learning of it.” How in the hell
had he missed this? Was this Elianya’s brain child? Honestly, he wouldn’t be surprised.
He sniffed and looked out at the night. “What else do you know, you’re not telling me,
John?”
“Well apparently, this is one of the largest, most lucrative rings the guys have ever
uncovered. Everyone wants it stopped so they’re tapping all their resources.”
“And that includes me.”
“That includes you.”
John cleared his throat. “There is also the deal with the hit on you, and of course
your mystery woman in the photograph.”
God, he’d forgotten all about the woman. “And? You know who she is?”
John frowned and rubbed his forehead. “Where did you say you saw her again?”
He watched John carefully. “I told you, she was in Nero’s tonight. I saw her
watching me when I walked in. She watched for me while I met with Viktor and then
followed me out. Asked Ivan who I was.” He narrowed his gaze thinking about that cab.
John nodded and continued to rub his forehead wrinkling the skin. His sigh
slumped his shoulders. “I know her.”
“What?”
“Right there in front of our fucking faces all this time and no one ever noticed.
Never. I hope to God I’m wrong on this.”
“I’m tired, I have to find Elianya tonight and I don’t have time for figure out what
the hell it is you’re talking about.”
&n
bsp; John sat forward, his elbows on his knees, the blue sweater bunching. “The
woman in that picture is a woman I once worked with. She did a stint in both MI5 and
MI6 and she was bloody wicked.”
“So what is she doing here?” he asked.
DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 36
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out.”
“What do you hope you’re wrong about, John? You think she’s Raven?”
John shook his head. “Nothing is certain and I don’t want you shooting her if I
learn she’s come back in to work, or even if she’s investigating the porn rings from
another angle.”
He arched a brow. “So then she’s perfectly harmless.”
“There is nothing harmless about her. Watch your back.”
* * * *
Raven sat on the bed in her hotel, now in jeans, and a black sweater. She knew
where he lived, or had an idea. Why else would he drive all the way out there?
Girlfriend? From accounts he had none. A meeting? Probably not in a residential
section of the city. Then again, anything was possible.
So was she taking this job or not?
She sighed and nibbled on her thumbnail, listening to the traffic whir below.
Truth? She knew she was probably going to turn this job down. B-Widow had
never given a reason for the hit and until she had it, there was no way Raven was just
carrying it out. Which was dumb considering the fact the price had gone up to five
million Euros.
But if someone wanted him eliminated to that extent, one had to wonder why
The hell of it was, she was too curious to just leave this alone. She knew. She had
to find out what was going on and if a hit had been put on one of the good guys she’d
rather know and warn him. For now, she’d put B-Widow off again on the fact she was
doing research and still deciding and wanting until the end of the week. Should be no
problem.Dimitri Petrolov was cocky, that was for certain, but if he’d taken her photo, then
what? She knew he held something in his hand earlier that evening as he’d studied her.
Everyone and their bloody grandmother could take a digital photo these days with nothing
more than their mobile phone, or a camera that fit in their palm. It really complicated jobs
like hers. And if she hated anything it was a bleeding complication.
Sighing, she clicked on the email to answer B-Widow. Finishing that, she grabbed
her leather jacket, her pack with all the essentials in it and hurried out. Time to scout the
last place she saw the BMW.
* * * *
October 31; 12:20 AM
Elianya read the message on the computer. Damn. Why would the assassin take so
long in deciding? She should have gone with a lesser known, someone more into the
simple money. Few would turn down a job for several thousands, let alone five million.
And if Raven turned her down?
Anger licked quickly through her. Then Elianya would use a backup plan.
Backups were wise she knew. Anything could go wrong at anytime, and at this point in
the venture she couldn’t afford for it to wrong. Let her brother raise his empire on his old
prostitutes, drugs and occasional arms deal. She … she had other ties, other vices she’d
exploit and damn if she wasn’t going to create her own empire She knew she was already
as wealthy as her brother. While she’d acted the business minded sister who wanted to do
nothing more than open her own boutiques, she’d been running another much more
DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 37
lucrative business.
And it was time to take out the competition. Checking her watch, she knew she’d
have enough time to get done what she needed and head out to Kladno. She had clients
coming in and wanted to make certain they received all they needed. Then it was to her
house in Cheb, that lovely little Baroque townhouse she bought fully furnished. Then
tomorrow night she was meeting Leos for a photo session at her other business studio in
Cheb. Busy busy.
She clicked off the stereo killing the Mozart that floated on the air. Quickly, she
picked up her long white ermine coat and slipped it on, pulling her hair free.
Grabbing her briefcase, she left her office and hummed as she planned how to end
the tension between herself and her brother.
DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 38
CHAPTER FIVE
October 31; 12:30 AM
Elianya told her driver to wait and climbed out, hurrying into Nero’s. Of course
Viktor would be here at Nero’s Was it any wonder the man was falling behind? He’d
become complacent.
She winked at Ivan with a smile she knew promised more--not that more would
happen. He was a loose end she needed to tie off. Ivan had placed the bug in Viktor’s
office here, but his use was at an end. At least after tonight.
Inside, she walked straight to the staircase, cursing a young idiot who almost
spilled a glass of red wine on her coat. Her heels clipped up the stairs. She ignored
Viktor’s two guards and stalked down the hallway.
How to play this? Staring at the door, she willed tears to her eyes. Blinking more
moisture she opened the door. “Viktor?” she forced a tremor in her voice.
Her brother, his hair queued back, dressed immaculately as always, stood staring
out the window on the floor below.
“Come in, Elianya.” His voice was flat, but then why wouldn’t it? He was trying
to kill her.
She started to cry. “Viktor, I n--need your help.” Quickly, she shut the door behind
her and locked it.
“What do you need help with?” Still he didn’t turn around.
Would he kill her? Probably not. If he was, he would have done it himself and not
asked Dimitri to do it for him.
She took off her coat. Didn’t want to get it dirty now did she? Very precisely she
draped it over the leather chair by the door. Still she left the white leather gloves on.
“I’ve gotten…” She sniffed. “I’ve gotten into trouble, Viktor.” She walked to his
sideboard and thought about pouring herself a glass of cold vodka, but decided against it.
Obviously some would think she would have committed the deed, but then, she’d
buy those off, or fuck them off. Either way, she’d do what she had to.
She turned and walked to his desk, as she had countless times, pouting as he
turned around and letting the tears shimmer on her eyes.
Men were so easy.
His amber gaze, so like her own studied her with a weariness that only stirred
anger within her. He shook his head and sighed, sitting behind the desk.
“What, Elianya? What do you want now? What have you done now?”
She quivered her lip and chin. “I thought I could make us more money, Viktor. I
only wanted to make you proud.”
“So you always say.” He tapped his fingers on his desk and watched her.
She picked up the letter open and put it down, picked up his pen and twirled it.
“I don’t mean to cause you trouble, Viktor. Honestly, I don’t. I only want to make
you proud of me...” She let the last trail off in a quiver of fresh tears.
DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 39
Again he sighed and put his hand on her knee. “Elianya, I know you don’t mean
trouble, but you always cause it. I love you and I’ll always be proud of you.” His mouth
>
tilted down at the corner and his eyes narrowed. “I find I lack pride in many of your
schemes.”
The bastard was lying through his teeth. She hopped off his desk and leaned over
to kiss his cheek, noting how he stiffened as she leaned close. “I love you too, brother. I
am sorry I disappoint you, though.”
She dropped the pen back to the desk and picked up the letter opener. As if not
thinking, she fiddled with the object in her hand. Nice and sharp wasn’t it? But then she
planned for it to be. She’d have only one chance. Some things one hired out for and
others one carried out. This she would do all her own.
Elianya stood looking out at the crowd below, the few straggling up the staircase,
those surrounding the small tables talking and laughing of whatever people talked and
laughed about. Perhaps that table there was talking about their day, the group of ladies
laughing about men? Though really, what was to laugh about men? They were really such
sad creatures.
Women, women were the strong ones and always had been. She knew that, hell,
she proved it. And there, the group of young boys pointing to the girls at the next table
before leaning close to one another and laughing. Another man pinched a woman’s ass.
Here it was almost midnight and the place was still on a good leg. Give it another
hour and things would deteriorate. There had been sex under the stairs, she knew, she’d
done it with several of Viktor’s guards, heavy petting under a table, drugs passed as if
they were candy.
To some it may seem wild and vice ridden. She saw the potential for more. Prague
was still such a simple city, its old world charm, friendly attitude, belied by the nightlife
fun many could have, that many sought.
A shame she hadn’t moved to Amsterdam years ago. But business was business
and though she might better feel at home in the city in Netherlands, she also knew that the
need would grow and spread. Why open shop when there were already plenty saturating
the market? No, so she waited. Waited here, learned her brother’s contacts and used them
when the time came.
She almost smiled.
Turning she saw her brother watched her. “What?”
He tilted his head, his gaze running over her, his hands laced over his middle.
