The Severance Trilogy Box Set

by Mark McKay

  ‘Through here,’ he said.

  He opened a door into a narrow corridor and led them to the next office in this mini-block. It was larger and better appointed, with a big executive desk and three leather armchairs. One man sat behind the desk and another stood behind him and to one side, his hands clasped loosely in front of him.

  No one spoke for a while. Nick recognised the man behind the desk as Yulian Dubrovsky. He wore a dark suit jacket and an open necked white shirt, and his whole presence radiated an almost serene sense of power. This was a supremely self-confident man.

  Marielle looked around. ‘Where’s Louisa?’

  ‘Close by,’ said Dubrovsky. ‘Hello Max.’

  ‘Yulian.’ The two men stared at each other.

  ‘You’ve aged, Max.’ There was no reply. ‘I should lecture you about filming people without their consent, but I’m sure it would fall on deaf ears.’

  ‘Just doing my job.’

  Dubrovsky turned his gaze on Marielle. ‘You remember me?’

  She held his eyes. ‘I remember.’

  Finally, he looked at Nick. ‘Where do you fit in?’

  ‘Just helping out.’

  ‘Right.’ Dubrovsky was suddenly bored. ‘You have the tape?’

  ‘Where’s Louisa?’ repeated Marielle.

  ‘First things first. I view the tape and then you get your daughter. Let me have it.’

  Marielle handed it over. Dubrovsky got up from the desk abruptly.

  ‘I’m going next door to look at this,’ he said. ‘Wait.’ He left the room.

  ‘Sit,’ commanded Rubashkin.

  ‘We’ll stand,’ said Max.

  Rubashkin shrugged. ‘As you wish.’

  They waited. After ten minutes, Dubrovsky returned. He had a girl with him.

  ‘Who is that?’ demanded Marielle. ‘That’s not Louisa. Where is she?’

  The girl was young and dark-haired, now the hoodie was off. Her pretty face was expressionless, and the eyes cold.

  ‘Did you think that if I simply clicked my fingers your daughter would be released into my custody, with no questions asked?’ said Dubrovsky. ‘With all the media attention her stupid acts have focused on her? You are being naive, Ms Bach.’

  ‘You bastard,’ hissed Marielle. ‘You made me a promise.’

  Dubrovsky was unmoved by Marielle’s anguish. ‘A promise I couldn’t keep. I apologise for that. Are there any copies of this tape in existence?’

  ‘What do you think?’ she shot back.

  ‘I sincerely hope not.’ Dubrovsky placed the tape carefully on the floor and crushed it under the heel of his shoe, several times. He picked it up and said something to his henchman behind the desk. The man rummaged through the desk drawers until he found a carrier-bag. The remains of the tape went inside.

  ‘We’re leaving, now,’ said Dubrovsky. ‘Yuri will stay with you.’

  Yuri was now holding a gun. He motioned for them to sit, and this time they didn’t demur.

  There was a short conversation in Russian and then Dubrovsky switched back to English.

  ‘Nice seeing you again, Max. Sorry about the circumstances, of course. Perhaps we can reminisce another time.’

  ‘Look forward to it,’ said Max.

  Dubrovsky nodded. Rubashkin opened the door for him and then both men and the girl left, presumably to drive straight back to the airport.

  ‘Shit,’ breathed Max.

  Marielle sat quietly, tears running down her cheeks. Nick sat listening. He heard the Mercedes leave.

  ‘Your car keys,’ said Yuri. ‘On the desk, please.’

  Nick fished the keys from his pocket and threw them on the desk. Yuri picked them up.

  ‘We go outside, now,’ he said. ‘Stand up.’

  They filed down the corridor. Their guns were no longer on the desk in reception. A minute later they all stood outside, where the cloud cover had dispersed and a full moon beamed down.

  ‘Walk towards the river,’ ordered Yuri.

  There was no choice but to obey. The river was visible, now the moon was out. It was about 200 yards away and as they got closer they could see the moon reflected in the water. Under other circumstances it would have been a beautiful sight, romantic even. Yuri had the three of them walking abreast ahead of him; one rash move and it would be child’s play for him to shoot the miscreant.

  They were close to the river bank now, from where it was a ten-foot drop to the water below.

  ‘When I say go,’ whispered Nick, ‘run for the edge and dive. Stay under as long as you can.’

  ‘Stop!’ said Yuri.

  They stopped. They turned as one, to face their executioner. That simple action momentarily confused him. Perhaps he preferred to shoot his victims in the back. The gun wavered.

  ‘Don’t move,’ shouted a new voice. Kamiko. ‘Gun down on the ground.’

  Yuri swore. He dropped into a crouch and swung in Kamiko’s direction, all in one fluid movement. He got off one shot at her moonlit figure before she fired in return. He toppled over, the gun spilling away from him. He clutched his shoulder in pain.

  Nick was first to reach him. He picked up the gun. Marielle was on her knees, crying in silent shock. Max was kneeling next to Kamiko, who was lying on her back. She wasn’t moving. He had his fingers on her neck, searching for a pulse. After ten seconds that seemed a lifetime, he looked back at Nick and shook his head.

  For a moment, Nick’s mind went completely blank. He saw the man on the ground next to him, clutching his shoulder. He saw Kamiko’s prone, lifeless body. Then he was pulling the trigger, and Yuri’s body was jumping and convulsing as he emptied round after round into him. The shots echoed across the river in rapid succession, each one snuffing out its predecessor. Then all he was aware of was Max’s voice, soft and cajoling, asking for the gun. And the sight of Kamiko’s hair, which had come loose and was spread out behind her head in a huge black fan, shining in the moonlight.

  Chapter 9

  There was complete silence in the car, on the return journey. Marielle was in the back seat, staring forlornly out the window. Max was driving, grim-faced. Nick, in the passenger seat next to him, stared unseeingly at the road ahead. They’d been driving half an hour now and not a word had been exchanged.

  After Max had prised the gun away from Nick, he’d taken control of the situation. He thought about dumping both bodies in the river, but there was nothing to hand to weigh them down with. They would just have to be left where they were. Nick had gone over to kneel beside Kamiko. He stroked her cheek, his face contorted with grief. Max left him there while he helped Marielle back to the car and then he did a quick sweep of the area just outside the warehouse.

  He tried to open the door, but it was locked. The only thing of value that he thought might be inside were their guns, but there wasn’t time to force the door and search for them. As it turned out, he didn’t need to. Rubashkin had discarded them in a rubbish bin, close to where the Mercedes had been parked. He then went back to Nick and calmly explained that they needed to remove anything from Kamiko that might be used to identify her. He started to go through her pockets, but Nick brushed him away.

  ‘I’ll do it,’ he said, in a toneless voice.

  Max went to look at Yuri. In death, Yuri’s hard, craggy features had relaxed. He looked almost boyish, and Max realised with a start that he’d probably been no older than thirty. He retrieved the BMW’s car keys, and removed a wallet and phone from the body. He was quite sure though, that it wouldn’t take much to work out Yuri’s provenance. He was an FSB man, simple as that. A dead one.

  ‘I can’t leave her here, Max,’ said Nick, as Max placed a hand on his shoulder.

  ‘We have no choice. Come on, say your goodbyes and get in the car. It may be the middle of the night, but someone will have heard the shots. We need to go.’

  Max went back to the car, where a listless Marielle waited to be let in. He got her inside and then began walking back towards Nick.
At that moment Nick emerged from the shadows, his haggard face wet with tears. He motioned Max to take the driver’s seat and then wordlessly opened the passenger door. Max started the BMW and drove carefully away from the industrial unit, only switching on the headlights when they were back on the main road. It was a needless precaution really, he thought to himself as he shifted through the gears. The place was as deserted now as it had been an hour earlier. With the exception of the two bodies they’d left behind, of course. He breathed deeply, and kept his eyes on the road.

  The mood hadn’t changed by the time they got back to Heidelberg. When Alix opened the door and saw them, her face dropped.

  ‘What happened? Where’s Kamiko?’

  They went inside and sat down. Max put his arm around Marielle and she leaned into him, head on his shoulder. Nick stared at the floor for a moment and then looked up at Alix.

  ‘It went badly wrong. Kamiko was shot. She’s dead.’

  ‘Oh my god,’ said Alix. She took a moment to absorb that. ‘And Louisa?’

  ‘There was no Louisa,’ said Marielle. ‘Just someone we saw from a distance and thought was her.’

  Alix went to the kitchen, returning a minute later with a bottle of whisky and four glasses. She poured a shot for everyone and passed them around. They all drank.

  ‘I need to contact Mariko and tell her,’ said Nick. ‘The Crimson Dragon Society just lost one of its agents. I should do that right away.’ He looked at Max. ‘Whatever debt Yoshi Mashida owes you is now paid in full. Agreed?’

  ‘Agreed,’ said Max.

  Nick finished his drink and stood up. ‘I’ll make the call in my room. And Max, this isn’t over. Quite the opposite.’

  He gave Mariko the bad news.

  ‘That is… sad,’ were her first words.

  ‘I hardly knew her. Where she came from, why she was in India. Why did you send her there? She wouldn’t talk about it.’

  ‘One day, I’ll tell you her story. But now, tell me everything that happened to you all. Then we can decide what to do.’

  When he’d finished the call, he went back to the living room. Nobody had moved in his absence and the level in the whisky bottle had dropped appreciably. Nick poured himself a refill and sat down.

  ‘We’re all upset,’ he said. ‘But I’m going to try and be as objective as possible. Max, you came to Yoshi Mashida for help. He sent me. Since then, we’ve discovered that Dubrovsky was the man who found out about your tapes and then blew your cover.’

  ‘Actually, it was me,’ said Marielle.

  ‘Technically, you’re right I guess. The situation now is that Dubrovsky has got what he wants and there’s no more threat from that quarter.’

  ‘You really believe that?’ cut in Alix.

  Nick held up a hand. ‘Bear with me. The other tapes, which are also in his possession, could be said to be of limited value to him. Question is: what do you want to do now, Max?’

  ‘What did Mariko say?’ asked Max.

  ‘I can help you at my discretion. Unless in doing so there is some conflict of interest. At the moment, I can’t see one.’

  ‘In that case, this is my two cents worth. I think Dubrovsky will look at the remaining tapes and see if there is any mileage in blackmailing the people on them. Who knows what he could ask for? Money, information. We can’t ignore them. And there’s the small matter of Dubrovsky not keeping his end of the deal.’

  ‘How do we get to him?’ asked Alix.

  ‘We find his weak spot,’ said Nick. ‘Everyone has a weak spot.’

  ‘And we use it to get back Louisa and the tapes,’ said Max. ‘Case closed.’

  ‘Almost closed,’ said Nick.

  ‘What did I miss?’

  ‘Nothing. We now know what we’re going to do, it’s just a matter of how.’

  Later that day, Max looked again at the list of possible blackmailees. They’d crossed Ostermann and Kellner off the list, and of course Dubrovsky. That left seven others.

  ‘We can start with von Essen,’ said Max. ‘He’s in Germany. The rest are in England. How do you want to play this, Nick?’

  ‘You tell them you filmed them. We say the tapes were stolen and that if anyone contacts them demanding anything, they should call us.’

  ‘What’s the point, exactly?’ asked Alix. ‘You already know who’s got the tapes.’

  ‘Yes, and whatever he asks for will need to be delivered somehow. That might be Dubrovsky’s weak spot. Or a chance to get at him. I’ll take either.’

  ‘Meanwhile, we dig even deeper into Dubrovsky,’ said Max. ‘Is he having affairs? What are his finances like? Has he made enemies? There must be something we can use. That’s your job, Alix.’

  ‘I’m supposed to be at work, you know.’

  ‘Not today. Look after Marielle for me, would you? And you should be able to get some assistance from Mariko. You’re a librarian for god’s sake, you know how to do research, don’t you?’

  ‘Yes Max, I think I can manage. I’ll get back to you.’

  ‘What can I do?’ asked Marielle, who had just appeared from the bathroom to catch the tail-end of the conversation.

  ‘You can help me,’ said Alix. ‘These two are beyond help. They’ll manage without us.’

  The women left the room.

  ‘You’ve not lost any of your charm then,’ said Nick, watching them go.

  ‘That’s more than I can say for your sense of humour,’ countered Max.

  ‘You’re right. I left that in Frankfurt.’

  Max looked away, then at the list. ‘I’ll phone von Essen and set up an appointment.’

  That evening, they watched the news. The deaths of two ‘so far unidentified’ people at an industrial unit in Frankfurt, was reported. There were pictures of the scene, overlooking the river. The incident was being treated as murder and no weapons linked to the crime had as yet been found. They watched the TV in sombre silence as photographs of the deceased were shown.

  ‘Once they figure out their nationalities, it shouldn’t take too long to identify them,’ said Max. ‘Just a matter of matching the photos to the national passport databases.’

  ‘Mariko said she would arrange to have Kamiko flown back to Japan,’ said Nick. ‘She’ll be in touch with German Intelligence and the body will be released, no questions asked.’

  ‘I wonder if someone will do the same for Yuri.’

  ‘If the FSB have inherited anything from the KGB, it’s that they always get their people home. Dead or alive.’

  ‘Yes. And our friend Yulian will know that things didn’t quite go to plan. We’re still loose ends as far as he’s concerned.’

  Nick turned to Marielle. ‘I don’t think it’s safe for you to go home. I’d like you to stay with us.’

  ‘For how long?’ she asked. ‘I may never be safe if I’m a loose end.’

  ‘I don’t know how long. Until we have something we can use against Dubrovsky. Something that will guarantee safety for all of us.’

  ‘But we’re clueless,’ said Alix. ‘We may never find anything.’

  ‘We’re sure as hell going to try,’ replied Nick. ‘You should take a leave of absence. Start with a week. And we need to find somewhere else to live for a while.’

  Alix opened her mouth to protest, and then shut it again. ‘Yes, you’re right. I should start looking for an apartment. Here in Heidelberg?’

  ‘Let’s try Berlin, not too far from the airport. The Crimson Dragon Society is paying, so get something comfortable but not extortionate.’

  ‘I know where to look,’ said Marielle.

  ‘Good,’ said Nick. ‘We can all drive to von Essen’s place, tomorrow. It’s on the way to Berlin. We’ll stay at a hotel for a few nights, until we find an apartment.’

  Von Essen, not knowing he was about to receive bad news, had invited them for a late lunch. Max called him again the next morning, to say there’d be two extra guests to cater for. Then, after stuffing as much luggage as possible
into the BMW, they set off.

  Von Essen’s estate was about 20 miles north of Dresden. They arrived just before 2pm. The approach to the mansion was along a wide gravelled drive, bordered by lawns studded with oak and birch trees. Behind the main residence and up a slight hill, vines were planted. As they got closer to the house they could see a complex of greenhouses about 20 yards to the left. And beyond those, fields planted with what looked like cabbages. The mansion itself was on three levels; daffodil yellow with tall, white-framed windows and a grey slate roof. They walked up a wide stone staircase to reach the front door, on the second level.

  ‘Think he’s got a butler?’ said Max.

  If there was a butler, it was his day off. Instead, the door was opened by a willowy forty-something woman in designer jeans. Her shoulder-length auburn hair was loose, framing an attractive face.

  ‘You’re right on time,’ she said, smiling and waving them in. ‘I’m Magda.’

  ‘So Heinrich got his estate back,’ said Max to no one in particular, as they came into the entrance hall. ‘What did the communists use it for?’

  ‘It was a military training school,’ said Magda. ‘Then a high ranking party official had it for a while. It was a bit of a mess when we got it back.’ She opened a door into a reception room. ‘And it’s my estate, actually.’

  ‘Ah, excuse me,’ said Max. ‘I didn’t know.’

  ‘Obviously. Do you want something to drink? I’ll ask Katya to bring you something. I’ll just see about lunch. Heinrich will be down shortly.’

  With that, she smiled and went off to find Katya. Shortly afterwards a young woman arrived and asked them what they’d like. Heinrich arrived close behind her.

  ‘Max, nice to see you again.’ The two men shook hands. Heinrich von Essen was in his mid-fifties. Tall and thin, encased in sports jacket and jeans. Willowy, like Magda, thought Nick. Heinrich looked at Marielle for a long moment.

  ‘You haven’t aged at all,’ he said. ‘Still exquisite.’

  ‘Hello Heinrich.’

  ‘What is this, Max? Are we about to relive Berlin in the 90’s? Not that I’m objecting, you understand.’