by Nick James
4) Another streetwalker called Amanda, who was tied up face down and cursing like a sailor, was on the marriage bed in his wife’s twenty-year-old wedding dress, which had been pulled up to show off her bare ass, and who was now very, very upset, but not as much as Jackie, his wife.
I always told him not to mix his drugs, but would he listen? Nooooo. But then again, Nikki was a wild one; I mourn her loss.
Su did come to the funeral with me but had to go back to work for a few hours, which left me to mourn alone. And that’s what I did.
Once I’d entered the establishment of dancing flesh, I was greeted by a big cheer: ‘Tiger!’ I gave the complete occupancy of Lapland’s dance club a wave. I took my normal stool at the bar. It wasn’t a nice place. It was dark and gloomy, and everything was covered in red velvet, but they all knew me and I knew them. I’d even gone to school with some of the girls.
Everyone was asking questions about why Three Chins would kill himself and murder Nikki. I thought back to my buddy and after a hard day enjoying ourselves with girls, drinks and acid. We were concerned about the Dragons who seemed to be stalking us, so we watched the movie The Deer Hunter. There was a scene where the soldiers were forced to play Russian roulette, which involves a revolver with one bullet in the cylinder leaving five chambers empty. They spin the cylinder and then press the trigger to see if the hammer hits the bullet of an empty chamber.
Chins was hooked and wanted the thrill of trying the life and death game. I guess he offered Nikki free drugs, but the one thing his drug-addled mind had forgotten was the difference between a revolver with its cylinder and the magazine-fed pistol he used. I think you can imagine the rest. Nikki kills herself, and then Chins panics before taking his turn.
I had a brief chat with Hammer Harry behind the bar who informed me of the girls currently available on the lap dance rota. ‘Oh good, send over Britney?’ I asked and took my cold and overly priced beer to another red velvet-covered booth, where I unleashed my manly stomach and threw my jacket onto the seat next to me.
Up walked a six-foot beauty with long blonde hair who called herself Britney. But really she was called Samantha who had daddy issues and a bullet wound in her stomach. Don’t forget, they’re the afternoon crew. ‘Hey, Tiger, how’s Suzie?’ she asked as she started her routine wearing just a bikini and heels.
‘She’s good thanks, Brit. How’s your girlfriend?’
She managed to shrug whilst rubbing her arse against Mr Happy. ‘She ran off with a bus driver; his job was more respectful,’ and then started to twerk as she earnt her money.
‘Ah, well, plenty more fish in the sea. You should come over for dinner. Suzie would love to see you again,’ I added, and then stopped as my face was forced into a flesh valley which I would happily set up home in.
As Britney went back to rubbing me raw on my zipper using her ample bum, I heard the door go. I took my eyes off the jiggling flesh and saw two Chinese blokes from the Limping Dragon. Mai had warned us that problems could arise due to the hit at Shimmering Dreams. I took fifty quid out of my wallet and slipped it into Britney’s thong. ‘Brit, can I use your back door?’ I whispered.
Her head spun around and then she looked at the money. ‘It’ll cost you more than that, Tiger, and it won’t be here,’ she said quickly, making sure we weren’t overheard.
I looked at her all confused, and then slapped her arse making her yelp. ‘Not that, you pervert,’ I said as I watched the goons walk slowly through the place. ‘I mean your fire exit.’ This surprised me too, and I could understood her initial confusion. Though she normally didn’t charge me when she came over to the flat. Money grabbing cow.
Britney showed me the back door as she got up, and then she showed me where the fire exit was.
I gave her another slap and a kiss on the cheek before creeping out, trying to keep to the shadows, which was easy, although I did interrupt some speed dating for cash, but finally I made it out.
Even though I made it, I did feel like a drunken panda as I crept. Maybe I should restart my exercise routine, or even just start it up. My car was around the corner to keep what I did secretive. Bur surprise surprise, there was a ticket on it from a traffic officer. No information, just a little handwritten note from my colleagues which read: Dirty Fat Fuck. Ha ha! PE 3547 Hancock & Sarge 2998 Adamson.
I threw my door open, grabbed my burner phone and called Suzie Q. The bloody thing just rang and rang before going to voicemail. ‘Suzie, luv, some of your employer’s goons were following me. Get out. Now!’ I barked, hoping my little tigress would pick up my message.
As I drove away, the London traffic tried to aggravate me, so I decided to park up in a store’s car park.
After turning off the shitty, misfiring car, I checked my phone contacts. Bingo! Adrianna, a new barmaid, was working there today at the Dragon. And the reason I have her number is none of your business; it’s between her nice, soft, experienced hand and me.
The phone rang only three times. ‘Who’s this?’ the Russian woman spat curtly down the phone.
‘Adrianna, it’s me, Tiger, have you seen Suzie Q?’ I heard her move away from some other voices who seemed to be there.
‘Tony, you owe me new fucking shoes – they were suede, you bastard,’ she said, sounding very angry in her heavily accented voice.
‘Fine, but you had control of my little man. Next time wear wellies,’ I said, making myself chuckle, despite the impending doom. ‘Have you seen, Suzie?’
She scoffed down the phone, ‘There won’t be another time, you конский глазок (horses peehole) without a new pair of shoes!’
I wanted to slam my head into the steering wheel. People have to take responsibility for their actions. After all, my head was in her chest at the time, like I cared what happened. ‘Fine, have you seen Suzie? It’s urgent!’
Adrianna huffed. ‘Da, she had a phone call and had to go off to do her schoolgirl thing,’ and then instantly hung up.
Clearly, I was the only person with manners and culture in this world. I then rolled down the window to let the aroma of Tony out – must have been a dodgy egg.
Chapter 11
Freddie Loo
‘I hate this country,’ I muttered. Give me China any day of the week. Here, the food was awful, the people were gruff and rude, and ever since being brought here the round eyes had given me the nickname ‘Ratman’ just because I had a small ponytail. Even that bitch at the Dragon spurned my advances, but was then happy to sleep with the fat policeman. But today, they would get theirs.
Being tall and skinny, I’m not what you would imagine a hitman to look like. But I like my job, as long as I get to play with the targets first. My colleagues had just told me that they’d lost the fat policeman in a strip club. The men they’d given me were useless, just glorified doorman, but after the hits on Q and the fat man were done, they would be cleaned as well, then I can join the hunt for the traitor Mai Lee.
All that was asked was to kill one person, but what did they do? Spray bullets into an office building causing hellish trouble for all their business dealings in this awful country. Especially when the link was found between the dead man Kettering and their organisation. Others were hit, too, not that I cared about any of the victims, but it was just damned messy.
I looked up from my phone and saw a small female form dressed in white ankle socks, a tartan skirt and a black coat. Even at a distance I could see it was Suzie Q, as per her typical black bob hairstyle. I followed her down the busy street and noticed that she was drawing some stares from the general public. A Chinese schoolgirl smoking away even in London was a strange sight.
My traitorous eyes did roam over her legs and bum; well, I am a man after all. But the bosses had ordered not to play, just to kill and make sure she was never found.
So, after a quick phone call earlier today to request Suzie’s blackmailing services – it’s amazing what photos with a schoolgirl, be it an older looking one, will produce �
� the cop fucker was on her way to one of the many safe houses we had around the city. You never knew when you would need a house to take a victim for some privacy, and luckily there was now a room covered in plastic sheeting with two more helpers (soon-to-be dead men) waiting to cut up the body. The bosses in China were really cleaning the London-based operation this time. All non-true members were to be cleansed; I knew I was safe, as my father was high up in the organisation in our home country.
I was starting to get irritated; this was taking too long. What was so wrong with a motorcycle and a gunman? Yeah, a few more British would die, but who really gives a shit anyway? I know I don’t. I nearly walked into a lamp post thanks to the hypnotic sway of the Tartan-clad bottom in front of me. ‘Damn you.’
Finally, the foot traffic got less and less as Suzie took side road after side road. The scent of London reduced as I followed her. Although I had to keep my distance, I could still see the smoke from her cigarette, but the strange thing was that she never looked back. Suzie was as paranoid as the rest of us in this business; I guess she just wanted this job done as it was close to her going home.
I could see the nondescript terraced houses coming up, where our safe house lay at the furthest end. Luckily for me there was music playing from a parked car which masked my footsteps as I sped up.
I pulled my cosh from my pocket as Suzie knocked on the door. The timing was perfect as the door opened and she stepped in. I struck her on the back of the head, making her fall forward with an oophfff.
The man who opened the door closed it behind us as I dropped the cosh and reached into my pocket for the cheese wire. I looped it over her head, must have taken a piece of nose with it as I dragged it between her face and floor, and then pulled and pulled with my knee in her back. She was soon gone. Blood pooled where the wire had done its work.
At last, something had gone right. I wiped the sweat from my brow and took in the unpleasant décor of the place, truly ugly, but the tiny hall and rooms were perfect for what I had to do next. Big houses allowed a lot of movement, this house made the big men of the Limping Dragon struggle.
‘Job’s done. Where are the cutters?’ I demanded.
‘They’re in the kitchen, Kim and Elliot,’ the big man said.
I nodded. Elliot was the only English man in the group, not that I cared about any of them. I eyed the body. ‘Pick her up,’ I ordered.
As the huge man bent over, I whipped out my dad’s old silenced Walther PPK and made a bullet tunnel through his brainpan. Suzie’s body lessened the noise when the bigger man landed on her.
I took a calming breath and listened. There were muffled sounds from the back. He did say they were in the kitchen, but the last thing you needed was somebody popping up from a room behind you. I readied my gun and walked forwards towards the noise; they were laughing at something.
I opened the door and saw them holding coffee cups with their rubber aprons already on. They were both six foot plus and wide; their smiles froze as they saw me enter the room with my gun drawn.
Kim Lee was taken down first with a shot through the eyes, sending the half Chinese, half American man falling into the other man. Elliot made a grab for the machete on the table, but he never made it. My first shot went into his gut, making him fall forward, allowing an easy second shot to the top of his head.
Before I could rest, I checked the house for any surprises; nothing, it was clean. I grabbed my packet of cigarettes and allowed a death stick to fall into my hand. I lit it and drew the toxic smoke into my lungs. ‘What a perfect day,’ I muttered as I walked through the house setting incendiary devices in the rooms before covering the bodies in petrol.
I walked away from the house keeping my head down, knowing that in ten hours it would be ablaze.
Chapter 12
Bunny Li
I walked into the head office of Eastern Global Finance. I closed my eyes briefly; how I loved the sounds of my shoes on the polished marble floor. I gave a brief smile to Anna and Patricia, the receptionists, who waved and smiled back. I don’t really understand why Sammy has so much trouble with the reception girls at his work. Yes, they looked a bit uppity, but they seemed nice enough. I checked my watch and saw I had ten minutes to grab a coffee, head to my desk and start the day.
It was thanks to my parents that I was almost obsessive about my dress code and timekeeping. Although, it was a challenge as soon as Sam and I got together, but he accepts and loves me for who I am. And I would die for him for that alone.
Finally, I made it to my desk. Mr Head was out of the office today, which made doing my job a lot easier. The fact that he seemed to be shaken, even more than me about the attack on Sam’s work, had me concerned. The chairman, Mr Li Qiang, had agreed to give unfettered access to Richard’s computer records and diary. This enabled me to trace his digital footprint. Luckily for me, all his personal social media accounts already had the passwords saved, allowing me free rein. So, I started to work on my report.
Richard Ian Head
Junior Manager
Divorced (wife took him to the cleaners after catching him with the Russian nanny – Natalya Pavlishchev).
‘Hmmm, worth a check on that,’ I muttered to myself.
I continued to read the files. They were happy with their little girl. Then the nanny turned up after the wife received the job offer of a lifetime. Who paid for said nanny? Surely it can’t be that easy, especially after all this time?
I picked up the phone and dialled an information source. ‘Hi, Sharon, can you talk?’ I asked.
‘Yep, Beth has just run off to get us coffees and a roll. How’s the wounded hero?’ asked WPC Sharon Andrews, or Stoney as Sam calls her.
I chuckled and then looked around to make sure no one had heard that. I have a certain rep, after all. ‘It’s his first day back today, so I gave him the usual “don’t piss anyone off” warning, so we shall see,’ I said and heard her bark out a laugh.
‘Shall we get our arses over their now, or later?’ Stoney said with mocking tones. I heard the door shut and mutterings of, ‘Mmm BLT.’ Then she said, ‘Oh, Beth doesn’t believe he can make it through the day without pissing someone off.’
I rolled my eyes; I knew that, too. ‘Get Beth to text him and ask if he’s being a good boy so far.’ I could hear giggles. I knew the spikey-haired police officer would get the truth out of him.
‘Anyway, what do you need Killer, dinner and a movie round yours still on?’ Sharon asked.
‘Oh yes, Sam is already picking out classics, Hot Fuzz, Training Day and Dirty Harry. Plus, a surprise,’ I said, after which I heard a growl from the police officer.
‘Tell your boyfriend I will go all Rodney King on him if he puts on Basic Instinct…again,’ Sharon said angrily, but I could hear Beth laugh. She was closer to Sammy than Sharon; the latter just wanted to hurt him, which I had to respect. After all, she did give me some police-issue handcuffs. What a fun night that was! But deep down she did like him, it was just very deep.
‘Could you look into a Russian nanny called Natalya Pavlishchev?’
‘Awwww… Are you and Sam having a baby?’ Beth cooed in the background.
I looked around again; it was still quiet. ‘One child at home is enough for now, thank you,’ I retorted and wished I had my own office as I slipped off my shoes and stretched my cramped toes.
‘Sam says no; he’s been a good boy!’ Beth shouted, then another text came through, and she erupted into giggles after he admitted what he’d said to the receptionist.
I shook my head, but I did sport a smile, just a faint one. ‘He’s so dead,’ I said laughing, then Sharon came back on.
‘The nanny has gone back home to St Petersburg in Russia. She was on a works visa, but I guess she wasn’t happy here. Makes a change, I suppose,’ Sharon said. The call was soon wrapped up and plans were still set for a few days’ time.
I emailed the chairman asking if he could have his investigator carry out a background check
on the Russian girl including her finances, as well as a financial and history check on Head’s wife and the job she was gifted. As Sally Anne Head was more than happy to stay at home to raise the baby, why would she take a job and need a nanny? Out of nowhere, a job of her dreams turned up, and she was given first refusal – there might be a link.
A fellow PA who had replaced my role with the vice chairman walked past smirking. ‘Good morning, Bunny, how’s life on fifth floor?’ the little blonde bitch Helena said.
I just shrugged. ‘People can still die falling five floors rather than twelve,’ I replied, looking at the handrail and waist-high wall that stopped people falling to their deaths in the foyer. As I squinted, she paled and ran. My phone pinged. It was Kate, she wanted lunch. ‘Thank God. I’m so bored.’
Chapter 13
Mai Lee
Russia-China Border, Russian Side
I was pacing with the phone to my ear, one of my many burner phones that my friend had purchased for me. ‘I don’t care, I want to know where they all are!’ I shouted, scaring ducks from the lake and waking the ball-scratching Russian who had just come back from a black op for the Americans, one of the three-letter agencies they have, I guess. It was a quick trip to Serbia to destroy a cottage that was being used as a bomb-making factory.
Since the notification of my family being murdered, my anger had calmed itself; no longer did my blood boil as it flowed through me. No, I was calm and with a purpose: to destroy the Council of Five. And not just the stuffy old bastards, but them and their seconds and their soldiers. Anybody who threatens me – Mikey, Suzie Q and at a push Tiger, although the latter would make me feel ashamed. I’ve seen him naked too many times to let him live. Trouble was, Suzie loved him; but that alone made me shudder.
Thanks to my global travel, I had accrued bank accounts and sources all around the world, and most weren’t even connected to the Council of Five. Using a brand-new laptop, I managed to pool all my monies from around the world into a Swiss bank account, then I threw the laptop into the lake and unpackaged a new one so it was totally clean. I just didn’t know if they were watching my bank accounts, and how quickly they could trace the computer. But this one was kept off the Web to plan and make lists.
