Sins of the Master

by Catherine Taylor

  She was right. Nobody walked away from the Brotherhood. Even after twelve years in prison, they had found him again and expected him to resume his role, to be the merciless killer he was born to be. He might have accepted that, right up to the time he had met Lena.

  Now, he could only provide the safety of staying away from her and hope she found her daughter. He didn’t want to think of her being alone.

  Reaching into his pocket, he drew out his phone. It took him a moment to work out how to access and use it. It had looked like rocket science when Yuri had explained it to him. The world had changed a lot in twelve years.

  The phone was telling him he had missed several calls from Yuri. Tapping the number, he waited for the reply.

  “Uncle, a car is on its way to pick you up. It should be there any minute.”

  Eddie frowned. “How do you even know where I am?”

  “Your phone is fitted with GPS which tells us where you are at any time.”

  “I don’t know if I care for that.”

  “It is just technology, Uncle.”

  “Well, I am glad it wasn’t around in the days of Stalin, or nobody would have survived.”

  “Uncle, we need you back with us. We want you there when we take possession of Mairead Vaughn. I take it your business in Wellington is concluded.”

  He hated the way that sounded, but could only agree. “Yes, my business in Wellington is concluded.”

  “Good. Once we have her, we will all be returning to Leo’s property and will remain there until she has told us where Zaleski is hiding. How does it feel, Uncle, knowing you will soon be looking into the face of the man who killed your brothers?”

  “Great.” Eddie hung up and shook his head. “Terrifying.”

  CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

  It was a quarter to four when Vanessa’s phone beeped and vibrated. Picking it up, she stared at the message and groaned.

  “What is it?” Sophie asked.

  “Mairead. Something’s happened and she’s had to change the venue for our meeting.” Vanessa got up and gathered up her keys.

  Sophie jumped up from the couch. “Let me get my shoes on.”

  “No,” Vanessa told her firmly. “Mairead wants me to come alone. She’s going to text me her location in five minutes. I have to go.”

  Vanessa embraced her and gently kissed her. “I’ll call you as soon as I can.”

  Sophie watched her leave and stood stationary for a moment, before snatching her own phone from the coffee table. She dialled and waited.

  As soon as her call was answered she spoke in Russian. “Yuri, Mairead is not coming. She meets with Vanessa at another location which I should have in a few minutes. Have your men ready for me to call it through, but still have someone on Vanessa when she leaves the carpark. Don’t just rely on the tracker.”

  “Why the change?”

  “How should I know? Maybe she spots one of your useless thugs. Just get them moving.”

  “And once we have Mairead, what do we do with your girlfriend?”

  “Just shoot the bitch. I was going to do something a little more entertaining, but it doesn’t matter. Just get Mairead alive.”

  Sophie hung up and set the phone down again, waiting for the text to come through. It occurred to her that she would no longer have to speak in Dutch, but she was disappointed that Vanessa’s death would be so quick without being able to appreciate how brilliantly she had been betrayed.

  It hadn’t been all bad. Sex was sex, whether it was with a man or a woman, and Vanessa was certainly talented. Even being dominated by her had been an education and an experience to draw upon. The actor only truly mastered their art when they stopped pretending and started being, and of course, it had been a very brilliant Russian, who had brought this teaching to the theatre. She was certain Konstantin Stanislavski would approve of his theories being used in more than just acting upon the stage. The character of Sophie had been one of her best and one she might draw upon again in the future, but she was no comparison to the reality of Asya Ivanchenko, only daughter of Igor Ivanchenko, Pakhan of Rostov.

  It was almost like being born again, shedding the weakness and complicity of Sophie, her sickening sweetness and unnatural mannerisms of a Dutch heritage. Just speaking Russian again was like a breath of fresh air.

  She was staring at the phone, when her skin prickled with the realisation she was not alone. It was a silent movement within her peripheral vision. Someone had emerged from the hallway and was standing, staring at her.

  Asya moved casually to pick up her phone.

  “Touch it and I’ll blow your fucking hand off.”

  Despite the threat, the voice eased her fears. She instantly responded as her alter ego would have done, getting up and grasping her chest, her face fearful and shocked.

  “Mairead? You scared the life out of me.” She could see the gun in her hand, but was surprised at how calm she seemed. “What on earth are you doing with that?”

  “Cut the crap, Asya Ivanchenko, and move back away from the phone.”

  “I don’t understand…”

  “I found your Russian driver’s licence, so don’t even try.”

  Asya grinned as she backed up. “How long have you been here?”

  “Two hours, wedged up in a very small space in your spare room closet. Nice session with Vanessa, by the way, though she didn’t hit you half as hard as I would have liked her to.”

  “That’s because you’re a sick little bitch, Mairead, and a fucking stupid one as well.”

  “Maybe, but I’m the one with the gun and you better believe I’ll use it, just as your men used theirs on my husband and my friend.” Mairead pulled a small vial from her pocket and slowly approached the coffee table to set it down, before backing off. “Open that and swallow the contents.”

  Asya curiously picked it up, pulled the cap off and stared at five tiny white pills. “What are they?”

  “Just diazepam, 150mg of it. It won’t kill you, I hope, but it will make you manageable.”

  “And what are you planning to do with me?”

  “Get you away from Vanessa for a start.”

  “Vanessa is awaiting your call and my men will be right behind her.”

  Mairead got her phone out and pushed a number with her thumb, keeping the gun trained on Asya. At the same time, Asya’s phone began to beep. Mairead looked at it and shook her head in disgust as she spoke.

  “Vanessa, just listen and don’t talk. This has to be done without a second’s delay. They’re on to me and following you. A GPS tracker has been placed on your car, probably underneath. When you leave the carpark, drive straight to Cheshire Lane and halfway down, just stop and use your car to block off the road. You’ll see Chandi’s taxi parked up ahead. Run to it and he’ll get you out of there and have something that will explain everything. I’m sorry, Vanessa, but I’m right about this or I wouldn’t be where I am right now.”

  She hung up and Asya laughed. “That’s very good, Mairead, except my men are expecting a call from me about now.”

  “That’s why you’ll be calling them in a moment. First take the pills.”

  “You’ve really thought this out, haven’t you? I’m dying to hear your next move.”

  Mairead dropped a backpack from her shoulder and pulled out a long metal device with two prongs at its end. “My next move will be using a cattle prod on your neck, unless you knock those pills back in three seconds. One… two…”

  Asya quickly downed the pills as Mairead came closer. The dry bitterness made her gag and she glared at her.

  “You’re going to be fucking sorry before this day is through.”

  Mairead suddenly strode forward and lifted the prod to Asya’s neck, the prongs resting on her throat.

  “I don’t know if this would kill you and I really don’t care. I do know it will fucking hurt or could possibly seize all the muscles up in your throat. What do you think it will do?”

  “How the fuck should I
know?” Asya sneered at her.

  “Exactly,” Mairead smiled. “We’re both in the dark, so let’s not find out. I want you to pick up your phone slowly and show me your call history. Hold it up so I can see everything.”

  Asya slowly followed her instructions.

  “Okay,” Mairead nodded. “That top number. You’re going to ring it and you’re going to speak in English and all you’re going to say is “Mairead has gone back to her house. I have to go.” and then you’re going to hang up and switch off your phone. One word extra and you get zapped and that’s probably not a good combination with those pills in your system. Now do it, but let me see the number you tap.”

  Asya scowled furiously, but with the prod at her throat, she had little choice but to do as she was told. Thirty seconds later she had completed the task.

  “Now what?”

  Mairead smiled. “Now you can sit down. You should start feeling something from those pills in about ten or fifteen minutes.”

  “You are his operative, aren’t you?” Asya remarked dryly as she took a seat.

  Mairead backed up and raised the gun as she returned the cattle prod to the bag. “What do you mean, his operative?”

  Asya smirked. “You don’t need to keep up the bullshit. You’re too calm, too organised, definitely trained. The first time you escaped my men, I suspected something, and now I know. Zaleksi sent you.”

  Mairead was about to laugh at her speculation, but realised it gave her a threatening edge. If Asya believed she knew what she was doing, it would make her more cautious and not inclined to resist.

  “So does your husband know his wife is one of Zaleski’s sluts?”

  “No,” Mairead replied. “James knows nothing and I plan to keep it that way.”

  “Poor James,” Asya smiled. “I always thought he was too good for you.”

  “Oh, I agree.” Mairead took out two looped cable ties, joined at the centre. She threw them to Asya. “Put them on and pull it tight.”

  “You should know,” Asya said as she fastened the ties. “My family will come after me and they will find me and when they do, it’s going to go very badly for you. Vanessa told me about many of your curiosities such as your craving for discipline and pain. We should be able to satiate you in that department.”

  “Right now, I’m more inclined to dish it out, in fact, I’m itching to.”

  Asya smiled spitefully. “How rude of me. I should have congratulated you on your pregnancy, but one would have to question the sanity of a mother who would expose their unborn child to danger.”

  “Like I had a choice,” Mairead sneered back at her. “You were always going to come after me, even if you had found Dylan.”

  “And what can you hope to achieve by coming for me? I’m not Sophie, and you’re just a pregnant whore. I’m a trained agent, skilled in the art of torture and execution. You’re fucking mad to take me on, and you’re going to be one sorry little girl when all this falls apart.” She grinned. “And when I cut that baby from your body and let you watch its bloody little life fade away on the floor, before I crush it under my boot.”

  Her amusement waned a little when Mairead showed no reaction to the threat and only glared back at her, until a smile spread slowly across her face.

  “Someone recently told me that I didn’t have it in me to hurt someone, but here I am, just waiting for you to try something stupid so I can try out this prod or put a bullet in you because I hate you that much.”

  “So why don’t you?”

  “Because, you’re going to tell me all about your family and friends, where they are and any other useful info that will put an end to this.”

  “Killing someone is one thing,” Asya said. “But are you planning on torturing me, because that’s what it would take before I told you jack shit.”

  “You can learn a lot about people from what they read. For instance, why would you have books about claustrophobia if it didn’t affect you in some way? Torturing you, is going to be as simple as putting you into the boot of my car, which I’ve made a few modifications to, just to make it snug and cosy.”

  Asya glared at her but made no reply.

  “And when we get to our destination, I’m certain you’ll be ready to talk or I’m going to bury you, literally, until you are.”

  * * * * *

  “There is no answer,” Yuri remarked angrily. “She has her phone switched off, the stupid bitch. We need to go.”

  “No.” Eddie sat in the car, staring out at the street. “I don’t like it. It makes no sense for her to turn her phone off. Something’s wrong.”

  “What could be wrong? We have the location. We see the blonde bitch leave and we are still here. There has been no sign of Mairead and it an hour’s drive to her house.”

  “We wait,” Eddie told him calmly. “This girl has been a problem for you already. With all your technology, she has eluded you time and time again. I find it hard to believe she would give herself away at this point, and you’ve had her house watched. How did she return without being noticed, unless your men are complete imbeciles?”

  “I don’t know, but why would she give a false location to Asya’s bitch?”

  “Ring your men, the ones who are tailing her. Find out if she is going in the right direction.”

  “I will do better than that.” Yuri began tapping at the apps on his phone. “The tracker on her car will tell me exactly where she is.”

  Eddie waited, still watching the street directly in front of the apartment. When Yuri cursed, he grinned and looked at his nephew.

  “What is it?”

  “This does not make sense. Her car is a few blocks from here, not moving.” Yuri furiously tapped at his phone and brought it to his ear. After a pause, he was yelling. “Where the fuck are you?” After another pause, his anger peaked. “You fucking idiots. How do you lose her? How do you fucking lose her? Find her, or I will fucking kill you with my bare fucking hands.”

  He threw the phone onto the dashboard and slapped the steering wheel, looking about at anything other than Eddie.

  “Now I will tell you where Mairead is,” Eddie said. “She’s in that apartment with your sister.”

  “No, that is impossible. We would have seen her go in, and besides, Asya would kill her. This is some stupid girl…”

  “With a lot more fucking brains than you and your men. She’s in there. I know it. How many exits are there?”

  “Two, but one is a fire door and would spark an alarm. She can only come out through the front.”

  “Either alone or with Asya, and possibly with someone to pick them up.”

  “We need to go to her.” Yuri opened his door, only to have his shirt front grabbed savagely by Eddie.

  “Shut your fucking door. We’re going nowhere.”

  Yuri seized his wrist. “Get your fucking hand off of me. That is my sister…”

  His protest ceased as an elbow slammed into his face, instantly breaking his nose which exploded into a spray of blood. Yuri brought his hands to his face, muffling his scream until a hand had him by the throat, cutting off his air.

  “Shut the fuck up.” Eddie spoke slowly, his face inches from Yuri’s. “You don’t ever speak to me like that again. As of this moment, you do not talk to me at all, unless I tell you otherwise. This whole operation is bullshit and you’re going to get us all killed very unpleasantly. Now if I take my hand away, are you going to do as I tell you?”

  Yuri nodded, tears streaming from his eyes and down his blood spattered face.

  “Good.” Eddie released him and sat back calmly. “I told you once, you have no idea who you are dealing with. This girl obviously belongs to Zaleski, and has been sent to collect Asya. It’s a smart move. Zaleski will have Asya singing like a bird, but only after she has finished screaming, and then he will come for all of us, unless we get to him first. If we lose this girl now, I’ll leave you to pick up the pieces, and I will be gone.”

  * * * * *

&nbs
p; When Asya was looking suitably affected by the pills, Mairead approached her with a glass of bourbon and tipped it down her front. Asya gasped and tried to get up, but moved about in a drunken stupor, unable to get to her feet.

  Mairead stared at her. “Aren’t you lucky to have a sober friend to take your sorry arse home? I reckon anyone who takes an interest in us, will probably lose it fairly quickly when they smell the booze on you, especially at this time of the day.”

  Asya snarled at her, still struggling to stand up. “What the fuck have you done to me?”

  “I’ve just subdued you for now,” Mairead replied. “But I still have my trusty zapper here and I’ll use it if I have to.”

  She threw a jersey over Asya’s bound hands to cover them, and then took hold of her upper arm. Asya shook her head.

  “You can’t put me in that boot.”

  “Why’s that, Asya?” Mairead smiled.

  “Don’t… please.”

  “That’s up to you. We have a two minute walk to the car. If we get there without a problem, I might throw you in the backseat.” She hoisted her up. “So put your best foot forward.”

  She steered Asya to the door and stood her there as she opened it and listened. Her heart was picking up pace again, knowing they would soon be out in the open. She held back for a few moments, gathering courage, and then propelled Asya forward and out the door.

  They stood back until Mairead saw the empty elevator and shoved Asya into it. It would be on the ground floor level and out on the street that trouble might strike. In preparation, Mairead retrieved the gun and silently put the prod away. Asya was too busy groggily propping herself up against the elevator wall to notice.

  The doors slid open and Mairead pushed Asya out into the black marbled foyer, watching her fall to the floor, while she stayed back with her hand on the door. Nothing happened and Mairead hurried out to take hold of Asya again, who was fast becoming a dead weight.