by Finian Blake
Boris waited until Salvador broke the Skype connection and then then he broke the connection a second time to be double sure that he was not still connected. Boris rechecked the connections in the relays finding that one end of the Skype was in the Baltimore harbor area and the other and was in a motel just southwest of the Baltimore city limits. He then checked his list of known mercenaries finding Dimitri Ivanov’s name and picture in less than five minutes calling a meeting with Cherry, Rhonda, Nadia, and Ted. Boris started out the meeting by playing the Skype between Salvador and Dimitri.
“This is almost too good to be true. At one end we have Salvador Ardent with Henry Archer and at the other end we have Dimitri Ivanov an imported mercenary near Baltimore International Airport,” Boris said thoroughly ecstatic about the discovery. “Salvador and Henry are somewhere on the seventh floor of the Ardent Building and Dimitri Ivanov is located in room 229 in the Four Pines Motel. Nadia laughed when she heard the name.
“Ted and I will handle Dimitri. Boris and Nick I would like to get as much of a complete layout on the Ardent Building as you can come up with. After you do that I need a complete personal history on both Salvador Ardent and Henry Archer. Cherry and Rhonda would you come with us I think that you will find my solution’s humorous.
“You said that you are going to kill him,” Rhonda said remembering Nadia’s earlier statement.
“That was before I had all of this information,” Nadia said affectionately. “You can’t just run around shooting people.”
Nadia, Ted, Rhonda, and Cherry drove to the Four Pines Motel finding that Dimitri’s room faced the inner courtyard. Rhonda rented a room on the second floor that was across the courtyard from Dimitri’s room. There were no hallways just open walkways that were used for an access to the rooms. Ted, Rhonda, and Cherry settled into the room across the courtyard while Nadia used the walkway to get within one door of Dimitri’s room. She dialed the number of the hotel on her cellphone asking for his room.
“Dimitri darling,” Nadia said affectionately, “do you know who this is?”
“No of course not,” Dimitri said in confusion. “I do not know anybody here.”
“This is Nadia Smirnov. I would like to talk to you.”
“Nadia darling I thought you were dead.”
“No darling I am not dead just look out the window and you will see me.” Dimitri parted the curtain slightly to look out instantly seeing a small dot from a laser appear on his chest which caused him to jump back landing on the floor. Dimitri was going to say something but Nadia’s voice came through first.
“Dimitri, all I want to do is talk. If I wanted to shoot, you would be dead already.” Dimitri could not argue with her logic.
“Just you Nadia and nobody else,” Dimitri said cautiously taking out a 9 mm pistol removing the chain off of the door opening it just a crack speaking into the phone as he did so. “Open the door and count to ten before you step inside.” Dimitri had served in Afghanistan with Nadia and new her other name which was the ‘Red Angel’. Nadia opened the door holding her hands out to the side counting to ten as Dimitri had instructed her to do.
“Dimitri darling, how have you been,” Nadia said as if they had been in touch for all of the years.
“Did Salvador send you?”
“No, you sent me,” Nadia said losing the affection in her voice.
“I sent you?”
“Yes you sent me, or I should say you sent eight men to kill me,” Nadia said flatly. “My sister owns the company that they sent you to blow up. She is in the room across the courtyard with her business partner and my husband.”
“So you have come for revenge?”
“No, as I have said I have come here to talk,” Nadia said in a conversational tone. “I have killed eight of your people because they tried to kill me and my people. In the old days I would just have shot you and be finished with the issue but I would like to discuss a truce.”
“As you have said you have killed eight of my people,” Dimitri countered.
“I have also said that you have tried to kill my people, but you did not know that it was me and I did not know that it was you so there is nothing personal. As you have told Salvador and Henry, you were given some bad information.”
“I was promised a great deal of money to do a contract,” Dimitri said fishing for some information. Nadia looked around the room seeing a laptop computer sitting on a small table.
“Salvador said that he had paid you in advance for doing his dirty work, and he lied to you so it will not hurt your reputation if you do not complete the contract.” Nadia pointed to the laptop on the table, “You do know that they were planning on killing you. I can prove it.” Nadia picked up the laptop placing it in the dry bathtub dialing a number on the cell phone.
“Boris, my love send the kill code to Dimitri’s laptop.” Nadia pulled the shower curtain stepping out of the bathroom closing the door behind her. A little less than a minute had passed by when they both heard a quiet thud in the bathroom. Nadia opened the door finding a volume of smoke hanging in the air. When she pulled the curtain on the bathtub they found that the screen on the laptop had exploded spraying shards of glass against the tiled wall. She finished the job by plugging the drain and turning on the water.
“That miserable piece of shit I will kill him.” Dimitri was thoroughly pissed off. Nadia put both of her hands on his shoulders trying to calm him down, so that he would listen.
“Dimitri somebody will complain about that explosion we need to get out of here, now.” Nadia checked the tub finding that the laptop was fully submerged, so she turned off the water prodding Dimitri out of the room as soon as possible. Dimitri was half way down the walkway when he realized that he was vulnerable to being shot. Nadia pushed him down the walk after a short stall. “Dimitri nobody is going to shoot you. Let’s just get the hell out of here.” By the time Nadia and Dimitri reached the stairs the others came out of the room across the courtyard moving to the stairs also. Dimitri went to get in his car, but Nadia pushed him along to the car that they had brought loading his gear in the trunk. After they had driven a few miles away Ted pulled the car over in a quiet spot and Rhonda pulled out a wand to sweep Dimitri for electronics. She took his cell phone placing it in a lead foil bag and by the time Rhonda was through she had found three more transceivers which they also placed in the foil bag.
“I hate this fucking work,” Dimitri said in disgust. “In the old days at least you could trust your employer. Working for governments was one thing but these amateurs are making me crazy. I lost eight good men I’m going to have to go into the marketplace to replace them. I would quit if I could.
“So quit,” Nadia said abruptly.
“I can’t quit,” he said dejectedly. “My name is on the wanted list for half the countries in the world.”
“Change your name and get some of those tattoos erased.” Nadia ran her finger inside of Dimitri’s shirt.
“I tried changing my name,” he protested, “but the papers go out of date and then I have to spend another five or ten thousand to get a fresh set of papers.”
“Dimitri, we are seriously looking for a truce, and having you out of this business would definitely help. As part of our truce I will provide you with a history, permanent papers, and permanent employment.” Nadia caught his attention with her last statement.
“You could do this?” Dimitri could not believe his ears.
“I couldn’t, but my sister Cherry can. Since none of our people have been killed or damaged we will drop any claim that we have against you, and since those men were actively trying to kill us you will drop your claim against us.” Nadia waited until Dimitri was about to speak. “You have suffered more than we have my sister Cherry will provide you with permanent papers in the country of your choice as an act of good faith. We give you a full history that will standup to any inspection. As a special bonus my security company will hire you in the country of your choice.”
; “I would like to go back to Russia,” Dimitri said wistfully.
“Russia it is,” Nadia said brightly. “You have chosen a country that we have some influence in, so I will toss in an extra bonus. Your fingerprints will be removed from the NATO files, the Interpol files, the US files, and the Russian files. You are now working for four diamonds security and you have been working for us for the past four years.” He looked calmly from face-to-face in the car looking for any hint that he was being lied to.
“So when would you like me to kill Salvador and Henry,” Dimitri said blandly. Nadia nodded toward Cherry indicating that she should answer.
“We don’t want you to kill either one of them,” Cherry switched to Russian for the rest of her answer. “We do not wish to trade an enemy that we know, for an enemy that we do not know. We have no idea of who was working with them so we will wait and see before we do anything foolish.”
“Stalin would have been proud of you.” He was surprised to see that Cherry accepted his comment as a compliment.
“There is a good Russian restaurant not far from here. My sister in law owns it. I guarantee that the food will be excellent.”
After they arrived at the restaurant David brought them to a back room so that they would not be interrupted. His wife rushed in with a tray containing a bottle of Vodka and six glasses.
“Dimitri this is my husband and business partner Ted,” Nadia started to explain as Dimitri looked Ted over noting that the hem of his sleeves were stretched tight against his biceps and that his arms were as big as a normal man’s legs. Ted extended his hand giving his hand a solid shake.
“We have done some cooperative work with some of your Spetsnaz lads from time to time and they’re some tough customers. It would be an honor to have you on our side of the fence. What city would you like to work in?”
“To tell you the truth,” Dimitri started sounding dejected. “I would like Saint Petersburg. The farther south that you go the crazier it gets. How are you going to change my identity? I have done this three times before and something always pops up.”
“Rhonda’s husband handles the computer stuff and Cherry handles the identity papers. We actually go in the data bases and enter your new name, with Cherry using the original stock. Boris can get into any data base there is. The data files are enormous, so even the finger prints are taken digitally. The file database for DNA is huge and complicated so it must be stored in the computer.”
“Here is the truly beautiful thing, and I must admit my Boris thought this up,” Rhonda said with pride. “If we take your finger prints and DNA out of the data base it will leave a hole they will see your old name and find no finger prints and no name which will set off a red flag.”
“Now, I understand why my identity change failed,” Dimitri acknowledged pouring himself a large glass of Vodka.
“Well my Boris has real genius.” Cherry picked up the conversation. “There many John and Jane Doe’s that die every day all around the world. We have our people collect their finger prints and DNA running them against all of the data bases, and this is the really genius part. We assign their finger prints and DNA to your old name, so when your untimely demise occurs the DNA will match with that of the corpse.” Dimitri laughed pointing alternately between Rhonda and Cherry when the arrival of the food interrupted them.
“Which one is the wife,” Dimitri asked earnestly.
“We both are,” Rhonda and Cherry said pointing at Andria. “Just ask our sister-in-law, Andria.” Dimitri studied both Rhonda and Cherry who were extremely gorgeous and athletic. Dimitri turned to Andria.
“Your brother must be a hero!”
“My brother is a geek.” Andria protested.
“Then they are lying,” Dimitri asked.
“No, both women are his wives,” Andria confirmed. Boris filled everybody’s glass with Vodka slamming his hand down on the table.
“Then he is a hero,” Dimitri lifted his glass leading the toast. He leaned over to whisper in Nadia’s ear with a smile.
“I still wouldn’t mind killing Salvador and Henry.”
“You cannot kill them because the sneaky bastards have killed you by remote control with that computer bomb.” Nadia lifted her glass for another toast. “Here’s to our fallen comrade Dimitri Ivanov.”
Senator Ransom walked out the front door of the BWI International Airport Amtrak station looking for a black limousine driven by Xavier. She had called Tamar when she left her office asking if she could spend the night. That was a request that Tamar was more than happy to comply with. Winnie dialed the number that was permanently entered in the phone book of her satellite phone. She had been instructed by Tamar to always communicate using the satellite phone. She was only thirty feet from the curb when Xavier answered.
“Winnie by the time you get to the curb I will be there,” Xavier said as he waited for the car in front of him to clear the curb. The limo stopped at the curb about the same time as her foot touched the curb. Xavier was out of the car in a heartbeat holding the door open for Winnie. As he approached her Winnie noticed that he was in his late forties with a barrel chest and a narrow waist. He offered her his arm and she noticed that it was as solid as the car that he was driving. When she was settled in the car Xavier opened a compartment that was just behind the back of the driver’s seat, and as he did the jacket fell away from his chest briefly exposing a pistol.
“Good evening Senator Ransom, Tamar said that you are a Scotch drinker, so there is a bottle of 50-year-old Glenn Fiddich Scotch, glasses, and ice in the bar. Please help yourself.” Winnie poured herself a drink of the Glenn Fiddich Scotch, as Xavier moved to the driver’s seat. Before Xavier pulled away from the curb Winnie had to comment.
“Xavier, I noticed that you are carrying.”
“Yes ma’am, I’m a professional bodyguard first, a chauffeur second, and a masseur as a sideline,” Xavier said with pride. “I was an MP for twenty-five years and Tom Thomas hired me as a bodyguard the day that I qualified for retirement from the service. My normal duties are protecting family, so I guess you must be family.” Winnie settled back in her seat for the short drive pleased with Xavier’s comment. When the limousine pulled up in front of Tamar’s house Xavier helped Winnie offering her his granite like arm as an escort.
“I hate to waste any of this wonderful nectar. I swear I will return the glass when I’m finished may I please keep the glass?” Winnie noticed that she was slurring her words. “This joy juice hit bottom faster than I thought. Tamar I must tell you what a wonderfully nice man Xavier is. Did you know that he was a bodyguard?” Winnie on impulse spun around kissing the surprise Xavier on the cheek.
“You don’t have to tell me, I already know.” Tamar put her arm around Winnie’s waist to steady her. Winnie quickly drained the glass handing it to Tamar who handed it back to Xavier. “Xavier would you please give us a ride up the hill to the spa?”
“Of course I will,” Xavier said picking up Winnie as a child would pick up a doll carrying Winnie back to the car and helping Tamar in after her.
“Oh Tamar, I am so glad that I decided to do what you asked,” Winnie gushed. “Old ‘For Sale Belight’ folded up right in front of Wayne Haggard, the CEO that bribed him. I thought that Haggard was going to jump up and demand his money back right there in the hearing room. You can forget what you promised me the look on that old farts face was worth it.” Xavier took the outside route up to the computer center. Winnie looked out the window absently noting that the only thing that could be seen from the road were trees, and when they turned in the upper gate, the computer center did not come into view until they were several yards past the gate. Between the landscaping and trees it appeared that they were pulling up to a building that was more or less normal sized and not the huge cavern that she had seen in the soundstage.
Winnie awoke in a super thick terrycloth robe that smelled of Plumeria. She grabbed the collar of her robe peeking under the collar to find that she was still dres
sed in her lingerie. She looked to her right seeing a fruit plate with several bottles of water and an ice bucket. She read the note that was taped to the top of the plastic covering her fruit plate: ‘YOU PASSED OUT PLEASE DIAL NINE ON THE TELEPHONE WHEN YOU READ THIS’. Winnie dialed nine and the phone had not even made a full ring when Tamar answered.
“Oh good, you’re awake. You went into your room to change and when you didn’t come out I went to check on you. You were asleep in your underwear, so I put a robe over you and had Xavier put you on the couch. I will be right in.” Tamar hung up instantly not wanting to give Winnie a chance to refuse her request. Winnie had just opened a bottle of water when Tamar knocked on the door softly and entered.
“What happened?” Winnie took a drink of water and selected a piece of kiwi from the fruit tray.
“You fell asleep while you were changing I guess those cocktails didn’t go well on an empty stomach. I dressed you in a robe, but I had to have Xavier’s help moving you.” Winnie noticed that Tamar was dressed in the same kind of robe wearing fuzzy slippers. She wiggled her feet noticing that she had on the same fuzzy slippers that Tamar was wearing.
“Mmmmmm,” Winnie purred, “a warm robe and fuzzy slippers, can we spend the evening like this.”
“Pick up the phone, push four, and tell whoever answers what you would like to eat. The Maryland crab lump is quite good. We can dine on the balcony.” Tamar opened the balcony door to the sound of a frantic female voice.
“FUCK ME LIKE YOU MEAN IT!” Even Winnie could hear the urgent plea well inside the room. Tamar blushed closing the door to the balcony.
“Colleen’s husband is home on convalescent leave from Afghanistan,” Tamar said being slightly unnerved. “Why don’t we have our dinner in the hot tub? I forgot that Colleen is a screamer.”
“My sense of adventure is up, so the hot tub it is.” Winnie said amicably. Tamar pointed to the bedroom.
“There are swimsuits of all sizes in the dresser. Do as you wish, but personally I go naked.” Winnie remembered that she still had her lingerie on, so she slipped in the bathroom removing it replacing the robe. Tamar led the way into the ‘tub room’ stripping off her robe, throwing it on a chair, and slipping into the warm water. Winnie still slightly buzzed from the scotch shrugged. She threw off her robe following Tamar’s lead, but feeling more than a little uncomfortable especially being naked in front of another woman. Tamar cracked open a bottle of water handing it to Winnie.
