“Ryan just runs his mouth, that is, until recently,” Leecy said, pushing back. “Sure, it borders on insubordination, but when he stops talking there are no dead bodies at his feet.”
“It’s your call,” Val said. “We just wanted to make sure we voiced our opinion. We know you’ll use your best judgment.”
“I will,” Leecy said, assuring us.
*
We ate, drank, and talked about everything but the job, and for the first time in almost two years, behaved like the family I remembered us being before the events of that summer. Realizing how much I’d missed the normalcy, I wondered if we’d made a mistake embarking on this career as freelancers and joining our daughter’s A.D.D.T. unit.
Pushing the doubt away, I checked my watch and saw it was just after 10 a.m. I knew they’d be coming for us soon. Surveying the crowded train station, I noticed Furukawa sitting on a bench, watching us.
“Time to flip the switch,” I said. “We’ll be in play any minute. Remember, I’m Peter Heely.”
“Yeah, I know, but how do you know it’s on?” Leecy asked.
“The man who followed me last night is watching us. Check your nine o’clock. See the bald man dressed like one of the Blues Brothers?”
“Yeah, I see him.”
“If he’s there, his friends can’t be far away. Are you ready?”
“Ready.”
“Good, ‘cause here they come.”
Looking through the glass wall over Leecy’s shoulder, I watched Hector and Lee approach the Starbucks from across the square. They entered quietly, opening their suit coats and displaying their guns briefly before waving us over.
“As a one-time courtesy,” Hector said, following us out of the Starbucks and across the square to a waiting Mercedes sedan, “I’ll allow this one misstep, but from now on, be where you’re supposed to be, and be on time.”
“That’s very kind of you,” I responded, opening the rear door for Valerie and Leecy, “but until I’m paid to be somewhere,” I paused, taking a seat. “I’ll do as I please.”
“Who are your friends?” Big Guy asked, making his presence known behind the wheel.
“Didn’t we cover this yesterday?” I said. “No names, remember?”
He was looking at Leecy like she was the appetizer and Val the main course.
“Whatever.” Then, looking Val over, “You’ve got real pretty friends.”
“So, what’s on the agenda today?” I asked in an effort to change the subject.
“You know. You three are; that’s what,” Lee said, sliding to the middle of the front seat and staring at Leecy. “Laird’s waiting to meet the new people you said you’d be bringing to the office, and when he sees them he’ll be very pleased. He’s got a thing for the young ones. Ever seen his masseuses?”
“You’re both disgusting,” Leecy said.
“You have no idea,” Big Guy said, laughing, “but you might find out. You never know. You and I might become best friends.”
“Okay,” Hector said, squeezing in the front seat next to Lee, “that’s enough. You two turn around and face front. There’s a time and place for that and this isn’t either.”
The Mercedes cruised through the streets of Cologne, coming to a stop in front of the offices of CCP.
“Same place as yesterday,” Hector said, stepping out of the car and opening the rear door for Valerie. “Tia and Laird are waiting. Taka will escort you.”
Opening my own door, I climbed out of the back seat and leaned inside the open front driver’s side window.
“I’ve decided if someone has to die today, it’s going to be you, Big Guy.”
As I entered the open door of thirty-three Portalsgasse I heard him yelling, “Fuck you!” as he drove away, but I was too busy noticing the electronic locking mechanism on the door to care. The lock looked like one of the new hotel room locks that utilize RFI chips embedded in the keycards. The ones you don’t insert, but just touch to unlock the door.
“Please, will you follow me?” Taka said. He was waiting for us inside the lobby.
Leading us through the downstairs time capsule of an office and opening the rear door, he showed us to the spiral staircase. We climbed the stairs without him, entering Laird’s private suite.
“Ah, Mr. Heely,” Laird said by way of a greeting. He was lying on his stomach on the elevated table in the center of the room. “So good of you to come, but you’re late. I don’t like being kept waiting; I’ve a schedule to maintain.”
“It’s not like we had a choice,” I responded. “Your goons saw to that.”
He was in the final stages of a massage session under the hot light of the chandelier. I knew it was hot, because both Laird and the young lady were covered in perspiration.
Leecy, nudging my elbow, nodded in the direction of the far end of the room. Following her gaze, I saw Tia Reins standing in the shadows near a small bed. I hadn’t noticed the bed yesterday. That corner of the room had been poorly lit, almost invisible, but not today.
I could see Tia was wearing the same dark suit she’d worn the day before. I wondered why no change of clothes. She didn’t strike me as the type to repeat outfits. Maybe the suit was some kind of uniform. I logged the information and would think about it later.
With the light from the chandelier stretching to all four corners of the room, I looked away from Tia, inspecting the space. I realized Laird’s suite was a perfect rectangle, with the elevated table at its center. The wall of glass blocks bisected the room at about three-fourths of its length, shielding the bath area from view. The small bed, where Tia stood, was nestled in the far right hand corner, its headboard against the glass block wall. The swaths of red floor-to-ceiling fabric, covering three of the four walls, made the room look like a staged production set and not a real living space.
Laird was sliding into the red robe with the help of his masseuse when he noticed me looking around.
“Do you know what curiosity did to the cat, Mr. Heely?”
“Yes,” I answered as the young female masseuse walked past the three of us and exited the room. “I know what curiosity did to the cat, but I’m no less curious about your life here. Tell me something, do you ever leave this room?”
“Curiosity is a good thing, but be warned, I have limits and you three are right up against them. To answer your question, yes. On occasion, I’ve been known to leave here and walk downstairs to be reminded of the past, but I haven’t done that in many years. I have everything I need here but, more importantly, I have nothing I don’t need.”
“Is that a riddle?”
“No, it’s a statement of fact, and it’s a way of life. Simplicity, I discovered after my wife’s untimely death, is the pathway to clarity, focus, and eventually, peace of mind.”
“Your wife? The tragedy. I forgot… I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. That was a long time ago. She passed, but not before giving me a daughter to remind me of her.”
“At least you have each other.”
He was smiling and walking down the stairs when he replied, “Kindness from a mercenary is unexpected, and I appreciate the sentiment. You see,” he said, eyeing Leecy and Val, “I lost my lovely bride and unborn son in a tragic car accident.”
“That’s horrible,” Leecy said.
“Yes, yes it was, and perhaps next time you three are scheduled to meet with me you can show an equal amount of kindness by being punctual. I’d hate to have to make an example of one of you, but I will if you ever keep me waiting again.”
“My apologies,” I said. “That won’t happen again.”
“Let’s hope not, for your sake.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, what’s the reason for the massages and the hot lamp above the table?”
Laird, standing in front of Valerie, looked her up and down before answering.
“The chandelier is not a heat lamp; it’s made entirely of Japanese chakra crystals warmed by the rays of the sun via
a skylight. The crystals have tremendous healing power over me,” he said, reaching out his hand to greet Valerie. “But enough about me. Who do we have here? I’m Laird.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” Val said. “I work with Heely.”
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot. Heely did mention you ladies wouldn’t be using your names. I’d so hoped he was not serious, but I see he was. That won’t do, I’m afraid. No, that won’t work for me at all. Tia?”
“Look… Laird, is it?” Val asked.
“Yes.”
“Peter said the deal was contingent on you meeting us. Well, consider that done. I don’t do names, and neither does she,” Val concluded, nodding toward Leecy.
“Hmm,” Laird said thoughtfully. “And this is the team?” he asked as Tia sidled up behind him. “I must verify you’re who you claim to be or we can’t do business. Tia, here, needs to take your fingerprints.”
“They’re the best in the world at what they do,” I said. “You can trust me on that.”
“I trust no one but my daughter, Mr. Heely. My life is on the line, here. We’ve been infiltrated, and I need certain assurances to feel safe. One of those assurances is that I need to know whom I employ. I can’t run the risk of hiring one of my enemies’ thugs. You must understand that. Now, either these two ladies submit to fingerprinting, or I’ll force them to submit.”
“That would be a horrible mistake,” I warned.
“This one,” Laird said, disregarding my warning and gesturing at Leecy with his chin. He snapped his fingers, “She’ll go first, and you know what? As an added bonus, I’ll teach her the meaning of punctuality while I’m at it.”
Hearing the door opening behind me, I turned to see Big Guy entering the room.
“I need her prints,” Laird said, pointing a long pale finger at Leecy. “Make that happen. I don’t care how it’s done. Bring me her fingers if that’s what it takes. Then you can do with her as you like.” He paused as if a thought just occurred to him, then continued. “I want these mercenaries taught a lesson. When you’ve finished with the girl, kill her. Then the other two will know who they’re dealing with. After which, I doubt I’ll have a problem with them being obedient, submissive, and timely. Yes! That’ll do nicely,” he bellowed, walking toward his platform.
Big Guy wrapped his beefy arms around Leecy, pinning hers to her side, and rested his chin on her left shoulder near her ear.
“Not a problem, Boss. I’ll have her prints in no time.” And then to Leecy, “Don’t worry; I’ll be gentle with you. I want to take my time.”
Leecy kicked her left leg up and back, sending the toe of her boot smashing into his left eye. The big guy stumbled backward, covering his face and his screams with his hands. Leecy, free from his grip, sent a spinning heel kick crashing into his right knee.
The sound of Big Guy’s medial collateral ligament exploding under the impact of the blow was audible to everyone in the room. Falling to the floor, he landed on his side with one hand reaching for his knee and the other covering his bleeding eye. Leecy rushed forward, grabbing a fist full of his hair and pulling his head back, exposing his neck. She crushed his trachea with one punch. She let go of his hair and his head bounced once off the hardwood floor like a deflated ball.
It happened so fast no one had time to intervene. The man was dying on the floor before Tia could draw her sword. She was yelling for Leecy to stop, but Valerie, faster with her Glock 17, was pointing it in Tia’s face without taking her eyes of her daughter.
“Gun beats sword,” Val said. “Not another step.”
“Enough!” Laird bellowed. “Just stop! Everyone stop.”
“She puts the sword away,” Val countered, “or I’ll put two bullets in her head.”
“There’ll be none of that,” Laird ordered. “Tia, it’s over. Put the sword away, and Madame, please lower your weapon.”
“No fingerprinting and no names, that’s how we operate,” she said, draping an arm around the neck of her daughter.
“If that’s how you wish to proceed, I can make an exception this time. It’s fine with me. Names aren’t germane to the process, anyway,” he said, walking up the stairs to his table, visually shaken and muttering. “So young to be so deadly, and with no weapon. Well, none other than her body, that is.” Then talking louder, he added, “I must say, you made me pay for my arrogance. I won’t make that mistake again, I can assure you.”
“And I can assure you if anyone touches me I don’t want touching me,” Leecy said, “they’ll suffer a similar fate.”
“That, young lady, I do not doubt,” he said, still shaking as he climbed the last stair to his perch. “Now,” he said, taking a deep, calming breath before sitting down on the edge of the table, “let us commence with the business at hand.”
“That’s what we’re here for,” Val said. “But you keep sword lady away from me, deal?”
“Not a problem. Oh, that reminds me,” he said, turning to Tia, who was standing by the small bed again. “Dear, we need to upgrade our security measures; she has a gun. And call the boys up here to remove the body.”
Tia nodded, then picked up an iPad that was lying on the bed next to her and began typing.
“You see,” he continued, turning his attention back to us, “we don’t get any visitors here. As a matter of fact, the last time anyone other than my usual staff entered this building was so long ago I can’t even recall who it was.” The door opened, and Laird paused as Hector and Lee struggled to remove the body of the big guy. Laird picked up the conversation where he’d left off as the door closed behind me. “Before that, we were just a simple company with no reason for security measures. But you don’t care about that, do you? No, I didn’t think so. Let’s get to business, shall we?”
“The sooner the better,” I said. “This room gives me the creeps.”
Looking wounded by my statement, he said, “I’m sorry to hear that. This room, as I’ve said, brings me peace of mind. Anyway, on to the matter at hand, right now I need you to do something for me.”
“Something?” I asked. “What kind of something?”
“I need you three to find out who planted the device we discovered yesterday. Then, once you’ve found them and discovered for whom they’re working, I want you to kill them all.”
“Murder? For planting a device?”
Scoffing at me, he asked, “And what do you call what the young lady just did, if not murder?”
“I call it self-defense,” Leecy answered. “What do you call telling someone to do with me as they wish?”
“I call it a mistake, but I was only hoping to scare you into being compliant with my orders.”
“We could’ve just agreed to disagree and gone our separate ways. Don’t make me the bad guy because you told that giant he could have his way with me, and I stopped that from happening.”
“Point taken.”
“Look, Laird, we don’t kill indiscriminately,” Val said. “But we’ll find the people responsible, and then you can send the rest of your goons to deal with them as you like.”
“That won’t do,” he said. “That won’t do at all. I thought people like you were morally compromised and would do just about anything for money.”
“People like us? You mean mercenaries?”
“Yes, you know that’s what I meant.”
“I suppose there’s some truth to that. My moral compass can be made to point in a different direction for eighty pounds of US currency.”
“Eighty pounds? That’s what…” he said, closing his eyes and running the numbers in his head, “four million dollars? That’s ridiculous. How about you do what I require or I kill all of you?” he countered. “Is that a good enough reason for you three?”
Laughing, Leecy answered him. “No, it’s not a good enough reason. And it’s an empty threat. You should be the one worried about dying. We can kill you and the girl over there right now. We walk out of here and just disappear. Agree to pay us what we ask,
or we’ll be on our way.”
“What’s the real number?” he asked. “Four million is too much.”
“Two million, US,” I said.
“That’s still a ridiculous sum. I can have it done for half that amount.”
“Then call the people that work cheap and pay them half. If you want us for the job, it’s two million. Take it or leave it. You’ve got exactly sixty seconds to decide and then we’re gone.”
“You’re a tough negotiator, Mr. Heely. No real give and take to be had here.”
“You can just call me Heely. Thirty seconds.”
There was a hint of laughter before he waved his hands.
“Okay, okay. You win. Round one goes to you. Enjoy the moment; it won’t happen again.” He lay on his back under the light emanating from the crystals. “How long will you require to complete the job?”
“In anticipation of your asking me to do this for you, I started the ball rolling last night. We’ll be wrapping this up in forty-eight hours or less.”
“Really? That’s very good news. I‘ll tell you what I’ll do. If you make it thirty-six hours, I’ll kick in another half a million-dollar bonus. How’s that sound?”
“Sounds like easy money,” Leecy answered.
“How do you want it done?” Val asked. “Discreetly? Or do you want to send a message?”
“Privately. Quietly. Don’t draw attention to it. Just make them disappear. But I’ll require proof.”
“What sort of proof?” Val asked.
“Oh, nothing too complicated, just a picture of you three with the corpses.”
“You’re joking,” I said. “If we do that, you’ll have proof we killed a man, or men, and we’ll be beholden to you forever. I don’t like that.”
“No, you misunderstand me. I don’t want to keep the pictures for any future use or blackmail. Tia will explain how it works. She’s developed a computer program that’ll erase any proof you share with me. But I’m afraid without the proof, there’s no deal. What do you say?”
“Then there’s no deal,” Leecy said.
“I beg your pardon?” he said, sitting up on the table. “I agreed to your terms. You can’t agree to my one stipulation?”
Bloody Truth: A Granger Spy Novel Page 9