by Wendy Rosnau
He had known what to say to make her give herself up. She was no coward. If she was, she would have taken her mother and abandoned this mission two days ago.
She walked to the window. There Filip tied her hands behind her back, then slipped out the window, all the while aiming her Makarov at her.
When he was through, he said, “Head first.”
She stuck her head out the window.
“Farther,” he ordered, and when she did, he stepped forward and lifted her out.
Seconds later he was moving through the woods, carrying her like a sailor shouldering a knapsack.
The sound of a gun going off in the bedroom took Pierce by surprise. It was a handgun, by the sound of the discharge. He remembered that Casmir favored a Makarov, and knowing his weapons as well as he did, he knew it was her gun.
“Shit.”
Was she all right?
He was about to head back down the hall when the outside door came off its hinges. He sprinted back through the living room and into the kitchen. He entered the utility closet and hit the electrical switch, dousing the lights. He slipped inside, quickly unhooked a latch in the ceiling and pulled himself up into the rafters, then dropped the secret-passage door back into place.
In a full crouch, he listened as the men inside the house moved from room to room, taking it apart. He heard furniture breaking. Shouting. Glass shattering.
“He’s here somewhere. Find him.”
Pierce heard the gruff voice giving orders. The voice was close. He had only minutes before they found the false ceiling in the kitchen closet. Crouched low, he moved through the darkness, balancing on the rafters as he headed for the hole in the roof Lazie had told him would be there.
He smelled the smoke just as he reached the hole. Since they couldn’t find him, they had decided to burn him out. That meant there were men outside watching and waiting. Waiting for him to escape before the flames engulfed the house.
He removed the boards Lazie had tacked up with short nails to cover the hole, then wrenched them up one by one.
The smoke was rising now, filling his lungs and the close quarters around him. He stuck his head out and breathed fresh air, then crawled out on the roof. Flattening himself out, he studied his surroundings. The flames lit up the yard between the house and the woods, and he saw a man to his right shouldering a rifle. To his left was another armed man.
It was clear Yurii Petrov was dead serious about leaving no one alive to follow.
Pierce belly-crawled toward the massive oak at the corner of the house. There he found the rope that Lazie had rigged up to a sturdy branch, and hanging close by was an AK-47. He strapped the gun on his shoulder, then took hold of the rope and swung off the roof and into the tree. From there, he disappeared into the woods and headed for the flat-bottom boat Lazie had left for him hidden in the bayou.
He turned back once as a bright flash lit up the sky. The cabin was an inferno now, a blaze of orange flames reaching for the stars.
Casmir tried to keep track of time as she was carried through the woods. Finally Filip stopped and slid her off his shoulder.
She heard a noise, spun around and saw Nasty Nicky coming toward them from an old sagging dock.
Filip said, “I want Fourtier dead. Make sure of it.”
Nicky nodded. “Right away.”
“I want confirmation. His ears, a fucking hand. Something.” Filip grabbed Nicky by the front of his shirt. “No mistakes this time.”
When he released Nicky, he gave him a hard shove, then wrenched Casmir by the arm and marched her toward the dock.
Behind her she heard Nicky say, “I’ll find him. I’ll call you as soon as he’s dead.”
“Sach and Moor are coming with me in case I run into trouble on the river. You can keep Gavril to help you tie up the loose ends. And pull out Boris and Maks from the snake pits. Toss them in the water for fish food. Sink them. No evidence, remember?”
They had lost two men to Lazie’s snake pits. Casmir shivered, unable to imagine such a terrible death.
Filip, on the other hand, made no comment on the fate of his men, only that their identities vanish at the bottom of the swamp.
No, Filip’s eyes were fully on her now, and getting her out of the U.S. as quickly as possible. As he pushed her into the boat she looked back at Nicky. He was still standing on shore. He raised his hand and waved.
Pierce arrived in New Orleans within the hour. He took the stairs three at a time and knocked at Lazie’s door in the French Quarter—where he had taken Ruza to keep her out of harm’s way.
When Lazie opened the door, he asked, “Is it done?”
“It’s done.”
“And were we convincing?”
“The snake pit was a highlight for them. The cabin being burned to the ground was mine.”
“Shit. They burned you out?”
“Oui. Where’s Ruza?”
“On the balcony in the bedroom.”
“I need to get out of here before she sees me.”
Lazie opened a closet door and pulled out a backpack. “It’s all in there. Everything you asked for. You’re going to keep in touch, right?”
Pierce slung the pack over his shoulder. “I’ll call you when I can, but when that will be, I’m not sure.”
“Did you call Merrick?”
“Not yet, but I will once I’m en route.”
“And what will you tell him, Mr. Fourtier? Where’s my daughter?”
Pierce looked over Lazie’s shoulder to see Ruza stepping out of the shadows.
“I asked you a question. Where’s my daughter? And don’t fabricate a story. I can smell a liar as easily as a rogue.” She glanced at Lazie, then back at Pierce.
“I don’t have time to explain.”
“You work for Onyxx. Don’t deny it. I overheard you say you were going to call Adolf Merrick. You wouldn’t be doing that otherwise. I’m a quick study, Mr. Fourtier. I’d say this entire trip Lev sent my daughter on has nothing to do with a vacation and everything to do with some kind of assignment.”
Pierce said nothing.
“I know who she is, Mr. Fourtier. Or, I should say, what she is and who she works for. That’s right. I know the truth about my daughter’s status at Quest.”
Pierce didn’t blink. Ruza Balasi was no fool. He said, “I know all about the game you and Cass have been playing over the years. Merrick filled me in.”
“And now you will fill me in.”
“If you want to know what’s going on, ask your brother. At the moment I have a job to do, and timing is everything right now.”
“You are not going to leave without detailing my daughter’s situation. What has Lev cooked up with Merrick, and how does it involve Cassie?”
Pierce looked at Lazie, who was clearly confused. He said, “Keep her here.” Then to Ruza, he said, “My job is to track Cass, and at the moment she’s in a very tight spot. This is wasting valuable time.”
Pierce again made eye contact with Lazie. “Don’t let her out of your sight. Your mon coeur is a seasoned spy, and knows every trick in the book.”
“If you read my file, then you know I’m retired. That I haven’t been active for years.”
“And in the intelligence business we all know that holds about as much water as a cup with a hole in the bottom.”
Lazie glanced at Ruza. “A spy. No, Ruza-a… Not you. I don believe it.”
“Why, because I don’t look the type? Close your mouth, Lazie. I can see your tonsils.”
Casmir sat beside Filip while one of his henchmen drove the boat and the other stood like a sentry with his gun at the ready should trouble appear around the next corner.
The river was narrow and the foliage thick. Casmir kept alert. She wondered if Pierce was out there somewhere watching, or if he’d been trapped in the cabin.
No, he was too smart for that.
The night breeze whipped her face as the driver pushed the boat for more speed. The river was bl
ack and there was no moon out. A good night to strike, she thought. Filip had planned well.
The boat slowed and suddenly it was headed for shore. They had charted a route to avoid capture. They would take to the water again, she believed, but it was always a good idea to play rabbit just in case someone had taken chase. She knew all the games, knew the criminal mind.
Filip was no fool. By far, he was Yurii’s equal. Though he was at least ten years younger, he’d been raised in the same world. Loyal to the same family.
Still, he was his own man with his own strong convictions. As he had said, if she had betrayed him, she would be dead by now.
In contrast to Yurii’s clean-cut appearance, Filip wore his black hair long and spoke broken English laced with an Italian accent. He was built like a machine, and he handled himself like a pro. He knew his job and did it without the slightest hesitation. He wasn’t interested in making friends or excuses. He’d come to Louisiana for only one thing—to take her back to Yurii.
She was transported to a waiting car—a black BMW—and the man who had driven the boat was once again behind the wheel. They sped away from the dock, Filip not saying more than a few words to the men as they got lost on the back roads heading east following the coast.
They crossed into Mississippi. This time the boat waiting for them was a sleek white motor yacht.
Filip got out and reached in to pull her from the backseat. Her wrists were still tied and they were beginning to hurt, but she didn’t mention it.
She followed the two men down the pier, Filip trailing her. Casmir noticed everything. The yacht had three men on deck, and it had been christened the Stella di Mare. Italian for starfish.
The minute they were onboard the yacht’s captain set sail.
“This way.”
Filip motioned to a stairway that led below deck. But as she started for the stairs, he jerked her to a stop and untied her hands.
“Wouldn’t want you to fall on your face and break your nose.”
“How kind of you.”
“If you think so that would be a mistake.”
She descended the stairs and entered a narrow passageway. The yacht wasn’t as lavish as Yurii’s Bella Vella, but it was still worth a few million easy. Filip ushered her into a carpeted stateroom. He turned on a light and she saw that the room had all the comforts of home.
“Take off your clothes.”
“Why?”
“I’ll ask the questions. Take them off.”
He stood there waiting.
Casmir stripped, and as quickly as she shed her clothes and shoes, he took them from her.
“What are the bruises from?” He stepped forward and grabbed her by the hair and examined the stitches on her neck. “New boyfriend like to play rough?”
“I was in an accident.”
He let go of her hair and stepped back. Before he left, he gave her a slow head-to-toe. Filip might be all business, but he was still a man.
Chapter 15
Ruza located the telephone in the living room and was about to make a call when Lazie intercepted her, and stripped the phone out of her hand.
She spun around and faced him. “I’m calling Lev. Now give me the phone.”
“Lev Polax is your brother?”
“My half brother. The one I’m going to kill next time I see him.” Ruza held out her hand. “Now give me the phone, Lazie.”
“Not until we talk, ma douce amie. You can’t stop dis. She is already in dere hands.”
“Whose hands?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Then get to it.”
“I think you should go first. Are you really a spy?”
“Yes, but that can wait. My daughter is in some kind of trouble. We do not have all night.”
“Still, Ruza-a…you will explain this lie you have been living.”
Ruza swore in Russian, then walked to the window and looked out over the French Quarter. It was well past ten and she was worried. She had never gotten used to the worry, but Cassie had been an elusive spy. She had read every report, and against her desire for her daughter to do something else—anything else—with her life, Lev had been right. Cassie was a natural.
She recalled Pierce Fourtier, and what he’d said. He was leaving to track Cassie. Track her where? Since she’d met Pierce, the man had been as emotionless as a toad. But tonight he seemed anxious. Anxious and as worried as she was.
Why?
In Prague, Lev had told her that he wanted Cassie out of the country. That someone had discovered her identity and that she would need to accompany Cassie since it appeared she had also been targeted. She’d gone along with the plan, trusting Lev’s instincts.
Had this someone found them?
Her own experiences had taught her that when you were being hunted, and you had no idea by whom, the safest thing to do was to draw them out. Was that Lev’s plan? Had he lied?
He wasn’t beyond lying. He’d done it before, always explaining it away as part of the job.
“Ruza-a…you know that Casmir is a spy at Quest, oui?”
“Yes.”
“How long have you known?”
“Since Lev recruited her behind my back.” She turned to look at him, then settled into a chair. “I never wanted this for her. She had so many talents.”
Lazie seated himself in the chair across from her. “You didn’t want your life for her.”
“It’s a hard life. Dangerous. I was furious when I found out. But of course Lev knew I would be. That’s why he went behind my back.”
“Why would he consult you first?”
“Because we are Quest. It’s the family business.”
He looked at her as if he didn’t believe her.
“My mother is IsaDora Polax. The mastermind behind Quest.”
“She was also a spy?”
“Yes, and a damn good one.”
“And you followed in your mother’s footsteps, too.”
“Not at first. Really, Lazie, this is no time for a walk down memory lane. I—”
“You said you’re retired.”
“Eight years now.”
“And Casmir doesn’t know any of this?”
“I never told her about my secret life behind my stage acting, no.”
“Why?”
“For the same reason she never told me, and fabricated that story about her being an international real estate agent. Spies live double lives. They protect those they love.”
“And did you know when you were younger about your mother’s status?”
“Like I said, spies live double lives to protect their families. Quest was conceived over thirty years ago, although it wasn’t called EURO-Quest at the time. It was an experimental project at first. My mother had gotten into the spy business years before, and made her mark in the intelligence world. When she was about to retire, she was asked to develop an academy to train female spies. Do you have a cigarette?”
“You smoke?”
“An old habit that haunts me when I’m nervous.”
Lazie stood and went to the bar. When he came back he had a pack of Reds in one hand and a martini in the other. She watched him as he lit the cigarette and handed it to her, then set the martini in front of her.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Back in his chair, he lit a cigarette for himself and said, “You were telling me about the academy.”
Ruza took a drag off the cigarette and closed her eyes a moment, then exhaled. “It was all very hush-hush. Like a secret society. It was called Praza. For years it was hidden in the bowls of the Kostel Panny Marie Sněžné in Nové Město. It means, Church of Our Lady of the Snows. Years later when the agency came out of the closet, it was renamed EURO-Quest. I’ve never seen you smoke, Lazie.”
“I’m a social smoker. It’s bad for you, oui?”
“So is crossing the street. Today Quest’s headquarters are below the Vyehrad. When I was younger I never knew anything about
mother’s work. Neither did Lev. When we became adults it became a part of our lives.”
“How? You don’t just decide to become a spy.”
“No, you don’t. Lev started law school and I pursued stage acting. I did well. Found work and quickly became a common face on the stages in Europe. It put me on several lists to some exclusive parties. There I mingled with some very important, high-powered men. That’s how I meet Jacko Ludomir, Casmir’s father. I was twenty-two when I met him. I had no idea that he was in the intelligence business. A regular James Bond, that was Jacko. He was working for British intelligence at the time. He was in his thirties, handsome and dangerous to my heart.”
Lazie smiled. “I think it must have been the reverse, amie.”
“Maybe.”
“So you fell in love with this Jacko?”
“I loved what he gave me. Cassie was a beautiful baby, and a loving child. Have you ever had a child, Lazie?”
“I have a son. He lives with his mother.”
“Do you see him?”
“No. She took him out of the country when he was young. Tell me about Jacko.”
“It was while I was at an exclusive party in France that we met. I had no idea he was there to pick up a top secret document from a Russian double agent. The document had been slipped into my handbag. I had been picked at random to be used. He planned to retrieve the document during the party, but I got a dreadful headache and left early. That put Jacko in my bedroom hours later trying to recover what the double agent had left in my purse. Of course I thought he was there to see me, but I caught him in the act of searching my purse and…well, enough said about that. I told Lev about the incident, never realizing that he had already been recruited into Quest by Mother. I suppose that’s when he got the idea that I could be an asset to the agency.”
“And before long you were a spy.”
“Yes.”
“What happened with Jacko?”
“We met again at another party. Then another and another. We weren’t enemies. Our agencies had similar goals. We became lovers and I got pregnant.”
“And then?”
“I disappeared for several months, and when I returned to work, I learned that Jacko had been killed on a mission in France. I continued to work, raised our child and eventually retired.”