I step up to him, we are almost eye level. My look is unwavering as I pull out one of my guns and place it at his temple. “Do you honor it now?” I question.
“You cannot shoot me,” he smiles confidently.
I cock my weapon. “Are you sure about that?”
Another man walks up and draws his weapon, which causes Clayton to draw his. No one is moving in the bar. I suppose they have seen this kind of thing before, but I don’t have time for it today. I need answers and I know Komarovski can give them to me.
“What do you want?” The son says, coming up to me. He waves his hand and the large man backs off.
“That’s a nice trick, junior. Can you make him roll over as well?” I ask with a smirk.
He grins with a nod of his head. “We have given you enough already. Are you too stupid to figure it out or must we draw you a map?” he says with a chuckle, causing a round of laughter to filter through the people present.
“I don’t know, junior, can you draw me a map without Daddy’s help?”
He stops laughing and immediately swings. I dodge and punch him in the side, just under his rib cage. He doesn’t waver though, he keeps coming at me. He clocks me in the face once before I pull him into a chokehold. I don’t have time for this. I hear several guns ready at the same time and rise to my feet, holding Aleksei against me.
“I don’t want trouble. I only want to speak with Mr. Komarovski,” I reiterate.
“Let’s talk, Agent Masterson,” I hear from the back of the room.
I drop Aleksei and everyone lowers their weapons. People part and Dimitri walks through. He looks calm and cool as he smokes his cigarette, strolling through the crowd like the messiah himself. He glances at his son, who immediately looks to the ground. Walking to his kid, he whispers something in Russian to him. I peek at Clayton, who smiles just slightly. I have to sort of admire the guy. He can certainly command a room and I have no doubt that there isn’t anyone in here that wouldn’t take a bullet for him.
“Come,” Dimitri orders, walking towards the back with Aleksei by his side. He stops and turns to Clayton who is following me. “Not you, only him.”
Clayton looks at me and I nod slightly. Clayton stays behind while I continue to follow Dimitri and his kid. We enter a room off to the side. It is dark with burgundy carpets and various Russian artifacts all around. Several pictures grace the wall, most seem to be family. Dimitri sits behind his large desk and places his hands on top of it, tapping his index fingers together.
“We meet again,” he states causally.
“I need your help.”
“I have already helped you.”
“I know, you gave me Mubarak, but it isn’t enough.”
He smirks. “But it is.”
“Enrico shot my godfather today and took someone I care about. Where would he take her?”
“I’m sorry about that, Agent Masterson, but it was inevitable,” he says with a shrug and lights a cigarette. He then offers me one.
I shake my head. “What do you mean it was inevitable?”
“She was the one with the pendant, correct?” he inquires, blowing smoke into the room.
“She is not tied to any of this,” I say with a heavy sigh.
For the first time, he looks stumped. He gazes at his son, who looks equally confused by this revelation.
“She wears the pendant, does she not?” Dimitri questions.
“Yes, but…”
“And it was given to her by the dark-skinned man, correct?”
“Yes, but she knows nothing.”
“I see, well, this is indeed unfortunate,” he says almost in a laugh.
“What’s so damn funny?” I ask, irate.
He leans back and brings his cigarette to his mouth. He looks like he is trying to decide something. There is a buzzing sound and soon his son is looking at his phone. He sends a reply and then walks to his father, whispering something in his ear. Dimitri nods and then leans forward again.
“The pendant is the key, Agent Masterson. Do you not see this?”
“I do, but…” I run my hand over my head and let out an exacerbated sigh. “I know it’s given by the men in the family to their women to keep them safe. It makes them untouchable.”
Dimitri nods and offers me a smirk. “That is true, but it’s more than that.”
“What, tell me? Dominique’s life is in danger.”
He leans back again and draws the cigarette to his mouth. “In some traditions, the women are the keepers of the information, the secret carriers, so to speak. They know everything, which is why they are protected at all costs. To purposefully kill one would mean immediate death,” he says blowing smoke from his lips.
The wheels in my head start spinning. “But if Carmine killed Khaleel then why would Mubarak want to work with him? Why is Carmine not dead already?”
Dimitri laughs. “Why indeed?”
I stare at his cryptic smile and know that he won’t give me that information. “Dominique doesn’t know anything,” I finally breathe out softly.
“Agent Masterson,” he leans forward again. “Things are set in motion that cannot be stopped, but if it’s true that your woman knows nothing then she is in grave danger. I know you see me as a ruthless man, and I do not deny that is true. It is in the nature of what I do, but…” he hesitates and looks towards a picture on the wall.
I immediately follow his gaze and see that he is staring at a picture of two young men standing outside of this bar. It’s old, but I can make out a younger Dimitri. He’s got to be in his early twenties. The other man, however, does not look Russian at all. He has strong Anglo features with blond hair. They are both leaning against the bar, looking like they own the joint. Neither of them seems aware that their picture is being taken so I’m wondering if it was a surveillance shot. I have never seen the blond man before and I’m curious if he was ever identified by the organized crime division. Dimitri turns from the picture to look at me. His expression is softer, kinder even.
“I do not want an innocent killed,” Dimitri finishes sincerely.
“Then help me,” I implore. “Dominique is an innocent. The man who gave her the pendant was trying to protect her. They were friends, but she doesn’t know anything about any of these people or what they do. Please, I need your help.”
He stares at me for a long time and worry that this is it, he’s going to kick me out of here and not give me anything. Finally, he smiles slightly as he jots something down on a small piece of paper and shoves it across the table. I pick it up and glance at it. It’s an address with a time written below it and my heart soars.
“I do not know where she is at the moment but I do know where she will be.”
He stands up as I continue to look at the address. It’s for a warehouse near the docks. I know exactly where this is. He said this is where she’ll be this evening which means, she is still alive. He says something to his son in Russian and then gives me a steely look.
“You must leave now,” he states firmly.
I nod and rise. “Thank you.”
“I do not ask for anything in exchange for this information,” he says, arching one brow and looking at me with an expression that says the opposite of his words.
“I cannot offer anything in return,” I say, nodding slightly, acknowledging our understanding.
“I hope you find what you have lost, Agent Masterson… before it’s lost permanently.”
And just like that, my elation plummets and my heart lurches into my stomach at his words. Time is of the essence, I need to find her before they realize she can’t give them whatever it is they want. I breathe in deeply and head for the door, shoving the piece of paper in my pocket. Clayton meets me immediately as we march out of the bar, determinedly. Dimitri gave me something I can use, something tangible, something that will help me find Dominique.
“Did you hear anything good out there?” I ask as we get inside the vehicle.
“Mostly th
ey were making fun of us, but the man you pointed your gun at is named Nicolai. He was pissed, wanted to kill you, was angry that the boy stopped him. But he also talked about hoping he got to kill someone this evening.”
I nod and pull out the address, handing it to him. “Dimitri gave me an address and seemed generally surprised that Dominique didn’t know anything. He said the pendant is the key. It not only represents the family, it represents that the carrier is a keeper of information for the family. It’s why they are after Dominique. They think Phillipe told her Mubarak family secrets.”
He nods as a confused expression passes over his face. “So why is Mubarak working with the Sicignano if they killed one of these women six years ago?” he asks alarmed.
“I don’t know, maybe he doesn’t know,” I say with a shrug. “But whatever is going to happen tonight, it’s going to be big. Let’s go get the guys.”
The drive back to Enrico’s restaurant is quick. Everything feels like it is going at hyperspeed. Maybe its just me but I feel like we are closing in on Enrico and his brother. God, I hope so, this family needs to go down for all that they’ve done. The minute we get there, Zach and Jeff just into the vehicle.
“Any movement?” I ask, the minute the doors close.
“Nothing,” Jeff answers with a frown.
“We aren’t even sure if they are still in there,” Zach laments.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if he slipped out,” Clayton responds with a nod.
“Doesn’t surprise me either,” I concur.
“How’d it go with Komarovski?” Zach questions.
“Good.” I show them the slip of paper. “He wouldn’t tell me where she is right now but we know where she will be.”
I spend the next twenty minutes going over what happened with Komarovski. Zach and Jeff both agree that Dimitri has no bad blood with the Egyptians and if he wanted guns he could go straight through them versus getting involved with Enrico. There is something else he is trying to do in this and he wants our help to do it. I recognize that he is using us as pawns in this whole game he’s playing, but right now, I don’t care. I need Dominique back and if playing this out with Dimitri is going to make it happen then I’ll do it. Whatever the costs, I need to get her back. I look down at the slip of paper and then at them.
“I know she isn’t there yet but I want to go check it out anyways.”
“We definitely should,” Zach agrees. “It will allow us to get the lay of the land before everything happens.”
The drive to the docks is tense. I just can’t wrap my head around Dimitri’s motives. He’s smart and savvy. No way would he get in bed with the Sicignano unless it benefitted his family in some way. It’s clear there is something else going on but my mind is too focused on finding Dominique to think clearly about it.
“This is it,” Zach states as we pull up to the warehouse.
“Joseph is still in surgery,” Clayton states, hanging up the phone.
I nod. “We will do a sweep of the perimeter and…” I stop when I see that Anderson is calling me. “Hello?”
“Carmine is in Chicago,” Anderson says.
My heart drops into my stomach. “Since when?”
“This morning.”
My eyes close. This morning. That is enough time for him to have the bomb planted for Joseph. Enough time to arrange for the kidnapping of Dominique. I sigh and shake my head. And enough time to destroy my life once again.
32 Show Time
Dominique Walker
August 5th
When I awaken, I hear voices around me, several of them. I can distinguish Enrico and Adams but there are others as well. I wonder how long I have been out. I swallow thickly, coating my dry throat, and the voices silence themselves. They already know I’m awake so there’s no point in hiding it. I reach to the back of my head and feel a bandage over a small bump where I was hit.
“I apologize for my brother’s ghastly behavior,” a voice says.
I slowly open my eyes and see the man Valentino identified as Carmine Sicignano. He is even creepier in person. He doesn’t look like much in physical stature but he makes up for that in the scary factor. There’s something about his small dark eyes, his long boney fingers, and the overall way he carries himself that makes you think you are in the presence of the devil himself. Enrico is standing behind him, his arms crossed over his chest, Aryana and Gino by his side. There is also the man I remember Valentino identified as Luka, as well as Agent Adams. Carmine reaches towards me and I lean as far back as I can. He sits up and laughs before looking around the room. Enrico doesn’t look happy at all. I almost snicker because what I said earlier about him wanting to usurp his brother seems to be true.
“Dominique, I wouldn’t dream of hurting you,” he says with a smile that makes my stomach turn.
“Then let me go,” my meek voice replies.
“Ah, if only it were that easy,” he says, rising to his feet, amused.
“What do you want from me? I can’t tell you anything.”
He eyes me, all amusement is gone. “Can’t or won’t?” He asks in a voice that makes the hair on the back of my neck rise to attention.
I don’t say anything because I’m not sure what to do to prolong this. If he, they, think I know something, the best thing I can do is string them along, at least until I can figure out how to escape or until Valentino finds me, whichever comes first. I sit up and take in my surroundings. Where am I? It looks like some sort of office. As my eyes wander around the room, I stop on another familiar face from the wall. That's that Russian guy. I can’t remember his name though.
“Perhaps we are approaching this the wrong way,” the Russian states, looking disinterested.
Carmine turns to him and shoots him a lethal glare that would probably frightened others, but not this guy. The Russian smirks and coolly takes out a small case, extracting a cigarette and lighting it casually. He has this indifferent attitude about him. It’s as if he knows he’s the toughest man in the room and is bored with the concept of having to prove it. He blows smoke in Carmine’s direction and arches his brow.
“Let me take her,” his lip twitches as he takes another drag of his cigarette. “She will tell me what I want to know.”
My body stiffens. I don’t know what would be worse, this devil looking man or this badass Russian. The two of them are staring at each other. The Russian seems immune to Carmine’s death stare as he remains unwavering, still smoking nonchalantly. I glance up from him and recognize the Russian’s son, along with two large men standing behind this guy. Now this kid looks like he is ready to pounce on Carmine at any moment.
“NO!” Enrico interjects angrily and I turn to him, as does Carmine.
“You have no say in this, brother. It was your people’s mistakes that caused all of this,” he waves his hand back at me.
“Marshall assured me that things were in hand, that Phillipe didn’t know what we were planning.”
Oh, thank God! I don’t know why it makes me happy but it certainly does. Just knowing that Phillipe wasn’t a part of these people makes me feel good. So, Marshall, that psycho, was double-crossing Phillipe and these Egyptians. That’s probably why Phillipe was killed. He found out about the double-cross and that’s probably why he gave me the pendant. A quick movement startles me and I see that Carmine is now standing directly in front of Enrico.
“You forced my hand with the Egyptian’s because you hired an unstable man that couldn’t control his woman.”
Enrico starts to say something and Carmine raises his hand to stop him. Enrico looks pissed that his brother is dismissing him so easily but I find it kind of amusing. It’s clear that Carmine doesn’t respect Enrico at all. No wonder Enrico is so livid all the time.
“Now I’m in a precarious position with Mubarak. I have nobody I can pin this one on like I did before,” Carmine finishes angrily.
“I’m not afraid of Mubarak,” Enrico states proudly.
Carmine sn
eers at him. “You should be. They don’t just kill you like you and I might. They torture you, sometimes for days. His second relishes practicing their ancient customs,” he glances at Aryana and then back at Enrico, “almost as much as she enjoys killing on our behalf.”
“Who killed Phillipe?” I ask from the couch.
All eyes in the room turn to me. All right, maybe that wasn’t the best thing I could have done but, based on what they are saying, they think I’m important so I might as well act like it. I pull out the memories of all of my dad’s teachings when that girl from our neighborhood was kidnapped. I was real young, but after it happened, he basically stressed to me that if I was ever taken captive that I needed to assess what my captors wanted and offer a way for them to get it. He said if anything, it would buy me time to get free. I then remember what Valentino said about the women who keep the pendant and think back to how Mubarak listened to Nephthys. I might be able to use this.
“I have a right to know,” I say confidently, holding my head high. “Just because you took the pendant from me doesn’t invalidate the meaning of it.”
I hear hearty laughter and turn towards it, to see the Russian man. He grins and nods just slightly and for some reason it feels like it’s some kind of signal to me. He seems to be encouraging me, telling me somehow that I’m on the right path. I cock my head slightly and he smirks again before rising to his feet.
“Clearly, she knows she can’t say anything,” he says casually, walking passed me.
Okay, he gave me something there. I watch as he stands next to Carmine and Enrico. Carmine looks absolutely pissed. He keeps glancing at me as they argue amongst themselves.
“I need that information,” Carmine hisses.
“I can fix this,” Enrico inserts.
“You’ve fixed enough,” Carmine interrupts.
“I will take her with me. No one will…” The Russian starts to say and Carmine waves his hand dismissively.
“You are not in charge here, Dimitri,” Carmine states annoyed. “You make no decisions. There’s no way you are taking that woman. She’s my leverage with Mubarak.”
Retaliatory Justice (The Talionic Files #1) Page 32