The Makarov File

by Peter Kozmar

  “Luba what’s happened? I heard that Volkov was a little slow off the mark and needed some … persuasion.”

  “Yes, he was. That changed after he received the call from our President. He’s got a good team here and, after that initial issue, all went well.” Andy felt a shiver as he remembered Malchik from his early years in Moscow and how he’d been instrumental in murdering CIA agents, assets and civilians.

  “Did they rescue Martirossian?”

  “Yes, he’s safe and reasonably well, they also got Max Savin.”

  “Savin has been missing for some time, how is he doing?” Malchik asked.

  “Not good. They tortured him. He’s been treated by the medics and is heading to hospital. When his family find out he’s alive they’ll probably fly him to a private clinic.”

  “I’ve met Mrs Savin, so I’ll break the news to her,” Malchik paused for a moment before continuing, “What do we do to bring this group down?” Andy joined the conversation which continued for a few minutes before Malchik forwarded the call to Anatoly Kruputchkin who answered on the third ring.

  “Kruputchkin.”

  “Mr Kruputchkin this is Andy Flint,” Andy detected a slight hesitation; Kruputchkin needed thinking time.

  “Mr Flint how are you and Ms Gamzova?”

  “We’re safe. We’ve rescued Vladim Martirossian and Max Savin.”

  “That’s great news. Savin’s a good friend of the President. I’ll let the President know.”

  “Did you know about Savin?” Andy asked.

  “Savin’s family kept his abduction private. We only found out after you got involved and started meeting with the oligarchs,” Kruputchkin paused for a few seconds before continuing, “when will this unpleasant episode be brought to a close?”

  “With your help we can close it swiftly,” Andy replied.

  “Talk with me and let’s see what we can do.”

  “I need an underwater demolitions expert,” Andy continued and outlined his plan. When he had finished he ended the call and made another call.

  After two rings the call was answered: “Helen Hobbs.”

  CHAPTER 48

  The sun’s last rays sunk slowly over the horizon making the cloudless sky to the east turn a spectacular deep red as the Gazelle landed on the Babushka. The rotors were still turning when Andy stepped onto the deck. It had been two weeks since he’d left Saint Petersburg and used the time to recover from his ordeal. Most of his time had been spent either sleeping or working through his plan and building confidence in his own mind it could work.

  Hampton stepped out from the shadows to greet Andy, “Mr Flint, it is lovely to see you again. What has happened to your beautiful assistant, Ms Gamzova?”

  “I’m on my own. Ms Gamzova couldn’t make this trip.”

  “That’s a pity. I did like her.”

  “Maybe next time.”

  “I’m sure Mr Chousov will appreciate your personal update on what’s happened. I heard you had been abducted too. That must have been absolutely terrifying. How did you manage to escape?”

  “Yes, it was terrifying being kidnapped. Believe me, it surprised me when they released me. Once free, I made my way to safety.” Andy deliberately played down what happened as he carefully watched Hampton’s reactions. Hampton led Andy up to the private deck and to the spa pool.

  “As simple as that, they let you go?” Hampton couldn’t hide the irritation in his voice.

  “More or less.”

  Alexi Chousov was relaxing in the large marble hot tub sipping whisky from a crystal tumbler. “Mr Flint, welcome, please forgive me if I don’t get up,” he stretched his arms wide open, revealing that he was naked.

  “That’s fine with me.”

  “Tell me what happened in Saint Petersburg?”

  “I had been expecting to brief Mr Chousov.”

  Alexi placed his glass down on a table at the side of the spa pool, “Are you blind, Mr Flint? I am Mr Chousov!” His speech sounded a little slurred.

  “I meant, Mikhail Chousov.”

  “He’s not here,” Alexi said, clearly irritated that Andy did not recognise him as a person of authority, “he’s travelling to our estate in New Zealand and, that, puts me in charge.” This time he raised his glass and smiled.

  Hampton stepped forward, “Mr Flint, I can assure you that Alexi usually takes charge of business while Mr Chousov is travelling, so he is in a position to receive your update.”

  “Why is your father heading to New Zealand? I thought the Babushka provided the safest place for him … and yourself.”

  “Not as safe as New Zealand. There could be a nuclear war in the rest of the world and New Zealand wouldn’t be touched. There are so few people living there and they respect your privacy, plus they don’t ask many questions. It’s perfect place to go and disappear for a few months. Anyway, enough about my father, I’m more interested in what happened in Saint Petersburg?” Alexi asked, steering the conversation back to the reason for Andy’s visit.

  “Not much to report really. We were attacked, kidnapped, escaped and found our way back to Saint Petersburg. All in a day’s work.”

  Alexi looked interested, “How did you get away?”

  “They got me very drunk and put me to sleep. I woke up confused and disorientated, in a car, at night and they sent me on my way down a narrow mountain road with Ms Gamzova unconscious in the passenger seat.”

  “Go on.”

  “After a few twists and turns I managed to stop the car and get us both out before sending it to an early grave over a cliff. They believed I was so drunk that I wouldn’t be able to control the car and we had been gone up in flames along with the car. It was a pretty intense fire!”

  “What a lucky man you are, but how did you get back to Saint Petersburg if you didn’t know where you were?”

  “We slept until the morning, then trekked over the hills, eventually we ended up on a road, flagged down a passing truck and the driver agreed to take us back to the city.”

  “Why did the FSB and not the police raid the bakery?” Alexi asked. Andy concealed his surprise, he’d not mentioned the raid being led by the FSB. There had been a complete media ban on the raid; even social media feeds on the incident were blocked.

  “We believed the police were compromised, so we used Ms Gamzova contacts at the FSB.”

  “Is that it? There must be more you can you tell me?”

  “I know who’s behind the Makarov Corporation.”

  Alexi’s happy disposition dissolved and became serious as he said, “Let’s not talk about this here. I think somewhere more private.” Alexi stood and climbed out of the spa pool as one of the ship’s attentive crew stepped forward with a bathrobe and assisted Alexi in securing it, then handed Alexi a towel before backing off into the shadows. “Hampton, ask Cheskov and Pavchek to join us in my private quarters.” Hampton turned and quietly slipped away as Alexi led Andy the short distance to his private suite.

  “Please take a seat,” Alexi said as he gestured for Andy to sit on an ornamental two-seater. Andy sat as directed. “It is a relief that you know who is involved, we won’t have to keep hiding, my father will be happy, he will be able to return to Russia. So, what can you tell me about this organisation?”

  “I know who’s behind the murders, kidnappings and blackmail, including those of your own staff.” They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

  “Come!” Alexi bellowed. Hampton opened the door and stepped into the suite followed by two well-built shaven-headed men wearing light-blue uniforms, however, they also wore shoulder holsters packed with semiautomatics: Cheskov and Pavchek. Andy recognised them, from his previous visit, as part of the crew keeping prying eyes from the upper deck.

  “What’s with the audience?” Andy asked, he couldn’t conceal the nervousness in his voice.

  “You know what’s going to happen, you knew before you even landed, but you must finish your story,” Alexi said simply, Andy looked resigne
d to his fate.

  “Your father had a number of small businesses including a taxi firm in Saint Petersburg. With your help he created a criminal enterprise and, using your business skills, took it to another level. You moved on from wiping out your criminal competition to using the same tactics to take over corporations.” Alexi paced around the room and shook his head.

  Andy continued, “Your father had his own executives murdered because he wanted it to look like he was a victim too. It had the desired effect; distracting the authorities and making them run around chasing their tails. It was a good plan, and I may have been impressed, if it wasn’t just a little bit … evil! Then you decided to target Ms Gamzova and myself, a big mistake, but I’m guessing you didn’t come up with the plan all by yourself, you had help from within.”

  Andy heard the sound of a connecting door open.

  CHAPTER 49

  In walked Amanda Lightfoot.

  “I couldn’t listen to any more of that rubbish,” she shouted at Andy.

  “Oh! You’re alive! What a surprise! You have no idea how many people will be relieved to see you when you get back to the US,” Andy replied sarcastically.

  “Mikhail didn’t create this. We did! The old man had the company, but we used it, and its resources, to grow and take over. We wanted him to step down and leave it all to us, but he’s stubborn. So, using our shell company we applied pressure by killing some of his oldest and closest staff. Then we scared key members of the Board into resigning and still he hung on. We have decided, as he unable to make the right decision, we will do it for him. He’s due to go sailing on Lake Tekapo and, let’s just say, he won’t make it to dry land safely.”

  “It’s the three of you including the old man, isn’t it?” Andy said, encouraging them to answer. Hampton stepped forward and faced Andy. He was bright red with anger and about to say something, but Andy cut in before he had a chance to utter a word, “Tell me, why did you betray your boss?”

  Hampton stepped back, as if for a brief moment rocked by a hint of guilt that came with the deceit, but then he stood his ground as he tried to justify his actions, “I didn’t want to be a bag-carrier all my life, following dutifully two paces behind. Now, I’m in partnership and will have my own international corporation to run, the North America and Caribbean operations, all mine.” He slapped his chest with his open hand as if to emphasize he was in control.

  “How did you suspect me?” Amanda asked having regained her composure.

  “You left a trail of clues. They were quite easy to follow. Oh, by the way Gerald says ‘Hi’ and ‘Thanks’, he’s really looking forward to seeing you again too.”

  “You’re funny,” Amanda scowled and looked disappointed at being discovered so easily.

  “Only a handful of people had access to ‘The Makarov File’ – which gave you the blueprint to follow – and you were one of them.”

  “I never believed in my wildest dreams they would bring you back. Hobbs hates you,” Amanda said, as if it explained everything.

  “Then there’s Gerald, who made an excellent patsy for you, he had no idea of your alter ego. Your life in the east didn’t match up with your life in Washington. Then Bruce’s body turned up and yours didn’t, that was odd. Your disappearance would have been more convincing if Bruce’s body hadn’t turned up either, but that’s the benefit of experience talking. I think you had some degree of compassion towards him …,” he allowed the words to sink in, “… you wanted his body returned to his wife.”

  “He wasn’t supposed to be with me. He made a last-minute decision which changed my plans and Bruce ended up as collateral damage.”

  “Then we have the photographic evidence,” Amanda looked puzzled. “You really didn’t cover your tracks well.” Now she looked plain angry. “When I was looking around your apartment there were two interesting photos: the first of you at the Sochi Winter Olympics, there’s a similar photo of Alexi here on the Babushka, they look as if they were taken in the same place at the same time, quite a coincidence if you ask me; the second photo in your apartment had been taken here on the Babushka, you were sipping champagne. I think that ties the two of you together quite nicely.”

  “That’s very clever of you Mr Flint,” Alexi interrupted, but before he could continue, Andy had another gem of information to share.

  “There’s also a photo of Amanda taken after she went missing … another big clue.”

  “I don’t believe you!” Amanda exclaimed.

  “Fedor Arkaday took a series of photos in the nightclub on the night you drugged and compromised him. In the photographs Kruputchkin appeared a few times, which threw me a little, but what really got my interest was a photo which showed you watching Arkaday as you directed the operation.”

  Amanda started to slowly clap, “Bravo! Bravo! Well done! I messed up and, now that you have shared this with me, I’ll be better at staying out of the picture!” She stopped clapping, “but you’re dead anyway so none of what you’ve said matters. Take him to the brig.”

  “Do they have those on luxury yachts? I thought they were only on navy ships.” Cheskov and Pavchek reached for their side arms and pointed them at Andy.

  “Please come with us, sir,” Pavchek said, delivering the line with a quiet authority. They led Andy through the yacht and down stairs to the brig. Cheskov opened the door to the small windowless room below the waterline and pushed Andy inside then closed and locked the door behind him.

  The room was sparse and not designed for comfort, a strip of lights embedded in the ceiling cast a bright, sterile white light in the white room. The brig had been fitted out with a narrow metal bed which was anchored to the floor and wall. A metal toilet and small metal hand basin were squeezed between the bed and the far wall.

  Andy looked at the bed with its thin mattress. That doesn’t look too comfortable. He sat on the bed and brushed the blanket with his hand, it felt coarse with its tightly woven wool. At least this should keep me warm. He pulled the woollen blanket to one side to reveal a clean white sheet and two pillows. With no television or radio to distract him and help pass the time Andy kicked off his shoes, removed his jacket and lay on the bed.

  He looked around for the light switch before he realized the lights were controlled from outside. He lay his head on the pillows and covered his upper body with the jacket, then pulled it up to cover his face and block out the lights. After a few minutes he could feel the effects of fatigue set in as the adrenaline left his body. He needed to stay alive and at this point his odds didn’t look good. He thought about the revelation that Mikhail Chousov wasn’t part of the Makarov Corporation, as he had thought, and that Alexi was prepared to do anything for ultimate power; including killing his own father. He’s a bloody megalomaniac!

  Andy pondered over the betrayal of Mikhail Chousov by his personal assistant, Hampton, who had turned against his long-time employer for the offer of power and wealth. Hampton must have enjoyed watching Mikhail suffer and grieve as his key executives and friends were murdered around him.

  Andy knew it was only a matter of time before Amanda and Alexi would dispose of Hampton. He was in no doubt that, once Mikhail was out of the way, Hampton would serve no further purpose for them, and he would find out the hard way. Hampton’s way too far up himself to see what is coming. Andy yawned and closed his eyes as he thought about the mess Hampton was in. Sleep quickly enveloped him.

  CHAPTER 50

  Andy didn’t hear the door unlock or swing open. The first he knew was when they pulled his jacket from his face and a large hand shook his shoulder. “Ok, Flint, time to get up, you’re wanted on deck.” It was Pavchek. Andy sat up and looked for his shoes, Cheskov handed them to him. Andy slipped on his shoes, stood and put on his jacket.

  “What time is it?” he asked, still groggy from his rude wake-up call.

  “One-fifty in the morning,” Pavchek replied.

  Andy had considered attacking them. Taking their weapons and shooting his way out
. However, his plan had a few fundamental flaws. Firstly, they were both bigger than him and far fitter. Secondly, they were armed and probably trained in some form of hand-to-hand combat. The third problem, how to get away? He couldn’t fly the helicopter and a jet-ski wouldn’t get very far. When Andy stepped out of the brig, he found another reason: two more security staff. They were not as well built as Cheskov and Pavchek, but made up for it with the extra fire power they carried with their assault rifles. He decided on his original plan, go with them without making trouble.

  Cheskov led the way with Pavchek on Andy’s right, the other two trailed a few meters behind, their assault rifles trained on Andy’s back. On reaching the open deck, Andy looked up at the clear night sky. A full moon cast its silvery light over the calm seas as the Babushka ploughed through the Caribbean Sea. Andy was led to the stern near to where the jet-skis were stowed. There was only the guard rail and a three-meter drop between him and the water below. Andy turned away from the turbulent wake of the Babushka as it powered onwards and faced the four security officers who had formed a tight semi-circle.

  “What’s next? Andy asked.

  “This is where you die,” Alexi answered from behind. The security detail parted to let Alexi and Amanda through.

  “You’ve tried to kill me before and, guess what? You failed!” Andy hoped he sounded more confident than he felt.

  “You have been nothing but trouble,” Alexi replied.

  “Tonight, your luck has run out,” Amanda said, “‘The Architect’ said we should have killed you immediately and not left it to amateurs. He believed you were dangerous and we were under-estimating you by treating you with kid gloves. I now regret we didn’t listen to him earlier.”

  “Well that’s a surprise Amanda, I thought you were brains behind this?” Andy said, but he was curious, “So, amuse me, who’s ‘The Architect’? You can tell me, I’m going to die, so your little secret will die with me.”

  “Sometimes you need allies, partners and mentors. We’ve found our mentor. He’ll help us be part of a new world order.”