“It was the obvious choice,” I said, turning around to face Frank. “You started this. Now I’m going to finish it.”
Laughing, he nodded his head towards the weapons I had strapped to my hips and thighs. “You disappoint me, Missy. I was hoping for a good Russian zamochit.”
“Zamochit,” I repeated. Hearing so many Russian terms would have at one point sickened me. Now the phrase for beating someone to death filled my heart with eagerness and made my bones vibrate with excitement.
Sliding the guns from their holsters, I threw them both to the edge of the room along with the blades that sat in their sheaths.
“Any last requests, Ness?” Frank asked as he stepped sideways.
“Only one.”
Holding out both hands, he grinned. “I consider myself a generous man. You may have your request.”
“Oh, it isn’t a request I want from you.”
He blinked, looking a little puzzled.
“It’s to Denny.”
Frank laughed. “You want to make a request to your dead husband?”
Nodding, I welcomed the bolt of adrenaline that surged through my system, readying me. “I want him to be the one to greet you when I’ve crushed your heart in the palm of my hand and sent you into hell.”
“You always could make me laugh.”
When I felt the familiar calmness soothe the fury in my veins and steady the beat of my heart, I smiled coldly. “I’m not in the mood to amuse you any more. It’s time to fight for that end square and reveal who is the true Game Master.”
I allowed him the first hit. I was a lady, after all.
The End Square
14:51
Every inch of me burned in agony. I was struggling to see through the swelling to both of eyes and my face, and the blood that trickled into my left lung from where a broken rib had pierced it impeded my breathing.
Frank was as battered and exhausted as I was, but still, we fought.
He landed a punch to the side of my head, sending me staggering slightly, but managing to right myself, I followed with a swift hit to his stomach.
“Admit defeat,” he tried, spitting a mouthful of blood to the floor when we took a five-second breather.
“Never! This ends today.”
He peered at me from where he bent double, holding his knees for support. “Always fucking stubborn.” Standing upright, he stumbled a little and wiped the blood from his mouth. “Give it to you, though, Ness, I forgot how fucking good of a challenge you were.”
He flew backwards, hitting the wall and falling to the floor when I slammed the heel of my boot into his gut.
“What was it you once said, ‘The pursuit of one’s prey, long before the exhilaration of the kill, is the best high known to man.’ Have to say,” I coughed up the clot of blood that was stuck in my throat and spat it out as he got to his feet. “I agree. Tormenting you before I kill you is rather satisfying.”
He laughed, holding his ribs, and wincing in pain. “You know, you’re right. Listening to Denny’s screams when the fire reached the boot of the car was so very gratifying.”
I allowed him to get to me. That was my one failure. I charged at him, rage blinding me and ruling my emotions.
Pain seared me, a blazing heat that tore through my stomach and drove me to my knees. I could barely see when my vision swam, and I brought my hands away from where I had instinctively pressed them to the searing agony. Blood coated my fingers, lots of it, the deep gouge in my belly an outlet for the litres of Bratva blood I had always failed to deplete from within me.
“You cheated.”
Frank laughed, my knife which he had deviously picked up when I had kicked him to the floor still grasped in his hand. “Never trust your prey, Ness. Have you learnt nothing?”
Attempting to get up, my body gave in and I fell forwards. The world was sliding away, Frank’s form becoming distorted as my life slowly started to creep from me. I was losing too much blood, and quickly. The wound was too deep and wide, and any chance of surviving was no longer possible. I knew this was the end, and I could do nothing to defend myself when he lifted his other hand and pointed my own gun at me.
He was straining to hold it still as his weak arms shook. But I was an unmoving target, and he would successfully hit home with one shot.
But, you know what? As I stared down the barrel of that gun, something occurred to me. I had made my peace with life. I had forgiven my father. My heart had been filled by two men that had, in the end, both loved me dearly. And my mother had found the peace she had been so long looking for. My only regret was that I would leave Sam and Carolyn. Yet I knew deep down in the very last beats my heart made that my father would protect them as his own, would love them like his own. He had adored my mother, even enough to let her go. There weren’t many men that could love that entirely.
As my soul took solace and breathed its final breath, serenity made my spirit soar before it bowed down and accepted death with grace.
“I suppose I should say well played,” I managed to say as I placed both my hands on the floor to support myself.
“Always a noble loser, even at the end. I respect you, Missy. I always have. Did you know that? I’ll see to it that you have a swift departure from this world.”
“I’ll see you in hell,” I vowed when he moved his finger to the trigger.
Forcing myself upright with the last bit of energy I could muster, I knelt proudly and stared straight at him.
“Forever fearsome,” he uttered the final words I would ever hear as my Denny slipped his hand in mine and held firm.
And then I gave him the nod.
Give Frank his due, it took four of Caelan’s bullets to take him down.
His death was the final thing I witnessed before my own death took me to meet my husband, and my lover.
In the end, the Game Master and Gamer stepped onto the end square together.
Yet, the gamer still won, see. She got to witness not only her tormenter’s death alongside the welcome relief of her own, but she got to behold Detective Inspector Caelan Fen finally get vengeance for the murder of his brother.
Epilogue
14:04
Caelan
Taylor Williamson greeted me with a broad grin and a pat on the back. “Good to see you, Fen.”
Oh, how times had changed. I remembered back. Twelve months ago, when I had first stepped into The King and County with Ness, I had received a very different welcome.
“The Boss in?”
Nodding, and knowing I wouldn’t need an introduction, he pointed to the back room. “Sure, go on through. You want a drink?”
“Jack, no ice.”
Understanding the significance of the simple drink, he gave me a woeful smile. “It will be ready when you’ve done?”
Thanking him, I tapped on the back-room door and waited for the go-ahead to enter. Even though I was welcome now, I still showed my respect to the man that had earned my admiration tenfold within the last year.
“Caelan!” Maksim received me with his customary firm hug.
Signalling for me to sit, I accepted and pulled out a chair. “How are Sam and Carolyn?”
His eyes twinkled with love, and he beamed. It was rare to most people, to see such an open display of emotion from the man they most feared, and I considered myself honoured to have seen it on many occasions.
“Carolyn is becoming a beautiful young woman.” He rolled his eyes and added, “Sam is proving to be more like my daughter every day!”
“Stubborn bugger, eh?”
“Stubborn, argumentative and fierce. Yet, so very kind-hearted, and passionate. As my matryoshka had, he has many layers to his character.”
“She would be proud of you, Maksim. You know that, don’t you?” I expressed when I saw the glimmer of sorrow seep into his eyes.
Shaking himself, he nodded his thanks. “I hope so.” Lighting up a cigarette, he offered me one. “I take it you’re here on business?”
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“I am.”
Holding out his hand, familiar with our routine by now, he took the slip of paper from me and opened it out. “Consider it done. Do I need to know the specifics?”
“Raped four kids,” I spat out, unable to hold in the disgust. “And again, evidence was tampered with, so the bastard walked.”
Maksim frowned. “Another one to walk?”
“Yeah. That’s three in the last eight months.”
“You think you have a bent fucker in The Yard?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at me.
“There’s always some shady copper. But this is different. This guy was surefire for a conviction. All the original evidence was stacked against him.”
“I’ll put an ear out, see if I can get a whisper who is accepting backhanders,” Maksim promised.
Giving him a grateful nod, I pushed my chair back and stood up.
“You will be at the memorial on Tuesday?”
Melancholy hung heavy around us, and my heart went out to the father who had only shared such a small part of his daughter’s life.
“Wild horses wouldn’t keep me away.”
Bidding him goodbye, I stepped back into the bar area. No one paid any attention to me. Not any more. I had more respect here now than I did at the station, and every single person in the place appreciated this was something I would always do alone.
Striding slowly across the room, I sat at the usual table near the door and picked up the glass of Jack. Every month for the last year I had made this small ritual, as I would continue to do every month that I still lived and breathed.
Lifting my glass, I trained my eyes on the empty chair opposite me and toasted to an incredible woman. “Dr Griffiths.”
Placing my empty glass down, I stood up, raised a hand to Taylor, and left.
The End
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Game Master Page 17