by R E Gauthier
Emily shook her head. “You’re new at this, aren’t you? I was told you were in way over your head, but I had no idea how much until now.”
Nikki’s body tensed, and she felt the heat rising up. This time she knew it had more to do with her anger and not the effects of her company or the alcohol she drank. Nikki wanted to grab Emily and shake her; she’d never felt so betrayed. “I may not be the experienced liar you are, but I don’t appreciate you thinking that means I’m inexperienced. Answer my questions; it’s the least you can do.”
Emily frowned and shook her head. “The least I can do is keep you from becoming another statistic. If you’re not careful, you’ll die in a strange country, and no one will know your real name to contact your family.”
“Who are you working for?” Nikki hissed.
“I’m working with people who want the same thing your best friend was searching for. We want to find Stephan McColl and his family before they fall into the wrong hands.”
“Then you also want to stop the Ghost before he finds them. Why did your people give me the information about Marcel LaMontagne, and Marina Carlotti, if you were so sure I’d fail.?
Emily’s wild-eyed look and hushed tone told Nikki that Emily’s people were not behind Nikki having that information. “We would never get you involved in looking into them. The people behind that information wants you to go too far and get yourself killed.”
Instead of answering all of her questions, Emily’s revelations only asked a whole new set of them. Emily explained that her bosses told her that the CI’s Torres told Nikki to contact had ties to some influential and dangerous people. Once Nikki asked the right questions, it uncovered a hidden cache of intrigue, long, since buried. “So, what you’re saying is that I unknowingly triggered some sort of avalanche of information, and no one knows where this is all coming from.”
“Partly, but it’s more involved than that, and I’ve been tasked to bring you in before you go too far. Once you’re safe, we’ll have you contact your CI’s to garner more information, and then our people will use it to take down the biggest and most dangerous organization in the criminal world.”
“What about Mack and her family? Will they get the same protection while you hunt this group down?”
“I’m afraid that is above my prevue. I’ve only been told to bring you in. I’m not aware of any plans to help the assets.”
“Assets? They’re human beings with lives to live; they’re not a valuable commodity you can share or trade.”
“I know your personal involvement may make you want to help them, but the people I work for have one priority; bring this organization down.”
Nikki hated that intelligence groups could be so cold and impersonal about individuals. The greater good was to take a criminal organization down at whatever means and cost necessary. “I’m not going anywhere with you until you tell me that someone will help Mack and her family. They’ve been through enough, and if your people can protect them, you owe it to them to do it.”
Emily shook her head. “I can see if we can do something, but you need to come with me first. There’s been chatter that someone is looking for you. If they find you, I won’t be able to protect you.”
Nikki agreed to leave the pub with Emily and go back to the hotel for the information she left in her room.
***
Nikki’s Hotel, Edinburgh. Early Morning, May 8, 2012
Nikki asked Shamir to wait for her and Emily at the hotel when they arrived there from the pub. The taxi driver didn’t ask any questions but said he’d be there when they needed him. On the elevator ride up to her room, Nikki remained silent as Emily explained that after leaving the hotel, they would go to a pre-planned location and await further instructions.
Walking off the elevator, Nikki’s hair on the back of her neck stood up. Nikki’s gut told her something wasn’t right. Slowing her steps, Nikki signaled Emily to be quiet. Approaching the door to her room slowly, Nikki saw that the piece of the thread she placed in front of her door was gone. She learned the technique from an online search for ways to protect your premises when you leave. The Do Not Disturb sign was still hanging on the door, so Nikki knew the hotel staff would not have entered her room. Nikki signaled Emily to go back the way they had come. Returning to her hotel room had been compromised.
Once on the elevator, Nikki blew out the breath she’d been holding. “Someone’s entered my room after I left. They could still be there. We need to go directly to this safehouse of yours and hope we won’t be followed.”
“How did you know someone was inside your room?” Emily asked.
“I’m not as inept as you may think. I tied a thread to the door jab and taped the other end to the other side. The thread is gone, and there was no reason for anyone to be in there unless it was for nefarious reasons.”
Emily nodded and looked impressed. “I may have underestimated you. Do you have a weapon on you?”
Nikki’s gun was in her room, but she did have a knife in her calf-strap. “I have a knife.”
Emily reached down and pulled her auxiliary gun out of the holster on her calf. “Here, take this in case we get into any trouble on the way. Once we’re in the taxi, I’ll get him to do a few evasive maneuvers to make sure we’re not followed.
The elevator door opened and several people waited for Emily and Nikki to exit before they entered. Nikki and Emily walked to the front door of the hotel. Nikki looked for anyone that may look out of place, and saw a man, wearing a long trench coat standing near the desk. The coat looked out of place because it had been a clear night, with no signs of rain. Another man by the door was reading a paper but kept a close eye on them as they walked toward the door. Nikki’s hair began to stand up. She grabbed Emily’s arm and shook her head. Nikki felt as though they were walking into a trap. She signaled for Emily they would take the side entrance instead.
As they exited the hotel, a car sped up to the curb, and a gun barrel poked out of the darkened interior. Nikki acted quickly and jumped out of the way. She didn’t see the flash from the gun but heard the loud popping noise. Emily hit the ground next to her. Nikki looked over and saw the blank look in the pale blue eyes. The single gunshot wound to Emily’s forehead told Nikki the blonde had been shot and died instantly. Grabbing Emily’s revolver from her hand, Nikki ducked behind a car parked on the street.
Down on her belly, Nikki crawled to the alley to the back of the hotel. The car had kept driving by after the shot, but they may circle back to make sure they had hit their mark. Not knowing if she or Emily had been the intended target, Nikki had to assume she was still in danger. Once in the alley, Nikki searched for a way to escape and get to a safe location to assess her situation. At the far end, there was a chain-link fence and beyond that another alley leading into the dark. Nikki decided it was best to head away from the area and towards the darkness to hide. The people in the car may have targeted Emily, but as a witness, Nikki could still be in peril.
Nikki climbed the chain-link fence and hopped to the other side. Several garbage dumpsters stood against the brick wall of a building. Down farther in the alley, Nikki saw a small light. Guessing the light lit an entranceway of some sort, Nikki headed in that direction. She needed to find some kind of shelter to go to until she could decide what to do next.
As she approached the light, she heard music coming from nearby. The light was over the back or side entrance of some sort of bar or establishment where they played music. The smell of urine and vomit reached her nose as she heard the blare of sirens. Someone must have found Emily lying in the street and called the police. Wrinkling her nose to block out the acrid stench around her, she shoved the two guns farther into the waistband of her jeans under her coat. Two men exited the door under the light, and one lit a cigarette. Nikki walked up behind them and asked if they kept the door open. She told them a story of how she followed her friend out here, and the door closed behind them. Her friend left her, and she needed to get back to
where her coat and ID were.
The men smiled and held the door open for her.
Nikki entered the door, and the booming of loud music and the smell of body odor and stale alcohol assaulted her nose. Inside, Nikki followed a few women to what she hoped was a washroom. After waiting in a line, she made it to a stall and locked the door. Slumping against it, Nikki took out her burner phone. She had turned it off while inside the pub but turned it on now. The phone chimed to notify her a text was coming in. Going to the text screen, Nikki tapped on the incoming icon and gasped. Printed across the screen were the words: You’re in real danger, get out now.
Deciding she couldn’t stay inside the bar much longer, Nikki walked out the front door and into the crowded street. People were milling about, and some were waiting for a taxi. A few men were accosting a younger woman; Nikki refrained from getting involved. The last thing she needed right now was to draw more attention to herself. Taking out her phone and her wallet, Nikki dug out a piece of paper with the number Nanna had given her in case of an emergency. If there were ever an emergency, it would be now.
Pushing the numbers into her phone, she hit send and waited for the phone to connect. As per Nanna’s instructions, she said, “Mo-Chridhe” into the phone and waited for a reply.
A garbled male voice said, “whaur ur you?”
Nikki explained she was behind the Radisson on the Royal Mile. She looked for a name on the building behind her and saw a small sign with a goat on it. “There is a goat on the sign.”
“Bade thare 'n' some wull come tae pick ye up.”
Nikki wasn’t entirely sure what the man said, but it sounded enough like ‘someone will come to pick you up.’ “You want me to stay here?”
“Aye.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Streets of Edinburgh, Early Morning, May 8, 2012
Nikki heard the multiple sirens blare nearby. The police had probably cordoned off a large portion of the area surrounding the hotel where Emily lay in the street, dead. Closing her eyes, she recalled the blonde’s last words to her. She felt the small revolver, Emily handed to her in the elevator, against her back. The cop’s final thoughts were to worry about Nikki’s safety. It was a small comfort to know that the woman gave her life to keep Nikki alive. The people responsible for Emily’s death were still out there, likely realizing they hadn’t killed Nikki. From the text she received, Nikki was certain she was the primary target. Nikki needed to get out of the country as fast as she could. The call she made to the strange man on the other end of the phone was her ‘Hail-Mary.’ I hope your people can help me, Nanna.
Nikki hunkered closer to the lamp post and tried to look as inconspicuous as possible. The man told her to wait there, but she didn’t know for how long. A fine drizzle began to fall, and Nikki pulled the light jacket around her to keep in the heat. Only a few stragglers of people were milling about waiting for a taxi or ride. The traffic was sparse, likely due to the police presence a block away.
A man walked up to where Nikki stood against the post and asked her for a cigarette. At least, that is what Nikki figured he asked her. “Sorry, I don’t smoke.” The man’s breath stank of cigarettes and stale beer. Nikki tried to breathe out of her mouth only to keep from smelling the foul odors.
“Ye an American?” The man asked, breathing all over Nikki.
Nikki nodded to keep from needing to breathe through her nose.
The man grinned, showing off a row of brown-stained teeth. “Urr ye waiting fur a taxi; mibbie we kin share yin”
Nikki swallowed the bile that came to her mouth. “No, I have a ride, they’ll be here soon. Thank you.”
The man licked his lips. “C'moan, dinnae be timorous. Mibbie ye 'n' me, 'n' mah mukker ower thare cuid hae some fin. Scots lads ur hunners, ye ken.”
Nikki didn’t understand what the man said, but she didn’t like the leer in his eyes. Deciding the man needed more motivation to leave her alone, Nikki pulled the small revolver out of the back waistband of her jeans. She pointed the gun in the man’s face. “Look, I don’t want no trouble; you can go back over to your buddy and mind your business, but if you stay here, I’m not sure what I may do. I’m not in a good mood, and I could blow your head off if you look at me funny. Your choice.”
“Hauld yer horses a minute boot, ah ain't keekin fur trauchle, juist thought you'd lik' tae share a taxi 'n' hae some fin. Sorry, ah asked.”
Nikki silently prayed that he said he’d leave her alone. The last thing she needed at that moment was more attention drawn to her.
The man turned and walked back to his friend.
Nikki breathed a deep sigh of relief and drew in the first big breath through her nose. Unfortunately, the air still had substantial remnants of the man’s odor lingering. She almost choked on the stench. Deciding it may be best to keep one gun close, Nikki tucked the revolver into the front of her jean’s waistband. Zipping her jacket up, she pulled down the hem to make sure it covered both guns.
Glancing about, Nikki noticed that a small crowd had formed around the two men, and the majority of them were looking in her direction. Just Great. The last thing she needed was a mob attacking her. Word may have got around about the shooting next to the hotel around the block, and here she stood with a gun. Nanna, where is your guy? Looking around her immediate surroundings, Nikki knew she wouldn’t have many options to run or hide from the crowd forming across from her. A siren blared nearby, and a bright blue, yellow, and white police car turned down the road heading her way. Ducking her head, she turned away slightly, and the car passed her by and headed for the crowd of men and women.
Nikki slowly walked away from the scene down the street, the way the police car had come. I know, I’m supposed to stay put, but if that man told his friends about my gun, the police would want to question me. She quickened her pace to cover as much ground as possible. Once she was at the end of the road, she turned to the left farther away from the hotel. She knew she needed to get away from this area before the police started a search for an American woman with a gun.
***
Almost an hour had passed after Nikki had called the man to help her. After leaving the crowd of people and the Scottish police, she walked for several blocks, keeping to the shadows of the streets and hiding whenever she heard an approaching car. She texted the number; Nanna gave her: Mo Chridhe!! PLEASE, HELP ME!! After several minutes, a text came back: Where are you? Nikki wasn’t exactly sure where she was but saw a few details from her surroundings to help them recognize the location. She texted that she would stay at a bus stop shelter across from a store named Herman Brown. She hadn’t been paying much attention to the street signs as she walked, and ran from the hotel. The reply text told her to stay there, and someone would be there to pick her up. The car would be a small red sedan. She was to get in it, and the driver would take her to a secure location.
Breathing her first big sigh of relief since leaving the sketchy area behind the hotel, Nikki leaned against the plexiglass shelter and closed her eyes. She knew she couldn’t wholly relax but with few people out at that hour, and the police focusing on the area closer to the hotel, she could at least relax a bit. Her mind began to relax, and she almost drifted off to sleep but was shaken awake by the feeling of falling. There was a bench inside the bus shelter, but it looked wet. Noticing a small newspaper vending box nearby, Nikki checked if the box was locked. The box opened, and she pulled out the last remaining newspaper. Folding it up, Nikki placed it on the bench to soak up, and cover the wetness. Sitting down for the first time since leaving the hotel, Nikki stretched her exhausted muscles. Sore from all the running in the cold, damp night, Nikki’s leg muscles began to cramp. Flexing her feet, she attempted to work out the knots that formed and tightened in her calves. Preoccupied with her pain, Nikki didn’t notice the red car pulling to the curb.
A man called out, “Git in, lassy Nikki.”
Surprised to hear her real name, Nikki’s first response was fear. No one
in Scotland knew her real name, but then realized that Nanna must have told her friends Nikki may be calling them for help, and of course, Nanna didn’t know her fake identity. Rising, Nikki limped to the car; her muscles were still cramping from the cold and exhaustion. Getting into the car, Nikki thanked the driver, who merely nodded. Nikki began to observe the interior of the vehicle, the man’s description, but then she closed her eyes. Too exhausted to take in her surroundings, and for the first time since leaving her hotel room for the pub, Nikki leaned back to relax fully.
***
Nikki felt sleep’s grasp trying to take hold, but she started awake when the car stopped. Through the darkness, Nikki could make out the shadows of large buildings, and she heard the foghorn of a boat. They were back near the docks, but that is the opposite direction from the airport.
Nikki straightened and started to tell the driver he had gone the wrong way, when the driver got out, and said, “This is yer stoap. Gang ben that building 'n' someone wull be thare tae hulp ye.” The man pointed in the direction of a building with a light shining through the glass door.
Shaking her head, Nikki started to say something but noticed the driver had vanished. There wasn’t a trace of him anywhere. Glancing about, Nikki figured he must have gone into one of the doors without her noticing. Walking towards the door, the driver indicated she was to go, Nikki felt more comfortable. Her stiff, sore muscles had loosened from the warm car ride. Normally she would have slept after a drinking binge, but instead, her body remained awake. She felt the beginnings of a headache and rubbed her forehead. Hopefully, I can get some sleep on the plane home.
Inside the building, Nikki found a long, lit hallway with a door at the end. The door opened. An older woman stuck her head out. “Come ben Nikki, hae something tae sloch 'n' drink, while ah mak' yer arrangements.”
Nikki grimaced a small smile. She would be glad to be away from Scotland. Her head hurt from attempting to understand the thick accents. She’d heard the word ‘sloch’ a few times tonight at the pub. Assuming ‘sloch’ could be something to do with eating, Nikki’s belly grumbled. Although she had eaten heartedly only hours ago, all of the running, and worrying made Nikki famished. The only thing Nikki wanted to do more than sleep, and eat, was to empty her bladder. “Thank you. Do you have a bathroom around here?”