Avenger

by Chris Allen

  “Let’s go with that.”

  They both laughed at Morgan’s bad habit of wearing his heart on his sleeve. He knew himself well enough to accept it. He’d always been that way. Even as a kid. When something or someone pissed him off, everyone knew about it. And it used to get him into trouble, especially with his superiors in the army, although those issues diminished as he climbed the ranks himself. An old friend from the US 82nd Airborne once remarked that if Morgan had been an enlisted man instead of an officer, he probably would have spent most of his time in the brig.

  The barman arrived.

  “Drink?” Morgan asked her.

  “Sure. Sauvignon blanc,” Reigns replied.

  “Sauvignon blanc, there’s a nice one from Marlborough, New Zealand, on your wine list, and another Carlsberg, please.” The barman nodded and withdrew.

  The two fell silent. She held his gaze for a few extra seconds. Morgan caught the lingering pull of her fragrance and remembered how good she’d felt when he’d held her on the plane.

  “You’ll just have to put up with me a bit longer,” he said. “At least while we get this Night Witch thing sorted out.”

  “I suppose I will,” Reigns replied. “I’m sure I’ll cope.”

  The drinks arrived.

  “Well, here’s to you,” he said, raising his glass. “Welcome aboard, Reigns.”

  “Idiot,” she said, smiling.

  Morgan was glad of company, especially her company. He could easily have become morose otherwise. Like many soldiers, he had his superstitions about certain things and courting bad luck by stating the bleeding obvious was one of them. They all knew their business was dangerous. There was no need to dwell on it. Sutherland’s preoccupation with his own shelf life had been a harbinger. Remembering it unsettled Morgan, but Reigns’ unexpected arrival had instantly improved his mood.

  “What’s your take on this witch thing?” he asked.

  “Which bit of it exactly?”

  “The whole identity thing and how she’s managed to stay under the radar all these years. I mean, there can’t be that many young, attractive European women operating in that business. Right?”

  “Actually, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there. I believe there are a lot more young, attractive European women operating in that space than we think.”

  “Seriously?”

  “I’m not ready to drop this on the general yet, so keep it to yourself, but I think we’re dealing with a doppelgänger, or even a bunch of them.”

  “What, like, exact doubles?” he asked. “Isn’t that a bit paranormal?”

  “Sounds that way. But rather than magically conjuring up ghosts, or spirit doubles, or anything like that, I think our girl employs actual doubles of herself to allow her to be in multiple locations at one time. The accident in Poland triggered the idea for me. Especially given how similar Oana Saguna was to descriptions of the Witch. I believe she’s also interested in the occult and likes to promote some kind of supernatural image. You heard Tom say that this barman you’re going after in Belize saw her transform. Remember, he said if she was happy, the whole place was happy. If she wasn’t … then run for cover. She’s created the illusion of being changeable, like a chameleon, and the strategy spooks simple folk and makes them believe she’s something that she’s not. In reality, she’s simply employing one of the oldest tricks in the book.” Reigns made a play with her hands to demonstrate. “She’s distracting our attention with one hand, while doing the serious stuff over here with the other.”

  “So, she has a small army of fembots she’s selected because they look like her, and sends them out to do her dirty work. Is that what you mean?”

  “Exactly. The girls are most likely victims of her trafficking operations and she selects them from among all the others she has working for her and offers them an ‘out.’ Believe me, after the degradation, abuse and psychological trauma these girls experience in sexual servitude, anything would be better. And I mean anything.”

  “And I suppose these poor kids end up feeling some sort of gratitude toward the bitch for freeing them?”

  “Most likely. She becomes their liberator. It’s inevitable they’d form an attachment to her, as misguided as that is. They’d be prepared to do just about anything she asked of them.”

  “Captive bonding.”

  “Yep. Meanwhile she remains hidden somewhere well out of harm’s way and only travels when absolutely necessary.”

  “Her very own trafficking ambassadors,” Morgan said without humor. “Clever, if it wasn’t so fucking treacherous. So what are your thoughts on Belize then? Turned up anything yet?”

  “I still have to prove all this but I’m trying to focus on the bits in between the details we have. Tom’s theory about why Humphrey Grenville ended up in Belize and the apparent familiarity of the bar manager with Voloshyn suggest she liked the place. Add to that the fact that Peter Fleming was also killed down there, just as he and Tom felt they were getting close to uncovering something, and you start getting a real sense that we’re on the right track.”

  “The Night Witch was protecting her territory?”

  Reigns nodded. “Look, I could be wrong but it’s definitely worth investigating. Meanwhile, the info about the sex trafficking ring operating out of El Salvador interests me, too.”

  “You mean that Ponciano character?”

  “Yeah, we’ve already identified four separate cases of wealthy foreign men being lured to Central and South America, areas they normally wouldn’t go, who then went missing. And, surprise, surprise – they all disappeared post 2006, after Voloshyn dropped off the grid and after the Grenville-Fleming case. In the new cases, we’ve found many similarities to the way she lured Grenville, only the targets weren’t anywhere near as high profile as he was. I think she learned a lesson from taking on a relatively well-known public figure.”

  “She had a scam going to get money out of all these guys?”

  “Looks that way, especially in the early days when she was getting herself set up – operating capital and so forth. Extortion under the threat of violence is a pretty standard way to earn a dollar in that part of the world. I think she was luring them out of their comfort zones, promising an endless supply of pretty young things, and once she got them there, she had them. A classic honey trap. Then all it would take would be straightforward blackmail, extortion or a ransom deal of some kind. She’d get her money and they’d run without telling a soul. If they survived, that is.”

  “Unlike Grenville and Peter Fleming.”

  “Because they got too close to who she really was, which is exactly why I think we’re on the right track,” said Reigns. “Don’t worry. We’ll get to the bottom of this, so you’re as well informed as I can possibly manage.”

  Morgan remained silent, deep in thought.

  “Well, Alex Morgan, I hate to love you and leave you, but I should probably go,” she said. “And you should really get some rest. You look like you could sleep right there. I just wanted to catch you before you left. We didn’t have much of a chance this morning and after the flight home and everything, well …”

  Morgan sensed she had something on her mind. He decided to leave her with her thoughts. He didn’t know if he was ready for the complication of her but he didn’t want her to go either.

  “I hope you’re going to finish your drink first. You can’t leave me here all on my own.”

  “OK, but then I’m going,” she replied, and they fell into an awkward silence for a few moments. She squeezed his leg and smiled back at him as she sipped the sauvignon blanc. Morgan was torn. He couldn’t allow himself to be so distracted by her and yet he wanted to be completely distracted by her. Despite himself he needed to know how she felt.

  “What’s on your mind, Beth?” he began. “You’ve been bursting to say something ever since you arrived. So, come on then.”

  Reigns placed her glass down on the table and turned so that she was facing him directly, h
ands in her lap, her face delicate and vulnerable in the soft lighting of the bar. Morgan wasn’t sure if he was ready to hear whatever it was she was about to say. Somehow, he knew what was coming and suddenly felt resentful of her.

  “There’s no other way for me to say this, Alex,” she said. “So I’m just going to put it out there. I don’t think you should go on this one. You’re burned out, you’ve just lost your closest friend and you’ve not had a break in a long time. When I walked in here, you were barely awake. You need time to grieve and decompress. You’re not ready for another mission. Not back to back. Not by a long shot.”

  “What … we spend one night in the sack together and you think you know me?” he said coldly. “Well, you don’t. Jesus! You’ve been in the firm five minutes and suddenly you’re an expert. I don’t need to be told what I should or shouldn’t do, and I sure as hell don’t need to be mothered, not by you and not by anyone else. Did you share this opinion of yours with Davenport?”

  “Of course not! Why would you think that?” Reigns’ entire demeanor had hardened defensively. She gathered up her handbag and cell phone and stood. “I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  Morgan stayed seated, seething with rage and frustration. He looked up and she was standing over him, her eyes wet with tears but her face and body telling the opposite story. She wasn’t taking any of his shit.

  “You know, last night might just have been a night in the sack for us both. I get that. But like it or not, we have some kind of connection. I don’t know why because clearly you’re a complete asshole … we just do. So, take it from me: if you’re determined to go after these people then make sure you’re ready, because we’re all relying on you. Don’t fuck it up.”

  CHAPTER 33

  Belize

  Central America

  “Your phone call this morning,” the man began in Polish, “was it satisfactory?”

  “Very,” she replied. “They’re impressed with the operation and can see the fit it would be with their own businesses. I believe they’ll proceed.”

  “Are you sure you’re ready to be controlled, Dee?”

  “Nobody will ever control me again, Dariusz,” she answered. “They’re offering ridiculous money, more than I ever envisaged, including an ongoing percentage once the deal is done. As it stands, I could take their money and walk away from all this. But if they want me to stay and run things then it will cost them more and it will be on my terms. Don’t worry, I’ll look after you. Or maybe you could run it for them.”

  She sipped coffee, black, from a gilt-rimmed antique cup and paused a moment to enjoy the light breeze that washed over the terrace, bringing with it the smell of the ocean. She breathed in deeply through her nostrils and closed her eyes for just a moment as the breeze gently whispered through her hair. Past the palms and across the high perimeter wall she could see a pair of double-crested cormorants swooping out above the sea, quarreling with each other as they searched for food. She decided that a swim after lunch would go a long way toward easing the burden of her responsibilities.

  “Do they want to see you again?” he asked. “These investors.”

  “Once more,” she replied. “In a few days, to discuss the details. And, of course, they want to understand more about the arrangement with the Chinese. As far as I know they aren’t aware of what happened in Hong Kong, which is why we have to resolve things quickly before it becomes more of a problem. We have to secure Wu Ming’s end of it – and the money of his Triad backers – as soon as possible.”

  “How have you explained it to them so far?”

  “Simple. Wu Ming is old and tired. He wants the cash without the work. So, he is hungry for his operation to join mine. Handing over control of his network and labor-supply chain to me ensures him a healthy slice of my global income without any effort or ongoing liability. And adding his operation to mine gives me almost twenty-five percent of the industry globally. The investors know that. And as they run most of the rest, they see their opportunity. In fact, they were about to explore a deal with the Chinese themselves, when they learned from our partners in the Middle East that there was already a negotiation in play. So they’re happy to leave me to close the deal with Wu, and then it’s just a matter of how badly they want it all.”

  “That’s good, very good,” he replied. “But I think you have something else on your mind, too?”

  “I’m concerned, Dariusz,” she replied. “The police infiltration in Hong Kong has unsettled me. I feel like my personal security is fucked.”

  He dismissed this out of hand. “What are you concerned about? Hong Kong was nothing. The cops were chasing the chinks, not us.”

  “How do we know that?” she said, her voice slightly raised. “How do we know that they weren’t after me?”

  “You’re being paranoid, Dee. Look where you are. Nobody else knows you’re here. You have nothing to worry about.”

  “Nothing to worry about?” She placed her cup down carefully, ensuring that it sat perfectly within the circular recess of the saucer. Then she stood, towering over him. “There was an armed raid by the Hong Kong Police Force on a factory I was supposed to be visiting, and there was a fucking police undercover agent working in the same factory. I think I’m entitled to be paranoid! Why do you think I’ve been taking precautions all these years?”

  “But you weren’t even there – it was Ştefania in your place. Your precautions worked. They always do.”

  “You don’t get it, do you? The police obviously thought it was me. The only reason Ştefania was there instead was because I decided to send her. Not you. I’ve had a feeling for a while that things haven’t been quite right.” She took a deep breath and calmed herself. “I can’t afford for this to be happening right now. I’m feeling exposed.”

  “Like I said, you’re paranoid.”

  “How could they have known unless someone is informing on me?”

  “Do you suspect someone? Do you suspect me?” His tone was sharp and suddenly aggressive. The conversation was beginning to turn sour.

  “I promoted you. You should remember that,” she remarked. “Try to stay on track. Someone is informing and I need to know who. We’re about to seal this deal with the Chinese. It’s beyond important and I don’t want anything to fuck it up.”

  “That won’t happen.”

  “I want to know every detail.”

  “But we went through all this already, last night,” he said. “What more do you want to know?”

  “I want to hear it all again,” she snapped. I need to know if I’m missing something. So start talking.”

  “Dee, we got everyone out before the cops even knew we’d been there. Wu lost a few of his guys. Who fucking cares?”

  “But what about ours? I thought you said we had two killed as well?”

  “They were the two assholes I hired in Hong Kong – Czech crooks on R and R. They looked enough like us and wanted some extra cash to buy more girls. I told them they’d be guarding someone; nothing special, easy money. But they ended up dead in a gunfight. R and R!” He laughed. “I didn’t even have to pay them.”

  “None of ours got killed?”

  “None. When the trouble started upstairs in the factory, I sent the Czechs to see what was going on. They didn’t have a fucking clue. Meanwhile, we got that little bitch Ştefania out.”

  “Wu won’t be happy that his people were killed, but he’s not to know that the Czechs weren’t actually mine. We can use that; convince him we lost people too. We need to arrange to meet him again. Soon.”

  “I brought two of the boys back with me, the others are coming in from Guadalajara. They’ll be back later tonight. They can help Godek take care of your little protégées and the others can take a few days off.”

  “The returning crew are not to touch the girls anymore,” she said. “Godek knows that, right?”

  “Of course. I’ve told them already myself. Besides, there’s plenty of fresh meat to choose from
in town, or they can go up to San Pedro. Backpackers everywhere there. The boys won’t bother with your two.”

  “Where’s Godek? I haven’t seen him this morning.”

  “I’ve sent him up to Belize City to collect Marcos and have a break. He’ll be back tomorrow.”

  “OK.” She paused. “Do you have any new ones to show me?”

  Dariusz picked up his iPad from the table, tapped in a couple of commands and handed it over.

  “Marcos has his eyes on those two. They’re Norwegian, working in a bar up in Cancun and they’re homesick. Apparently one of them has a sick relative or some shit.” Dariusz watched her scrolling through the images on the iPad. “They’re both around nineteen or twenty, and fucking hot. They’ve been traveling for almost a year, are running short of funds and trying to save enough to get back home.”

  She looked up at him. He returned her smile.

  “They’re perfect,” she said. “We can give them to Wu. The personal service. A goodwill gesture.”

  “Exactly. He loves the blondes.”

  “He’d pay good money just to fuck girls like these two. If he gets to keep them for a while, I’m sure he’ll be happy to reconvene our meeting. Only this time it will really be with me and it will be here.”

  “You want to bring Wu here?”

  She nodded but kept looking at the girls on the screen.

  “OK,” he replied. “If you want those girls for Wu, then Marcos will get them for you.”

  “I want them. How will Marcos play it?” she asked.

  “He told me he’s already spun them a line about being a talent scout for a movie being shot down here – the next Mission: Impossible or some shit like that – to get them excited. He’ll tell them he needs beautiful, tanned blondes for a big scene, promise them walk-on parts because he reckons they’re perfect, and once they’re done with the movie he’ll get them a ticket straight back to Norway.”

  “Tell him to go ahead, only change is that the movie’s being filmed in Hong Kong. They’ll be a lot more cooperative and excited if they think they’re already on their way back home. Once he gets them there, Wu can have them. We have to keep the business with the Chinese moving, especially now that we’re being considered for expansion. You got any more?”