“So who is going to get the responsibility?”
“Vasily from Belarus. He called me already and gave me the names of the guys I should be expecting. They’ll be coming here if you can’t persuade Monsiuer Gaulle to give up the documents,” Daniel said, and turning around, he locked his gaze with Gustaaf. Silence lapsed.
“So who are the guys?” Frans asked again.
“Ivan Davidovich and Kirill S’vitka. They are in their early thirties with several years of experience in their pocket. They have a perfect success record, so I’m happy they are taking the lead with the abduction phase.”
“I’m sure it will be fine to get your hands on the Gaulle girl and her friend,” Frans said with a smirk on his face.
“Vitorio did say that she and her friend were very beautiful. I’m looking forward to an assignment like that,” Daniel replied with a throaty laugh. “I will make sure I have my fill before we let them go, if we let them go.”
Gustaaf made a displeased noise. He pinned Daniel with an offended gaze. “Remember that we are still on the first phase of the assignment, and I haven’t failed yet,” he said balefully.
Daniel’s jaw tightened. He wasn’t accustomed to being challenged, but he remained poker faced as he stared at Gustaaf. Daniel stood motionless and contemplated a retort, but instead he turned around and went back to finishing his device. He heard Gustaaf light a cigarette and inhale deeply.
“I think if anyone gets a shot at those girls, it’ll be me,” Gustaaf said slowly, meaningfully. He blew smoke toward the ceiling. “I’ll be in Brighton before you have a chance to even blink.” His voice was filled with resentment. Daniel didn’t look up, didn’t acknowledge his statement. He pretended like he didn’t hear a word Gustaaf had just said.
Chapter 21
A COLD BLAST of anger had surged through Sebastian. His breathing quickened. Gustaaf’s statement infuriated him. He glanced at Troy and noticed the sharp look in his eyes. He recognized the battle waging inside him to try and squash his fury.
Frans gave a stifling laugh and started to say something, but Gustaaf told him to shut up. The minutes ticked away, and the silence became deafening. Something was preventing further discussion in the upstairs room. Sebastian thought about how Gustaaf was trying to impress into Daniel’s mind that he was the one that possessed more skillful abilities and filed that information away.
The conversation began again after a few minutes of silence, this time on a lighter note. The men discussed things unrelated to the assignments at hand.
It had been more than two hours since they first leaned against the wall behind the thick hedges. Sebastian, Troy, and Nathan decided that they wouldn’t wait around any longer. They had been closely following the exchange between the goons upstairs, and they were sure that there was nothing more to learn. It had started to drizzle, and the wind had picked up, swishing through the trees. Now was the perfect time to move and finish what they started.
“I think we’ve heard all that we are going to hear from them,” Sebastian, said, turning to look at both Troy and Nathan. “Don’t you think it’s time to move inside the house?” he asked, and they both nodded in agreement.
They scanned the woods behind them, and slowly they inched toward the side of the house, keeping their backs against the wall. They stayed focused on the sounds that came from upstairs. Just as they started to round the corner, the roar of an engine sped up the narrow lane. It died as a car came to a screeching halt right in front of the house. For a short moment they froze. Sebastian turned and stared at Troy and Nathan who looked just as surprised as he was. He waved them back. Car doors opened and shut. In a matter of seconds, fast footsteps crossed the front yard, and a loud rap at the door brought the conversation upstairs to an abrupt halt.
Daniel, Frans, and Gustaaf glanced at each other, a startled look on their faces.
“Are you expecting someone?” Gustaaf asked cautiously.
“Nope,” Daniel replied, alarmingly staring at the door. The rapping became louder and harder. Daniel never had unexpected visitors. His body tensed, and his jaw muscles clenched as he moved toward the stairs.
“Come i–” he started to call out, but his voice was cut off as the door burst wide open. It bounced against the wall. Two men stood at the threshold holding machine guns. Daniel’s jawline tensed at the sight of the guns. A nauseating sensation settled into the pit of his stomach, and his mouth went dry. He frowned and didn’t blink for a long moment. Gustaaf and Frans simply stared.
The realization that something horrible was about to happen made them gasp in panic. Daniel looked at the men closely. They were tall with light hair, masculine bodies, and unpleasant faces. They appeared to be in their early forties. Their dress was immaculate. Daniel could not help but notice that their eyes were blazing.
“Who the devil are you?” Daniel asked, finding his voice.
“Never mind who we are,” one of the men said. His finger pressed tightly around the trigger. “Which one of you is Daniel Tarasov?” the man continued.
“I am,” Daniel replied with authority in his voice. He placed one foot on the top step while the other remained on the landing. “Get out of my house!” he demanded.
The two men looked at each other with amusement. “Not before we deliver a message to you from Von Housan,” the man replied, a smile wedged across his lip line.
“Who the devil is Von Housan?” Daniel grunted.
“You killed his daughter two days ago,” the man stated through clenched teeth. He took another step inside the foyer. The second guy followed.
The words shocked Daniel, and his mouth went dry. Bile pooled at his throat as he desperately sought to appear composed. “I don’t know what you are talking about.” Daniel said evenly, though the man’s words sent his mind whirling wildly.
He was very familiar with Von Housan. A couple of days ago, he had received explicit orders to place powerful explosives at Von Housan’s residence. Van Housan was a diplomat from Luxemburg, and he had uncovered damaging information about Daniel’s boss, Rainer Heinrich. Von Housan was getting ready to expose the man in public, which would destroy him and his organization. Daniel set surveillance at the residence and had been assured that there were no people inside the residence when the explosives went off. He didn't mind killing, but his orders were to make it look like a gas leak. Dead bodies would result in too much scrutiny. He hadn’t been following the news, so he had no idea that Von Housan’s daughter was ill. Apparently, she had remained at home that day with her nanny. So these guys were here for revenge. He knew that he was trapped. He saw the determination in their eyes and had to think fast. It would take all his strength and cunning to get out of this situation.
“I think you’ve made a mistake. I have no idea what you’re taking about,” he said. The two men look at each other again and burst out laughing.
“Unfortunately for you, cameras were set up at each corner of the neighboring structures. Your face was captured by each one of those devices. I bet you didn’t know that,” the man said with amusement.
Daniel cursed inwardly.
“Listen,” he said emphatically, “I’ve no id–” His last words were muffled by a gun blast, and Daniel’s head jerked back. He staggered and dropped lifeless on the top of the landing.
Sebastian watched as shock and fright engulfed Gustaaf and Frans as the two men turned around and walked out the door without giving them a second glance. Their gaze moved slowly downward. They stared at Daniel’s body. Perspiration drenched their bodies in a matter of seconds. Bile hurled into their throats. They watched blood rushing out of the bullet holes saturating Daniel’s face and body. One of the bullets had struck him right between the eyes. They stood frozen in place, resisting the urge to run, afraid that the guys may be waiting outside.
Sebastian, Troy, and Nathan listened in disbelief. Sebastian assumed that the newcomers came for one purpose: revenge. Fast footsteps ran across the front yard once again.
Car doors opened and shut quickly, and the roar of the engine told them that the visitors were gone.
They waited quietly until the engine sound faded away. Sebastian motioned to his friends, pointing to the side of the house. Troy and Nathan rounded the corner, heading for the front door while Sebastian vaulted himself on the wall using his immortal ability; he reached the second floor window with no trouble at all. He jumped through it and landed inside the middle of the room. Gustaaf and Frans were still standing at the top of the landing over Daniel’s lifeless body. Sebastian’s feet hitting the floor made their heads jerk back toward the inside of the room. Startled, with mouths wide open and bodies perfectly still, they stared anxiously at Sebastian’s cold eyes.
“What the fuck!” Frans hissed stiffly. They exchanged a quick look of confusion. Gustaaf finally found his voice and barked out loud, “Haven’t I seen you before somewhere?” He scratched his head and gawked at Sebastian, who was observing them silently waiting for Troy and Nathan. Suddenly, Gustaaf snapped, “I know! You were at the restaurant this morning with two other men. What the devil are you doing here?”
“Today is the day of reckoning for both of you,” Sebastian stated as he started to move slowly toward them. He held a gratifying smirk on his face.
“What the devil are you talking about?” Gustaaf scoffed. The sound of footsteps ascending the stairs grabbed their attention. Turning around, they stared at the two men who approached them. Sebastian heard Gustaaf think, What the fuck is going on? There was something very significant about the three men that didn’t seem ordinary, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
“We saw you all at the restaurant this morning. What is it that you want from us?” Gustaaf asked. Both men turned back to stare at Sebastian as Troy and Nathan stood right behind them.
“I’m Sebastian Gaulle,” he said with a soft chuckle. “Have you heard of me?” His gaze burned into Gustaaf’s eyes. Gustaaf winced. A loud curse escaped his lips. He pondered whether it was worth trying to win a fight. This is ridiculous, he thought. Frans and I have been in worse situations, and we’ve survived. These guys have no weapons. They don’t look that scary, so it should be a fair fight. Smiling, he glanced at Daniel’s body one last time and then caught Frans' attention. He motioned with his eyes silently. Even if they couldn’t read the thugs’ minds, the move didn’t escape the immortals. Suddenly, Gustaaf hurled himself against Sebastian while Frans closed his hands in hard fists and targeted the faces of Troy and Nathan.
When Gustaaf’s body collided with Sebastian, his vision of victory shattered into a million pieces. Pain surged throughout his body. He thought he had connected with a concrete wall. A loud growl of agony escaped his lips as his body flew back, hitting the opposite wall before collapsing to the floor. In those brief moments, he realized that the pain was due to a broken bone, but he couldn’t decide which part of his body hurt the most. He tried unsuccessfully to push the agony back in his mind as a second grunt of pain escaped him. He remained unmoving on the floor, fear consuming every part of him. He heard Frans moan painfully from the landing, but he couldn’t see him from where he fell. Another scream of desperation came from Frans and then absolute silence.
Frans had moved his fists fast, targeting the faces of the two men. His breath caught in his throat when his fists came in contact with what felt like stone walls instead of flesh. Long fingers wrapped around his wrists like steel vises, rendering him immobile. It took several moments for him to get his breath back. He struggled to free his hands. In the process, his left arm broke, and he let out a curdling scream. Troy and Nathan let go of his hands, and Frans toppled over with a groan. He remained still for several seconds. Finally, using all the strength he had left, he pushed himself up with his right arm. He glared at Troy and Nathan furiously. He drew a deep breath and spit on the floor in repugnance.
“I’m going to fucking kill you!” he screamed. He took a combat stance, still cursing. Then he twisted his body as he sent his leg forward in an effort to kick both men in their throats. He had absolutely no idea what transpired after unsuccessful attack. He felt icy fingers around his neck and face, and then nothing. He dropped to the floor, lifeless, right next to Daniel’s body.
Sebastian watched his prey. Gustaaf didn’t move a muscle. He just listened warily and flinched at the loud thump of a body hitting the floor.
He slowly turned his gaze to Sebastian and searched his face. He saw an icy smirk curve his lips. He blinked and tried to assess his situation when he heard footsteps. Turning, he saw Troy and Nathan step inside the room. He cursed inwardly as he met their cold gaze, and he frowned. A cold chill traveled down his spine, and his lips twisted guardedly. They gazed at Sebastian with a look of understanding and leaned against the doorframe. They crossed their arms over their chests and waited.
Gustaaf felt like a caged animal, but he decided that he wasn’t going to make it easier for them. He pushed himself upright and stood against the wall.
“Is this how you all do your dirty work?” he asked mockingly. Sebastian shot him an inquisitive look.
“Three of you against one unarmed man!” he screamed. “I guess I should have expected something like that from wimpy, sick sons of bitches like you,” he furthered. He spit in revulsion. Sebastian, Troy, and Nathan winced at his words, but they remained calm.
“It’ll be just you and me,” Sebastian said calmly. He looked at Troy and Nathan and motioned with his eyes. They pulled themselves off of the doorframe and walked out the room.
“Well, here we are,” Sebastian hissed. “Just you and me, no weapons,” he said showing his bare hands.
Gustaaf smiled, thinking that he had a good shot. He pushed the pain into the back of his mind and moved his large frame toward Sebastian, who remained perfectly still. He brought his fist up, going straight for Sebastian’s face. Sebastian lifted his hand up and grabbed Gustaaf’s fist just before it made contact. Gustaaf felt the iron grip around his fist, and his feet left the ground as his body catapulted like a rag doll over Sebastian to land against the opposite wall once again. The pain was excruciating. His brain went into a thick fog. What the fuck! he thought, shaking his head fiercely to clear the haze.
“What are you?” he asked. He thought about how he had never encountered a person with this strength in his lifetime.
Sebastian grinned. “I’m your worst nightmare.”
Gustaaf gave him a hard stare and drew a quavering breath. He was in terrible pain, and he was sure that he couldn’t muddle his way out of this mess.
“Looking at your ugly face is my worst nightmare,” he hissed through clenched teeth.
“Unfortunately for you, my ugly face will be the last one you see before you meet your maker,” Sebastian hissed. Bile rose in Gustaaf, making him wince at the bitter taste that filled his mouth. Sebastian needed to put an end to this; they needed to get home. He was tired of wasting time with this thug. He bent down, and with a quick twist, he ended the man’s miserable existence. Gustaaf hit the floor with a broken neck.
Sebastian made his way out of the room without looking back. He stepped over the two bodies on the top of the landing and quickly descended the staircase, joining Troy and Nathan at the door.
“That was painless,” Nathan mentioned, and all three smiled. In the car, they sat back and quietly reflected on the last two days. Arielle’s safety was Sebastian’s next thought. The thought of something happening to her made him sick, but the fact that they were heading home made him feel a lot better.
Back at the hotel, they checked out and made a few calls. They were on the way to the airport when Sebastian’s phone rang. For a quick moment, he took his eyes of the road and glanced at the screen, but he didn’t recognize the number. Troy was sitting in the passenger seat, watching Sebastian and wondering if he was going to answer the phone after the fourth ring. Sebastian finally turned and motioned for Troy to answer it.
Troy raised a quizzical eyebrow and threw a surprised look at
Nathan sitting in the back seat. Nathan shrugged his shoulders and smiled. Troy picked the phone up from the center console and flipped it open.
“Hello?” Troy answered calmly.
“Sebastian!” Dylan’s anxious voice rumbled through the phone.
“No, it’s Troy. Who is this?”
“Hi, Troy; it’s Dylan. Are you still in Brussels?”
“We are actually on the way to the airport right now to catch a flight home,” he said.
“Is Sebastian with you?”
“He’s driving. That’s why he couldn’t pick up the phone. Hold on. I’ll put you on speaker.”
“Hey, Dylan. What’s up?” Sebastian grunted.
“Sebastian, I’m glad you are heading home.”
“Why is that?” he asked.
“I was just notified that Jorrit’s group in Brussels has been on high alert. My detectives have seen a lot of movement in the last thirty minutes. We overheard some talk, and it seems that three of his best agents have been killed.”
“Oh?” Sebastian pretended to be surprised.
Troy muted the phone, shocked by the statement. “News travel fast,” he said while Dylan was still talking.
“It seems that it was a retaliation hit.”
“By whom?” Sebastian was still faking ignorance. Centuries of experience made it easy to refrain from showing any emotion.
“They are not sure, but they are on the move, and they are planning the next step against you.”
Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by next step?”
“Sebastian, I didn’t tell you before, because I didn’t want to alarm you, but I have been taking strong measures. I have my best agents on the job.”
Sebastian knew exactly what Dylan was thinking, because the same worries whirled through his brain, but he didn’t give any sign that he had any knowledge. “What is it that you didn’t tell me?” he rasped.
Arielle Immortal Fury (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 6) Page 22