“He slept with another guest.”
“I bet she was a tank.”
“If you mean big, she was.”
Vladimir clapped his hands as he laughed. “Gotta love it. The guy never learns.”
“The money, Vladimir.”
“You only fulfilled half the contract. So then you only get half the money.”
“Then I’m calling the police and you all can go down with the rest of them.”
“Would you fuck do that? You were harbouring a fugitive. You’re in it with the rest of us.”
“I want the money, or the girl stays.”
Vladimir glanced at Igor. “Give her the money to shut the bitch up.” Igor opened his jacked and pulled out his silenced pistol.
“Ok, I think I’ll take the Porsche.”
“Nah, you know what, I think I’ll keep the car.”
Igor pulled the trigger. The muted shots whistled from the muzzle of the silencer. Thuds of the bullets hitting Julia in her chest were followed by a crash as her lifeless body collapsed into a table.
Vlad stepped over Julia’s body. “I’d give her the car, but I just filled tank.” He glanced towards the sound of a closing door. “Check it out, Igor.”
Igor paced towards the room and pushed the door open. Inside, he saw Malcolm whimpering on the floor, shaking his hands as blood poured from his nose. “Got another, Vlad. He looks like he’s taken a beating.”
“You know what to do.”
Two bullets from Igor’s pistol whizzed through the air, striking Malcolm in the gut. A final shot put him out of his writhing pain.
Vladimir called to Igor, “Get the bodies inside.” He dragged Tanya inside the room. He spotted a Persian rug. “Oh Tanya, I hope you’re not too tall to fit inside that. Or I might have to cut those long legs of yours off.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
A constant roar of traffic carried on the air. Serge silently waited for the sun to set while lying under a bush. The thorns pulled at his clothes as he repositioned himself to get a clearer view of a parked lorry. He saw the German registration plate. “That’s my ticket out.”
The sun bled red into the horizon as shadows crept across the car park. Serge’s mind was awash with thoughts of Tanya. “She only used me to escape from Vlad.” He scowled and snapped a branch of the bush. “All women are the same.”
The car park in darkness, Serge crawled from under the bush and darted through the shadows. At the trailer he began picking the lock. Visions of Tanya began to cloud his mind and distorted his thoughts of freedom. He dropped his lock pick and rested his head against the cold steel of the trailer’s door. Chewing his nails as his conscious reaped havoc with his mind, he butted the door. “She won’t last five minutes on her own.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Tanya woke, her vision was blurred and her head ached. She remained still and stared up at the soiled ceiling. She tried to reach down to feel her throbbing abdomen, but realised her limbs were tied to the bed.
Vladimir sat on a stool and watched her wake. “You were always shit at sex, Tanya.”
“You bastard.”
“I’m surprised you made so much money to be honest. I had just as much fun while you were unconscious.”
Tanya glanced at her stinging wrists that had been shredded by the plastic ring pulls that tied her to the bed. “You’re a fucking bastard.”
“I guess like me the guys fell for your pretty face.”
“Fuck you.”
“Always had a foul mouth on you.”
“Funny enough it’s only you who brings it out of me.”
“I don’t seem to have lost my touch in the bed either. You were gushing like a burst water main.”
“Vlad, you’re sick in the head.” Tanya heard Vladimir light a cigarette. The smell of burnt tobacco soon polluted the room. “You’re nothing but a desperate rapist.”
“Hey … Don’t take it all out on me. Igor had a go too.”
Ignoring her cuts and bruises to her wrists Tanya pulled at her restraints. “No!” Trickles of tears seeped from her eyes. “God, no.” Thoughts of Igor’s hairy overweight body grinding on top of her made her feel violated beyond her darkest nightmare. “How could you? Even you.”
“I’ve always been generous with my possessions.”
“You’re a bastard.”
“So, what are we going to do with you, then? Surely can’t let you go, can we?”
Tanya spoke with conviction, “Serge won’t give up on me.”
“Ah, yes, that piece of shit.”
“I know you’re scared of him.”
“I loved that man like a brother, it was out of respect that I feared him.” Vlad picked up a pistol from the cabinet. “But you both fucked me over, I’ll never forgive either of you for that.”
“You hurt me and Serge will kill you.”
“We all die in the end. I just want to have a say in how I get to go.”
Tanya spat towards Vlad, causing him to move his leg to one side. “I hope you die a slow painful death.”
“I might. Do you think we’ll meet up afterlife? Walk hand in hand through those pearly gates. What do you say? Sounds fun doesn’t it?”
“There is no way you’ll be going to heaven.”
“Now, now a bit rich don’t you think? You’re not exactly a blushing virgin are you?”
“Fuck face.”
“Oh God, there goes that awful mouth of yours.” Vladimir stood from the stool and picked up a roll of duct tape. “When you learn some manners, I’ll take it off.” Tanya screamed as he taped her mouth shut. “It was either that Tanya, or my cock.”
Vladimir and Igor lay Tanya at one end of the Persian rug and rolled her inside the rug. They stealthily carried her through the quiet hotel as the receptionist slept.
Outside in the dark service alley, Vladimir opened the car door. “Shit.”
“What?”
“She’s too big to fit in the Porsche.”
“Cut her fucking legs off then.”
“Who will fucking buy a bitch with no fucking legs?”
Igor chuckled to himself. “She still has a functioning pussy. Just sell her at half price.’’
“Fuck off, Igor. That’s prime British beef you’re talking about, even if she is rather used.” Vladimir stepped to one side as a dry cleaning lorry reversed into a service hatch. “Lady luck is definitely at my side today.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The temporary lights flickered as Serge ran through the abandoned East wing. His heart skipped as he saw the door open. He placed his hand on the doorframe and peered inside. His hand felt sticky as he removed it from the frame. Glancing down at his palm he saw dark red blood. “No.”
Darting inside, Serge discovered drops of blood on the hard oak floorboards. Serge followed the murder trail to a large mahogany cupboard. “Please God, no.” Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself before opening the double doors.
Malcolm’s corpse fell onto Serge, knocking him to the floor. Their noses touching, Serge stared into Malcolm’s dark lifeless eyes. “Oh God, get off!” Rolling the corpse off, Serge stood and brushed himself down. He noticed the Julia’s body, doubled up at the foot of the cupboard, partly covered by numerous blood stained shirts.
Serge searched from room to room but found no Tanya.
Fearing the worst and out of clues he sat on the step in the darkness of the service alley. Holding his head in his hands he fell into despair. But suddenly his ears picked up the muffled sounds of a man. “Hello?” The muffled screams continued. Serge followed the cries to the skip. “You in here?” Serge climbed into the skipped and saw a man bound up with wire ties. Pulling the duct tape off the man’s face, he slapped him.
“Hey.”
“Name?”
“Mick.”
“Describe to me the man who did this.”
“Middle sized, slim … had an accent like yours.”
“Where did he go?”
“How the fuck do I know?”
Serge launched a punch into the Mick’s gut. “Don’t fuck with me. I ask you question, you answer. Got it?”
“He took my truck… Look man I’m going to get fired.”
“What type of truck? What does it look like?”
Mick struggled to breathe through panic. “F…F…Ford Transit, this year’s plate. B…blue and white, Smiths Cleaning services.”
“Big firm?”
“Nationwide.”
“So it carries GPS?”
“Why?”
Serge punched him in the gut again. “So your boss fucking knows where you are?”
“Yes, Yes.”
“How do I track it?”
“From the office.” Mick writhed in pain. “Look it’s not open till eight. I’m on earlies.”
“That’s even better, take me.”
“In what, it’s miles away.”
“We have no choice but to get a taxi shall we?”
Serge looked at the transport yard as he slammed the taxi door. He grabbed Mick’s jacket as they walked up to the closed gate. “Tell the guard to let us in.”
“Yo, Paddy, it’s me Mick.”
“Where’s your vehicle, Mick?”
“Would you believe it, it broke down.”
“It’s fucking brand new in it?”
Mick shrugged. “I know, what can I say?”
“Who is that with you?”
“My brother…. I woke him coz he’s a mechanic.”
“He’s white? You’re darker than his shadow.”
“He’s adopted.” Mick pointed at the office block. “Come on let us in. I need to call the boss, left my phone in my locker. Just one of those nights.”
Paddy unlocked the gate. “We all have one once in a while.”
Serge stuck his hand out. “Thanks, Paddy.” Grabbing hold of the Paddy’s hand, he twisted behind it behind his back and slammed his head into the wall. Bloodied, Paddy fell onto the floor unconscious.
Mick jumped back. “What the fuck, man?”
“If I didn’t, he’d be sacked in the morning. I merely did him a favour. Lucky fuck will get a week off too.”
“Shit.”
At the office block, Mick swiped the door and let them both in. “That’s the laptop right there.”
“Can I go now?”
Serge opened the laptop. The screen lit up and the program was already running. “So?”
“Try entering the reg.”
“What’s is it?”
“LD14 WNX.”
“Right, just as I thought, heading south. I need a truck.”
“Keys are on the board over there.”
“Thanks.”
“Hey, I don’t need any favours from you like poor Paddy over there.”
“Then run”
Serge picked up the laptop and took a set of keys off the wall.
Chapter Forty
The Jaguar raced through the quiet midnight streets of an industrial area. Norman picked up his receiver “Detective Norman, receiving.”
“There has been a break in at the depot Smith’s Dry Cleaning Services.”
“So, get uniform?”
“Well, the security guard phone in saying he spoke with Eastern European accent. You should check it out. Thistle Park, Unit 3, AB4 NVQ.”
Norman picked up the SATNAV off the dash board. Sweat poured from his forehead as his fingers worked their way through the menu. “I hate this new model.”
Bentham snapped. “Hurry up, we might have the bastard.”
“I’m trying, I’m trying.”
“The dispatch said we’re on top of it.”
“Left there it is.”
Norman held the door handle as Bentham raced the up the drive. Getting out of the car, Norman pulled the taser gun from the holster. He spotted Paddy on the floor. Putting his hand on Paddy’s neck, he felt his pulse. “Looks like he has slipped back out of consciousness.”
The sound off a heavy engine caused Norman to glance into the darkness of the transport yard. Suddenly the headlight switched on and a van came racing towards them. “He’s coming right at us.”
“Norman, the gate, the gate.”
Norman put his shoulder into the heavy steel gate and began pushing it across. Bentham put his arms around the frame and helped pull. Norman glanced towards the oncoming van. “He’s going to ram us!”
“Just shut the gate.”
The gate slammed shut and the van smashed into its frame. The screams of breaking steal and crunching of aluminum broke the night air.
Norman slowly picked himself off the floor. He felt his side and winced at the thought of broken ribs. He noticed Bentham lay on the ground, motionless. Stumbling across the debris strewn concrete, he stepped in between the twisted remains of the gate.
A smell of diesel carried in the breeze, bringing with it the sense of danger. The van lay on its side. Its engine still engaged with the front wheels still spinning. Fuel drained from the ruptured tank and pooled on the floor. Norman climbed atop the van. Peering into the cab he spotted Serge lying slumped across the wheel. Dangling inside the cab, Norman lowered himself down, straddling Serge. Switching the engine off, he pulled himself back out of the cab.
Bentham sat on the floor, holding his arm. “Is it him?”
“Yeah.”
“How is he?”
“In a bad way.” Norman climbed down from the van. “How is yourself?”
“Busted my arm pretty bad…. I feel really ill too, think I’m going to pass out again.” Bentham’s face was twisted with pain as he pointed to the back of the van. ”Check the back for Tanya.”
“Shit, yeah.” Norman pulled the door open and peered inside. “Nothing.” He heard Serge moan and walked around the upended van. Kicking in the windscreen, Norman showered Serge with glass.
“It’s you…. The mole.”
“Tanya, where is she?”
“Vlad has her.”
“You’re lying. Tell me or I’ll kill you.”
“Phone him, he’ll tell you for himself.” Norman glanced at Bentham who leant against a brick wall, nursing his arm. He got out his phone and called Vladimir. “Have you got Tanya?”
“Maybe.”
“I’ve got Serge.”
“Oh, have you?”
“Yes.”
“Send me a picture and then we can talk.”
Norman switched his phone to video. “There you, go,”
“TFC.”
“Just one problem, I got my partner with me.”
“Kill him.”
“I can’t.”
“You’ll have to. C’ya.”
Norman put the phone in his pocket. “Fuck.”
“The guy is a bastard.”
Norman kicked Serge in the face. “Shut it.”
Back at the jaguar, Norman flipped the latch of the boot. Startled, he jumped backwards. “What the fuck?”
As if she was a reanimated corpse, Roxanna gasped for fresh air. “Finally.”
“Who the fuck are you?”
“Where is the bitch?”
Norman watched as a dishevelled Roxanna sat up straight. “I said, who the fuck are you?”
“Who are you? Where is Dave?”
“Are you, Roxy?”
“You must be Norman?”
“Yeah.” Norman watched Roxanna climb out of the boot. She held the small of her back and arched backwards. “I’m sorry but I’ve had to wee inside.”
“Dirty Bitch.” Norman leaned into the boot and pulled out Bentham’s sports bag. “Fucking great.” He unzipped it and delved inside until he felt the cold steal of the pistol. With two fingers he pulled the soaking gun from the bag. “Christ, how much did you drink?”
“I’m on diet shakes.”
“Fucking stinks!”
“Hey, don’t you think I’m embarrassed enough?”
Norman drew the pistol and pointed at Roxanna’s face. “Fucki
ng shut up.” He pulled the trigger but the gun didn’t fire.
“You bastard.” Roxanna sprung on the attack.
Roxanna’s screams drifted in and out of Bentham’s conscious mind. At first, he thought it was the effects of concussion, But they grew louder and turned into cries. “Roxanna?” He got to his feet as the urgency grew. “Rox, I’m coming Rox!”
Bentham ran as fast as his battered joints could carry him. Stooping down he picked up Norman’s taser gun from the floor and spotted Norman battering Roxanna with the butt of his pistol. “Norm, that’s my wife.”
“I know, I’m doing what you should have done years ago.”
Bentham released the safety and pulled the trigger, firing the stun darts into Norman’s back. He watched as Norman fell in spasms due to the shocks. He then picked up the blood-soaked pistol and cracked Norman across the back of his head.
Dropping at Roxanna’s side, Bentham held her tight. Blood oozed from the bruised cuts on her face. Tears formed in Bentham’s eyes. “What the fuck’s happening. Why are you here? Why was he hitting you?”
“I love you, Dave.”
“S…stay with me.”
Serge grimaced a smile as he lifted the laptop that remained in one piece. He crawled through the broken glass and pulled himself free. He disbelieved his own eyes as he saw the carnage around him. Struggling to his feet he hobbled to the Jaguar that had been left running.
Stricken with grief, Bentham did not flinch as his car sped off into distance.
Chapter Forty-One
The blood red horizon felt charged for war as Serge powered South down the motorway. The open window billowed cold air around the cab. Serge homed in like a missile on its target.
Serge rammed the car through the barrier, snapping it into two. He raced towards the parked dry cleaning van and spotted Igor outside the open container. He bore down on Igor who tried to run up the ramp into the container. Serge closed his eyes as he ran Igor down, feeling the car crush him under the wheel. The car hurtled onwards skidding and colliding the container.
Vladimir had been knocked to the floor by the impact of the car. He picked himself up and started the Jaguar. “Serge, I was wondering if you were ever going to make it.”
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