“Cheers for ruining my life, mate.”
CHAPTER NINE
It was past midnight when a visitor turned up at Dalton’s room, getting in easily with a key card. The figure moved through the darkened room, holding a small pistol with a silencer affixed to the barrel. One of the beds had someone under the covers and the figure slowly moved closer, reaching out a hand.
“Dalton,” she said, pulling the cover down and seeing a pillow underneath. Tauna reached for the nightstand and turned on the lamp. She saw a shadow cast on the wall and spun, ducking in the process just in time to avoid a tranquilizer dart from Dalton’s gun.
“What the hell are you doing?” she asked.
Dalton threw a kick that knocked Tauna onto the bed. She dropped the gun in the process and Dalton knelt down quickly to retrieve it. Tauna rolled over to the other side of the bed and found herself staring down the barrel of her own weapon.
“Have you taken total leave of your senses?” she asked.
“Don’t move,” said Dalton, maintaining a steady aim with the gun.
“You won’t do it,” she said, staring into his eyes. “You’re not a killer.”
“Not anymore, that’s true,” he said. “But I might make an exception for betrayals.”
Tauna’s eyes widened. “Betrayal?”
“The alarm at the Cobra Club. Bax said he had security locked down, so how did that thing go off? How were my comms jammed far outside the building? Had to be someone with inside information. Was this Dante’s way of getting back at me for ripping off Loerke? Set me up for stealing Fury? Tell me, Tauna, what was the next move? Would Dante have tried to use me as some sort of peace offering for Venom? A way to end the feud that’s been going on between the two of them?”
Tauna rested her hands on her hips. “You certainly have a vivid imagination.”
“Hands in the air, love.” Dalton waved the gun towards the ceiling and Tauna sighed, raising her hands.
“Dante wasn’t lying to you and he certainly wasn’t using you as some kind of olive branch. He has no interest in working with Venom. In fact, I had to threaten to kill that slimy bastard just to get him to let me go.”
“So how do you explain the alarm?”
“Maybe Sutton’s not as good as his press.”
Dalton shook his head. “No, something’s off here. Even if you didn’t set me up, Dante’s had something up his sleeve since the two of you came to my flat. And you’re going to tell me before I put a bullet in that pretty little head of yours.”
“I’m to believe you’ve suddenly become a cold-blooded killer?” asked Tauna.
“You and I both know Dante wouldn’t have hired me without looking into my background, and I’m sure he told you all about what he discovered. So based on what you’ve read, you tell me if I’ve got it in me to be a killer.”
Tauna hesitated for a moment. She noted how steady Dalton’s hand was, the cold determination in his eyes. It was a look she’d seen many times in the eyes of some of the world’s most detached killers.
“Very well, I believe you,” she said.
“Then let’s have a chat.”
Tauna turned her wrists. “Can I put my hands down?”
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
“Suit yourself.” Tauna shifted her weight from one leg to the other. “What do you want to know?”
“Let’s start with Fury. Before comms went down, I heard what happened at the auction. Seemed like everyone there was quite surprised when they saw the demonstration of that weapon. So how did Dante know about it?”
“Venom isn’t just a freelance arms dealer, he does a lot of work for a very powerful outfit called the Agency.”
“The Agency? You mean the CIA?”
“Perhaps that’s what they want people to believe they are—and maybe they even spread that lie to some of their lower-level operatives. But believe me, the Agency has nothing to do with the CIA or any government. They’re a black ops organization run by a global syndicate of wealthy individuals.”
Dalton felt his arm lowering as he processed the information. “You must be joking.”
“I never joke when it comes to the Agency. The entire reason Infernum exists is as a response to them.”
“So they developed Fury?”
Tauna nodded. She now felt safe lowering her hands and did so. Dalton gave no reaction to her movement. “The Agency has need for destabilizing influences in the world in order to carry out their agenda. Venom was the perfect distribution method. He sells Fury to a terrorist organization or a rogue nation. They release it, thus giving the Agency the crisis they need for their masters to profit off misery.”
“And that’s the real reason Venom would never sell it to you,” said Dalton. “If Dante bought Fury and never used it, then the Agency would have wasted its resources developing a gun that would never be fired.”
“Precisely.”
“So all that talk about hiring me in case I got caught? Was that a lie, too?”
“Oh no, that was the truth,” said Tauna.
“Wonderful.” Dalton handed Tauna back her gun. “How’d he find out about Fury in the first place?”
“We have a source within the Agency, but they couldn’t get their hands on it without risking exposure.”
“And what about Dante’s compensation package? Can he really get my father out of prison or was that more bullshit?”
“That was the truth.”
“Certain of that, are you?”
“As far as I know.”
Dalton huffed. “As far as you know. That certainly puts my mind at ease.”
Tauna glanced at the briefcase on the desk. “Is it safe?”
Dalton nodded and walked over to the mini-bar. “What’s your poison? I’ve finished the whiskey but there’s vodka, gin and rum.”
“Vodka,” she said.
Dalton emptied the small bottle into an empty glass and passed it to Tauna. He filled his with gin and sat on the edge of the bed. “Alright, so we’ve got Fury and we’ve got both Venom and the Agency keen to get it back. Where’s that leave us?”
“You trust me now, I take it,” said Tauna, sitting beside him as she sipped her drink.
“Jury’s out on that, love.” Dalton took a generous sip of the gin. “But you got me into this mess and you’ll be the one to get me out.”
CHAPTER TEN
Johnny Venom stood out on the terrace, holding a bottle of ruou ran in one hand and a glass in the other, a cigarette dangling from his lips. The last of the guests had left the Cobra Club and the staff went about their duties cleaning up. They stripped the tables on the terrace and Johnny moved to the one closest to the fountain. He set the glass on the table and filled it with the liquor. When he put the bottle back on the table, he stared into the eyes of the dead cobra that rested inside.
“What the hell are you lookin’ at?”
Venom took a long drink, emptying the entirety of the glass. He set it down on the table and refilled it. This time, he drank a little slower, thinking about the events of the day. The thief may have thought he’d managed to pull a fast one on him, but Venom would manage to come out on top.
“Drinking alone? That’s never a good sign.”
Venom paused and stared into his glass. “Neither is hearing an American accent in Istanbul.” He took a drink.
“I’m told I don’t have an accent.” The man in a suit circled around and sat across from Venom. He had short, silver hair combed to the side and a pair of wire-framed glasses.
“That’s what you think.” Venom signaled to one of his staff. “Get Mr. Chandler a glass.”
“Yes sir,” said the waiter and walked off.
“Shouldn’t use my name,” said Chandler.
“Really?” asked Venom. The waiter returned and set a glass in front of Venom’s guest. Before he walked off, Johnny stopped him. “Just a moment. I said this man’s name is Chandler. Does that mean anything to you?”
&nbs
p; The waiter blinked and shrugged. “I’ve never heard it.”
“Thank you, you can finish closing up.” Venom waved the boy off and tossed a smirk at Chandler.
“Point taken,” said Chandler.
“Didn’t know you were in Turkey.” Venom raised the bottle and filled Chandler’s glass. He topped off his own drink before setting the bottle back down in the center of the table.
“We have a problem, John,” said Chandler. “You gave us guarantees that Fury would be safe under your stewardship. This does not bode well for the future of our partnership.”
“Yes, it’s true, Fury was taken. But fortunately, I know who was responsible.”
“Who is it?”
“An accomplished thief by the name of Dalton Moore,” said Venom. “The security system came back online when he was in the middle of the heist and we got a clear shot of his face. From there, it was a simple matter of running it through facial recognition.”
“That was fast,” said Chandler.
“My people work fast.” Also, it was a total lie. But Venom didn’t want to tell Chandler the truth. That might tip his hand too early.
“So how did he find out?” asked Chandler. “We did our best to keep this auction a secret. To only invite those we knew could be trusted.”
“Unfortunately it didn’t work out quite like that,” said Venom. “We had a surprise guest turn up at the auction—a representative of Infernum.”
Chandler groaned and took a big gulp from his glass. He cringed after tasting the cobra juice, but slid his glass forward when Venom hefted the bottle. Venom poured him a fresh drink and Chandler took that down almost as quickly.
“How did Infernum find out about it?”
Venom shrugged. “Any number of ways. Perhaps one of our invitees. Or maybe the Agency has a leak.”
“And what about you?” asked Chandler. “How do you know it wasn’t one of your people?”
“I don’t, but I have reason to believe the leak is from your end,” said Venom.
“Then tell me who it is so I can take care of them,” said Chandler.
“My information unfortunately doesn’t extend that far.” Venom stamped out his cigarette in the ashtray. He reached inside his jacket and took out a silver case, removing a fresh cigarette and lighting it after placing it between his lips. “Suffice to say, if Dante knew about it, it’s possible other people did as well.”
“And Dante could have hired Moore.”
“Tauna was the representative at the auction. She had the chance to kill me, but didn’t. Said that was proof Infernum had nothing to do with the theft.”
“And you believed her? How do you know she wasn’t lying to cover her tracks?”
“Moore himself recently cost Dante a lot of money. Apparently he has a contract on his head.”
“Could still be a smokescreen. What better way to cover up his involvement?”
“A distinct possibility. And one I certainly haven’t ruled out,” said Venom. “Whether Infernum was behind the theft or not, what we do know for certain is that Moore has Fury. And he is where our efforts should be focused. If Moore is working for Dante, then we’ll deal with him later.”
Venom took a long drag on the cigarette and exhaled the smoke through his nostrils. “I can get it back for you, Michael. You just have to trust me.”
Chandler shook his head while sipping his drink. “You really think I’m going to entrust this to you after you fucked up the auction so spectacularly? It was under your watch that we lost Fury, so forgive me if my confidence in your abilities isn’t very strong.” Chandler set the glass on the table and pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket. “I’m sending in one of our best men. He can fix this for you. Your role in this operation is through, John. If you’re lucky, then maybe I’ll throw you another bone in six months or so.”
Venom tapped the cigarette against the edge of the ashtray. “You’re not going to do that, Mike.”
“The hell I’m not.” Chandler dialed a number. “This is the Director. Put me through to special ops.”
“I have a source.”
Chandler paused and looked up at Venom. He heard a voice on the other end of the phone. “Hold on just a second.” Chandler lowered the phone from his ear, covering it with his free hand. “What source?”
“One who can lead us to Moore and the weapon. And if you want to know what I know, then you’ll have to keep me in the loop on this.”
Chandler held the phone, considering Venom’s words, never breaking eye contact. “You trust them?”
“I don’t trust anyone. But the information appears reliable. About as reliable as you’re likely to find.”
“Fine. Once my man gets here, you’ll work with him to take down Moore,” said Chandler. “And if you’re able to reacquire Fury, I’ll allow you to proceed with the auction.”
Venom smirked and took a drag from the cigarette. “We have ourselves a deal, Director.”
Chandler brought the phone back to his ear. “Sorry, had to settle something first. I need to speak to Vincente immediately.” Chandler listened to the response and frowned. “I don’t give a shit where he is. Just put me through, okay? This is important.”
***
The lithe figure in black leather heard a noise as he walked through the room. He kicked the overturned table and saw a man in a suit trying to sputter out something in Arabic. The man in black wore a mask covering his face from jaw to nose. He turned his head, listening to the ramblings of the terrorist. Even if he could understand Arabic, he wouldn’t have given a response.
The Arab’s eyes bugged out and when he tried to speak again, blood sputtered out past his lips. He went limp and the man in black pulled the crimson-stained blade from the terrorist’s chest.
The blade retracted into the assassin’s wrist-mounted device with a snakt and he stood upright. He closed his eyes, taking in the metallic scent that surrounded him, almost relishing in its aroma. But then a vibration against his leg brought him back to reality.
He reached inside the pocket of his leather pants, pulling out a cell phone. He took the phone and held it up against his ear.
“Vincente?”
The assassin gave no sound.
“This is Director Chandler. I have a new assignment for you, one that is of paramount importance. I need you to get to Istanbul immediately. The details are being sent to your phone’s email. Don’t disappoint me, son.”
Vincente lowered the phone as the call ended and felt it buzz again. He looked at the screen and saw a new message notification. Attached to the message was an image of a young, handsome man with short, black hair and blue eyes. A name was printed at the bottom of the image—DALTON MOORE.
Vincente put the phone back in his pocket and looked at the bodies he’d created. Their blood pooled at his feet, and some of them still had their eyes fixed open in a position of fear. Vincente raised his arms and blades emerged from the gauntlets. The blood from these victims had already started drying. But soon, he’d be able to moisten his blades again.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Tauna stared out the window of the dining car on the Danube Express while Dalton dug into his meal of goose and mashed potatoes. He looked up at his traveling companion, noticing that her attention was elsewhere.
“Your food’s going to get cold.”
It took a moment for Tauna to turn away from the window and without the slightest facial expression, she picked up her knife and fork and cut up a piece of meat to place in her mouth. Dalton sipped his red wine, still keeping his gaze on her.
“Something on your mind?”
“I’ve been thinking about what you said at the hotel. You’re right, something is off about this entire mission,” she said. “Sutton should have been able to keep that security system disabled, so how did that alarm go off?”
“Back-up system,” said Dalton before taking another bite of his goose.
“Possibly, but it still doesn’t sit well wit
h me,” said Tauna. She scooped up some mashed potatoes on her fork and slid them past her lips. After she swallowed, she leaned in closer. “How well do you know him?”
Dalton set his knife and fork down beside his plate and raised the napkin from his lap, dabbing his lips before leaning back in his chair. “I’ve worked with Bax on more jobs than I can count. He’s been my right hand for years.”
“In our line of work, loyalties can shift overnight.”
Dalton sipped his wine and shook his head while setting the glass down. “If I were a paranoid sort, I might think you’re trying to plant the seeds of suspicion.”
“Or perhaps I’m just trying to get you to think objectively,” said Tauna. “Is it so inconceivable that he could have gotten a better offer?”
“You don’t know Bax like I do, so I’ll forgive that. But the man’s loyal to a fault. There was this one time he caught wind of a plot to kill me. A job went south and the client wasn’t the forgiving sort. When the client found out Bax stumbled on the plot, he offered him a hefty payday to set a trap for me. Instead, Bax put his own life on the line to warn me about it. Had to go in hiding for a bit after that until the heat died down, too.”
Tauna raised her glass to her lips and savored the taste of the red wine. “I respect your history, I’m just cautious about these things. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s not to trust anyone.”
“Except Dante,” said Dalton.
Tauna paused and stared at him with her deep, brown eyes. “Yes, except Dante.”
“Why is that? What is it about him that inspires so much loyalty in you? I heard it doesn’t work out so well for some of his former operatives.”
“Really? And what did you hear?”
“Bloke by the name of Carl Flint,” said Dalton. “Heard after he performed what was supposed to be a final job for Dante, he ended up dead in some backwater Mexican town.”
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