She had resisted doing anything to defend herself strongly enough to give her away so far, and she was damned if this was all going to be for nothing. She needed him to incriminate himself. She slid her hand slowly down the wall. Not ready to give the signal to Holly until they had something they could use, but preparing to really protect herself. In a fair fight she wouldn’t need a weapon, she had the skill to take down just about any threat, but she’d let him pin her here to try and hold her cover, and if it came down to brute strength, she wasn’t going to win.
“Oh, it’s exactly the party I wanted.”
Berishka’s clammy hand thrust down the front of her dress, grabbing at the bug taped there. She was barely aware of the sting as the tape was ripped off, instead totally focused on grabbing for her weapon under the dress. Her fingers wrapped around the handle. She began to pull it up when another hand grabbed her wrist and wrenched, snatching the gun. Her heart sank as she heard Novak’s cruel laugh and realized he’d joined them.
Before she could open her mouth Berishka threw the bug into the doorway next to them and clamped his meaty hand over her mouth as Novak pulled the heavy wooden door shut.
No amount of combat training was enough for her to escape the grip of these two powerful men. Panic clawed at her insides as she willed herself to stay calm and think. Panic would kill her as surely as these two would. How the hell had they known she’d been mic’d up? How had they known there wasn’t another mic close enough to pick up their words here? If she could get them to take her a few feet down the hallway she’d be good, but from here all the tactical team would be able to hear was the fact the hall wasn’t empty. There was something going on here that she didn’t know about, and ten years of undercover experience meant she knew exactly how dangerous any unknown element was. As her mind spun, her hands were pinned behind her and tied. Wriggling against the bindings, she realized they must have used a ziplock.
Damn ziplocks. Didn’t the people who made them have any idea how dangerous they were? Just about anything else was easy enough to get out of, but these were damned near impossible.
“Before we start the real party, the boss wants me to have some fun, and I so enjoy the pleasures of England. Your fair flesh bruises so beautifully, it really is exquisite,” Berishka said, his voice taunting and full of pleasure.
Still gripping her hair, he twisted her around to face them. As she looked up, determined to meet their eyes steadily, Berishka’s right hand shot out without warning. The impact sent pain shooting through her cheek as stars blurred her vision.
Sucking in a breath, she calculated that she just had to hold it together long enough for them to take her further down the hallway or back into the party. The idea of going in the room where his friends were waiting wasn’t fun, but there were listening devices there.
“You will come with us now,” Berishka hissed, pulling her away from the doorway she wanted them to go through.
“Aren’t we going back to the party?”
“Oh, no, we have somewhere far more interesting to take you.”
She pushed against the pain that was radiating through her cheeks, compartmentalizing it so she could focus on the current danger. She could give the pain her attention later. There was no way she was going anywhere with them. Basic Training 101—don’t leave with the madman. There was nothing that could convince her otherwise. They’d have to drag her out kicking and screaming before she’d go anywhere voluntarily with these animals.
In fact, Amory thought, seizing the idea, that was definitely the way to go. One way or another it would attract attention and the task force would arrive. Her only regret was that they hadn’t gotten any evidence on Berishka. A charge of assaulting a police officer wouldn’t keep him off the streets for long. Frantically she searched her brain for a way to salvage the situation so they could still get some evidence.
“William won’t appreciate me disappearing with another man. I’m sure you don’t want to upset the Duke.”
It was a long shot, but anything to buy some time. Novak’s smile grew more odious as it widened.
“Do you really think I don’t know what’s going on?”
Fear began to trickle through her body—just how much did they know?
“You are nothing to the Duke. He couldn’t be less interested in you. His brother, however, I know there is something between you. If you don’t want your precious boyfriend to get hurt, you’re coming with me now.”
He stared at her, as though willing her to say something but she stared back blankly, her expression completely neutral. Her mind was spinning but she pushed her worries about what he knew and how aside. He couldn’t know as much as he thought or he wouldn’t have been stupid enough to set this evening up. She’d deal with him like she would anyone who questioned her cover. If he thought she was going to be stupid enough to give him anything, he had another thing coming.
“I can make him last a long time. You can be certain he won’t miss out on any of my skills before I allow him to die. I think I will even let you watch.”
Her stomach roiled at the image his words created. She knew only too well what kind of skills these animals had. Her mind helpfully flashed her a picture of Jackson’s broken and brutalized body. The fear that had been trickling through her became a torrent. No matter what, she couldn’t allow that to happen to him.
“I don’t know what you think you know, but he’s not my boyfriend. He doesn’t give a damn about me,” she stated flatly.
“I do not care what he thinks. I am counting on you not wanting anything to happen to him, and you know perfectly well what I am capable of. Don’t you … Officer Parker,” Novak said.
Her mind emptied completely. They knew who exactly she was. With all the dangers she’d faced, all the risks she’d taken over the years, she’d never actually had her cover blown. Looking into Novak’s flat eyes she realized she didn’t have a choice. She was going to have to play along until she was near another bug or until she could signal someone. She nodded her agreement.
As if he could read her mind Berishka said, “Don’t think about trying to attract attention. If we don’t get to our destination without a hitch, there are standing orders here to see to your boyfriend. You have caused the boss a lot of trouble and we intend to enjoy ourselves.”
His words reverberated around her brain as she moved numbly through the house, following Novak’s lead to the garage. What the hell was going on? Why did Berishka keep talking about the boss? Why was he following Novak’s lead? Pushing her questions aside, she focused on her actions. She sure as hell wasn’t going to put Jackson’s life in danger. A bullet took a damn sight less time to reach its target than a tactical team did. She’d just have to go with them and be grateful that at least the surveillance would pick up a vehicle leaving the estate. She’d just have to figure out how to make an extraction as easy as possible when they got wherever they were going, and get as much as she could from this pair in the meantime. The garage was dark and cold after the warmth of the house but she barely noticed against the power of the adrenaline pulsing through her veins. Stumbling slightly as they stepped over the raised threshold, Berishka’s grip on her hair tightened, sending a sharp sensation through her scalp. She absentmindedly added it to the list of things that would hurt later. Instead of heading to one of the vehicles, they moved to the half-glass door situated at the back of the garage, where moonlight shone through, casting a square of light onto the floor.
As they pushed the door open Novak slipped her gun into his waistband and gestured for Marek to move. Damn, they were heading into the woods, there wasn’t a chance in hell of her being tracked there. For now at least, she was on her own.
Swallowing hard she let him steer her forward and kept her eyes fixed to the ground. If Marek stumbled she needed to have a sure enough footing to take advantage of the situation. They weren’t going to get far like this, and if she was fast enough she could take them both out before they could make cont
act with anyone at the house.
They’d been walking for about thirty minutes and hadn’t said a word. Where the hell did they think they were going?
“Do you seriously think you’re going to get away with this?” she asked.
Novak’s shoulders tensed at her words. It wouldn’t help her avoid adding to the list of injuries if she started pissing them off, but she needed them to give her something. This wasn’t all going to be for nothing.
“Shut up,” said Berishka, giving her hair another yank.
That one she felt through to her toes. If she managed to survive this she was going to end up bald.
“You’re finished,” she said, making her voice as mocking as possible. “If you know who I am then you know just how good my team is. You don’t have a chance in hell. You should just turn yourselves over to me.”
Novak stopped and spun on his heels.
“You stupid bitch. I know everything about you. I know more about your team than you could believe possible and you don’t even know who I am.”
She met his gaze steadily.
“I know enough about you both. Big men, small…” She shrugged as much as she was able with Berishka holding her in place, and held Novak’s cold gaze.
It was a risky insult but the pair of them were wound tight and convinced they were in control. With anyone else that would have been enough to have them spilling their guts like Bond villains, but Berishka was a whole new level of experience and success, and he clearly surrounded himself with men who were exactly the same. It would take some direct hits to get him to tip over the edge and say anything he hadn’t carefully calculated.
Novak’s eyes narrowed and he swung upward, his fist connecting with her jaw with a thud that seemed to vibrate through her entire body. For a moment she couldn’t think past the pain, her breathing ragged she sucked in air through her nose. As she pulled back control of her senses, she fixed Novak with a half-smile.
“Am I supposed to be impressed?”
“You will be. You saw what I did to Katja. You owe me a lot of money for that and you are about to repay me in whatever way I decide.”
“So it was you that killed her?”
She didn’t really need to ask the question, she already knew one of them did, but if Novak wanted to start bragging she wasn’t about to stop him.
“I’m not surprised you have your lackeys do the work, Berishka,” she said, addressing the man holding her, even though she couldn’t see him.
Novak smiled at her, this time the expression one of pure satisfaction.
“This is why you lose. Why you will always lose.”
He leaned close to her, his warm breath on her neck as he whispered into her ear bringing the chill of the air into sharp relief.
“I am Marek Berishka.”
She jerked at his words. Her movement was cut short as her hair pulled tight again. He was using his bodyguard as cover? That explained why they hadn’t ever been able to be sure of his identity. They’d been photographing different men.
“Now play nice or your boyfriend will be joining you.”
She growled at his words but didn’t move. There wasn’t much point in putting up a fight until she had a half-decent chance of winning. She’d poked the bear and gotten something. Time for a different tactic. Now they needed to underestimate her.
As he led them further into the woods his words settled into her mind. She did owe people, but that animal had another thing coming if he thought she owed him anything. She owed Katja justice, and she owed Jackson for what she had done all those years ago.
Jackson was as responsible for their past as she was, but she loved him, and if this was what it took to keep him safe she was going to do it. It wasn’t going to stop her from finding a way to get away from these bastards later though, and when she did she was going to kill them both.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Jackson’s eyes kept heading to the doorway. It must have been half an hour since Amory had left the room with empty food trays and she still hadn’t returned. More concerning was the fact that Marek and his sidekick had left a few minutes after and neither of them were back either. He’d spent the last thirty minutes torn over whether to raise the alarm or not for fear he’d screw things up if he did it too early.
These were seriously dangerous people but he kept trying to reassure himself that, as he knew to his detriment, Amory was a trained professional and could handle herself. She was trained to deal with this type of thing. Fiddling with the glass in his hand, he nodded blankly at the man sitting opposite him. He should be listening but all he could think about was Amory. The anger and hurt that had filled him for the last few days were gone, in their place a knot of concern that seemed to consume him completely.
Looking for his brother, he stared at him until William looked over. Raising his eyebrows, he silently asked what was going on. William’s gaze darted around the room and his expression tightened. When William met his eyes again he gave a small shrug and grimaced. He had to face the fact that something wasn’t right. What was he supposed to do to help without blowing everything they were all working so hard to achieve?
Amory had been explicitly clear that Marek would wheel in women at some stage of the evening to provide entertainment. Their job was to keep things going until then but there was no sign of that happening. The men in attendance didn’t seem to be expecting anything from their night out, other than the free-flowing whiskey and the drugs that had left residual white lines tracked across tables around the room. What the hell was he going to do?
“Excuse me,” he said to his current companion, standing as he spoke. Enough following the rules, he needed to find her. If she wasn’t in the kitchen he would at least be out of earshot of everyone else so he could whisper his concerns into the bug taped to his chest. At least that way the professionals would know what was going on and they could plan their next steps.
He’d turned to move toward the door just as it flew open, the heavy wood making a muted thud as it hit the boundaries of its hinges, and an abrupt silence took the place of the buzz of conversation. Armed men stormed into the room. Their uniform of black combat gear was intimidating enough, but each figure through the door held a weapon at face height.
The mood in the room changed instantaneously, the relaxed buzz replaced by thick tension as the guests took in the sight of a tactical team descending on them. Their faces clearly reflecting anger, shock, and in some cases plain irritation, these were powerful people, not used to being called on their actions.
There was a brief scuffle as a weasely looking man with pointy features ducked behind one of the couches and drew a pistol, but in his inebriated state he was knocked out with a sharp punch to the temple before he could use it.
Jackson noticed a different black-clad figure in the center of things, somehow coordinating the chaos that had surrounded them with hand gestures. Different, by being at least a head shorter than the others and with notable curves. She pulled her combat helmet and visor off and a long, curly blonde ponytail fell down her back.
As she looked around, her expression was tight.
“Where’s Officer Parker?” she demanded as order began to descend, authority pouring from her as she looked around the room.
When no one answered her she rounded on him.
“Where the hell is Amory?”
He stood rigid, arms folded across his body—it was taking everything he had not to panic.
“I don’t know but Marek and Pavol have gone as well,” he said, her accusing tone making his fear swell. How could they not know where she was?
“Why the hell didn’t you raise the alarm?”
The pure force of authority she radiated made it clear how such a diminutive woman was able to command the respect of the tactical team surrounding her.
“I was about to,” he snarled. His emotions were in overdrive and he didn’t need this woman pointing out how stupid he’d been to wait this long.
At that point two more men in head-to-toe black entered the room shaking their heads at the woman before dropping a bug into her hand. It matched the one Amory had taped to his chest just a few hours before. His heart sank.
Jackson watched as the woman’s faced drained of color before she turned her head, studying the men gathered in the room.
“Fuck,” she swore and tugged on her ponytail.
“You let her go with them?” she said, turning her focus back to him.
He flinched.
“Let her? I’ve been doing my damned best to stick to the plan. Do you think I’ve enjoyed watching these bastards paw over her? I was trying to do the right thing.”
She scowled at him but held her tongue.
“She’s a trained professional though, she’ll be alright.” His words came as a statement and he held his expression blank, but he was silently pleading for the woman to confirm they were right. He needed her to be alright.
“No, she won’t be alright.”
“But this is her job,” he said, the words almost a plea this time.
“Really. You think her job involves being stuck alone with him?” she said, the words coming out as a hiss. “Has Amory told you what Berishka does to women? How he enjoys himself?”
“Holly,” cautioned the man standing to the left of the woman. He touched her shoulder gently, concern on his face.
Her gaze swung to the hand he had placed on her and then slid slowly up to his face. Her expression was one of pure fury.
“Sorry, ma’am,” he muttered withdrawing his arm quickly.
Holly. Amory had mentioned that her best friend was called Holly. This must be her. It certainly explained why she was so wild. This wasn’t just a job to the blonde in front of him. Her best friend was missing.
“God, you’re a bigger idiot than I ever thought possible.” Holly proceeded to explain in graphic detail what Marek did to women. What he encouraged his friends to do to women. How they did it again and again, and how all the women he brought into the country were eventually found, better off for having reached the end of their lives, finally succumbing to a death that they no doubt welcomed by the time it came.
Shadows of Our Past Page 19