Still, Olga blamed herself. She was the one who put the parts together. The one who was the scientist in charge of that part of the process. When she walked in the door on that fateful day that Renee jumped the gun and tried to see if the part was stable and tested it with no one else in the lab and died, Olga's life as she knew it was over, too.
Even though the powers that be begged her to stay, she couldn't face going in to work every day and reliving that moment over and over. She thought a change of continent would help her get over it. A fresh start would be the answer. But here she was. Another colleague may be dead because of her. She was beginning to think she was some kind of death magnet? If I get out of this, I'm never going to make another friend. I can't risk anyone else's life.
"Olga?"
Olga whipped her head to the side and faced her friend. "Gina. Thank God you're alive. I was so scared."
"How'd they get you? They threw me in a van outside Waterloo."
"Same thing here. A van. Outside work. On my way back from Café Nero."
"Did they tell you why?" Gina's voice was thready and scared Olga.
"No. I presume it's something to do with the shuttle. The man in the mask said he grabbed the wrong one to start with. You."
"You do have more knowledge than me about the shuttle but I don't think it has anything to do with work."
"Why?"
"A few hours after they grabbed me, they showed me a newspaper with Gabriel Swicord on the front page and asked me all kinds of questions about him being my boyfriend."
"Gabriel? Really? What could this have to do with him? What did you tell them?"
"I laughed at the picture. I told them they had the wrong girl." Gina's hand that wasn't cuffed to the bed flew to her mouth. "Oh, God. That's why they grabbed you. I told them your name. I said you were the one he fancied and that I was only dancing with him in that picture since we were all at the club together. I'm so sorry, Olga, love. It's my fault." Gina cried, tears streamed down her face.
"Don't feel like that. It's not your fault someone paid them to snatch me off the street. It's whoever paid them's fault."
"They were pretty mad when they heard. They went in that other room and I could hear them arguing for a long time. I'm grateful that they didn't kill me outright. I do believe they plan to kill us, though. I've been repenting of all my sins when I'm awake. The real ones and the imagined ones." She smiled ruefully, "And I'm asking you right now to forgive me for your own death since I'm the cause."
"There's nothing to forgive."
"Olga, please. I need to have your forgiveness."
"You have it. Always. But let's not give up. As long as we're breathing, there's hope."
"I'll try to hope. I do feel better now that I'm not alone, and I know that's selfish but that's how I feel." Gina nodded.
"I feel better now that you're awake and aware so let's hang in there together, okay?"
"Okay." Gina's voice sounded stronger and Olga dared to hope they may yet find a way out.
Chapter Twenty-Two
"Desire conquers fear."
Irish Proverb
"Olga? Olga? What's happening?" His heart racing and panicked for her safety, Gabe kept calling her name in vain until he was hoarse. His gut clenched at the sounds on the other end of the phone. What the hell was going on?
Finally giving up on a response, Gabe disengaged the call and dialed law enforcement. After giving the desk officer at the precinct nearest her office the information that she'd been on the phone with him and something had happened to her, he gave him her mobile number as well for them to attempt to trace where the phone may actually be. Next, he called Jacob Rhys to get the number for Detective Inspector Carlyle to contact him in case it was related to the cases of the club patrons who'd been murdered. He didn't see how it could be since she wasn't anywhere near the Retro Disco, but since he himself seemed to be the connection with the women, he decided to make the call anyway. He hoped this had nothing to do with that case since Olga may already be dead it if was.
Surprised at how bereft the thought of losing her made him, he held back the darkness in his mind at the idea of the world without her in it. Gabe spoke to the detective inspector when the man answered the phone and filled him in on his conversation with Olga and the scream that ended it.
"I think it may be related but I'm not sure. Do you know Gina Boudreau? Well, sorry, I guess you do since you were pictured with her in the papers on Saturday, but did you know she's missing?" Carlyle asked.
"Yeah. That was part of my conversation with Olga. She told me that you were investigating Gina's disappearance. What do you think this all means? We already have three dead women and now two more are missing." Gabe didn't want to think about the next question, but he had to ask. "Do you think we'll be finding their bodies?"
"I don't know, Mr. Swicord. I sure hope not and I'm optimistic that we haven't found Miss Boudreau as yet. Since the others were found very close to the last time they were seen, I'm supposing that they are both still alive."
"Since they haven't shown up yet, do you think their disappearances are related to their jobs rather than any connection to me?"
"We're following leads and also investigating any connection to corporate espionage. In fact, we didn't even know about Miss Quinn's disappearance until you called it in to the precinct. We really don't even know if she disappeared when it comes down to it, do we? I mean, all we really know is that you and she were on the phone, she screamed and then you lost the call."
"I did try to call her back and got a busy signal at first. The second time I called, it rang for a while and then went to voice mail."
"Can you hold on a minute, Mr. Swicord? I have another call that may be important."
"Sure. I'll wait." Gabe sat for a few minutes. He tapped his finger on the tabletop impatiently.
"Mr. Swicord?"
"Yeah?"
"I have to go. A man found Miss Quinn's mobile in the gutter and carried it in to the local precinct by Miss Quinn's office building. I'm going over there now to see if we can get anything off it."
"Will you call me back if you find anything?"
"I can't. I'm sorry but since it's an ongoing investigation, I can't share information. We appreciate you calling it in, though."
Gabe started to protest but realized that the detective inspector had hung up.
He took a deep breath and made a decision. Since Martin Fraser was the last person to speak to Olga, it was time to bite the proverbial bullet and call the man. No matter what it took, Olga had to be found. Hopefully alive.
Martin answered on the first ring. "Gabe?"
"Yeah, it's Gabe. I guess you could tell from the caller id?"
"Sure did. Look, I'm glad Olga talked to you. There's a lot you need to hear."
"Wait a second. There's something I need to talk to you about first.
"What's that after all this time? Did Olga tell you what I needed to tell you? I thought she was going to wait and let me talk to you first."
"Just can it a minute, will you?"
"Gee. Okay. Okay. You don't have to get defensive."
"I'm not defensive. Olga is gone. She's disappeared."
"What? What are you talking about? I was on the phone with her not too long ago. In fact, you called so soon that I didn't even think she'd had time to get you on the phone much less talk you into meeting me."
"Look. Here's what I know. You talked to her. She called me. In the middle of the call, she screamed and no one has heard from her since. Now, I called you to see if you knew anything about where she was when she called you. That's all I care about right now. I only want to find her. You can talk to me about your issue later. Right now, Olga is my biggest, hell, my only, worry." Gabe was stunned that his voice broke on the words and hot tears ran under his glasses and down his face.
"God, Gabe. I didn't know. You have it bad for her, don't you? I've never heard you sound like this."
Gabe realized
he did have it bad for Olga. A woman he barely knew and suspected of only sleeping with him out of pity. Yeah, he loved her. Like no other. He couldn't find the words to respond to Martin.
"She was at some coffee shop near where she works. She said she was on break and asked if I knew if Café Nero offered free refills," Martin filled in the silence.
"Okay, then. I know where that is. I'm going over there to talk to them and see if they saw anything."
"I'll meet you there."
"You don't need to do that."
"Oh, yes, I do. I'm leaving now."
Gabe disconnected the call and left his flat to find a cab.
*****
Olga and Gina spent some time trying to see if they could somehow work their way out of the cuffs each of them wore. All they succeeded in doing was rubbing their wrists raw.
"I really don't think we're going to ever get out of here, Olga."
"Please don't give up yet. We can kick them if we need to. I say we don't go down without a fight."
"If they don't come soon and let me go to the loo again, I may urinate on them. How do you think that would work as a weapon?" Gina gave a grim laugh. "I know it's no time to joke, but if I don't do something, I might scream until my lungs explode."
"Don't do that. I need you to conserve your energy. They have to let us go sooner or later."
"No they don't. I know you Americans are always thinking you can't be beat, but you have to be realistic, Olg. This is a sticky wicket we're in for sure. This may be the last room you ever see in your life."
"I refuse to believe that. I won't accept that as my fate."
"Don't you think those other women said the same thing? Look where they ended up."
"If you start out with a defeatist attitude, you're halfway to losing."
"What's that? Some kind of quote from some war-time president?"
"No. It's me. All me. I made that up. Right now. This minute."
"Hell, Olg, that's almost poetic. Too bad we won't be able to tell the world this wonderful new philosophy of life."
"Why's that?"
"Because we're never getting out of here." Gina dissolved into tears and cried so hard Olga's heart ached for her.
The man in the black hood and clothes opened the door and stepped inside. "Anyone need a trip to the loo?"
"Yes. Me." Gina lifted her hand a little. The cuff clanged against the bed
"One at a time and, to be sure that the one who isn't cuffed to the bed doesn't try to escape, my friend will stay here with the other one." The man in black pointed to a shorter, chubbier man also wearing a ski cap who walked in with a gun in his hand. "And, of course, his friend is with him. He's under orders to shoot to maim if you try to get free."
Olga shuddered at the threat and nodded at Gina.
"I won't try anything funny, I promise." Gina addressed her comment to Olga.
"Good plan," the man in black said.
"I hope this one gets sassy," the chubby man waved the gun in Olga's direction. "I'd like to get to try this new weapon out."
Olga recognized the man's cockney accent. Was he someone she knew? The voice was so familiar. Where do I know it from? Or does he only sound familiar because of those guys at the hen party were cockney? She mulled it over as Gina left the room with the man in black.
"Yer not so high and mighty now are ye, missy?"
Olga kept quiet. She wanted him to keep talking because she was becoming more sure than ever that he was one of the men who crashed the hen party at the curry night at Weatherspoons before they went to the club. Was he part of the murders that had been happening around the club?
"Cat got yer tongue, lady? You too good to talk to one like me?"
She shook her head but kept silent.
"I'm gonna ask the boss if I can teach you some manners before we kill you. You need to have a good beating. Knock some of that attitude out of you." He waved the gun around.
"What boss? Who's the boss? The man that took my friend to the loo?" Olga's gut clenched at his words about killing her, but she had to keep him talking to get as much information as she could. If she survived, she wanted to be able to testify and put this man where he belonged -- under the jail.
"Never you mind, missy. You don't need to know who hired us."
The man in black and Gina returned to the room. He pointed at Olga. "Your turn. Same rules." He pointed to Gina's bed and addressed the chubby man, "Cuff this one to the bed. I'll take Olga now."
When her hand was free, Olga rubbed her wrist in an attempt to make it feel better. She followed the man to the ladies room and was surprised that he let her go in alone. She'd been half afraid that he'd want to watch her use the facilities.
Once inside, she made a quick scan to see if she could find anything to use as a weapon. She removed the top off the back of the toilet and assessed the metal bar that held the suction cup on the flusher. She used the toilet, flushed, and then, while she ran the water to wash her hands to disguise the noise, she disconnected the metal piece and tucked it in the front of her panties. She then quietly replaced the lid.
She opened the door and smiled at the man. "Thanks. I appreciate the courtesy."
"I figure I should let you use the facilities because if not, that only makes a mess I might have to clean."
"I should have known there was something in it for you." Olga laughed mirthlessly.
"You think you know me?"
"No. Not you specifically. Your type."
"My type?"
"Yeah. A henchman for some mysterious crime boss."
"You think you have this all figured out?" The man laughed uproarishly. "You've watched one too many American television shows, lady."
"No. I don't think so. I think you're some lackey for the big boss and want to look like the good guy to me and my friend so that when the boss gets here, we will think you're on our side."
"You're so wrong it's almost pitiful. I wish I could enlighten you about what's going on so you'd see how stupid you really are, miss famous scientist, but I'm not at liberty to tell you anything." He took her by the elbow. "Come on. Time to be cuffed again."
She let him lead her back to the room where Gina was with the chubby man. For the first time since she woke up in that room, she really did feel hope. The metal piece in her panties was going to help her and Gina get out of this alive. She was sure of it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
"A debt is not paid with words."
Turkish Proverb
Martin and Gabe arrived at Café Nero at almost the same time. Gabe practically jumped out of his cab before it stopped moving. He tossed some money at the driver. As he walked with his cane toward the entrance to the coffee shop, he heard Martin call his name. He stopped long enough to allow his former friend to catch up to him.
Martin took Gabe by the upper arm. "Thanks for letting me try to help."
"Don't get too used to being around. The only reason I agreed to let you come was because you talked to Olga and knew where she was. Don't be thinking I've forgiven you for Julie and all that went on back then."
"I'm saving that conversation for after we get Olga rescued. Then, I promise you, we're going to have a long overdue chat and I think you'll see that I'm not the person you've judged me to be."
"I don't have time for this now, Martin. Let's focus on Olga."
"Okay. Okay. I know." Martin opened the door to Café Nero. "After you."
They entered and both of the men approached the barista at the counter. Gabe took the lead in the questioning.
"Did you hear about the woman who was here on her break and then lost her phone in the gutter?"
"Shoot, mate, that woman was grabbed and thrown into a black van. See that bloke over there at that table in the corner?" The barista pointed at the far end of the shop. "He saw it all and even got the tag number. He called it in to the coppers and they asked him to wait here for a while."
Gabe strode across the place toward what he ima
gined was the back corner and where the man sat. He heard Martin thank the barista before his footsteps came right up behind him.
Gabe pulled out a chair and sat beside the man. He could feel the heat of Martin's body as he stood behind the chair.
"Can you tell me what you saw in the street earlier with the dark-haired woman?" Gabe asked the man.
"No. The detective inspector told me not to talk to anyone. He wanted me to stay here and wait for them. He was going to call in the tag number to see if he could find the vehicle."
Gabe stretched his hand across the tabletop. "Please. She's my girlfriend. I'm desperate. I was on the phone with her when she screamed. I'm frantic."
"Imagine if it was your wife or girlfriend, you'd want us to help, wouldn't you?" Martin added.
"I'll tell you what I saw if you promise not to rat me out. I don't want to get in any trouble." The man sounded nervous to Gabe, but at least he was going to help.
"I was walking right behind her. She was strolling along talking on the phone. Well, wait. When I first noticed her, she was leaning against the wall a few doors down. She stepped out from under an awning and almost into my path. Anyway, she was talking with the mobile phone to her ear. This black van squealed in and two guys dressed in black jumped out and grabbed her. It was so fast, it was almost a blur. I confess I looked around to see if there was a television camera because it almost seemed like a movie."
"What about the CCTV cameras?" Gabe asked as it suddenly dawned on him that the streets all over London were under surveillance and the police should already have the tag number without worrying with this guy's memory.
"I don't know about the CCTV stuff. All I know is that the detective inspector asked me to stay around in case they needed me."
"Did you get the license plate number? What kind of van was it?" Martin asked.
"It was 60 HMB. It was on a black Mercedes van. You know the ones that have the windows tinted so dark that you can't see in? It's a wonder it wasn't pulled over for that alone." The man drank a sip of his coffee.
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