James was staring down at the floor, but returned his gaze to Dylan. “Before we go on, I can’t promise that the house isn’t undergoing surveillance, though I’m assuming you’ve already taken that into consideration.”
Dylan nodded. “I’m aware of the police being here, and I’ve a done a cautionary sweep to ensure they didn’t leave anything behind. Not that I was too concerned. I’ve had your house under surveillance since Mairead rang with the news of your arrest. I’m aware of who’s come and gone.”
“How certain are you that Bratva are behind this?”
“Very certain. It cost the brutal death of a good friend to learn that. He called out my former name before they killed him. He could have only known it through them. Now I know who I’m up against, enough to know that there is nothing I can do without more people dying.”
“So you’re just giving yourself up?” Mairead stared at him. “You’re going to let these people get hold of you?”
“If I’m in prison, they’ll know where to find me and that should bring this to an end.”
“But they’ll kill you.” Mairead gasped.
Dylan looked at James. “I need to get Tammy and Esther out of the country. Once they’re gone, I’ll take on the charges they’ve laid against you concerning Brendan North, and will tell them I set you up. That should be it for you.”
“They’ve questioned me extensively about you,” James told him. “I’ve said nothing, but sitting in that jail cell did have me questioning myself, especially when I learned of Adele’s parents.”
“And are you still having doubts?” Dylan asked.
“No.” James frowned at Mairead. “Not since my wife made me see reason.”
Mairead gripped his hand and looked at Dylan. “I was having my own doubts when I couldn’t get hold of you.”
He shook his head. “No. You may have been scared, but you still trusted me and I’m deeply grateful for that.”
“And all that means nothing if you’re in prison or dead,” Mairead told him angrily. “You have to tell the cops who’s after you.”
“Mairead, listen to me.” Dylan gave her a hard stare. “These men are not just a bunch of thugs like Underhill. They’re a highly sophisticated organisation with political, judicial, military and constabulary power, and with a fucking lot of money behind them. The fact that they’re in this country, means they’re here legitimately. They won’t be walking around as tattooed criminals, announcing their presence. They will be businessmen, tourists and anyone else with a right to be here. There are plenty of Russians in New Zealand, the majority of them are just innocent people, and until I have some clue of the minority, I’m running blind. If I can’t find them, then I have to allow them to find me and take my chances.”
“So can I ask what you did to piss them off?”
“Plenty.”
James was shaking his head. “So why haven’t they come for us?”
“They’re probably waiting to see if you’ll turn me in. For all I know, they’ve got an insider to the investigation, ready to pass on any further information. You’ve just done a night in prison, and they’ll know that both of you will be feeling vulnerable, worried for your future and looking at me as a threat to it.”
“One of us was,” James sighed.
“Don’t fret it. Most people would have felt the same.” He looked at Mairead. “They just didn’t know how stubborn Mairead could be.”
“They obviously didn’t know me at all,” she said angrily.
“You’re definitely unpredictable,” Dylan grinned. “Even I wasn’t counting on you staying quiet after they killed Adele’s parents.”
Mairead shrugged. “Maybe because I know what it’s like to be accused of a crime you didn’t commit.”
She stopped short of saying anything further, but James put his arm around her anyway, kissed her and quietly apologised.
“I only meant… This has got all the hallmarks of Adele, but to allow her parents to be killed…”
Dylan shook his head. “Adele might have got this started, but now she’s just another unwitting victim, who’s paid one hell of a price for trying to worm her way out of a prison sentence.”
Mairead stared at him anxiously. “Do you think these men have taken Adele? Do you think she’s alive?”
“I don’t know.”
“So I suppose they haven’t come after me because they think I’m selling you out,” Mairead surmised. “But now James is out of prison…”
“We’re both in danger,” James stated. “And Mairead was alone last night.”
“Yes,” Dylan replied. “And now there’s a body at the bottom of Lake Wairarapa, and the other has probably been found now at the Russian Embassy.”
They stared at him, unable to speak until Mairead gasped. “You killed them?”
“Only when they got too close to the house. Both of them were armed and I couldn’t be certain if they wanted to abduct you or shoot you. I wasn’t waiting to find out.”
“But they could have been anyone.”
“Mairead, I know what I was doing, and if it helps, yes, they had certain insignia on their bodies that confirmed who they were.”
She frowned. “It’s just hard to get my head around. You’ve just told us that you’ve killed two men.”
“Because you both deserve to know who you’re protecting. These people are after me for a reason. Thirty years ago, I killed every male member of the Ivanchenko Bratva, except one who got out of Russia. They had become too powerful and were seeking an alliance with another mob, which would have seen more innocent people killed. The KGB had made several attempts but failed to contain them, until I made an offer to do it for them.”
Mairead huffed a laugh. “So you worked with the KGB as well?”
“I’d rather not go through my entire history. You just need to be aware of who you’re protecting. I’ve killed many men and tortured others to get information.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Does it matter?”
“Yes, because if you’re as evil as you make out, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. James and I would be dead and you wouldn’t be turning yourself in.”
Dylan grinned. “Does it count the number of times I’ve wanted to wring your neck?”
“No,” she stated firmly. “That just puts you on a long list of others who have felt the same, including James.”
James frowned at her. “I’ve never wanted to wring your neck. Tan your arse, yes, but definitely nothing fatal.”
“And the amount of times Dylan could have left me to die, including last night, suggests he doesn’t want to kill me either.” She turned back to Dylan. “Whatever you were, or are, I’ll stick to what I know about you, that you’re the man who has saved my life too many times for me to give up on now.”
James nodded sombrely. “Yes. I think I’ll have to concur with Mairead.”
Dylan stared at them and nodded. “Thank you.”
“So why leave a body at the embassy?” James asked.
“Because they need to be reminded of who they’re up against. I have no doubt there will be people there who will pass my message on to those who need to know. It should make them a little wary for a time.”
“Isn’t it more likely to up their efforts?” James asked.
“Not now they know I’m on to them. They’ll have to be careful that they don’t reveal their own presence at this time. That wouldn’t make for a healthy relationship between Moscow and Wellington.”
“And yet they murder a prominent MP and abduct his daughter,” James said. “Isn’t that drawing too much attention?”
“They can’t take a chance on me skipping the country. An assassination of this magnitude gives weight to Adele’s research, along with Brendan North’s assault. This has all escalated since those men followed Esther and Mairead. From what Mairead told me, I believe they saw an opportunity in abducting the girls and didn’t expect it to go wrong. The last thing they
wanted was to alert me of their presence.”
“How did they even know we would be there?” Mairead asked. “We were the only ones who knew what was happening that day.”
Dylan frowned. “Yes, I wondered about that myself. I assume they were staking out Esther’s mother’s house. Adele’s given them plenty of leads to get to me.”
“She was working with them?”
“No. They gained access to her father’s laptop. Adele wasn’t stupid enough to have any files on there, but that laptop became their eyes and ears to everything that was discussed.”
“How is that possible?”
“Easily,” Dylan grinned. “I accessed it myself recently. I only wish I’d done it earlier.”
“And what about our laptops?”
“They’re safe. You have my software installed on them to make certain of it, the same with your phones.”
Mairead looked at James. “Did you know that?”
He nodded, grinning. “Dylan sold me on the benefits, when he showed me what he could do.”
Dylan averted his gaze with his own slight grin. Mairead frowned at both of them. “Why, what did you see?”
“In my defence,” James replied. “I had no idea you would come out of the bathroom at that very moment, when your laptop was on the bed.”
She was horrified. “Oh, my god.”
“We shut it down immediately,” James assured her. “Hardly saw anything.”
“I don’t want to know,” she scowled, blushing. “Can we get back to what we were talking about? For starters, there’s a meeting in Parliament today over all this. Did you know that?”
“Yes. I suspect the SIS are seeking greater control of this situation. In the last twenty-four hours the word ‘terrorism’ has been flying about like confetti, which is another reason you two need to be careful.”
“You should know,” James said. “They’re looking to amend the Terrorism Suppression act. Sean gave me a heads up on his way out.”
“What does that mean?” Mairead asked, looking between them both.
“It means,” James replied. “That if legislation is made, the stipulations of law and human rights has the potential to be overruled by a handful of people supposedly seeking national security. With what’s occurred in the last week, you and I could be seen as a threat to this country.”
Mairead gasped. “You mean they could arrest us for nothing?”
“Yes, and hold us indefinitely without access to representation.”
“But all that takes time,” she insisted. “I’ve heard Dad enough to know that any amendments have to go through all these readings and the Select Committee and…”
“Not when the terrorist is on the doorstep,” James told her.
“I figured as much,” Dylan said. “My passport is already cancelled and a border alert has been set up for me. Whatever Adele told them has been taken seriously. I do have a backup plan, should these laws gain any ground and you’re both arrested. They will need to see that I’m as big a threat to you as to anyone.”
“And how would you do that?” Mairead asked.
Dylan smiled thinly. “By kidnapping you and giving your husband a hiding.”
Again, they stared at him, speechless, until James grinned. “Couldn’t you kidnap me and give Mairead the hiding?”
Mairead punched him lightly on the arm. “It’s not funny. I don’t want Dylan beating you up. You’ve already been hurt.”
“It wouldn’t be anything too damaging, but I would have to make it look convincing, then hold Mairead hostage for a few days and negotiate a ransom, which would go wrong, of course, and I’d be captured in the process. That way, you garner public and media sympathy and your testimony seals my conviction.”
“If you’re not shot in the process,” Mairead stated angrily. “The whole thing is ridiculous. There has to be a way where you don’t land in prison or worse.”
Dylan stared at her. “Mairead, there is no other way.”
“Yes, there is,” she stared back. “You could just forget about us and disappear.”
“I could,” he replied. “But I’m not a total prick. This isn’t just about you and James. My friend died violently trying to save me, and he’s not the first friend I’ve lost doing the same, but he will be the last. Nobody is going to suffer for me.”
“And how are Esther and Tammy coping with all this?” Mairead asked.
“Tammy knows none of it. I’ve explained the situation to Esther. She’s not happy, but she’ll do everything I ask of her. I want to get them out of the country, but that takes time.” He looked at James. “And that’s where I need your help, but I understand it might be asking too much.”
James shook his head. “Just ask.”
“I can’t be available to them at the moment and Tammy is too much for Esther to care for alone. She trusts you both, and might benefit from staying here a few days until I can make other arrangements.”
“And what if the police decide to raid our house?” James asked.
“I’ll know about it,” Dylan replied. “The same way I’ll know if these terrorist laws come into being, or if they issue any warrants for your arrest.”
“If you can know all this,” Mairead said. “Then how come you can’t find these bastards?”
“Give me the name they’re using and I’ll find them. Let one of them send an email about me, make an internet post, anything and I’ll find them, but they won’t because they know I’ll be on to them. I have to go out to them…”
“And get yourself killed,” Mairead added.
“Mairead, enough,” James told her sternly. “Dylan is doing everything he can, and we’ll do everything we can to help him, and that starts by co-operating instead of arguing.”
“Alright,” she snapped sourly, getting to her feet. “I’ll co-operate, but don’t ask me to like a plan where Dylan ends up in prison or dead, because that’s no fucking plan with any sense to me.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
When Adele opened her eyes, her vision was blurred and her head was pounding. She felt sick and terribly weak. Even trying to lift her hands was impossible, but it wasn’t long before she was aware that her hands were restrained at her sides.
“Where am I?”
Her body was partially propped up with pillows, and by lifting her head she could see the single bed she was lying in, her body covered with a sheet. An attempt to move her feet revealed they were also restrained.
Her head turned weakly and she could see a grey room in the dim light, empty apart from an IV bag hanging on a stainless steel pole. There was a pinching sensation which told her the other end was in her arm. In the ceiling corner was a camera.
“Why am I in hospital?” Her words were barely whispered. It seemed just moving her mouth made the pain in her head get worse. “Please, someone, help me.”
Closing her eyes, she had a vague memory of being in her bedroom, and something terrible had happened. Her head hurt too much to think about it.
Tears ran down the side of her face as she stared up at the ceiling. Summoning her strength, she called out louder. “Please, please someone help me.”
No-one came and her fear grew with every passing minute. A few times she nearly drifted off to sleep again, but each time she forced herself to stay awake. She wasn’t sure how long she lay like that before she heard a noise.
She called out quickly. “Please, my head, help me.”
It was all she could manage, before she burst into tears. Through watery eyes she watched someone approach and unhook the IV bag.
“Please,” she sobbed, staring at a black t-shirt and jeans. “Would you tell me what happened, and where I am?”
There was no reply. The man kept his back to her, but the tattoos on his arms were enough to silence her from any further questions. Lying her head back, she cried harder.
“Please, please, don’t hurt me.”
Soon the pain began to ease off and sleep began to claim her
again. Adele shook her head. “Am I going to die? Are you going to kill me?”
The man turned and she gasped to see the blue eyes staring down at her in an expression of cold contempt.
“Go to sleep,” he told her. “And just be fucking content to be alive for the moment.”
“I’m so sorry,” she blubbered. “I can fix this. I can. Just don’t hurt me.”
He stared at her for a while longer and then walked from her sight. She heard a door close and spent the next few minutes struggling to keep awake. In the end, she gave in, hoping that when she awoke again, this was all part of some horrific nightmare.
* * * * *
Mairead looked at James, unable to gauge his mood as he drove them to the city. His eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses and his lips were tightly pursed.
“Are you still angry with me?” she asked quietly.
James glanced at her and reached out to clasp her hand. “No, baby. Just thinking. It’s been a lot to take in. I wish we didn’t need to go out.”
“Yeah, me too, but Joanne said that Daddy was pretty upset. He’s going to want answers.”
James nodded. “Yes, and we won’t have many to give him.”
“How can they do that to him?” Mairead shook her head. “He’s been in Parliament nearly thirty years. How can they just suspend him? He hasn’t done anything wrong.”
“His son-in-law is currently charged with attempted murder and his daughter may be connected to a terrorist. I don’t think they had much choice and it’s highly likely that he’s been questioned about Dylan and won’t know what the hell they’re on about.”
“I know. So what do we tell him?”
“Nothing. As far as anyone can prove, our association with Dylan is a social one and rare at that. Mairead, if this is the stance that we are taking on this, then we have to follow it through, no matter how ugly it gets and hope to hell we are doing the right thing.”
“Are you still having doubts?”
“No,” he smiled. “I seem to recall writing out a thousand times once, that I would always believe and trust you. It should have been enough that you believed Dylan to be innocent and I’m sorry I was harsh with you.”
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