Sins of the Master

by Catherine Taylor

  Lena awoke with a headache, a dry mouth and a lot of regret. Somehow, she had to get out of bed and start getting ready for a job which commenced at five in the morning. How she was going to survive the next seven hours was anyone’s guess. It seemed as if she had barely slept.

  Strangely, her phone alarm was silent, though she was sure she had set it. It wasn’t unusual to wake of her own accord and for a brief moment she hoped there might be another half hour reprieve for her. She could hear the patter of rain against her window, making it all the more encouraging to stay in bed.

  Reaching for her phone, she rested it on herself, working up the courage to face the harsh light. With one eye closed, she brought it up and flipped it open to see the time. She sighed with relief to see that it was barely after three, until she noticed an icon of her call log showing she had missed calls.

  Cursing quietly, she opened it and was surprised to see rows of missed calls from two different callers. One was marked ‘private’ but the other had a number. It was the private one which had called the most, the last call being only a few minutes before, and which had probably woken her.

  It rang again as she held it. Her immediate thought was that she was about to be taunted by prank calls and she was more than ready to unleash her anger on someone.

  She took a deep breath as she answered it. “Hello.”

  Suddenly, a small voice said, “Mama?”

  Lena replied furiously. “I am not your Mama. If I was your Mama I would box your ears for what you are doing. You have no idea what it is to fear for a child, to hope every call is hers, only to get a cruel horrible person who wants to make fun of me.”

  The voice broke through her rant, speaking in Ukrainian. “Mama, please, it’s Greta. I promise you, it is me. Mama, please talk to me.”

  Lena’s mouth was moving but it was a few seconds before words would come out. “Greta? Greta, is it you?”

  “Oh, my god, Mama…” The girl was crying.

  “Greta, sweetheart, don’t cry.” Lena was crying herself. “It’s alright, my darling girl. I’m right here. Where are you? Please tell me where you are.” It crushed her heart as she listened to Greta trying to control her tears to speak. “Mama’s here, my beautiful girl. I am going to come to you, right now, wherever you are. Just tell me, sweetheart.”

  An address was eventually communicated, and Lena memorised it, getting Greta to repeat it until she was certain.

  “I’m going to be there soon, I promise. I need to call a taxi, but I will ring you back when I am on my way.”

  Greta sobbed. “Please come to me, Mama. I need you so much.”

  “Very soon. You just sit and wait and I will talk to you soon.”

  Lena launched from her bed and hurried to get dressed. Her phone rang again and she laughed and snatched it up.

  “It’s alright, sweetheart. I am still here…”

  “Lena.”

  She froze at the sound of a male voice. “Who is this?”

  “Lena, it’s Eddie.”

  “Eddie? What are you calling me for?”

  “Lena, listen to me. Please listen. You’re in danger.”

  “I won’t listen to you…”

  He spoke faster. “Men are coming to get you because of your daughter, Greta.”

  Lena’s breathing laboured. “What are you talking about? How do you know my daughter’s name?”

  “The men who had Greta, they found your poster. They are waiting for you to contact her…”

  “And why would you know this?”

  There was a pause before he answered. “Because I am at the house of the man who is after her. I have only just heard of these posters of yours, and I can’t come to you until later this day.”

  It didn’t make sense, the proximity of calls. Her anger flared. “What is going on? What have you done to my daughter?”

  “They don’t have her yet. I don’t know how, but somehow they will find her if you go to her. It has something to do with your phone.”

  Lena gazed about the room, once again remembering how rooms could be bugged. It was possible they had just heard her whole conversation with Greta, but it was ridiculous that Eddie should know this, unless…

  “Did you do this? Were you sent to me, to find out about her?”

  “No, Lena. I didn’t know any of this until now. I saw the poster in Leo’s kitchen.”

  “And you are with this animal who took my daughter?”

  “Lena, would you fucking listen to me?”

  “No, I won’t. I’m leaving this place and…” she thought quickly. “And I’m going to the police right now and tell them all about you and Leo and make them arrest you.”

  “Yes,” Eddie answered. “I think that would be a good idea. At least you will be safe. Do that, Lena. I want you to do this.”

  She hung up on him and switched her phone off, throwing it down to her bed and glaring at it, before snatching up her clothes. Her mind was in turmoil as she struggled to dress, and look about for her handbag. Taxi. She needed to ring a taxi.

  Switching the phone on, she rang the familiar number before anyone else could ring her. The operator informed her it would be there in fifteen minutes. After she hung up, she rang Greta again.

  Her trembling voice answered and Lena struggled to keep the panic from her own. “Sweetheart, the taxi is coming. I will be there soon.”

  “Okay, Mama. I love you.”

  “I love you too, sweetheart. I love you so much. Greta, but you must tell me, are you safe at this very moment?”

  “Yes. I’m with two girls and they are looking after me.”

  “So there are no men there?”

  “No, Mama, why do you ask this?”

  “It doesn’t matter. I just want to know that you’re safe.”

  “I am, Mama. Just hurry to me.”

  “I go wait for the taxi now. I will be with you soon.”

  She switched the phone off again before any other calls could come through. There was no sense to what Eddie had been saying. It could only mean he had been in league with them this whole time, hoping to find Greta. And Jahn had probably known all this, before she had told him of Greta’s disappearance.

  The last several minutes had taken its toll. Her hands were trembling and her heart was thumping. Her gaze went to the two inches of vodka still left in the bottle. She grabbed the bottle and drank it back before she could be overcome with guilt. Just enough to settle her nerves and allow her to think clearly.

  Quietly, she left her bedroom and walked slowly to the front door. She didn’t venture outside, but peered through the leadlight windows at one side, until she saw the glow of headlights out the front. It was cold, raining and dark when she opened the door, and too difficult to see what other cars were parked on the street, or if anyone else was about. The taxi was right at the front gate. Taking a deep breath, she ran to it, trying not to slip on the pavement as the rain pelted her.

  Climbing into the back seat, she slammed her door shut. The driver looked at her in the mirror.

  “Where did you want to go?”

  Lena looked at him. “If anyone was following you, would you know?”

  “He frowned. “Lady, it’s after three and pouring with rain. There aren’t too many cars on the road, so yeah, I would know if someone was following me.”

  “And you would tell me?”

  “Why? Are you expecting trouble?”

  “No,” she insisted. “An old boyfriend hangs around sometimes, checking up on me.”

  The driver smirked. “Yeah, alright, I’ll let you know if we’re followed. Now where are we going?”

  After giving him the address, she sat back and finally allowed herself to feel the joy of her excitement. In half an hour, her daughter would be in her arms. After all this time, she had been able to tell Greta that she loved her.

  A large black car cruised past in the opposite direction. Lena stared at it, turning back in her seat to watch it drive on, praying it wo
uld not stop outside the house. It kept going until she could only see its red back lights in the gloomy distance.

  Lena rested again in her seat. Switching her phone on, she waited to hear Greta’s voice.

  “Are you alright, Mama?”

  “I’m alright, sweetheart. I’m in the taxi now and on my way. Twenty minutes and you’ll be in my arms.”

  “I can’t wait, Mama. I’m so sorry for what I have done to you.”

  “No, baby, no. It is all my fault. I know why you had to get away and I am going to change. We will talk about everything and we will find a way to get home, maybe go to Poppa. He is in Odessa now. Things are too bad in Donetsk.”

  “There is a man who can help us, Mama. He tells me he can get us passports. He can help us get home.”

  Lena felt her blood chill. “Who is this man?”

  “His name is Dylan Tyler and he is a friend to the girls who are helping me.”

  “Greta, what does this man look like? Does he have a grey beard and moustache?”

  “No, he is big, tall and scary looking and his hair is black, with a bit of grey in it. I didn’t like him much, but Esther tells me he helps many people and he is a nice man.”

  “Is he Russian?”

  “I’m not sure. He speaks Russian and Ukrainian.”

  “How old is he?”

  “Old. At least forty.”

  “And his eyes,” Lena asked slowly. “What do his eyes look like?”

  Greta laughed. “Mama, why do you want to know?”

  “Just curiosity, sweetheart.”

  “I couldn’t tell you. He wears dark brown contacts. I know, because I was staring at them when he had a ski mask on. He thought I was someone who had come to hurt his girls.”

  “His girls? They are his daughters?”

  Greta laughed. “No, Mama. I think he has romance with them, or at least Esther. I think she is in love with him, but she is young like me. He’s too old for her and I even hear her call him Master, which is very strange.”

  “Master.” The word choked in her throat. She couldn’t breathe.

  “Mama, are you alright?”

  Lena struggled to calm herself. “Yes, Greta. I’m alright. Just so excited to see you, but you must listen to me.”

  “What is it, Mama?”

  “I think… I think this man will look after you. You must do as he says.”

  “No, I won’t,” Greta laughed. “He tells me that I can’t call you, because it is dangerous, but we are very safe here.”

  “He didn’t want you to call me?”

  “No. He said it would be dangerous for you, but how can this be? I know how they trace cell phones and they must first have the number, and they do not have either of our phones.”

  “What is this, tracing phones?” Lena asked anxiously. “What is this that you are talking about? Who does this?”

  “Don’t worry about it, Mama.”

  “So if they did have one of these phone numbers, they could find us?

  “They could, but how would they get them?”

  “The flyers,” Lena groaned. “I put them up everywhere.”

  Lena dropped the phone away from her and stared at it, almost expecting it to do something sinister. Eddie’s warning was resounding in her mind. She shook her head and quickly raised the phone to her ear.

  “Greta, get off the phone. They know, they know. They have this number. They have my number.”

  She didn’t wait for a response. Switching the phone off, Lena spun about in her seat to survey the road behind them. It was empty and dark, and she breathed with relief. It was as she was turning back that the whole interior flooded with blinding light from the side. Lena was throwing herself down onto the back seat as the violent impact jolted her body sideways and sent shards of glass raining over her. The seat belt kept her from being thrown further but it bit deeply into her body. The car was bulldozed along and was left spinning around before stopping with a jolt.

  The driver was cursing furiously, and then shouting back to her. “Are you alright back there?”

  Lena was battered and shocked, trying to ease her body up, but still managed to give him a weak affirmation.

  “Fucking idiots,” the driver yelled. “Straight through a give-way.”

  She heard him open his door and tried to grab his shoulder. “No, don’t go out there. Just get us out of here. Just drive away.”

  “Like hell I will. They’re going to get a fucking mouthful from me before the cops get here.”

  He was out of the taxi before Lena could stop him. Her heart was beating frantically as she struggled to undo her seatbelt with her trembling hands and avoid cutting herself on glass. Her stomach lurched twice and Lena vomited forcefully, the contents filling her hands and showering over her lap. A pain seized her head in a vicelike grip, just as someone loomed at her side. All she could see was a figure in black, but there was no mistaking the Russian voices shouting outside.

  Someone was trying to wrench her door open. Lena sat there, ill and dazed, vaguely aware that they were struggling to get to her. Someone was complaining that she was covered in vomit and still strapped in by her belt. Her hair was suddenly gripped and pulled, but the intense pain only caused her to vomit again, whereupon her hair was released with a string of Russian profanity.

  Her vision blurred and she slumped back against the seat. The cold air through the broken window was chilling her sweating face. She was aware of sirens before she passed out.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

  Mairead was woken from a deep sleep by a hand patting her face. She shook her head and tried to slap it away. “Go away.”

  Her body was shaken. “Mairead, wake up. It is time for you to go home.”

  The words made no sense to her, but the pain in her face and her wrist was becoming real. She could barely see through one eye, but with the other, she saw a stranger’s face close to hers. His words and accent rang in her ears and ripped her from her slumber.

  The light of early morning was enough to bring visibility to the large ornate room, and the events of the previous day came flooding back. Mairead clambered up onto her knees, pressing against the headboard and screaming in pain and terror as she tried again to wrench her hand from the handcuffs.

  Eddie seized her wrist as he held the other still. “Stop it, before you do more damage. You’re safe. It’s over. You’re going home.”

  “No, you’re lying,” she screamed at him, still struggling against him. “You’re going to kill my baby.”

  “Calm down and let me tell you. Zaleski is coming for you. He called during the night. I spoke to him myself. Your life for his. In another hour he will be here and you will be going home.”

  Mairead stared at him, still mewling sobs in her terror. She shook her head. “It’s not true. You’re lying to me.”

  “It is true,” Eddie told her gently. “I swear to you on my life, but just, please, calm down…please.”

  Mairead sat back against the headboard, her body trembling as she stared at him.

  “Zaleski will arrive in a helicopter, and you and I will go out to meet him alone. I will then become his insurance, until you are safely on board and taken away. He will surrender his weapon and give himself up.”

  “No, you’re just saying that to make me co-operate.”

  He held a cell phone up. “In about five minutes from now he’s going to ring this number to talk to you. He wants to know that you are still in one piece. Will that be proof enough?”

  Mairead began to weep quietly. “You’re saying he’s going to die because of me.”

  “Yes, and that is the way it has to be. You will go back and forget all this and have your baby and get on with your life.”

  “It’s not right. I’ll be the cause of his death.”

  “He obviously regards your life over his, which doesn’t surprise me.”

  “But it won’t be a simple death, will it?” Mairead glared at him, her teeth clenched. “Asya
will torture him.”

  “She will, unless I put a bullet in his head first. I can do this, if it makes it easier to live with.”

  Her head bowed down as she wept bitterly.

  “Right now, think of your child,” Eddie told her. “I’m going to release you and bandage that wrist, once you have talked to him, I want you to dress yourself and co-operate with me. Resistance now would be utter stupidity. Do you understand that?”

  She nodded.

  “In a few hours you will be home and I suggest that you get out before they come for you again. Unfortunately, you now know too much, and Asya has her own vendetta with you. You’ll be dead by the end of the day, unless you’re smart, and you are, aren’t you?”

  Slowly, Mairead raised her head and looked at him. “You told me he spared your life once. Doesn’t that mean anything?”

  “I am what I am and all I can do is what is best for me. If Zaleski was left alive now, he would always come after me. I wouldn’t have a moment’s peace, knowing he was out there somewhere. Now take the phone and wait.”

  Mairead took the flip phone and clutched it in her lap, staring down at the screen. She wanted desperately for it to ring, to know that she was going to be safe, and yet dreaded it, knowing what it would mean for Dylan. Her heart felt as if it was about to be ripped in half.

  The phone vibrated with a buzzing. Slowly, she opened the phone and brought it to her ear. She was too frightened to speak, expectant of some cruel joke about to be played upon her.

  “Mairead?”

  Tears ran down her face as she recognised his voice. “Hey. What the hell are you doing, Dylan?”

  “I was going to ask you the same thing. Are you alright?”

  “A bit worse for wear. They told me what you’re doing.” She bit her trembling lip. “You don’t have to do this.”

  “Yeah, I do. Don’t read anything into it. You’re still a pain in the arse.”

  His attempt at humour had her breaking down into gulping sobs. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

  “Mairead, I let you down and I’m sorry for what I’ve put you through. What you did is going to end this, I promise you. I failed badly, because I believed it was all up to me and I’ve learned a little late that we all could use some help sometimes. There have been few people that I have ever considered a true friend, but I count you among the closest.”