Lethal Liaisons (Willful Women Assassins Series)

by Smith, Randall S.

  “If not now, when?”

  “Get back to what you were doing and maybe we'll talk about it after.”

  “No, we'll talk about it now and besides, it's your turn for that! Plus, I don't even know that I would say 'yes'.”

  “Why wouldn't you?”

  “Why would I?”

  Just then, his phone rang.

  “It's Aunt Bea. She wants to know if we can come for dinner next Easter.”

  “She really plans ahead. Did your friends ever call you Opie when you were growing up?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Oh, never mind.”

  “Well, we did nickname Carlton the doorman though. So do you want to go or not?” he asked.

  “I don't get it. Okay, we can go, but only if you take your turn at you-know-what.”

  “We'll be there, Aunt Bea,” he promptly replied.

  The next day, he took Kris gun shopping.

  “We'll look at a few. It's mostly a matter of personal preference, Kris. There's the Parker Hale 85 or the 308, and there's the Lapua. Some are more aesthetically pleasing than others, some designed more for entry-level work. The Remington 700P is a good one. You could get a rifle for under a thousand dollars, or go custom made and spend ten grand. Like I said, it's personal preference. I'm still in touch with some of my buddies from training at Ft. Benning and might be able to help you get a good one. How much do you want to spend?”

  “'A craftsman is only as good as his tools' dad used to always say. I want to be the best. Ten grand is good.”

  The rest of the afternoon was spent shopping and learning. In the end, Kris opted for the custom model. Randolph special-ordered it through one of his buddies. When it arrived, he wrapped it as a gift, placing a diamond ring around the trigger. Kris arrived for dinner early that evening.

  “What's this?”

  “What's it look like?”

  “My sniper rifle!” she said excitedly.

  “Open it.”

  She tore off the wrapping paper and drooled over her new toy, quickly noticing the trigger assembly. “What's this, good sir?”

  “What's what?”

  She slipped it off the weapon, not sure which item was giving her more goose bumps, the rifle or the ring. It was the ring she realized, trying it on for size. “Oh my, it's just the right size. I love it!”

  “So? Will you marry me, honey?” he asked, kneeling on one knee.

  Once again, she looked into his eyes, pausing to answer. He began to get more nervous.

  “Are you sure, baby?”

  “Totally! I love you, Kristie! I want to spend the rest of my life with you and have lots of kids, if that's what you want.”

  “Yes!” They kissed, but instead of heading for the bedroom to celebrate, she picked up the rifle. “Oh, Randolph, you couldn't have possibly gotten me a better engagement present. Let's go shoot it!”

  He gave her shooting lessons the rest of the evening and was impressed with her progress. “You're almost as good as I was when I started,” he said.

  “Soon I'll be better!”

  “Ya think?”

  “I know! I'll be the best. I'm a girl who gets what she wants,” she bragged, holding up her left hand and showing off her new ring. “I can't wait to see the expression on everyone's faces at Easter dinner this weekend!”

  “About that, there are a few things you should know about me before we do this,” he cautioned.

  “Don't tell me yet,” she requested, placing her forefinger on his lips.

  “You women are attracted by the mysterious element, aren't you?”

  “I'm as curious as a cat, but we all know what happened to that poor cat,” she said. “Things have been so good between us that I don't want to risk it. Just tell me later and remind me that you offered.”

  “'Nuf said,” he replied with an expression of relief.

  “I'm going to text Karlee to be sure she and Carlton will be there for Easter dinner to share in the news. If I call her, she'll surely get it out of me, but by texting, it'll keep her guessing.”

  Meanwhile, Karlee was reflecting on her life and pondering her future. Listening to Janine had fired-up her imagination in considering her life-path and its possibilities. Their talk had intrigued and tantalized her. Her time with Carlton had been nice, but lacked the excitement she craved. With all the potential adventures and risks she might be facing, she wondered if there could still safely be room in her days for him. She had changed from the woman she had been and was wondering if she even wanted to marry him anymore. Just then her cell phone beeped and she looked down to read Kristie's incoming text message. A knowing-grin appeared on her face as she read it.

  The following days passed quickly and the long-awaited Easter dinner evening arrived. It was the same routine as before, with hors d'oeuvres and ice water with lemon slices served in the library. Janine showed up with a date named Alexei. He had a European accent and claimed to work for Interpol, but was mysteriously evasive on specifics. Karlee and Carlton wandered off to spend some private time on the balcony. As before, the butler rang the dinner bell, the group moved to the dining room, and the traditional martinis were served to everyone. When the servants began clearing the dinner plates for the dessert to be served, and everyone was starting to feel their liquor, Randolph loudly tapped his fork against his glass and stood to make his statement.

  “I'm glad you all could be here tonight, because I have an important announcement to make.”

  Aunt Bea's face lit up with a broad smile. Uncle Reggie looked indifferent as he ordered yet another drink. Karlee writhed with anticipation. Kristie's eyes sparkled. Carlton looked sad, but feigned a keen interest. Janine was distracted with Alexei.

  “I've asked the love of my life to marry me and she has graciously accepted. We will live together in the meantime. Please stand up, sweetheart.”

  They now had everyone's attention and each called out their congratulations. Kristie proudly showed off her large, new diamond ring. After a few rounds of toasts to the happy couple, Carlton began tapping his fork against a glass to share another piece of news.

  “It appears this is to be an evening of family announcements. Karlee and I have decided that as fond as we are of one another, marriage is not the right avenue for us. We have broken off our long engagement and agreed to remain good friends.”

  The dining room was filled with an air of startled chatter. The liquor consumption increased markedly. Alexei, who had barely noticed Karlee earlier, now became interested.

  The following months passed uneventfully, then Janine got called over to London on business. Karlee accompanied her. It was her first time in London and the first time she had ever gotten a stamp on her passport.

  Alexei resided there in a remote, old English castle which had been updated with all the modern conveniences, so they opted to stay with him. While Janine was away for the day on business, Alexei and Karlee lounged about by the Olympic-size pool.

  “How does an Interpol agent afford such an impressive lifestyle, Alexei?”

  “I'm not technically an agent, but rather more of a consultant, or an Independent Contractor as Janine calls it. I understand you two might start working together.”

  He was a little evasive, but she loved listening to his European accent. It reminded her of what had initially attracted her to her ex-fiancé. Alexei appeared to be around age forty, roughly ten years older than she, had a James Bond physique, and a distinguished look.

  “Where are you from, Alexei?”

  “Belgium originally.”

  Just then two young women in bikinis joined them from inside. They were around age twenty.

  “These are my two nieces, Claudette and Roxanne,” he informed her. “Girls, meet Karlee.”

  They smiled and nodded at one another. Claudette slipped off her top, then took a dive into the pool. Roxanne followed her lead.

  “We Europeans are l
ess modest than you westerners,” explained Alexei. “Unisex bathrooms, hostels, saunas, showers and such are prevalent all across the continent. Please feel free to go topless if you wish. We rarely wear swimsuits at all, but did so today so that you would not feel uncomfortable.”

  “I appreciate that, Alexei. My sister used to be the conservative girl and me the liberal one. Now she feels comfortable being naked in films for her agents and I've become the shy one. She makes me feel as though I'm missing out on a part of life sometimes.”

  “Perhaps when in Rome, do as the Romans do, Karlee, or in this case London.”

  “I do feel a bit self-conscious having you all change your normal routine on my account,” she said, admiring his build. “Maybe you are right.”

  “Girls, girls, remove your suits! Our guest doesn't mind,” he shouted out to them.

  “I believe that makes it your turn, Alexei,” she said, raising her sunglasses and eying him intently.

  He rose to his feet and slipped off his trunks. Alexei was well-endowed, more so than his loose-fitting swimsuit had let on, and he stood only inches from her face. She moistened her lips, hesitated, then jumped into the pool still wearing her swimsuit.

  “Shy?”

  “A little,” she said.

  “It is fine. Nudity is optional, but I suspect you would love the sense of freedom it would allow you.”

  Karlee swam a few laps, then climbed onto one of the floating rafts and watched as the two girls rubbed tanning lotion on one another. It looked like fun. Then she looked over at Alexei as he read a book. It was titled “Willful Women”, and she suspected that was his preferred type of companion.

  After an hour of basking in the sun, the girls brought out a cooler filled with ice and drinks.

  “Karlee, come and get a cold drink!” he called out to her.

  She swam to the edge of the pool, slipped off her swimsuit and pitched it over by her lounge chair. The three of them looked on attentively as she climbed the ladder out of the water.

  Alexei smiled admiringly as he handed her a chilled drink and watched the beads of water slide down over the curves of her nicely-figured body. “How does it feel?”

  “Cold.”

  “No, silly, I meant being naked in front of all of us.”

  “You were right, Alexei. It feels invigorating!”

  He leaned closer and whispered, “They're not really my nieces, you know.”

  “Oh?”

  “I find it preferable to introduce them that way. It raises fewer questions.”

  “Like when you introduce yourself as working for Interpol?”

  “Exactly, fewer questions. Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies.”

  Karlee remained discreetly silent, wanting to ask those questions.

  “Claudette and Roxanne are my interns, my trainees. I am known as the best at what I do, and they are eager to learn the trade. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement. Now make yourself comfortable. Lie down on your lounge chair and relax.”

  “Girls, come over here and rub some of that lotion on our guest.”

  “Oh, no, that's okay. I can do it,” Karlee said.

  “What happened to 'when in Rome'? I insist. It's our way here. Go ahead, girls.”

  The pair slowly began gently rubbing the soothing oils over all of Karlee's pale flesh. It was as much fun as it had appeared to be when she'd watched them earlier from the raft. She felt both surprised and awkward as the sensual caressing began arousing her sexually. She didn't know what to do, so just relaxed and enjoyed it.

  “What's going on here? Indoctrinating my newbie to your special training program, Alexei?”

  It was Janine. She had just returned from her day-trip and was clearly upset. As Karlee listened to her ranting at Alexei in a foreign tongue, she determined that is was an Eastern European dialect that sounded similar to German.

  “Kristov has pushed up the time table! He now says it has to be done by tomorrow night!”

  “Well, that's just not possible. I don't see how we can make that happen without exposing ourselves to too much risk,” he responded.

  She paused a moment as she looked around the pool area. “Maybe there's a way.”

  “Go on, I'm listening.”

  “What if we use the girls?”

  “They're not ready yet. What if we use Karlee?” Alexei asked.

  “She's not ready yet either. So what do we do?”

  “We cancel the contract.”

  “We can't.”

  “We can; he's paid us half up front. He's broken the terms of the agreement, so the deal is nullified and he loses his down payment,” he added in a dismissive manner.

  “I've never walked away from a deal in my life,” Janine declared, clearly indicating her sense of stress.

  “Sometimes it is best. You need to be more flexible, Janine. Who else could we bring in? It would need to be someone we can trust implicitly.”

  She went to the cooler and retrieved a drink which seemed to calm her down, then walked over and sat next to Karlee on the edge of her lounge chair as the girls moved away.

  “I could probably talk Randolph into helping if the money is right,” she said, continuing to speak in the foreign language.

  “Could he get here in time?” Alexei wondered aloud, switching back to English.

  “If he left right away.”

  “If Kristov agrees to triple the fee, we will do it. That is a fair amount considering the added personnel and risk.”

  Meanwhile, Randolph and Kristie were busy stateside practicing on the shooting range. As soon as Kristov had agreed to the new terms, Randolph's phone rang. It seemed like he and his sister were speaking in sibling code from what Kris could hear. When the call concluded, he was evasive with details but revealed that he had to catch the next flight out for London.

  “Why?” his new fiancée persisted in inquiring. She gradually got bits and pieces out of him, learning that Alexei had at one time been an agent for MI-6, the United Kingdom's CIA. Randolph's secret had been that he and Janine had worked off-the-books for them as well as taking independent contracts from some powerful European families and special interest groups of questionable repute.

  “Honeybuns, if you and your sister and my sister are all in this together, I'm damn sure not sitting it out! Consider it a training mission. I'll have all three of you there covering my ass. How much safer could a risky operation be? I already have my passport and bet I can be packed and ready to go before you are! Should I pack my gun?”

  “No gun; it would draw unwanted attention and arouse suspicion. I'll get what I need over there. You're not ready yet, neither is your sister. You two can lounge around the pool together and go into the city to shop.”

  They packed light and caught the next flight out. It was late evening when they arrived at the castle and their entire group was soon relaxing in their swimsuits poolside with a nightcap.

  Kristov had been intending to eliminate the cell of a powerful Iranian nemesis named Feroze, along with his group of devoted Middle Eastern followers that had all taken up residence in the outlying areas of London. Somehow Feroze had gotten wind of the impending attack and had decided on a preemptive strike against Alexei.

  Alexei had installed an elaborate alarm system on the outlying grounds of the estate, and something tripped the alarm just as a shot rang out. He dove for the ground and a bullet grazed his forehead, shattering a nearby urn. Everyone dashed indoors; the guests followed the others into the basement where there was a full armory of advanced weaponry.

  The interns picked up Uzis, Randolph and Kristie snared a couple of sniper rifles from storage, and everyone else secured several grenades and pistols along with multiple boxes of ammunition. Alexei handed out night-vision goggles. This wasn't the first time the castle had been attacked and they were well prepared. It would be a night to remember as both Kristie and Randolph headed to one of the rooftop tow
ers. Alexei remotely activated exterior booby-traps. To a casual observer, it would have appeared that the swimsuit-clad group was grossly inferior compared to the bearded, terrorist-camp-trained Islamists.

  The firefight rapidly intensified, with multiple explosions from grenades and booby-traps. Armor-piercing gunfire punctured the windows and riddled the walls. Each of the interns returned fire from their respective windows.

  “Hey guys,” called out Claudette over the noise of the shooting, “this would make a great movie scene, the bikini crowd against the well-armed terrorists!”

  The fighting escalated and one of the bullets pierced the wall and hit her squarely in the head, splitting open her skull and killing her instantly. Alexei took a round in his ass. A short time later, Roxanne took a fatal hit.

  Kris and Randolph worked together targeting men from a cubbyhole in the tower. “Take out that one by the tree, honey,” Randolph requested.

  Kris closed one eye as she took aim and slowly squeezed the trigger. The bearded character fell over. “That one was for you, Honeybuns,” she proudly declared. “You get that fat one over by the big bush for me.”

  As he took aim, one of the terrorists lobbed a hand grenade at the tower. It missed, but exploded close enough to cause some minor scrapes.

  A moment later Randolph fired and the fat one's head exploded. “My gift to you, sweetheart.”

  “Thanks, lover. I think I'd like another,” she replied. “Damn, that tall one just got through a downstairs window!”

  The fellow caught Karlee by surprise and the two ended up in a life-or-death struggle. Her years of martial arts training made the cuss look like a piker as his neck snapped and he fell dead.

  The combat seemed to last for an eternity, but the tide of the battle slowly shifted to the English and the Americans. Silence eventually overtook the scene as all the attackers became still.

  “Is everyone okay?” Alexei shouted out, attempting to see who had survived.

  The interns had been the only ones lost, and all the others emerged with superficial wounds, mostly from hand grenade shrapnel. It was a gruesome scene, bodies and blood everywhere, broken-out windows, newly-ventilated walls, and everyone limping and nursing their fresh wounds as they regrouped in the basement.