The Caspian Wine Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Series

by Maggie Thom

  Mr. T. laughed. “The coffee is important as it masks the smell of what we’re shipping. It keeps those canine sniffing animals from detecting my drugs. You get a date booked. You make sure that the hotel keeps using that company to buy their linens and supplies. Got it?”

  “But I don’t have—”

  “You wouldn’t want your son to be the next victim, would you?”

  She gasped. Mr. T smiled as he clicked off. He knew that she’d understood the message—he didn’t care what pull she did or didn’t have, he expected her to come through. And if she didn’t, he would.

  Chapter 16

  Tijan climbed out of her rental, yanking off her wig and tossing it onto the passenger seat. Unpinning her hair, she rubbed her head as she did so. She hadn’t realized that wearing a wig would be so hot and itchy. For some reason, she’d thought she needed it. But now that she was there, she decided against it. She just wanted to meet her sister. Enough of the games and the crazy running around; it was time to find out who this woman was.

  The area was quiet and the parking lot was empty. She casually looked around, briefly wondering if she’d lost her mind. Knight’s Computers was the answer, which was the only reason she could figure why parking at their office had seemed like a good idea. After seeing her at the winery, Tijan needed to be close to her. She really wanted to meet her but didn’t know where or how to make that happen. Coming in the early morning had seemed like a good idea and the best way she could accidentally meet her. And she needed to tell her about the crazy man who just might be stalking her. Since she didn’t know how to walk up and demand to know why her sister hadn’t been part of her life, she did have the need to feel close to her and this was the only place that seemed possible. She was feeling a bit like she’d been discarded. On one level, she knew it wasn’t her sister’s fault but on another, it hurt.

  Leaning back against her SUV, she looked around at the deserted area. It was so far from what she knew and loved. There wasn’t a stitch of grass or anything green other than the few dandelions that had found their way up through small cracks in the concrete. It was depressing and made her long for the wide-open ranges of Alberta.

  A nice, sleek, black car pulled into the empty parking lot. Startled, she wasn’t sure what to do. Since it was such a fancy vehicle, she had to assume it was the owner. Could her sister be in it? She watched it for a moment but when it pulled up at an angle, blocking most of the parking lot, she grew nervous. Then it dawned on her that the man from the day before had said he’d pick her up. Although this was a different vehicle and not waiting to see if she was right, she yanked open the door and hopped in. Before she could close it, a large beefy hand clamped down on the door, preventing her from closing it. Tijan leaned back and brought her feet up, ready to kick with all her might when she realized that she recognized the guy from the day before.

  “Excuse me. I’m looking for—” What the hell was she looking for? “There’s supposed to be a huge shopping mall around here. I think I’m a bit lost.”

  “Please come with us, Ms. Roth.” The second man had gotten out of the car.

  She looked from one to the other. “Who?”

  “Please get out.”

  Her eyes darted around as she tried to determine her options. Both men, however, now stood in her line of vision, cutting off everything.

  The guy holding the door indicated she should precede them.

  “Look, I’m not Ms. Roth. I’m not sure who that is.” Were they talking about her sister? She didn’t know her sister’s last name or if she still went by Tarin. Although the encounter the day before, would suggest she did.

  The two men were now crowding her; though they hadn’t touched her, she was feeling very uncomfortable with their closeness. One grabbed the SUV door, making it clear he was intent on closing it. She debated whether to drive away but they were blocking not only her but her car. Straightening, she pasted on a smile and climbed out. It was either that or she was sure the other guy was going to grab her and haul her to their car. She started walking, hoping for some space, except they seemed glued to her back as they carefully steered her to the back door. It was like looking into a dark cavern. She tried to sidestep only to find that move was blocked. The only option was for her to climb in. People had vanished this way. Fear was starting to do a tango inside her. Her eyes darted everywhere as she looked for a mode of escape. She put her hand on the door, pasted on a winning smile and turned to face her two sour-faced abductors. She was about to scream ‘fire’, as she’d been told that would get people’s attention where ‘help’ or ‘rape’ might not but they didn’t give her a chance to say anything.

  “Your father says this can be done the easy way or the hard way. You decide.”

  She froze. Her father? The man she had asked about a few times but had been told he had been a bad man that her mother was sure had died. The man who had never looked for her, the man she had forgotten from a young age as Cal had been more of a father than she could have asked for. The man who had apparently felt it was okay to scare the crap out of her.

  Her father... knowing this was probably the biggest mistake she could make, she freely climbed into the car. “Do you mind if we stop and get something to eat on the way? I’m kind of hungry; is there anywhere around here where we could get a burger? One with good Alberta beef?” She almost laughed because she couldn’t have eaten anything at that moment and funny she’d choose a burger for breakfast. Her nerves were really getting the better of her.

  The two men ignored her as they got in the front. The door locks clicked immediately sending a shiver down her spine. Her mind was chaotic with questions. Who was her father? Why hadn’t her mom ever told her about him? What did he want with her? Who was Ms. Roth? Her sister? Since her sister hadn’t been named in the newspaper article, all she had to go on was Tarin and there were a lot of them on the Internet. Finding one that looked like her was more difficult than one would think and Tijan would rather be riding her horse than be on the Internet. Besides, it wouldn’t tell her why she’d been ignored by her sister all these years. And it would appear it wouldn’t tell her why she’d been ignored by her father as well.

  What if these guys are going to kill me?

  Feeling very freaked out but knowing there wasn’t much she could do, she took some deep breaths. She sat back against the leather seat, appreciating the soft quality of it. It was expensive. The car was expensive. The two henchmen looked expensive. So did her father have money? Who was he, and if she was his daughter why the kidnapping treatment?

  She had no way of knowing who he was, although now that she was heading to see him, she remembered him mentioning something about a hotel chain. Or at least she’d thought that was something he’d said. A lot of the conversation was a blur and she really hadn’t wanted to relive it. After four beers, she’d told herself it hadn’t been as crazy as she’d thought.

  Only it appeared it had been. Something was very off. She stared out the darkened window at the streets, cars and people whizzing by as she tried to get her bearings.

  “Where are we going?”

  As she expected, neither looked at her nor answered.

  “Can we listen to some music? It’s a little quiet in here.”

  Again, nothing. They drove for what seemed a very long time before they finally pulled into an underground parkade beneath a huge hotel. Unfortunately, she didn’t know which one. They soon entered a large cubicle but beyond that she couldn’t see much. The windows of the car were dark and there was only a faint glow of light coming from somewhere outside the car. The walls were either very close or she felt like they were moving in on her.

  Weren’t people killed in places like this?

  She got the oddest feeling that they were moving upwards. It was the smoothest ride she’d ever had but it also left her feeling very unsettled. Her hands gripped the seat as her head snapped around.

  “Hey! Where are we going?” Panic was starting to set in
as she grabbed the door and yanked on it. As expected, it was locked but that didn’t stop her from diving across the seat to try the other door. No luck there either. Turning, she used her feet to kick on the door.

  Suddenly, the door opened and light spilled in. One of the henchmen was standing there staring at her with a frown. She was stretched out on the seat with her feet pulled back ready to kick hard. He indicated she should get out. Slowly sitting up, her eyes peered through the opening. She couldn’t see much.

  Tijan slowly climbed out. It was a wide-open cement enclosure, with only two other vehicles—a Mercedes and a sporty bright yellow Corvette. There wasn’t anything else in the garage though it could fit at least another thirty cars. She noted the stairs and the passenger elevator were maybe fifty feet behind them and were side by side. That’s when she realized they had taken a car elevator. Only she wasn’t really sure if they’d gone up or down.

  Her bravado suddenly vanished. There was no guarantee that these men worked for her father, and even if they did she wasn’t sure she was prepared to meet him this way. She didn’t even know his name.

  Her two guides, who were dressed in nicely tailored and fitted suits, were slowly climbing out of the car, obviously not too concerned about her anymore. She’d never understood the need to be so dressed up. Even the Secret Service agents were always dressed like they were going to a formal event. Didn’t their parents ever tell them they just might ruin their suits dodging after some crazy woman trying to escape?

  Thankful she’d worn her runners that day, Tijan didn’t waste a minute as she headed for the exit. She could hear their pounding feet behind her. She reached the door, yanked it open and stopped dead. There was nowhere to go except through another door. The hardwood, elegant door made it very clear that it wasn’t the opening to a stairwell as she’d hoped. Her two guards, huffing a bit, didn’t say a word but crowded her through the door that one of them opened with a security code.

  She’d been scared before. There was the time she’d been riding in the foothills checking the cattle when she’d come face to face with a bear. Her horse had become skittish and had started bucking. It had taken all of Tijan’s skill to stay on her back. The bear, feeling threatened, had stood on her hind legs and had taken a swipe at Tango, leaving scars across her chest. The horse had bolted with Tijan barely clinging to her back. Thankfully, she’d finally been able to get her horse under control but not before they’d raced a few miles at breakneck speed through brush and over rough terrain. The panic and heart pumping fear wasn’t something she’d ever forget or want to repeat. She thought that nothing in her life would top that. But now she knew she was wrong. The fear crawling through her body felt like an invader, wrapping her in its talons, choking off her air supply.

  Had anyone ever been killed in a fancy office?

  Chapter 17

  “Good to see you, Son.”

  “Father. Is there a reason we had to meet? I thought we agreed years ago, it’s better that people don’t know we’re related. We should only connect through burner phones.”

  “Yes. There’s a reason we had to meet. I felt it was important. Got it?”

  His son stared defiantly at him but was smart enough to keep his mouth shut.

  “I had my guys make sure you weren’t followed. And although it burns your ass to follow my instructions, I’m glad to see you did. Switching vehicles three times makes it pretty hard for someone to tail you—especially with my men standing vigilant at each exchange. You’re safe.” Mr. T grabbed his son and hugged him. He’d wanted to be more a part of his son’s life but then his son probably wouldn’t be alive. Some rival gang would have taken him out years ago to force Mr. T’s hand in some dealing or another. No. He’d handled it right. He’d waited until the boy had been twelve and very impressionable. The kid had been dying to have a man in his life and then to find out his father was the head of one of the most notorious organized crime syndicates, had solidified it. In fact, his son had been the one to come up with the plan of becoming educated and legit while secretly helping his father run an empire.

  “What is so important that we have to suddenly meet?”

  Those early days of his son patiently listening to him were obviously long gone. There were times he wondered if his son already had thoughts about taking over for him... sooner than later.

  “Wait. Where’s Will?”

  “He’s gone.”

  “What do you mean gone? He’s been with you for years.”

  “Yes and been lying that whole time.”

  “He was stealing from you?”

  “No; worse. He was gay.” Mr. T felt satisfaction at seeing the fear enter his son’s eyes. But business was business; he couldn’t have someone like that in his employment. It was not good for business at all. It was seen as a weakness and he’d worked hard to have none. The fact that Will had been a devoted bodyguard and to Mr. T’s knowledge had never done anything but his job for ten years, hadn’t mattered. The fact that he’d accidentally caught Will in the act and just knowing what he was, it was too much. It would undermine him in a world where you had to be tough. Will had to go. His son looked ready to throw up.

  “I understand C-Lite Hotels is trying to buy Caspian Winery.”

  “Yeah. I told you all about it.”

  “Don’t get smart with me. I’m the one who paid your tuition, anonymously of course, made sure you had the best training and got you started at the hotel and then the cushy job you now have. If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have access to C-Lite Hotels and their business dealings.” He stopped and looked at his son. Seeing him dressed in his suit and tie reminded Mr. T of the power he really had.

  His son shrugged but didn’t say any more.

  “So, I don’t know if that deal should go through. I met with James and he was pretty shocked that I knew about it and of course, I endorsed it and said it would be great for business. But he seems to forget who’s in control. I’m the one who gave him money so he could start his hotel chain. I’m the one who backed him when no legitimate venue would. I’m the one who helped him surpass his father’s hotels and become one of the top hotel chains in Canada.” Mr. T walked a few steps to stare out over the city of Toronto. He’d chosen this spot because it was secluded but gave him a view of the city he loved; the city he really controlled. He couldn’t help but smile as he thought about the many police, the lawyers, city councilors and judges on his payroll. The thrill of that kind of power always got to him and fueled him to take more.

  “I don’t have all day; I need to get to work.”

  Mr. T’s back stiffened and his shoulders snapped back. He turned slowly. “I’m going to forget you said that. Because I know that you know, you’re only a phone call away from jail and even closer to leaving this world. Do you understand me?”

  Even though it was his son, seeing the fear in his eyes reminded him of the first man he’d killed. It had been an act of desperation and he’d hated it, but it had given him status in the gang that he’d joined at twelve. From there, each kill had become easier. Then he’d gotten smart and realized he could make others do it for him. He’d never really acquired a taste for the actual job of taking another’s life, but he did love the fear it instilled and the control it ensured stayed in his hands. If anyone was to understand it, it was going to be his flesh and blood. And although his men weren’t in listening distance, he wanted there to be no mistake to his child or those who worked for him who was really in control. There was no special treatment for family. Tow the line or you’d be out. There was really only one way.

  “So, I have a better plan. I’ve found a woman to be your wife.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. There’s no fu—”

  The crack of his hand against his son’s cheek was like gunfire as it echoed around them. The six men stationed a safe distance away came running with guns levelled. Mr. T put up his hand to halt them. His son glared for a brief second but was smart enough to drop his
eyes downward.

  “As I said, I’ve found you the perfect wife.” He wasn’t sure if his son already knew the woman. “For now, we’ll work on getting you properly introduced. You will stop sleeping around with every woman on two legs.”

  The blank, blinking look from his son was very satisfying. He didn’t know all that his son was up to but he kept enough tabs to make sure he knew he was being watched.

  “I have the perfect plan for that. First, I want you to stop the purchase of Caspian Winery, at least for now. I’ll say when that deal goes through.”

  “I’m not sure how you want me to do that.”

  “I need to know you can follow orders and keep me on top of what is happening there.”

  “I get that but what I’m saying is that it will be hard for me to stop that purchase. I’ll throw what roadblocks I can.”

  Mr. T stared hard at him. His son had done well at planting the bug and reporting most of what he’d heard. Mr. T never left anything to chance. He had that place wired, the phones tapped and was well aware of all Mr. Madsen’s dealings. His son knew none of that. He also hadn’t shared that he was expanding his empire. His son had been begging him for years to let him take over one small part of it. The kid still had a lot to prove to him, and first, that he was loyal and would do as told. If Mr. T’s plans went well, he’d have C-Lite Hotels and Caspian Winery and his reach would increase tenfold. He’d also be able to launder more money through his expanded operations. Only a handful knew about that part of his business.

  “Find out what you can. Stall any paperwork, if you can. Now go. Drive back the same way you came and do the vehicle exchange again. No mistakes. No detours. Leave the attitude next time.” Mr. T turned and left, leaving his son standing there. It didn’t concern him as to whether his son would follow through because he would or he’d be replaced. He wasn’t the only one he had that could do the prestigious job at C-Lite Hotels. He just happened to be related, which actually made it all that much more difficult for Mr. T.