Perdition's Daughters, page 12
‘Maybe,’ Kozlov shrugged. ‘Many have tried before. None have succeeded.’
‘Maybe they were the wrong people.’
‘Maybe they were.’
‘You’re here to kill me?’ Kozlov stated and asked simultaneously.
‘Yes and no,’ Daniel answered.
Kozlov raised an eyebrow.
‘Either way, you’re a dead man,’ he stated calmly.
‘Maybe. Maybe not,’ Daniel responded, completely unperturbed by Kozlov’s threat.
Kozlov stared at Daniel with black, menacing eyes, his anger obviously boiling beneath their dark surface.
Daniel stared back, emotionless. His piercing blue-green eyes, cold and unwavering, locked on Kozlov’s.
Their gaze held for a moment.
Kozlov swallowed involuntarily as a shiver ran run down his spine and he looked away.
‘You won’t get out alive. You’re a dead man,’ he stated again, with slightly less conviction.
‘So you said,’ acknowledged Daniel. ‘But maybe I don’t want to kill you.’
Kozlov looked confused.
‘Meaning?’ he asked.
‘Meaning I do you a favour, you do me one.’
There was silence for a moment.
Kozlov hesitated then spoke.
‘Go on,’ he said.
‘OK, let’s say I was sent here to kill you. Sent by someone you know. But now I’m here, I’ve changed my mind. I can see alternatives.’
Kozlov paused again.
‘Three questions,’ he stated. ‘If I like the answers, you live. Fair enough?’
‘I’m the one holding a gun and a knife. I got in easily enough, I can get out again,’ Daniel replied. ‘What are the questions?’
‘Who sent you?’
‘Zoran Durakovic,’ Daniel answered.
There was just the slightest flicker of reaction in Kozlov’s face.
‘Why have you changed your mind?’
‘You’re Russian. I’m Russian. Durakovic is what? Serbian, Bosnian, Croat, Slovak? I don’t know what he is. I don’t like him,’ Daniel replied. ‘You’re also an important man. The head man. The chief. I could work for someone like you,’ he added.
Kozlov smiled.
‘Your loyalty to mother Russia and a compatriot is commendable. You were a solider once upon a time?’
‘I was a soldier. A good one, up until six months ago; but things happened, they threw me out.’
‘Why would I want someone like you to work for me?’
‘Why wouldn’t you want me? I got in here. I got past all of your security. I could show you how. I’m a good soldier. I can take orders. I can make things happen. I could make things better for you. I could kill Durakovic.’
Daniel let the last statement hang in the air.
‘Who are you? What’s your name?’
‘Just an old soldier looking for a new cause and some money. My name is Danil, Danil Kuznetsov.’
Kozlov looked like he was thinking again.
‘So what do we do now?’
Daniel assessed, made his decision and took the gamble.
‘I trust you. You are a man of honour,’ he said, almost choking on the words. He placed the gun and knife on Kozlov’s desk and stood back.
‘What do I tell my men?’
‘Be angry – put them on the back foot. Say you arranged for my visit to test your security and it’s not very good. Tell them I am being added to your staff,’ Daniel explained respectfully, cleverly and subtly turning the tables, putting Kozlov in charge.
Kozlov reached forward, placed his hands on the gun and knife and pushed them back across the desk.
‘Take them. You’re a brave and resourceful man,’ he said.
He stood, brushed past Daniel and opened the bedroom door.
‘Come,’ he said.
Two enormous security guards stood to attention as the door opened. Kozlov stared at them. The two guards stared at each other, then at Daniel, then back to Kozlov. Kozlov just shook his head and gestured for them to sit.
Daniel followed Kozlov out of the room and along the broad upstairs landing. They descended the massive wooden staircase, crossed the cavernous ground floor entrance hall, continued down a long corridor and entered a large square room. Three men turned in their seats and stared in surprise as Kozlov entered, followed by Daniel. Kozlov glared at the small sandy-haired man Daniel had seen in earlier in Kozlov’s bedroom.
‘So, Oleg, there’s nothing out there?’ he questioned, in a growl.
Oleg looked confused. His eyes moved from Kozlov to Daniel, then back to Kozlov.
‘No, Sir,’ he replied with complete uncertainty.
Kozlov stepped forward and slapped Oleg hard across the face.
‘Yes, Oleg, there was. This man was out there,’ he bellowed. ‘Luckily he was there because I asked him to be. He beat all of the defences, crossed the grounds, climbed the walls and entered my room,’ he continued shouting. ‘My room,’ he roared, emphasising his point. ‘He could have killed me,’ he raged, angrily slapping Oleg around the head again.
Oleg stared at the floor.
‘I, I, I,’ he stuttered feebly.
‘Stop,’ Kozlov commanded. ‘Not another word. This is Danil Kuznetsov. He is now on my staff. He reports to me and me alone. Show him the security systems and he will show you how he beat them. Then I want every system changed so that it cannot be done again. Is that clear?’
Daniel smiled to himself and turned to Kozlov.
‘It’s late. It’s been a very busy night. Perhaps it would be better for everyone if we started our review in the morning?’ he suggested.
Kozlov’s mood calmed slightly and he nodded in agreement.
‘Very well,’ he conceded, turning back to Oleg. ‘Introduce Danil to Taras and find him a room.’
He looked at Daniel. ‘Taras is my commander here. He will take care of whatever you need. We will speak again tomorrow.’
With that, Kozlov turned and left.
Daniel looked down at Oleg. The slightly-built man was hurt and confused and his face glowed red from a combination of stress, embarrassment and the heavy slaps from Kozlov. Daniel held out his hand.
‘Danil Kuznetsov,’ he smiled, introducing himself. ‘I am sorry Mr Kozlov reacted that way,’ he said, trying to start out on artificially good terms.
Oleg rubbed his face and looked at Daniel.
‘It’s not your fault. You obviously had a job to do,’ he replied in an indifferent tone.
Oleg stood. He was a diminutive man, much shorter than Daniel; the top of his head barely reached Daniel’s shoulder.
‘Come, I will take you to Taras.’
Oleg led Daniel out of the room, back across the wide open space of the entrance hall and up the staircase. At the top of the second flight of stairs, they turned right, walked down the landing and turned right again, following the corridor past several doors. Oleg stopped at the fourth door on the right, knocked twice and waited respectfully. There was a short delay. Daniel could hear the sound of voices coming from the room – a man and a woman, followed by the sounds of a hand slapping against flesh. He heard the key turn in the lock and the door swung slowly open. A man’s face, angry and flushed, greeted them.
‘What is it?’ the man demanded.
Oleg stepped back slightly, gesturing for Daniel to come forward.
‘Taras, this is Danil Kuznetsov. Mr Kozlov has just recruited him. He said I should bring him to you to arrange a room and whatever else he needs,’ Oleg explained.
Taras glanced back over his shoulder, then stepped out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. Daniel moved a little closer, close enough to look over Taras’s shoulder. A young girl lay naked on the bed, her pretty, tear-stained face red and bruised. Daniel looked back at Taras. He was a reasonably large man, maybe six feet tall, broad and muscular. His hair was black, clipped very short and his face was hard and angular. An angry scar ran horizontally across the full width of his upper right cheek, a quarter of an inch below his eye. He appraised Daniel through cold, crystal-blue eyes.
‘What was your name again?’ he asked, obviously still annoyed that his time with the girl had been disturbed.
‘Kuznetsov,’ Daniel replied, not bothering to hold out his hand. Taras didn’t seem the type to shake it.
‘And what are you, Kuznetsov? Why would Mr Kozlov want to employ a man such as you?’ he asked, looking Daniel up and down with disdain.
‘I am what Mr Kozlov wants me to be. He employs me because I am very good at what I do,’ Daniel answered without answering.
Taras looked at him for a moment, still weighing him up, still pondering Daniel’s answer. He half-smiled but didn’t ask any further questions.
‘Come, I will show you to a room,’ he offered.
He led Daniel back to the staircase, up another flight and back down the right hand corridor. They stopped at the fourth door. Taras turned the handle and pushed it open.
‘This one will do,’ he said, showing Daniel inside.
The bedroom was a good size, approximately fifteen feet square. Inside, there was a sturdy-looking double bed, already made up with clean white sheets and thick, rough woollen blankets. A double wardrobe stood against the right-hand wall and a comfortable-looking chair sat beneath the window set into the far wall.
‘This room’s directly above mine. There’s a bathroom over there. You should be able to find soap and whatever else you need in the cabinet. If there’s anything missing, we can sort that out in the morning. Now it’s late and I have a girl to fuck,’ he stated without humour, turning to leave.
‘Are there many girls here?’ Daniel asked.
‘Why? You want one?’
‘No, not yet, later maybe.’
‘Girls come, girls go. Take whichever one you want when they’re here –except for the ones Kozlov chooses for himself. They have to be exclusive, although they don’t last long. He’s an animal– likes it rough, likes to force them, likes them to fight.’
‘What happens to them afterward?’
‘You ask a lot of questions, Kuznetsov.’
‘Just curious, that’s all. It’s no big deal if you don’t want to tell me. It’s not my business.’
Taras sighed, then answered the question.
‘It’s pretty straightforward. We bring in the young, fresh girls – only the prettiest ones. We do what we like with them for a few weeks, then when we’re done we move them on and sell them. There are always girls here. Like I said, take whichever ones you want, fuck them, do whatever you like to them. It’s one of the perks.’
‘You sell them?’
‘Yeah, we sell them. You sound shocked. What are you, some sort of fucking boy scout?’
‘No, just curious. Like I said, I like to know what sort of business I’m working in.’
‘It’s a very diverse business. A very big business – global, in fact. Mr Kozlov is a very important and very powerful man.’
‘I’m sure he is,’ Daniel confirmed, deciding not to ask any further questions. The answers would come soon enough.
Taras left Daniel alone in the room. Daniel took off his coat and boots and lay down on the bed. The mattress was hard but comfortable. He was tired. He closed his eyes and readily drifted into a light sleep. He was in.
Daniel was woken by a combination of loud voices, men moving through the grounds below his window and the pale morning sun which now shone through the open curtains of his room.
He sat up and checked his watch. It was 9:00am – time to get started. He quickly showered and shaved, then returned to the security room to find Oleg. There was a loud discussion taking place just the other side of the security room door as Daniel approached. He stopped and listened carefully. An argument raged. Kozlov, Taras and Oleg were in loud debate, their voices easily carrying into the empty corridor.
‘Sergei, you don’t know who this guy is. He could be anyone. It’s a massive risk to our security,’ Taras said.
‘Security!’ Kozlov exclaimed angrily. ‘He waltzed straight through the so-called security. He could have killed me, but he didn’t. The least we should do is let him show us how he got in.’
‘So who sent him? Who would dare send someone against you?’
‘Durakovic,’ Kozlov replied. ‘I should never have trusted that bastard. I knew he was up to something.’
‘Durakovic?’ Taras questioned. How do you know that?
‘He – Kuznetsov – told me.’
Taras frowned.
‘It’s possible I suppose, but why would Durakovic also tell you he was sending you a gift? Why would he send you the four girls? Why go to the trouble? Answer me that,’ he retorted.
‘You know why. It’s self-serving, isn’t it. He plays me, gets me to lower my guard a little – to accept him, to trust him. He kids me along with gifts of women. He knows the sort I like. I also know he wants to punish the English Colonel, the one he blames for killing his wife and kid. He’s a bitter man. Two of the girls are the Colonel’s daughters; Durakovic wants them to suffer. I have no problem with that; they’ll be just like all the rest. We’ll use them for a while, then sell them on. Anyway, why would Kuznetsov tell me it was Durakovic? How else would he know the name? What does he have to gain from it?’
Taras considered the questions and the implications for a moment.
‘I don’t know, Sergei. I just know I don’t trust him – not yet. None of us should.’
Kozlov stared into space.
‘There was something in his eyes,’ he whispered to himself then stated. ‘I believe him. There may be more to him than we can see, but I believe him about Durakovic.’
‘OK, let’s say it was Durakovic. Why now? He has far too much to lose. He can’t possibly win. Even if he did manage to kill you, what purpose would it serve? He could never take over – it wouldn’t be allowed. He runs a sideshow, nothing more. He would be dead within twenty-four hours; Radimov in Moscow would see to that. He must know what would happen – it just doesn’t make sense. We need to check this Kuznetsov guy out before we let him any further into the operation.’
‘I don’t know why now,’ admitted Kozlov. ‘Durakovic only exists because I permit him to – he certainly knows that. I also know he doesn’t like it. He’s ambitious, has ideas above his station – still calls himself commander. But you’re right; there is probably more to this than I can see right now. There is something about Kuznetsov, though; something in his eyes. He’s a hard man and he’s here for a reason.’
‘Listen to me, Sergei. Kuznetsov may prove to be someone we want, but let’s not be rash or hasty. A few days, maybe a week; we’ll find out what we need to know, OK?’ Taras advised.
‘I agree with Taras, Mr Kozlov. I will get him to show me how he breached the security and get it fixed. But Taras is right, we should not let him do anything else until we check him out,’ added Oleg.
Kozlov stood, quietly considering their advice. Taras especially had been with him for a long time. He trusted his guidance and listened to his counsel.
‘Very well, Oleg, you work with Kuznetsov. Have him show you how he got in and how to improve our security. Taras, see what you can find out about him. If he’s genuine, we could use him. If he’s not, kill him. And Taras – I want Durakovic dead.’
Taras and Oleg nodded.
‘Agreed,’ they said.
Daniel listened carefully. Good, that’s it – doubt and uncertainty, he thought. He crept back down to the end of corridor, turned, then walked back toward the security room, ensuring that his footsteps were loud and heavy. He reached the door, knocked once and walked in.
The three men turned and watched him enter.
‘Good morning,’ Daniel said in a business-like fashion, nodding to each man in turn.
He stood and waited, deliberately putting the onus on Kozlov to speak.
‘Oleg will work with you this morning. When you have finished, find Taras. Come and see me this afternoon,’ Kozlov instructed curtly, staring hard at Daniel.
Daniel nodded his agreement.
‘Yes, Sir,’ he answered respectfully.
Kozlov marched out of the room followed by Taras.
‘2:00pm – come and find me,’ Taras ordered abruptly.
‘2:00pm,’ Daniel confirmed without another word.
The door slammed shut.
Daniel turned to Oleg and smiled.
‘Where would you like to begin?’ he asked cheerfully.
Oleg stared back at him for a moment, obviously trying to assess him. Clearly failing to do so, the diminutive man blinked and shrugged.
‘Start at the beginning. Tell me how you got in? Explain how you knew about the systems we deployed, and how you overcame them.’
‘Let’s go outside. I’ll explain as we walk,’ Daniel replied.
‘Outside? Why?’ Oleg asked.
‘It will be easier to show you as I explain, plus I need to get my gear.’
‘Your gear?’ Oleg asked in obvious surprise.
‘Yes, I left it in a tree last night,’ explained Daniel, confidently leading Oleg out of the door.
They walked outside. The morning was crisp and bright and a pale, watery sun sat low in the pastel-blue eastern sky. Their breath frosted and floated away in the air like wisps of white smoke as they walked around the house and down the rocky plinth. Crossing the open ground, their feet crunched through the grass, stained white with thick frost and lightly dusted with fresh snow. Reaching the tree line, Daniel ducked under the branches, walked in a few yards and found the tree where he had hung his duffle bag in the branches the night before.
Oleg followed, looking on in disbelief.
Daniel smiled at him.
‘How did you get this far before any of the sensors triggered?’ Oleg asked.
‘Simple. I didn’t want them to trigger until I was ready.’
‘That doesn’t answer my question. You can’t decide when the sensors trigger – they just do, it’s how the system is designed. And they start much further out – as soon as someone breaks a beam or treads on a pressure sensor, they trigger. It’s not a matter of choice,’ Oleg stated categorically.
‘It is, Oleg. Look around you. What do you see?’ Daniel asked.
‘Maybe they were the wrong people.’
‘Maybe they were.’
‘You’re here to kill me?’ Kozlov stated and asked simultaneously.
‘Yes and no,’ Daniel answered.
Kozlov raised an eyebrow.
‘Either way, you’re a dead man,’ he stated calmly.
‘Maybe. Maybe not,’ Daniel responded, completely unperturbed by Kozlov’s threat.
Kozlov stared at Daniel with black, menacing eyes, his anger obviously boiling beneath their dark surface.
Daniel stared back, emotionless. His piercing blue-green eyes, cold and unwavering, locked on Kozlov’s.
Their gaze held for a moment.
Kozlov swallowed involuntarily as a shiver ran run down his spine and he looked away.
‘You won’t get out alive. You’re a dead man,’ he stated again, with slightly less conviction.
‘So you said,’ acknowledged Daniel. ‘But maybe I don’t want to kill you.’
Kozlov looked confused.
‘Meaning?’ he asked.
‘Meaning I do you a favour, you do me one.’
There was silence for a moment.
Kozlov hesitated then spoke.
‘Go on,’ he said.
‘OK, let’s say I was sent here to kill you. Sent by someone you know. But now I’m here, I’ve changed my mind. I can see alternatives.’
Kozlov paused again.
‘Three questions,’ he stated. ‘If I like the answers, you live. Fair enough?’
‘I’m the one holding a gun and a knife. I got in easily enough, I can get out again,’ Daniel replied. ‘What are the questions?’
‘Who sent you?’
‘Zoran Durakovic,’ Daniel answered.
There was just the slightest flicker of reaction in Kozlov’s face.
‘Why have you changed your mind?’
‘You’re Russian. I’m Russian. Durakovic is what? Serbian, Bosnian, Croat, Slovak? I don’t know what he is. I don’t like him,’ Daniel replied. ‘You’re also an important man. The head man. The chief. I could work for someone like you,’ he added.
Kozlov smiled.
‘Your loyalty to mother Russia and a compatriot is commendable. You were a solider once upon a time?’
‘I was a soldier. A good one, up until six months ago; but things happened, they threw me out.’
‘Why would I want someone like you to work for me?’
‘Why wouldn’t you want me? I got in here. I got past all of your security. I could show you how. I’m a good soldier. I can take orders. I can make things happen. I could make things better for you. I could kill Durakovic.’
Daniel let the last statement hang in the air.
‘Who are you? What’s your name?’
‘Just an old soldier looking for a new cause and some money. My name is Danil, Danil Kuznetsov.’
Kozlov looked like he was thinking again.
‘So what do we do now?’
Daniel assessed, made his decision and took the gamble.
‘I trust you. You are a man of honour,’ he said, almost choking on the words. He placed the gun and knife on Kozlov’s desk and stood back.
‘What do I tell my men?’
‘Be angry – put them on the back foot. Say you arranged for my visit to test your security and it’s not very good. Tell them I am being added to your staff,’ Daniel explained respectfully, cleverly and subtly turning the tables, putting Kozlov in charge.
Kozlov reached forward, placed his hands on the gun and knife and pushed them back across the desk.
‘Take them. You’re a brave and resourceful man,’ he said.
He stood, brushed past Daniel and opened the bedroom door.
‘Come,’ he said.
Two enormous security guards stood to attention as the door opened. Kozlov stared at them. The two guards stared at each other, then at Daniel, then back to Kozlov. Kozlov just shook his head and gestured for them to sit.
Daniel followed Kozlov out of the room and along the broad upstairs landing. They descended the massive wooden staircase, crossed the cavernous ground floor entrance hall, continued down a long corridor and entered a large square room. Three men turned in their seats and stared in surprise as Kozlov entered, followed by Daniel. Kozlov glared at the small sandy-haired man Daniel had seen in earlier in Kozlov’s bedroom.
‘So, Oleg, there’s nothing out there?’ he questioned, in a growl.
Oleg looked confused. His eyes moved from Kozlov to Daniel, then back to Kozlov.
‘No, Sir,’ he replied with complete uncertainty.
Kozlov stepped forward and slapped Oleg hard across the face.
‘Yes, Oleg, there was. This man was out there,’ he bellowed. ‘Luckily he was there because I asked him to be. He beat all of the defences, crossed the grounds, climbed the walls and entered my room,’ he continued shouting. ‘My room,’ he roared, emphasising his point. ‘He could have killed me,’ he raged, angrily slapping Oleg around the head again.
Oleg stared at the floor.
‘I, I, I,’ he stuttered feebly.
‘Stop,’ Kozlov commanded. ‘Not another word. This is Danil Kuznetsov. He is now on my staff. He reports to me and me alone. Show him the security systems and he will show you how he beat them. Then I want every system changed so that it cannot be done again. Is that clear?’
Daniel smiled to himself and turned to Kozlov.
‘It’s late. It’s been a very busy night. Perhaps it would be better for everyone if we started our review in the morning?’ he suggested.
Kozlov’s mood calmed slightly and he nodded in agreement.
‘Very well,’ he conceded, turning back to Oleg. ‘Introduce Danil to Taras and find him a room.’
He looked at Daniel. ‘Taras is my commander here. He will take care of whatever you need. We will speak again tomorrow.’
With that, Kozlov turned and left.
Daniel looked down at Oleg. The slightly-built man was hurt and confused and his face glowed red from a combination of stress, embarrassment and the heavy slaps from Kozlov. Daniel held out his hand.
‘Danil Kuznetsov,’ he smiled, introducing himself. ‘I am sorry Mr Kozlov reacted that way,’ he said, trying to start out on artificially good terms.
Oleg rubbed his face and looked at Daniel.
‘It’s not your fault. You obviously had a job to do,’ he replied in an indifferent tone.
Oleg stood. He was a diminutive man, much shorter than Daniel; the top of his head barely reached Daniel’s shoulder.
‘Come, I will take you to Taras.’
Oleg led Daniel out of the room, back across the wide open space of the entrance hall and up the staircase. At the top of the second flight of stairs, they turned right, walked down the landing and turned right again, following the corridor past several doors. Oleg stopped at the fourth door on the right, knocked twice and waited respectfully. There was a short delay. Daniel could hear the sound of voices coming from the room – a man and a woman, followed by the sounds of a hand slapping against flesh. He heard the key turn in the lock and the door swung slowly open. A man’s face, angry and flushed, greeted them.
‘What is it?’ the man demanded.
Oleg stepped back slightly, gesturing for Daniel to come forward.
‘Taras, this is Danil Kuznetsov. Mr Kozlov has just recruited him. He said I should bring him to you to arrange a room and whatever else he needs,’ Oleg explained.
Taras glanced back over his shoulder, then stepped out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. Daniel moved a little closer, close enough to look over Taras’s shoulder. A young girl lay naked on the bed, her pretty, tear-stained face red and bruised. Daniel looked back at Taras. He was a reasonably large man, maybe six feet tall, broad and muscular. His hair was black, clipped very short and his face was hard and angular. An angry scar ran horizontally across the full width of his upper right cheek, a quarter of an inch below his eye. He appraised Daniel through cold, crystal-blue eyes.
‘What was your name again?’ he asked, obviously still annoyed that his time with the girl had been disturbed.
‘Kuznetsov,’ Daniel replied, not bothering to hold out his hand. Taras didn’t seem the type to shake it.
‘And what are you, Kuznetsov? Why would Mr Kozlov want to employ a man such as you?’ he asked, looking Daniel up and down with disdain.
‘I am what Mr Kozlov wants me to be. He employs me because I am very good at what I do,’ Daniel answered without answering.
Taras looked at him for a moment, still weighing him up, still pondering Daniel’s answer. He half-smiled but didn’t ask any further questions.
‘Come, I will show you to a room,’ he offered.
He led Daniel back to the staircase, up another flight and back down the right hand corridor. They stopped at the fourth door. Taras turned the handle and pushed it open.
‘This one will do,’ he said, showing Daniel inside.
The bedroom was a good size, approximately fifteen feet square. Inside, there was a sturdy-looking double bed, already made up with clean white sheets and thick, rough woollen blankets. A double wardrobe stood against the right-hand wall and a comfortable-looking chair sat beneath the window set into the far wall.
‘This room’s directly above mine. There’s a bathroom over there. You should be able to find soap and whatever else you need in the cabinet. If there’s anything missing, we can sort that out in the morning. Now it’s late and I have a girl to fuck,’ he stated without humour, turning to leave.
‘Are there many girls here?’ Daniel asked.
‘Why? You want one?’
‘No, not yet, later maybe.’
‘Girls come, girls go. Take whichever one you want when they’re here –except for the ones Kozlov chooses for himself. They have to be exclusive, although they don’t last long. He’s an animal– likes it rough, likes to force them, likes them to fight.’
‘What happens to them afterward?’
‘You ask a lot of questions, Kuznetsov.’
‘Just curious, that’s all. It’s no big deal if you don’t want to tell me. It’s not my business.’
Taras sighed, then answered the question.
‘It’s pretty straightforward. We bring in the young, fresh girls – only the prettiest ones. We do what we like with them for a few weeks, then when we’re done we move them on and sell them. There are always girls here. Like I said, take whichever ones you want, fuck them, do whatever you like to them. It’s one of the perks.’
‘You sell them?’
‘Yeah, we sell them. You sound shocked. What are you, some sort of fucking boy scout?’
‘No, just curious. Like I said, I like to know what sort of business I’m working in.’
‘It’s a very diverse business. A very big business – global, in fact. Mr Kozlov is a very important and very powerful man.’
‘I’m sure he is,’ Daniel confirmed, deciding not to ask any further questions. The answers would come soon enough.
Taras left Daniel alone in the room. Daniel took off his coat and boots and lay down on the bed. The mattress was hard but comfortable. He was tired. He closed his eyes and readily drifted into a light sleep. He was in.
Daniel was woken by a combination of loud voices, men moving through the grounds below his window and the pale morning sun which now shone through the open curtains of his room.
He sat up and checked his watch. It was 9:00am – time to get started. He quickly showered and shaved, then returned to the security room to find Oleg. There was a loud discussion taking place just the other side of the security room door as Daniel approached. He stopped and listened carefully. An argument raged. Kozlov, Taras and Oleg were in loud debate, their voices easily carrying into the empty corridor.
‘Sergei, you don’t know who this guy is. He could be anyone. It’s a massive risk to our security,’ Taras said.
‘Security!’ Kozlov exclaimed angrily. ‘He waltzed straight through the so-called security. He could have killed me, but he didn’t. The least we should do is let him show us how he got in.’
‘So who sent him? Who would dare send someone against you?’
‘Durakovic,’ Kozlov replied. ‘I should never have trusted that bastard. I knew he was up to something.’
‘Durakovic?’ Taras questioned. How do you know that?
‘He – Kuznetsov – told me.’
Taras frowned.
‘It’s possible I suppose, but why would Durakovic also tell you he was sending you a gift? Why would he send you the four girls? Why go to the trouble? Answer me that,’ he retorted.
‘You know why. It’s self-serving, isn’t it. He plays me, gets me to lower my guard a little – to accept him, to trust him. He kids me along with gifts of women. He knows the sort I like. I also know he wants to punish the English Colonel, the one he blames for killing his wife and kid. He’s a bitter man. Two of the girls are the Colonel’s daughters; Durakovic wants them to suffer. I have no problem with that; they’ll be just like all the rest. We’ll use them for a while, then sell them on. Anyway, why would Kuznetsov tell me it was Durakovic? How else would he know the name? What does he have to gain from it?’
Taras considered the questions and the implications for a moment.
‘I don’t know, Sergei. I just know I don’t trust him – not yet. None of us should.’
Kozlov stared into space.
‘There was something in his eyes,’ he whispered to himself then stated. ‘I believe him. There may be more to him than we can see, but I believe him about Durakovic.’
‘OK, let’s say it was Durakovic. Why now? He has far too much to lose. He can’t possibly win. Even if he did manage to kill you, what purpose would it serve? He could never take over – it wouldn’t be allowed. He runs a sideshow, nothing more. He would be dead within twenty-four hours; Radimov in Moscow would see to that. He must know what would happen – it just doesn’t make sense. We need to check this Kuznetsov guy out before we let him any further into the operation.’
‘I don’t know why now,’ admitted Kozlov. ‘Durakovic only exists because I permit him to – he certainly knows that. I also know he doesn’t like it. He’s ambitious, has ideas above his station – still calls himself commander. But you’re right; there is probably more to this than I can see right now. There is something about Kuznetsov, though; something in his eyes. He’s a hard man and he’s here for a reason.’
‘Listen to me, Sergei. Kuznetsov may prove to be someone we want, but let’s not be rash or hasty. A few days, maybe a week; we’ll find out what we need to know, OK?’ Taras advised.
‘I agree with Taras, Mr Kozlov. I will get him to show me how he breached the security and get it fixed. But Taras is right, we should not let him do anything else until we check him out,’ added Oleg.
Kozlov stood, quietly considering their advice. Taras especially had been with him for a long time. He trusted his guidance and listened to his counsel.
‘Very well, Oleg, you work with Kuznetsov. Have him show you how he got in and how to improve our security. Taras, see what you can find out about him. If he’s genuine, we could use him. If he’s not, kill him. And Taras – I want Durakovic dead.’
Taras and Oleg nodded.
‘Agreed,’ they said.
Daniel listened carefully. Good, that’s it – doubt and uncertainty, he thought. He crept back down to the end of corridor, turned, then walked back toward the security room, ensuring that his footsteps were loud and heavy. He reached the door, knocked once and walked in.
The three men turned and watched him enter.
‘Good morning,’ Daniel said in a business-like fashion, nodding to each man in turn.
He stood and waited, deliberately putting the onus on Kozlov to speak.
‘Oleg will work with you this morning. When you have finished, find Taras. Come and see me this afternoon,’ Kozlov instructed curtly, staring hard at Daniel.
Daniel nodded his agreement.
‘Yes, Sir,’ he answered respectfully.
Kozlov marched out of the room followed by Taras.
‘2:00pm – come and find me,’ Taras ordered abruptly.
‘2:00pm,’ Daniel confirmed without another word.
The door slammed shut.
Daniel turned to Oleg and smiled.
‘Where would you like to begin?’ he asked cheerfully.
Oleg stared back at him for a moment, obviously trying to assess him. Clearly failing to do so, the diminutive man blinked and shrugged.
‘Start at the beginning. Tell me how you got in? Explain how you knew about the systems we deployed, and how you overcame them.’
‘Let’s go outside. I’ll explain as we walk,’ Daniel replied.
‘Outside? Why?’ Oleg asked.
‘It will be easier to show you as I explain, plus I need to get my gear.’
‘Your gear?’ Oleg asked in obvious surprise.
‘Yes, I left it in a tree last night,’ explained Daniel, confidently leading Oleg out of the door.
They walked outside. The morning was crisp and bright and a pale, watery sun sat low in the pastel-blue eastern sky. Their breath frosted and floated away in the air like wisps of white smoke as they walked around the house and down the rocky plinth. Crossing the open ground, their feet crunched through the grass, stained white with thick frost and lightly dusted with fresh snow. Reaching the tree line, Daniel ducked under the branches, walked in a few yards and found the tree where he had hung his duffle bag in the branches the night before.
Oleg followed, looking on in disbelief.
Daniel smiled at him.
‘How did you get this far before any of the sensors triggered?’ Oleg asked.
‘Simple. I didn’t want them to trigger until I was ready.’
‘That doesn’t answer my question. You can’t decide when the sensors trigger – they just do, it’s how the system is designed. And they start much further out – as soon as someone breaks a beam or treads on a pressure sensor, they trigger. It’s not a matter of choice,’ Oleg stated categorically.
‘It is, Oleg. Look around you. What do you see?’ Daniel asked.
