Hunter Killer - Alex King Series 12 (2021), A BATEMAN [urban books to read TXT] 📗

“I don’t know what you mean,” Noventa replied belligerently. He pushed out his chair. “I’ll be going now,” he said tersely.

“Dave…” Caroline said quietly.

Big Dave turned around and with a swift motion, pushed the chair back under the table with his size thirteen boot. Noventa was about to protest, but as if Dave Lomu’s size wasn’t enough, he caught sight of the pistol in Caroline’s hand. She had placed her bag on the table and tilted it for Noventa to see, and now she slipped the bag back into her lap. “If my colleague doesn’t grab you and force your chin backwards until your vertebrae pops, then I’ll just put three nine-millimetre bullets into your spine.”

“People will hear…”

“I’ll refer you to the first scenario. The two hundred and fifty pounds of muscle seated right behind you.” She paused. “Anyway, the gun is loaded with Russian-made cartridges from their PSS project. The cartridge contains a propelling charge which drives an internal piston in contact with the base of the bullet. Upon firing, the piston propels the bullet out of the barrel with enough energy to achieve an effective range of twenty-five metres. Hell, that’s about it for a pistol, in a firefight, anyway. At the end of its travel the piston seals the cartridge neck, preventing noise, smoke, or any blast from escaping. These cartridges are over a thousand euros a pop and quite silent, but I dare say I can part with three or four of them without worrying too much about the cost.”

“What is this?”

Caroline smiled. “Just a quiet drink between the middleman and a prospective client who is telling you to go to your paymaster and tell him you have a suitable person for the hit, and unbeknown to your client, you close the contract down.”

“And if I don’t?”

“I gave you two scenarios, I have a third, but didn’t want to have reason to give it to you. Two scenarios should have been enough.” She paused. “Oh, okay, I can see you’re the kind of guy who needs to see all of his options spread out in front of him. So, I’ll give you another. Let’s say, we take you someplace quiet where I’ll get my colleague here to hold you down while I flail the skin slowly from your back… Is that good enough for you? Or how about, I remove your testicles using two bricks and a whole lot of clapping…?” She sneered and said, “I promise if you test me, the worst scenario will be the one we use.”

“Okay, I get it!” Noventa shuddered. “Look, it’s not as easy as that. My client will want a résumé of previous… er, assignments…”

“Hits. You mean, hits.”

“Whatever.”

“Well, let’s just say this. The advertisement is pulled. I’ve shut you down. You will only get your finder’s fee once a person is hired for the contract. And that person, under whatever guise you chose, will be me. That’s it, job done. So, you bloody well sell me to your client, or you don’t get your fee, get your balls removed between two bricks, get your neck snapped, do not pass Go and do not collect two-hundred pounds. Got it?”

Noventa nodded pathetically. “Okay, I’ve got it…”

“Now, the job was a million euros. That’s not going to work for me. But two million? I can live with that,” she said. She reached into her bag and took out a small sheet of paper. “That’s my account number, forward it to your client when you inform them that you’ve found someone, but only when they agree. Not before,” she said curtly, putting it down between them. “Standard operating procedure is half before the contract commences and half when the contract is completed. Those will be the terms I work under.”

“My client requires a face-to-face meet.”

“Then they’ll have to pay half before we meet.”

“That’s not going to work.”

“Then, see that it does. I’ll kill whoever he wants for two million euros, but I’ll happily kill you for free.”

Noventa slipped the piece of paper into his pocket and took a sip of his espresso. “How can I contact you?”

Caroline smiled. “I’ll contact you. Be under no illusion, you won’t give me the slip, you won’t get out of this, and if you try to run, I’ll kill you. Or my friend here will. But look on the bright side, your finder’s fee has just gone up. Don’t sell yourself short, Noventa. This isn’t selling Bitcoin to people with more money than sense. This is dark stuff, and it commands a high price.”

Noventa nodded. “Am I free to go?”

Caroline shook her head. “No, but I am. I suggest you give it fifteen minutes. I have another friend with a sight on your back. We don’t want to let off a six-point-five Creedmoor in the city, but needs must…”

“What the hell is that?”

“It’s a rifle calibre. A relatively new one. Damned effective and with a wonderfully straight trajectory.” She paused. “It’s another scenario that I didn’t want to mention. A fail safe if you will.”

“Who the hell are you?” he asked belligerently.

Caroline smiled thinly. She wore a pair of large Gucci sunglasses and the lenses were dark brown, hiding her eyes. Even with her striking looks and her mousey hair cascading around her shoulders, she would be difficult to recognise. The sunglasses and her lack of expression were all the disguise she needed. “We are just a few people with specialist skills and the will to exploit them effectively.”

Noventa nodded. “How did you trace the dark webwork back to me?”

“As I said, specialist skills. And my man hacked you. Don’t worry, it happens.” She paused. “But be under no illusion, we can get to you whenever we want and wherever you are.”

“I get it,” he replied tersely.

“When you leave here you will start the