The Pursuit of Emma, Dave Moyer [best contemporary novels txt] 📗

news. The Kozlovs will know by now.’

‘Jack, I can fix this. I know I can. I need you to come to London. Can you do that?’

He protested but promised he would be on his way. I woke Emma up and dragged her out of bed.

‘We need to go. Come on!’ I shouted. I pulled some clothes on and five minutes later we were in the ‘pimpmobile’ flying towards Parlour Street.

There was a big part of me that wanted to bundle Emma into the car and drive away until we disappeared off the map. But I knew how powerful the Kozlovs were and I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life running in fear. Emma wasn’t speaking. I was hoping she would think of something but I couldn’t imagine how we could get out of this one. We were outside the Kozlov’s door soon enough and I hammered my fist against it, careless of who it might wake up. Maybe the Kozlovs were still asleep. There was a good chance they would be in bed and hadn’t had time to arrange a punishment for our failures. I hoped at least.

Vitali opened the door after the third knock. He was fully dressed and looked like he had been for some while. There was no tiredness in his eyes, but it was replaced by anger; the kind of which I had never really seen before.

‘I am impressed you are here,’ Vitali spoke. He was talking very slowly, emphasising every syllable. ‘Come in.’

His eyes were so terrifying I found it hard to move my legs but Emma had disappeared inside and I wouldn’t leave her alone.

Vitali was not the only one who was up and dressed. Igor was waiting in the lounge along with his usual bunch of cronies. Alex was nowhere to be seen but he had been replaced by a similarly gorilla-shaped Russian. Vlad had made it back so I assumed at least that our exertions over in Holland had not been for nothing.

‘Sit down,’ barked Igor. Gone were the warm handshakes and the laughter. He looked dead inside. We did as we were told and sat down.

‘Well firstly I guess, we must congratulate you on a... successful trip to Amsterdam. Successful in terms of retrieving the ewer. It makes a lovely addition to our collection.’

‘Thanks,’ I said, hoping we might still have a way out of it.

‘Yes,’ he said sarcastically. ‘We were hoping for less of an international outcry than you gave us. I take it you have seen the news.’

‘Yes, we did. Listen, we had no idea China would move the ewer...’ I tried to explain, but was cut short.

‘That is very unfortunate for you. I must say I thought getting one vase was going to be tough and you certainly exceeded my expectations but... we had a deal.’

I knew exactly what the deal was. The five ewers in exchange for our lives. And we had failed.

‘The vase will be moved in a few hours and by the time it reaches the airport it will be lost forever. You got so close.’

‘We could always steal it when it gets back to China,’ Emma said, but even as she spoke she knew it was no good.

‘What a sweet thought, little girl. But no! China is taking it to ground. They are not going to display it and finding it will be impossible. It is over.’

Igor stood up and walked until he was only a few feet away from us. Close enough to get a clean shot at us, but not near enough for us to catch him with a swift kick. We were sitting ducks.

‘I am sorry to have to do this but rules are rules...’ Igor whispered, not looking remotely sorry for his actions. He pulled out his gun and pointed it straight at my face. I looked at Emma but she could do nothing. She had planned her way out of everything but she was lost for ideas. She turned to face me and tears rolled out of her eyes. I could tell she wanted to say sorry and how much she loved me. Be brave for her. I smiled back at her, defiantly. I was actually going to die.

‘Let it always be said that the Kozlovs gave you every chance to survive. You messed up...’

He closed one eye and focused his aim with the other one. I could feel his stare burning a hole in my forehead. At least it would be quick.

‘Goodbye,’ he muttered. My mind went blank. Then suddenly...

‘WAIT!’ I shouted, louder than I ever have before. ‘I know how to get you your ewer!’

He didn’t lower his gun but he didn’t shoot me, so it was a start.

‘I know you are scared Thomas, but take it like a man. There is no way. The museum is already flooded with police and by the time it reaches China, you will never find it. You are out of time.’

‘Exactly but there is one opportunity. Think about it. We will boost it in transit!’

He looked confused. I was too, to be honest. I had accepted death and at the final moment a plan had formed almost perfectly in my mind. I was now just operating on instinct.

‘You have one minute to explain your plan in full. If, as I suspect, you are just wasting time I will put a bullet in her head first, so you can watch her die,’ he said.

‘Ok so we can’t get to the vase when it is at the museum or the airport. But how is it getting there?’

‘An armed van is at the museum as we speak, and it will be surrounded by four police men on motorbikes. You won’t be able to get anywhere near it,’ said Vitali.

Normally these things would faze me but it wasn’t me talking anymore. It was something inside me that was taking over and saving both our lives.

‘That’s alright, I don’t need to get near to the van. At least not the front or back.’ I said smiling.

Emma looked at me, hoping I had something brilliant but knowing the chances were pretty slim. If she hadn’t thought of something, how could I? But I had.

‘Thirty seconds,’ said Igor, growing impatient.

‘Ok, so Emma knows someone who can hack into the traffic control system and divert any traffic, anywhere we want.’ I wasn’t sure this was true but she must do surely! That was the least of our worries.

‘So what?’ Igor said, ignorantly.

‘So, we can make sure the van stops wherever we want. I can get that van to stop on a ten pence piece anywhere in London.’

‘OK so you can stop it. Well done. Then what?’ Igor was really starting to piss me off.

‘Then, we wait in a chosen manhole until the van is directly above us and then we cut our way into the bottom of the van.’

It was brilliant, in my mind anyway.

‘And how do you intend to cut through inches of solid metal?’ asked Vitali, getting a little excited.

‘We know a guy. He has developed a laser cutter than can get through it, no problem. Leave that to us.’ I could see he was thinking it over. The gun was still aimed in my directions but there was no aggression in its stance anymore.

‘Think about this. I am saying I can get you that last ewer. That is what you want right? But to do it we have to move now. It’s win-win for you. Either we get caught and take the blame and go to jail for the rest of our lives, leaving you with four ewers and none the worse off. Or we somehow manage to pull off this job, you get the full set and we get our freedom. Sound fair?’

‘Nice try but you will just run. We are not stupid.’

‘Of course you're not but neither are we. If we wanted to run we wouldn’t have gone to Amsterdam would we? We would have disappeared but we know what you are capable of. Do you think we want to spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders? We came here didn’t we? Instead of running. I want to help you get the ewers but you need to trust me.’

Nobody said anything but seconds passed and no bullet cracked through my skull so I knew I was on the right path. Vitali muttered something to his brother and they disappeared out of the room to talk in the hall. Igor handed the gun to one of his men and told him to keep an eye on us. Where were we going to go?

After what seemed like an eternity, the two Kozlovs returned to tell us our fate. Either they would agree with us or kill us. It was decision time.

‘Fine, this is the address of our storehouse. We meet you there at midday exactly. If you are not there we will hunt you down like dogs. Believe me when I tell you, we won’t use bullets; it will be drawn out and very painful. Do not disappoint.’ Igor was enjoying his speeches today.

It had worked.

‘Fine, we’ll see you there. But if we are going to do it, we have to leave now,’ I said, standing up and taking the piece of paper from his hand before disappearing out of the building with Emma.

*****

‘That was... unbelievable. You saved us. I can’t ever... I’m so sorry...’ said Emma, breaking down in tears as we got into my car.

‘Hey, you didn’t think I was going to let that prick kill you, did you? I was just keeping things interesting,’ I smiled at her and ran my hand over her knee. It took several minutes for her to calm down but, bit by bit, she began to revert back to ‘normal Emma.’ I was going to need her on her top form if we were going to stand a chance.

‘OK baby, it’s seven now so we have very little time to do this. We need to move fast. Please tell me you know someone who can hack the traffic control system. Either that or we have to get the hell out of this country.’

‘I know one person... but he kind of hates me. I don’t know if he will do it.’

‘Where is he? Where does he live?’

‘Hackney.’

I pushed my foot flat to the floor and headed towards the East End. Chapter Twenty-Eight

‘You have two options. Trust me, you’ll want to take the first.’

We were up early but sadly, London is the city that never sleeps, and the roads were beginning to fill up. I took as many back roads as I could but we lost precious minutes sitting perfectly still in traffic. It took us almost an hour to get to the rough part of Hackney (which is saying something) and find the flat. As we walked up the drive I pushed Emma first, partly so she could do the talking, but also so that I could feel more protective over her. She didn’t hesitate and headed straight for a black door. She obviously knew where she was going.

‘How do you know this guy? Why does he hate you?’ I asked as she knocked on the door.

‘Ex-boyfriend,’ she said, answering both.

‘Oh great,’ I said. Could this day get