‘Yeah. I thought the same. I guess that’s how I found you so easily.’
The Red Cobra hid her anger at his scathing comment. She sipped her martini, doing her best to remain cool and calm. ‘How did you find me? Here I mean.’
Logan said nothing, just stared at her. She shook her head. How could she have been so stupid? She’d been so focused on him when he’d bumped into her in the street, on whether to kill him or let him go, that she’d fallen for a cheap trick.
‘Where?’ she asked, referring to the tracking device that she knew he must have placed on her.
Logan shrugged, keeping quiet. It only angered the Red Cobra further to see him thinking he was in control.
‘You know who he is?’ Logan asked. ‘The man you’ve been spying on?’
‘No,’ she lied. Though it wasn’t an outright lie. She knew his name, a few details about him. Just what she needed. She didn’t care for any more. ‘I do only what I’m told. I don’t ask questions.’
Logan paused and gave her a cold, hard stare. She could tell he knew her answer was bullshit. But what did he expect? For her to blurt out everything she knew?
‘Igor Gazinsky,’ Logan said. ‘You heard of him?’
‘No.’
‘Oh, come on. He’s a pretty big deal. Worth billions. Made his money stealing state assets from the Russian people during privatisation. You know the type.’
‘I’ve heard of the type, yes. Oligarchs. You don’t like them?’
‘Them? Oligarchs. I’ve not met many. The ones I have met probably wished I hadn’t. And what do you think of men like that?’
The Red Cobra shrugged. ‘I’m not into politics.’
‘You’re not? Then I’ll ask you again, why are you spying on Igor Gazinsky?’
‘Because I’m being paid to.’
‘Do you want to kill him?’
‘Why would I want to do that?’
‘Because he’s a horrible human being.’
‘Do you want to kill him?’
‘I haven’t been asked to yet.’
‘And neither have I. Yet.’
‘So how about we help each other out here?’
‘What do you think I am, exactly?’ the Red Cobra asked with genuine curiosity.
‘I think you’re dangerous. Lethal. I think you’re someone I should never trust in a million years.’
Perversely, the Red Cobra was pleased with his comments. ‘And yet you want me to help you?’
‘I’m used to working under such conditions.’
‘And who exactly is it that you work for?’
‘You tell me, I’ll tell you.’
‘I work for myself,’ she said. ‘It’s better that way.’
‘But you said you don’t know Gazinsky? So there must be someone else paying you. Someone with a beef against him, I’m presuming. So who is it?’
‘I’m not going to tell you that.’
‘Okay. Then how about I start first. I work for the British government.’
‘That’s hardly a bombshell, given the conversation so far.’
‘That doesn’t make you nervous? To know the intelligence services are on to you?’
‘On to me for what? And no, why should it?’ Though really her brain was moving at a thousand miles an hour trying to figure out how she could recover this mess. Of course she already knew the intelligence services of many countries had her on their radars. After all, she’d been paid by some of them, one way or another. But no one had ever been close to apprehending her, or even to conclusively linking her to any of her jobs. Her reputation was built largely on hearsay and fable. So to be sat in a bar like this with a spook... it wasn’t exactly good news.
‘Would you like to know what I’m doing here, in Berlin?’ Logan asked.
‘Oh, I’m dying to know. Look at me. Can’t you tell how excited I am to find out?’
Logan smirked, and despite herself, the Red Cobra reciprocated.
‘I don’t know what you’ve been told about Gazinsky. I’m guessing your orders are to surveil him. Then assassinate him.’
The Red Cobra shrugged.
‘And to be honest, that’s fine with me,’ Logan said. ‘But not yet. I won’t allow you to kill him yet.’
‘You won’t allow me.’
‘No. You see, that’s why I’m here. To protect him. To make sure no harm comes to him in Berlin.’
‘You said he was a horrible person?’
‘He is. But this is my job. Gazinsky is scum. He’s corrupt as hell. But such is life. He could also make a good asset for my employers. Which, I’m guessing, might link in to why you’re here. To stop that from happening.’
‘I’m not working with Moscow, if that’s what you’re thinking.’
‘No. I’d have known if you were. And we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation.’
‘You think you know a lot, don’t you?’
‘Yes. About some things I do.’
‘Why do you want me to help?’
‘You’ve got certain... talents. Talents that are hard to find. Someone like you could be useful to someone like me. And I know you don’t have real loyalty to anyone. That’s fine. You do this for the money. That’s fine too. You tell me who sent you here, or I’ll find out the hard way. You tell me, I’ll pay you twice as much to walk away.’
‘You think I do this for money?’
‘You don’t? Great. So you’ll help me for free?’ Logan smiled.
‘Why are you protecting Gazinsky? What’s the play?’
‘Isn’t it obvious? You’re staking-out that hotel suite. I was there checking it’s safe. You didn't wonder why that might be happening? What might be planned?’
‘A meeting,’ the Red Cobra said. ‘There’s going to be a meeting.’
And she got it, even before Logan confirmed it. That was why she hadn’t yet been given the green light. Her target wasn’t just Gazinsky. It was whoever he was due to meet with.
‘My boss is meeting with Gazinsky,’ Logan said. ‘Tomorrow. Gazinsky is a spy. He works for us now. And that’s why I can’t let you kill him. At least not until we find out what he knows.’
CHAPTER 34
The Red Cobra looked away from Logan and finished the rest of her martini. Then she ordered another. Logan signalled the barman to make him one too.
‘May as well give it a go,’ he said.
Logan and the Red Cobra sat silently as the barman made the drinks. She looked over at Logan. He turned to her and smiled. She had to admit, he wasn’t at all bad looking. His green eyes shimmered under the lighting of the bar. His face was strong, hardened. He was confident, certainly – it was an attractive trait – but the Red Cobra got a strange feeling when she stared into his eyes. Because she saw nothing. No emotion. No feeling.
He was lethal, dangerous. Two words he’d moments earlier used to describe her and she saw the same in him. But that didn't worry her, not one bit.
One way or another, this was going to be an exciting game.
‘So your boss meets with Gazinsky, and then what?’ she asked when the barman had brought them their drinks and moved off to attend to some new arrivals.
‘I’ll know that after the meeting.’
‘Will you still be protecting Gazinsky?’