‘I feel like I’m about to meet the president or something.’
‘I guess you never know.’
The suited man, who Logan had called Butcher, searched across the Red Cobra’s body. He took a little too long feeling around her groin and chest, his disgusting sausage-like fingers squeezing her flesh. She didn’t react. Just made a mental note.
Butcher found nothing and the search was soon over.
‘So is it Gazinsky that you’ve got holed up here?’ the Red Cobra asked Logan again.
‘No. Follow me.’
The Red Cobra glared at Butcher before following Logan down the wood-panelled corridor. It led into a sitting room, with walls of bare stone and an obscenely large fireplace but otherwise bereft of fittings. This place certainly wasn’t a home, not anymore. There were no ornaments, knickknacks, or personal belongings of any kind.
On a large brown leather sofa – one of two – sat a middle aged man. He had thin hair, a goatee beard, and thick-rimmed glasses, and wore a pinstripe suit. The Red Cobra recognised his face immediately, from the information she’d received from her employer.
‘This is Charles McCabe,’ Logan said.
‘Mackie,’ the man said, getting to his feet, and offering the Red Cobra his hand. ‘Please, call me Mackie. It’s good to finally meet you, Anna.’
His voice was loud but smooth, his accent what she thought was English upper class. The Red Cobra shook Mackie’s hand. Gazinsky wasn’t here, but two of her targets were. Interesting.
Mackie took his seat again. The Red Cobra sat on the sofa opposite. Logan remained standing.
‘Wow, you really are beautiful,’ Mackie said. The Red Cobra held back her grimace at the old man’s lame flattery. ‘I heard you were, but seeing you for real... even prettier than I imagined.’
‘Thanks,’ she said without any feeling.
‘I feel sorry for the poor sods you sucker in with that pout. I’m sure there’ve been many.’
The Red Cobra almost smiled. With that comment, she saw Mackie for what he actually was. Not a pervy man but a unique talent spotter.
‘You should see her without the wig,’ Logan said, smiling at her.
Mackie chuckled. ‘I’m glad you came here.’
‘Why am I here?’ the Red Cobra asked.
‘It was Logan’s idea,’ Mackie said. ‘He likes you.’
‘Yeah, he told me so.’
‘Not like that, Anna. He thinks you’ve got potential.’
‘Potential for what?’
‘To work with us.’
‘I work alone.’
‘So does Logan.’
‘Then why do you need me?’
‘Because you’re good. Very good.’
‘I’m flattered.’
‘I knew your father,’ Mackie said, and that bombshell knocked the Red Cobra off course. The pleased look on Mackie’s face showed that he knew it too.
‘My father’s dead,’ she said, trying to hide that she was rattled by Mackie’s revelation.
‘Yes. I know that. I’m looking at the woman who killed him.’
The Red Cobra said nothing.
‘I liked Vlad,’ Mackie said. ‘You could always count on him. In some ways it was a shame that... you know.’
‘How did you know him?’
‘How do you think? I hired him, more than once. He was excellent at his work. Discrete. Seamless. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for.’
‘He wasn’t good enough, though, was he?’ the Red Cobra said.
‘In the end, no, you’re right. He wasn’t. But everyone has their downfall eventually. It’ll come to all of us whether we like it or not.’
‘What do you want me to do for you exactly?’
‘Help Logan get to Potanin.’
‘Why?’
‘Because that’s what I need to happen.’
‘That doesn’t sound like a very good reason.’
‘It doesn’t? That’s the only reason you’ll ever get from me. I’m not here to debate the morality of what we do. I thought that would ring true with you.’
‘Potanin wants me to kill you,’ the Red Cobra said. ‘Kill Gazinsky too. And Logan.’
She looked over at Logan. He was staring at her but his face was passive.
‘Of course he does,’ Mackie said. ‘And did you question why he wants that?’
‘No.’
‘Good. Then you understand how this works already. So now we can stop talking about reasons and who deserves what. All we’re doing here is changing your employer.’
‘And what’s in it for me?’
‘You get to continue being alive. And you’ll be paid, of course.’
‘And if I refuse?’
‘Then it’d be a shame to see your expertise go to waste. I’ll be frank with you, Anna. It’s luck that brought you here.’
‘How so?’
Mackie shrugged. ‘This isn’t personal for you. You thought you were after Gazinsky. A battle of rivals – two corrupt billionaires. But that’s such a small glimpse into what’s happening here. Why do you think Potanin asked you to wait? Why did he have you surveilling Gazinsky? He could have sent you in there to kill Gazinsky days ago.’
‘Because he wants me to kill you too.’
‘Absolutely. Gazinsky is such a small cog here. Yes, he’s important to me. He’s prepared to turn his back on his home country and give us everything he knows. It’ll be useful to hear that. But I don’t care for him. He’s never going to be one of us. Once we’ve got what we need we’ll send him on his way again. Is that harsh? Maybe. But he’s not important enough for us to waste time, money and effort protecting. He’s expendable.’
‘And me?’
‘Everyone’s expendable,’ Mackie said. ‘When they stop being useful. You see Logan here?’
The Red Cobra looked over at him. ‘Yes.’
‘He’s not expendable. Not yet. Because he’s reliable. He gets results. To be honest, I would have expected him to kill you two days ago when he first realised there was heat on Gazinsky.’
‘He could have tried,’ the Red Cobra scoffed.
‘But he didn’t,’ Mackie said. ‘If you’d been anyone else he would have taken you out before you even knew he was onto you. That’s what he does. But this time he didn’t.’
‘Why?’
‘Because he saw who was out there. The infamous Red Cobra. You’ve been on our radar for a long time.’
The Red Cobra let Mackie’s words sink in.
A few seconds later, Butcher came into the room, a sour look on his hard face. He was carrying a radio receiver which crackled with static. He walked over to Logan and whispered into his ear. Logan took the radio then went to Mackie, bent down, and whispered to him. Mackie’s expression turned from one of cordiality to outright hostility. It was an alarming transformation.
‘Two cars approaching,’ Mackie said, his eyes fixed on the Red Cobra. ‘Eight men. You’ve got five seconds to tell me what’s happening. If you don’t, you’re dead.’
Her heart drummed. This was it. The game was up. It was time to make her move.
CHAPTER 45