Free Better Off Dead: (Victor the Assassin 4) by Tom Wood

power not to blink. In a way, it didn’t matter. Norimov knew. Whatever Victor did or said made no difference now.
    The Russian stood close enough for Victor to feel the warmth of his breath. ‘Tell me, Vasily, if Eleanor was alive and standing before you as I am now, would you turn down her request for help? If she stared into your eyes and begged you to save her daughter’s life, would you even pause long enough to take a single breath?’
    ‘I… I need time to think about this.’
    ‘No,’ Norimov hissed, poking Victor in the chest with a finger he should have snapped, but could not bring himself to. ‘There is no time for fucking deliberation. You answer me now, you piece of shit, or you walk away from here and condemn my daughter – Eleanor’s daughter – to death.’
    He had looked sad and scared earlier, but now he was desperate and angry. He was no longer afraid of Victor because he feared for Gisele above himself. He hated Victor and needed him. Victor could hear the shuffle of footsteps and crunch of snow on the side street between the alleyway and the bar where Sergei and another of Norimov’s men waited. They were anxious because of their boss’s raised voice.
    ‘
ANSWER ME
,’ Norimov yelled.
    Saliva struck Victor’s face. Around him, the wind howled. The sky above was black and starless.
    ‘
ANSWER ME
,’ Norimov yelled again.
    Victor did.

THIRTEEN
    ‘Okay.’ Victor nodded. ‘For Eleanor.’
    ‘Thank you,’ Norimov said, words expelled on the rush of a heavy sigh. ‘Thank you.’
    ‘Don’t thank me. I’m doing this for Eleanor.’
    ‘I don’t care why you’re doing it. Just that you are.’
    ‘Where is Gisele?’
    Norimov shook his head. ‘I… I don’t know. She lives in London, as far as I’m aware.’
    ‘As far as you’re aware?’
    ‘She hasn’t spoken to me in years, and I don’t where she is. I tried to contact her straight away but I can’t reach her. She’s missing.’
    ‘Then you need to consider she might already be dead.’
    ‘No,’ Norimov hissed through bared teeth. ‘Not yet. She’s still alive, I know she is. If those bastards who sent me that photograph had killed her, they would mail me a box containing her heart. And if they had her, I would already have received the footage of them torturing her. Until that happens, I have to believe she’s out there and okay.’
    ‘How am I meant to protect her when you don’t know where she is?’
    ‘You can track her down, Vasily. I know you can. Not even the most elusive of targets could hide from you when you had their scent. Go to London and find my daughter before those animals do.’
    Victor nodded. ‘After I’ve done this I never want to hear from you again.’
    ‘Of course. Anything you want. Just please help my daughter.’
    ‘I’ll take the first flight in the morning. Let me have a number I can contact you on. I’ll update you as and when I learn anything.’
    ‘Yes, yes. Absolutely. We’ll do it your way.’
    ‘Tell me exactly what has taken place since you received the threat.’
    ‘As soon as the photograph arrived I sent one of my men to London. He’s been looking for Gisele for the past week, but he’s an enforcer, not a detective. When you arrive, he can help you. He’ll meet you at the airport. I have a place where you can stay there. Everything will be provided for you.’
    ‘No. I’ll make my own arrangements. You can give me his number and I’ll contact him after I’ve arrived.’
    ‘There’s no reason for you to be concerned about me or my men.’
    ‘Do you think I would have agreed to find Gisele if I was concerned?’
    ‘Then why the precautions?’
    ‘Because I would be dead without them.’
    Norimov listened, then nodded. ‘Sure, I understand. I can give you money to help with your expenses. I don’t know how long this will take. I don’t want you out of pocket on my account.’
    ‘I’m not doing it for you, remember?’
    ‘I’m not likely to forget. If