Free Deadly Games by Jaycee Clark Page A

eighty thousand. A big center of industry, especially coal for the Czech Republic, he knew it was a quiet historical town few sought out. In fact, he’d never done more than drive through it. There were other towns he’d visited, and preferred. Kladno, though charming with its mixture of medieval and renaissance melding with the modern factories, had never appealed to him.
    He followed John’s directions. Twice they took a wrong turn, but finally they arrived.
    It was almost two in the morning when he pulled up in front of the large house on a quiet street. For all appearances, this was just the average historical townhouse, shaded a different color than the one next to it, but it was set behind its own iron fence and gate.
    He looked around. “Does the house have a garage or a courtyard to park the car?”
    A grey Audi drove passed them. He watched in the mirror as the car braked at the next intersection and turned right.
    “I think there was a courtyard around back,” John said.
    “This it?”
    “Yes.”
    “You’re certain? I don’t care to deal with the Kladno police because you think this might be the place.”
    John didn’t answer as he climbed out of the car.
    Dimtri looked up at the four story house. He opened the door and climbed out of the car. Nothing moved. No one passed in front of the windows. The houses on either side were quiet and dark.
    The air hung heavy with oncoming rains and the sharp smell of coal. He could 44
    hear the faint hum of the plants outside of town.

    Their doors clicked in the night. He transferred his phone to vibration mode and watched as John did the same.
    He pulled his SIG from his shoulder holster.
    “Ready?” he asked John.
    “I’ve been ready for three fucking years,” John muttered.

     
    * * * *
     
    Elianya shook her head, shocked at what had happened. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. With a curse at the guards who had heard nothing and had let the bastards leave--
    or so they said--she paced. What the hell did she do now?
    “Madam?”
    She stared at the body and wondered how the hell to get out of this mess. Leave it to men to fuck things up.
    “What?” she snapped. They’d have to dispose of the body, well, bodies. She wasn’t about to chance leaving the other one alive. And they had yet to find the other one.
    “Explain to me again, what the hell happened?”
    The guard shuffled his feet, and said, “We thought…” He cleared his throat.
    “Yes?”
    “That is, we were going to do a practice run, and --”
    She held up her hand. “You wanted to make a bit of money on the side.” She pierced the idiot to the spot. “Don’t lie to me. I’ll always know. I detest liars, and lying.”
    Well she did. “Doing something is not nearly as grievous an offense as lying about it.”
    She crossed her arms and tapped her fingernails atop her sleeves. “Remember that if you don’t want me to end your career too soon.”
    She looked back to the body. Young. Too damn young to be dead and this one would have made her so much money. Small for her teenage years, she was almost an exact replica of her much younger and alive--though hiding--sister.
    So much for the shoot tonight. Damn idiots. “Do not ever again try a stunt like this.”
    And the girl could easily have passed as twelve and with some digital enhancements even younger. Shit. And the girls had been such a find--hell, even a bargain at the price she obtained them at from the greedy Ukrainian relative.
    “There’s someone coming, Madam.”
    His words jerked her back. She whirled to the doorway where the guard stood.
    “Who? The police?”
    He shook his head. “No, your brother’s man. Petrolov.”
    Her mind racing, she realized this might not be so bad. “This might work. Kill him when he gets up here.”
    His eyes widened.
    She walked to him, patted his cheek and said, “He’s a loose end and it’s not as if my brother will care.” She laughed to herself. The guard, a remnant of Russia’s once