Free Deadly Crossing (Tom Dugan 2) by R.E. McDermott

“I think is dangerous for him if I call him now. And besides, I am not so sure that… after what has happened…” Tanya paused, once more on the verge of tears. “Maybe he doesn’t feel the same way about me anymore.”
    Cassie looked perplexed. “What? Why?” she asked, then realization dawned. “You mean because of what you were forced to do? But that wasn’t YOUR fault.”
    Tanya hung her head, her voice barely audible. “Perhaps his head will tell him this, but his heart may say something different. I am no longer the same person. Even I feel shamed and dirty. How can he feel any different?”
    Cassie’s temper flared. “That’s terrible! If he stops loving you because of what someone else forced you to do, he’s just a… just a…” Cassie groped for words. “Just a no-good wanker!”
    Tanya looked up, shocked by Cassie’s reaction, and her new friend’s righteous indignation was so complete it struck Tanya as amusing. The corners of her mouth turned up in a smile, and though tears still ran down her cheeks, she burst out laughing and folded Cassie in a tight hug.
    “I think you and I will become great friends,” Tanya said, through the laughter and the tears.
    Club Pyatnitsa
London, UK
    “You’re sure it’s him?” Arsov asked.
    Nazarov smiled. “Not just him. Them.” He pulled a stack of photos out of his jacket pocket and tossed them on the desk.
    “I found the cab,” Nazarov said, “and the cabbie remembered the fare. He picked the guy up at a fancy house over near Kensington Square. I had Anatoli stake the place out, and he took those last night.”
    Arsov looked through the pictures. He recognized the American and both of the Russians. One photo showed the American exiting a large house in the company of a striking redhead. “Hmm. Kensington Square. That says money. Just who is this American?”
    Nazavov’s smile widened. “The Internet is a wonderful thing. His name is Thomas Dugan, and he is managing director of Phoenix Shipping Limited. The house belongs to an Alexander Kairouz, who is chairman of the board of the same company.”
    Arsov glanced back at the photo. “And the redhead?”
    “Her name is Anna Walsh. She’s this Dugan’s live-in girlfriend. Other than that, I can find nothing on her, but we’re still looking.”
    “And you saw no sign of Tanya?”
    “Not so far. I slipped the doorman at this Dugan’s flat a bribe, and according to him, he’s seen no one resembling Tanya, so I think she must be at the Kairouz house. Anyway, we’re covering Kairouz, Dugan, and the Russians around the clock. The Russians seem to be staying at Dugan’s flat. Someone will lead us to Tanya sooner or later.”
    “You better make sure it’s sooner,” Arsov said. “We damn near had to kill Karina to get her to identify the Spetsnaz and admit the big blond fellow was her uncle, and I don’t like unnecessary wear and tear on the merchandise. It’s not good for business. We need to put an end to this.”
    “I don’t understand why you just don’t make a call to St. Petersburg. If they put pressure on the girl’s family, this bastard Denosovitch and his old boss Borgdanov will get the message and back off. That’s always worked before.”
    “Because, Nazarov, I am not eager to give our superiors in St. Petersburg the impression that we cannot handle one troublesome whore and her loving uncle. Must I remind you that our competence is already in question because of the loss of the drug shipment to Savannah?”
    Nazarov bristled. “I told you, that was not our fault.”
    “And as I explained to you, it doesn’t fucking matter. The leak was either here, in the US, or in St. Petersburg. We’re responsible for the UK and the US, and do you really think our superiors in St. Petersburg will easily accept that the problem is on THEIR end? Perhaps I should send you to St. Petersburg so you can explain your theory to them in person, da ?”
    “I… I had not thought of