Free Kill Switch: A Vigilante Serial Killer Action Thriller (Angel of Darkness Suspense Thriller Series Book 1) by Steve N. Lee Page B

judging which strategy to use with which individual.
    Tess leaned over to Blondie. “As you can tell, Elena is very sick. Every day she has to fight to stay alive. Even so, she’s so sick she could die today. Or she could die tomorrow. Or, if she’s really, really lucky, she could live this week, maybe even next week too, and die then. But if you don’t help her find her daughter, she’s going to die right this second right in front of you.”
    And Elena would die. Not physically. But in every other way possible.
    Blondie locked eyes with Tess, then swung her attention to Elena. She huffed, then screwed up her face for a moment, obviously deep in thought.
    Finally, Blondie said, “I don’t know name.”
    “Okay, so you don’t know the man’s name. But you do know what he looks like, don’t you?”
    She shrugged the way someone shrugged when they couldn’t be bothered doing something without that little bit of extra coaxing.
    Tess stood and beckoned Blondie. “Come with me, please.”
    Blondie sighed as if this was the most uninteresting day she’d ever known, but she got up. As did Elena.
    Tess led them down the street, back toward the square.
    “Tess, where are we going?” asked Elena, her cheeks wet, eyes red.
    “The square.”
    “Why? What good is that going to do?”
    “You know you told me I could tell you to shut the hell up.”
    “Yes?”
    Tess shot her a sideways glance.
    “Oh. Okay. Sorry.”
    Back into the square, Tess turned to Blondie. With a sweep of her arm, she gestured to all the tourists and locals swarming the place. “Point to the man who looks most like the one who takes women.”
    Blondie frowned. “But it not right man.”
    “I know. Just find a man who looks like him.”
    Blowing out a weary breath, Blondie sauntered further into the square shaking her head. Quietly, Tess and Elena walked a few paces behind.
    Turning this way and that, Blondie panned her gaze from man to man to man. After a couple of minutes, she pointed at a man standing behind an outdoor stall which burst with a rainbow of flowers. “Him. But shorter hair. Younger. Smaller nose.”
    Wanting to be sure, Tess pointed. “The man selling flowers?”
    “Yes. I go now?”
    Walking toward the man, Tess turned back. “No. Please wait there.” She pointed at Elena. “Don’t let her go anywhere, Elena.”
    Tess studied the flower seller. A very attractive man, he was forty-ish, had wavy brown hair hanging over his collar, a square-jawed face, and gentle eyes. With his business being in the main tourist area, there was a good chance he’d speak English. Checking that was the first job. And the easy part.
    She sauntered over, glancing sheepishly at the gray cobbles when he caught her eye.
    “ Czy mowi pan po angielsku? ” she asked.
    He answered her question by replying in English. “Of course. Which flowers would you like, please?”
    Great. That would make this a lot easier.
    Tess smiled coyly. “Well… it’s not really flowers I want” – she glanced down, shuffling from foot to foot – “but, er, a small favor.”
    “A favor?”
    “My best friend at home is always teasing me because she has a handsome boyfriend and I don’t.”
    “You don’t? No!”
    “I just can’t find the right guy.” Tess shrugged as if the situation was hopeless. “But if you don’t mind me saying, you’re the most handsome man I’ve seen in Krakow.”
    Feigning embarrassment, but obviously delighted, he waved his hands at her and turned away. “Please, no. Twenty years ago… hmmm… maybe.”
    “Really. The most handsome man I’ve seen.”
    “Then, thank you. Now, what is this favor?” He wagged his finger and laughed. “I hope not for borrow money, because rich men no sell flowers.”
    “No. Not money. I just want to make my friend jealous.” Tess held up her phone. “Can I have a photo with you, please?”
    “Just a photo? But of course.”
    Marching out from behind his stall, he beckoned her closer.