My brain stopped. I swear it did. I couldn't seem to process what he'd said. I stood there, gaping, certain that I'd heard him wrong. It wasn't just what he said; it was how he said it. Completely calm, conversational even.
"Emotionally stunted," Koss said. "That's what I'm sure a psychiatrist would say. Drew liked little girls because he wanted them to like him back. He couldn't face women his own age. He liked sweet little girls, and he was always hoping if he fucked them just right, they'd fall in love with him. Did you fall in love with him, Nadia?"
"Uh-uh," he said, as soon as I made a move. "If you go for your gun, I'll go for mine and this will not end well."
"Not for you."
A humorless smile. "I doubt that, but I also doubt you're going to shoot me. Not until you have some answers. So we are going to raise our hands together, Nadia. Then we are going to sit down at that table, our hands on it where we can see them, and we'll have a little talk."
CHAPTER 48
Jack's curse whispered through the earpiece.
"You need me?" Jack asked.
"I've got it," I said. Then I paused, so Jack would know I was really answering him, before continuing with, "My hands are going up, and I'll walk to the table as long as you do the same."
My heart was hammering, but there was no need for Jack to jump in. Not as long as Koss was willing to talk. I just needed a moment to get my mental footing. Get him talking. Give me time to regroup and refocus.
"I was wrong," I said as we sat.
"Oh, I'm sure you were wrong about a lot of things. I presume you mean about who killed Amy."
"I knew you did. I just misunderstood the circumstances. I thought you were pulled into it by Aldrich, partying with a couple of teenage girls, things went wrong, and it was all a terrible mistake."
"I don't make mistakes." He leaned forward. "Who are you, Nadia? Who are you really? Not just some screw-up ex-cop hiding in the forest. That's clear. What are you?"
"Is that why we're having a conversation? Because I'm not the only one with questions?"
"I'm curious. As an expert in double lives, yours seems fascinating. Admittedly, I still haven't confirmed what that double life is, but I have an idea. Am I correct in believing you're armed?"
"I am."
"With what?"
I said nothing. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if annoyed. Here he was, so clearly willing to communicate, and I was being difficult. My brain was still trying to reconcile this man with the Sebastian Koss I knew. I might lead a double life, and there might be sides of me that I hide from the world, but nothing like this.
"You came here to kill me," he continued. "But there are so many easier ways to do it. Safer ways. You're taking this risk because you can't kill me until you have your answers. That's rather pathetic, don't you think?"
"This coming from someone who wants answers himself?"
He shrugged. "Mine is pure curiosity, and the moment I feel an honest threat, I'll kill you, regardless of whether I have my answers. You won't, because you need a reason. Once you have it, you'll put a bullet in my brain." He paused. "That's what you do, isn't it?
"I've never denied I killed Wayne Franco."
"That's not what I mean. What happened to the man you met last weekend, Nadia?"
"I met a few men last weekend. I was at my lodge."
"This wasn't a guest. It was a man sent to kill you. I don't know exactly when you met him. Or under what conditions. Or the outcome. I only know that he went to see you and was never heard from again."
"It's beautiful country up there. Maybe he decided to stay."
"I'm sure he did. I'm sure he'll stay until he rots and becomes part of that beautiful country. And then there's the matter of the man who hired him. A fellow named Roland. He's missing, too. Do you know anything about that?"
"Nope."
"Do you see the pages beside you, Nadia?"
I looked over. There were sheets on the table.
"Turn the top one over."
I did. It was a blown-up photograph of one of the shots from the park. Jack and me, making out. My heart started to thump, but I told myself not to panic. I should have known there was a chance the hitman passed these along to his client before his death. And it was just a blurry shot of me kissing someone with his back to the camera.
"It's a photo of me kissing a guy," I said, so Jack would know what was happening.
"Do you recognize him?" Koss asked.
"Vaguely. I had a few drinks the other night. I picked him up in a bar. He was hot."
I expected a reaction from Jack, maybe a chuckle. The earpiece was silent. Not really the time for jokes, I guess.
Koss flipped over the next picture. It was Jack and me walking into the park. A close up. Of Jack's face. Without any disguise.
I tried not to react. Oh, God, I tried not to. I know I did. I could tell by Koss's satisfied smirk.
It was all right. Sebastian Koss wasn't walking out of this room alive, so it didn't matter if he knew who Jack was, no more than it mattered if he knew what I was. He'd killed Amy. I was ready to put a bullet in him at the first chance I got.
Except I couldn't. Not now. Because I had to make damned sure he was the only one who knew about Jack and me.
"Jack," Koss mused. "A boring name, don't you think? Particularly for a hitman." He turned to the next shot, the one of me straddling Jack. "You don't seem to find him boring, though, do you, Nadia?"
How do I play this? Dear God, how do I play it?
I treat it like an interrogation. I exercise my right to remain silent.
He shoved the picture in front of me. "Seeing this, I have to think maybe Drew's dream wasn't as crazy as I thought. It seems he did leave a lasting impression. You've developed a taste for . . . I would say 'bad boys,' but that sounds like punks who screw around and toke up a little on the weekend. This is a whole other class of bad, isn't it, Nadia?"
I swore I could feel him tensed there, watching me hungrily, waiting for a reaction, for any flinch. I didn't give it. If anything, I had to fight the impulse to laugh at the very thought that I'd see a link between Jack and Drew Aldrich.
"So how did it happen, Nadia?" he continued. "Did he come to take a break at your lodge? Needed a little R&R after blowing up innocent people? It's a stressful job. But you know that, don't you?"
He paused only a split second now, as if he wouldn't wait long enough to give me any satisfaction.
"It wasn't easy finding out who your friend was," he said. "When you managed to outwit two hitmen and disappear a middleman, I started suspecting you had some experience in the field. It was a long shot, but it paid off . . . after employing all of my extensive resources and a good deal of money. I tracked down a rumor about a hitman and a woman he'd taken under his wing." Koss glanced down at the photos. "Or maybe that's not the right phrase."
He looked over at me. "Is that what happened, Nadia? Your new boyfriend shows you a way to make some extra cash? You're an ex-cop. You're a champion distance shooter. You already had the skills. And you already had the experience, with Wayne Franco."
I just sat there, letting him talk.
"I caught a lucky break the other night." He paused. "Well, not so lucky, given that you're still alive. And, I'm sure, not so lucky for that poor sap you killed. But before he disappeared, he sent me those photos. And after he disappeared, I passed them to my contact to confirm that this did seem to be the Jack he'd heard the rumor about. He also very helpfully told me where I could go for more information. Another middleman. The same one, it turned out, that I'd hired here in Chicago."
Duncan.
He continued, "I tracked the old boy down, but he really wasn't feeling chatty. Fled to his cabin. I followed. We had a talk. He didn't give quite as much as I'd hoped for. A tough old bastard. Loyal to his friends. You don't see a lot of that with these criminal types. Admirable, even if it didn't help him, in the end."
He fingered the photos again. "So I know who your f
riend is, Nadia. And I'm pretty sure I know who you are. Dee, that's your professional name, isn't it? Nadia--Dee--not terribly imaginative."
A rap at the door made me jump. Koss only smiled.
"It seems we have guests. Should we invite them in?"
CHAPTER 49
The door opened as he was talking. The first thing I saw was Jack and my brain stuttered. There were people I could imagine sauntering into a standoff. Evelyn, for sure. She'd stroll into the room and throw her opponent for a loop and shoot him before he recovered.
But Jack didn't have the ego to take such an unnecessary risk.
That's when I saw the man behind him, with a gun pointed at the back of his head, and my brain didn't just stutter--it seemed to shut down altogether.
Not possible. Not fucking possible.
Wasn't it? Jack's been distracted. Off his game. Was it impossible to believe he was so caught up in worrying about you that he forgot to pay attention?
Yes. It was.
Koss laughed and I glanced over to see him watching me. Watching me react to Jack being brought in. Watching Jack react, his gaze down, ashamed.
"That's what happens when you're fucking your partner, Nadia," Koss said. "He's not a world-class hitman anymore. He's just a guy worried about his girlfriend."
The man holding a gun on Jack smiled. I looked at him. He was in his late thirties. Former military. The short dark hair didn't give that away--his bearing did, and the way he moved from the door as quickly as possible, getting his back from it.
"This is Henry," Koss said. "Henry, you've already met Jack. This is Dee, the hitwoman who's been the cause of my current dilemma."
Henry turned his cool gaze on me in a contemptuous once-over.
"Jack? Go stand by your girlfriend," Koss said. Then to Henry, "He's been disarmed, I presume?"
"Yes," Henry said. "I found two guns and a knife."
As Jack came over to me, I shifted, letting my jacket fall open. His gaze caught mine and he nodded, almost imperceptibly. I had a gun, but couldn't get to it, not without taking my hands off the table. He'd been disarmed, so they weren't paying attention to his hands. As he passed, though, he murmured, "Wait."
Jack took up position behind my chair. I glanced back at him, but he kept his gaze up, over my head, fixed on Koss.
I looked at Henry, standing beside Koss, hands behind his back, feet apart.
"So, Henry," I said. "You work for Contrapasso, too. It seems their screening process isn't quite up to snuff."
Henry's chin lifted, just a fraction, enough to know I'd surprised him with my guess . . . and enough to tell me I'd guessed right. Behind me, Jack grunted. Confirming it?
Damn it, I really needed more information here. Time for me to get chatty. If nothing else, it might distract them enough for Jack to do . . . whatever Jack planned to do, because I was certain he planned something.
"Your mistake was renting that car under their name," I said to Koss. "Oh, I'm sure you rent them all the time. The group wouldn't have thought twice when it came up on the monthly billing, and if someone else tried to trace it, it would lead to a dead end. Unless the person tracing it knows what the Contrapasso Fellowship is and has a way to get in touch with them."
"True, it was an oversight. But we weren't the only ones who didn't consider all the possibilities."
I nodded. "Like the one where you aren't the only scumbag hiding in Contrapasso."
Henry stiffened. Koss only smiled, bemused.
I continued. "Henry heard that you'd been made. That Contrapasso was coming for your ass. He tipped you off, so you were ready for them. And ready for me to make a hasty play to get to you before they did."
"Not bad for someone who barely got her high school diploma," Koss said.
He smiled at me, as if he'd repaid me for the scumbag comment with the worst insult he could imagine. And there I saw his weakness. Sebastian Koss was a twisted, sadistic son of a bitch. And he was damn pleased with himself for pulling off his double life--for having the intelligence to pull it off. That's what put him above mere thugs like me and Jack.
And Henry? Ah, poor Henry. He might consider himself an equal partner, but Koss had no equals. No partners.
"Do you think he's such a good idea?" I said, jerking my chin at Henry.
Koss lifted his eyebrows. I paused, waiting for some sign from Jack that this was not an avenue I should pursue. But he stayed motionless behind me.
"You said earlier that sleeping with my partner isn't a good idea," I continued. "But it does have its advantages. We'll fight for each other. Without that, well, it's every man for himself eventually. Now, in the military, you're taught to protect the guy beside you, to trust the guy leading you. Henry isn't in the military anymore. Those rules don't apply. He's on the other side of the law, where no one gives a shit about loyalty." I looked at Koss. "As you yourself just said about Duncan, it's a rare trait. And yet, apparently, you trust Henry."
"He's like a feral dog. Intensely loyal, as long as I keep feeding him. And I feed you very well, don't I, Henry?"
The man's eyes narrowed.
"It's true," Koss said, conversationally, as if he had no idea how much he was insulting his partner. Or he just didn't give a damn. "As you guessed, I joined Contrapasso for the same reason I made my living fighting for justice for women. It's not just a smoke screen but an unbelievably rich source of information and opportunity. Henry's more like you. He has ethics, damn it. And morals. Unfortunately, those ethics and morals don't play nicely with his compulsions and obsessions, do they, Henry?"
A faint tightening of Henry's lips. Still, he said nothing. Koss had something on him--a lot of things, I presume, making this partnership more like a hostage situation.
"So you feed those compulsions and obsessions," I said. "Poor Henry here goes to Contrapasso for redemption, and you drag him deeper into the pit with you."
Henry finally spoke. "I don't see how this is any--"
"Oh, relax," Koss said. "We're all just getting to know each other better. We can't expect Nadia and her friend to listen to our proposal if they don't know us."
"Proposal?" Jack said.
"The man speaks, his tongue loosened by the potential for profit. That's the trick with your kind, isn't it? Anything for money."
I glanced back as Jack shrugged. "Willing to listen."
A smug smile. "Of course you are. But it seems your girlfriend has some compunctions about Henry here. She doesn't quite trust him."
"Do you?" I asked. "I thought you'd have learned a lesson from Drew Aldrich. That particular partnership was more trouble than it was worth, wasn't it? An albatross around your neck, having Aldrich out there, knowing your secrets. I bet it feels good to have finally gotten rid of him."
Henry shifted. He was thinking of Aldrich. Thinking of Koss's obvious contempt for him.
Keep thinking, Henry. Of how much you'd like to be free of him. Free of what he offers. Free of temptation. Free of blackmail. Do you really want to trust--?
Koss turned and shot Henry. Right through the heart. And I sat there, gaping like an idiot.
Before Henry even hit the floor, Jack lunged and yanked the gun from my holster. Koss spun and there was a brief flash of surprise on his face as he realized he'd left his flank open. Surely the very shock of his action should have stunned us into immobility. And it did--for me, at least.
Jack shot Koss in the right shoulder. The blow sent him spinning, gun flying from his hand. I dove for that gun and grabbed it before it hit the floor, then twisted and managed to land on my ass, gun pointed at Koss, before he recovered from his stumble. It was a sweet move, and Jack nodded his approval, which was nice, though I would have preferred to have been the one who'd actually had the presence of mind to shoot Koss. Moves, I've got. Nerves of steel? Aluminum more like.
Once Jack trained his gun on Koss, I disarmed Henry. He was still alive. Dying, though, lying on his back, staring at the ceiling, mouth working. I watched
him in his final moments, and all I thought was, What has he done? What crimes has he committed? That shouldn't matter. A man was dying. If I could comfort him, even briefly, I should. But I couldn't.
So I took his gun and patted him down, and I found Jack's weapons, and took them, too.
"Four guns and a knife," I said, holding them up. "We have an arsenal."
"Got another gun under my pant leg."
I grinned. "Of course you do." I looked at Koss. "You winged him? Seriously?"
As I joked, Koss's scowl grew. Clearly he did not appreciate the casual response to the situation. Too bad.
"He winged me because he won't kill me," Koss said, struggling to find his smirk. "He knows you want me alive, and he wouldn't do anything that might cut him off. That's how you emasculate a hitman, Nadia. You fuck him and then--"
"He likes to talk," I said to Jack.
"Noticed."
"So I'm guessing there's a real reason why you kept him alive. Something to do with why you let yourself be captured?"
"Let himself?" Koss snorted. "You're as moonstruck as he is. He screwed up and got caught; he just managed to reverse the situation. A half-assed reversal because he needs to keep me alive so you--"
"Are we keeping him alive for someone else?" I said. "Because if not, I'd like him to stop talking now."
"So would I," said a voice from the doorway. "Unfortunately, we need him alive."
I turned and got my umpteenth shock of the night when I saw who was standing there. Quinn.
CHAPTER 50
Quinn walked in, followed by two men I didn't recognize. Both were armed, but they trained their guns on Henry and Koss. One lifted a radio.
"Bryant is still alive," the man said, meaning Henry, presumably. "Get Hayes up here and we might be able to keep him that way."
"Are you sure you want to?" I asked.
The man looked up at me and for a second I thought he wasn't going to answer. Then he dipped his chin and said, "I'm afraid we do. At least long enough to find out what he knows. And what he's done."
I nodded back and turned to Quinn and Jack. "Contrapasso?"
"Yeah," Jack said. "Cut a deal."
"They get to question Koss," Quinn said. He moved closer to me, lowering his voice so Koss wouldn't hear. "They want to know what he's done, so they can investigate any other partners. And so they can give the families closure if possible. We'll interrogate him together. Then they'll hand him back to you." He looked me in the eye. "Is that okay?"