Merchants with Evil Intent (20 page)

      
The four women also confirmed Orlov
befriended them and bought them a drink. None of them saw him again.

      
But, what scared them the most was the
man who spoke Russian. Both Camille Mayden and Callie Stewart described him as
short, fat and bald. Brower scoffed at their lack of detail. They fingered
forty percent of the male Chicago population.

      
McShane called in a sketch artist and
afterwards, drove to the station. He’d get answers out of Valik if he had to
beat them out of him.

*
     
*
     
*

      
Camille parents arrived ending Butler’s
visit. He watched from across the room, hands folded in front of him as a
tearful reunion ensued. He turned to leave when Camille hobbled to him.

      
“Detective Butler?”

      
He turned slowly around. “Joe.”

      
She smiled through tears. “Joe. Thanks
for sitting with us.” She gently touched his arm. He nodded when he wanted to
hug her. “Will you come back?”

      
“If you’d like me to, sure,” he assured.

      
“I’d like that,” she replied before
kissing him on his hair stubbled cheek.

*
     
*
     
*

      
Camryn was drifting off when her cell
rang. She growled into the phone, “What?”

      
“Camryn have you landed?”

      
“Yes and now I’m trying to sleep! Bye!”

      
She pulled the phone from her ear and was
about to close it when she heard, “Girl, don’t you hang up on me! Smirnoff was
fingered as the kidnapper!” John yelled.

      
She quickly brought the phone back to her
ear. “What did you say?”

      
“I said the missing women were found and
they’ve all fingered Orlov as the kidnapper.”

      
“Oh my God,” she whispered.

      
“That’s not all, Cam. He’s disappeared.
There’s an APB out on him.”

*
     
*
     
*

      
Tom McShane walked into the interrogation
room ready to loosen a few teeth, if necessary. Police brutality his ass. He
needed answers and would get them any way he could.

      
Valik grinned and smugly nodded his head
at him. His cocky demeanor pissed McShane off. “You’ll give me the answers I
need or I’ll put you in a cell with the worst prisoner that Cook County has and
you’ll be his bitch for a few hours.”

      
Valik blinked in astonishment. The image
conjured in his head made his butthole hurt. “There’s no need for your threats,
officer,” Valik muttered.

      
“It’s Lieutenant, asshole!” McShane
growled.

      
Valik shrugged, “I’ve decided to give you
the answers you seek.”

      
McShane stepped back with his eyebrows
furrowed. “Are you fucking with me?”

      
“Nyet.
It’ll
bring me great pleasure to tell you that Viktor Orlov is an accessory to the
kidnapping. Imagine, one of Chicago’s finest, a criminal,” Valik scoffed.

      
“No shit asshole, tell me something I
don’t know,” McShane growled.

      
The smile faded from Valik’s lips. “You
know about Orlov?”

      
McShane pulled out a wooden chair and
sat, glaring at Valik. “Four of the women identified him.”

      
“And the fifth one?”

      
“Dead women don’t talk,” McShane ground
out.

*
     
*
     
*

      
Declan turned his head away from the
road.
“Me what?”

      
“Are ye bloody deaf? I said she is your
intended,” Eoghan stated matter-of-factly.

      
“Intended for what?” Declan barked.

      
“Marriage, you horse’s arse!”

      
Declan pulled his SUV to a screeching
halt and turned to face Eoghan.

      
But Eoghan had vanished.

*
     
*
     
*

      
“Okay, asshole, who’s the fat Russian
guy?” McShane pointedly asked.

      
Valik grinned, “You’ll never catch him.
I’m sure he’s long gone by now.”

      
McShane was tired of fucking around with
this guy. He talked in circles. Plus, he was just plain tired. He couldn’t
remember the last time he’d slept.

      
He pushed off his chair and opened the
door of the interrogation room.
“Jones?
Take this guy
to county and make sure he’s paired up with a real sweetheart.”

      
Valik’s pulse raced and a slight sheen of
sweat formed on his forehead. The thought of prison rape didn’t set well with
him. “Alexander Lukov is the person you’re looking for.”

      
“What was his plan for the women?”
McShane snarled.

      
“I want my lawyer and to be state’s
witness against Lukov and Orlov.”

      
“Give me the information I want and we’ll
talk,” McShane replied as calmly as possible.

      
Sensing that McShane wouldn’t budge Valik
sighed, resigned. “Lukov sells women, children, men. Whatever is most
profitable.
”

      
McShane tasted bile rising to his throat.
“For what?”

      
“For whatever the buyer wants.”

      
“Who are these buyers?”

      
“It depends. People in your own country
or they were sent out of the country via Canada or Mexico and sold to the
highest bidder.”

      
“Christ! Human trafficking?” growled
McShane.

*
     
*
     
*

      
Camryn closed her cell phone.
Viktor a kidnapper?
Why? What did he have to gain? Was she
supposed to be the next victim? More importantly, where was he?

      
John wanted her to come home. She told
him she’d consider her options once she rested. That is, if she could get any
rest.

      
She tossed and turned before falling into
a fitful sleep.

*
     
*
     
*

      
Declan drove the rest of the way alone.
He pulled up to his home as dawn broke. He stepped out of the Rover and
breathed in the salty air. He didn’t realize how much he missed the scent and
the sound of the ocean.

      
He walked into the back entrance to his
private residence and was greeted by Nellie, his border collie, at the kitchen
door. Declan dropped his bags on the floor and kneeled. “Aye, gel, did you miss
me then?”

      
Nellie jabbed her muzzle into his face.
“Easy, gel!” he laughed as she licked his face.

      
He spotted his ma sitting at the long
antique kitchen table. She stood and walked over to him.

      
“I’ve missed you, boyo,” she cooed while
hugging him.

      
He grinned and wrapped his arms around
her. “I think you’ve gotten shorter since I’ve seen you last.”

      
She pinched his arm.
“Och
you!
Ready for a cuppa, then?”

      
He really wanted a shower and sleep but
he nodded as she pulled him to the table.

      
“So, how was the trip then?” she asked as
she poured the tea.

      
“Interesting.
I’m glad to be home though.”

      
Siobhan Corrigan eyed him. “Are ya now?”

      
“’Course I am.
Why
wouldna I?”
Declan questioned.

      
Siobhan shrugged, “Ya seem outta sorts.”

      
“I’m tired and me arse is sore from
sitting so long. Nothing a hot shower and rest won’t fix.”

      
He rose and kissed the top of her head
and headed for the stairs.

      
“Aren’t you forgetting something lad?”
She motioned her head towards his bags by the back door.

      
It was his house and he should bloody be
able to leave his shite where he wanted. Resignedly he turned and retrieved his
luggage.

*
     
*
     
*

      
It didn’t take long for Judge Phil Malloy
to approve a search warrant of Viktor Orlov’s house. Especially when he heard
that John’s daughter, Camryn, could possibly be in danger.

      
McShane and Brower met their men at
Orlov’s house. Brower’s crew had a harder time conducting the search than
McShane’s.

      
A thorough search was carried out and
Brower’s crew was smug when nothing turned up. They were ready call it quits
when Joe Butler mumbled from the den.

      
“What do we have here?” wondered Joe as
he flipped through Orlov’s internet history.

      
“Whatcha got?” asked Tom McShane.

      
“A major problem.
Orlov booked a flight to Ireland.”

      
“Fuck!” growled McShane.

*
     
*
     
*

      
“Camryn,” the voice whispered.

      
When she didn’t respond, the voice grew
louder.
“Camryn!”

      
Camryn shot up from the bed and peered
around the room. She almost forgot where she was.

      
Moonlight spilled in from the thin gauze
curtains. She looked around and found the bedside lamp.

      
She got out of bed and took a cursory
look into the bathroom and when satisfied she was alone she climbed back into
bed and turned off the lamp.

      
Snuggling under the coverings she began
to drift off.

      
“Camryn!” the voice shouted.

      
Her eyes popped open and she saw the
shape of a person standing by the bedroom window.

*
     
*
     
*

      
“How the hell did he get past airport
security?” bellowed McShane.

      
“By the looks of it he jetted out hours
ago, way before we knew of his involvement,” replied Butler.

      
“The bigger question is, how the hell did
he know where Camryn was going and more importantly why is he following her?”
Greg Travers replied.

*
     
*
     
*

      
“Don’t scream, child. You’re safe for
now.”

      
Camryn stifled the scream lodged in her
throat when she heard the woman’s soothing voice.

      
“Who-o-o
are
you?” she asked with a trembling voice. It didn’t sound like Shannon McCann.

      
The woman walked slowly towards her and
stopped a foot from her bed.

      
Camryn reached for the table lamp. A
gentle glow filled the room and she choked back a sob.
“Mom?”

      
Maggie O’Mara smiled sadly and sat on the
bed.
“My sweet, sweet baby.
Just look at you!
All grown up!”

      
Her bottom lip trembled.
“How?
I don’t understand.”

      
Maggie patted her leg. “We’ve no time for
this child. You need to get away from here and quickly.”

      
“Why?”

      
“He’s coming for you.”

      
Camryn’s eyebrows furrowed.
“Who?”

      
“Viktor,” Maggie replied.
      

*
     
*
     
*

      
Viktor passed through customs with ease.
He sweated out the last hour of the flight thinking he’d be apprehended when he
stepped off the plane.