Gunslinger

Johnny lit another cigarette as they entered the club, his mood as dark as the look on his face. The carefully thought out mission was close to turning into a clusterfuck and he didn’t like it. Neither did he like being in a dick end town in the middle of nowhere looking for one of Ana’s dodgy contacts in the hope he could translate the book that Charlotte was banking on.
He had been impressed with the girl, despite being shell-shocked by the violence at the dacha Charlotte had taken over from Dani and signed up in a letting office for another place to hide. It wasn’t as grand but it was nearer West and they had managed to leave the area behind without attracting any more attention. Now Jimmy had patched Danielle up and remained with her at the comfortable town house, also sedating a still pissed off Ana after she had collapsed on Syn and then tried to tell them all she was fine. She had given Johnny the name of a man called Denisoff and an address of a nighclub in Tartu.
Matt appeared at his shoulder, the words whispered into his ear.
“How are we gonna handle this ?”
“Ana’s name got us in, we give him the note and see what happens. He speaks reasonable English apparently.”
Syn and Zacky immediately flanked Johnny, Matt and Dani keeping Charlie between them as they pushed through the crowds towards the bar. The place stank of booze and sweat, the lighting filtered by smoke and heat to the point where even the air seemed to drip. Several stoned looking girls were dancing listlessly around poles and the two beautiful women with the dangerous looking men were already being stared at. The man behind the door looked less impressed until Johnny lent across and whispered in his ear.
“Denisoff. Now. Before I let these men tear this dump apart.”
His Russian was rusty but the twins staring at him was enough for the barman to think compliance would be a good idea and he turned, talking to another man before disappearing into another room. Syn ordered a bottle of decent vodka and some glasses, paying American dollars which pleased the barkeep into silence before the gang headed to a table near the back. Dani stared at the bored stripper lunging around the pole and then back at Matt.
“Well it’s about as classy as that dive in Detroit I pulled you out of.”
“Boobalicious was way classier than this. Some of the strippers were actually women.”
Syn grinned and threw back a shot, Zacky leaning against him with Charlotte tucked into his lap felt nice and he missed his Ana. Johnny leant over and stuffed a ten in the girl’s g-string which made them all hoot before turning back.
“You lot never bothered to check what gender you were groping as I recall.”
Dani and Charlotte started to laugh at the protests coming from the twins before Dani downed a shot and climbed onto Matt’s lap, twisting in time to the music as his hands rested lightly on her hips and his face flushed. The stripper looked a little appalled at being so easily beaten by the exotic girl and the handsome man in the tight shirt.
“Well this is fun but we need to find Denisoff.”
Johnny grinned and gave Dani’s ass a squeeze as he went back to the bar and the barman looked a little pale. Johnny didn’t say anything, merely placing both hands on the bar and staring until another door opened and a huge fat man appeared. His suit had been expensive back in the day but now it struggled to contain his belly and was stained with beer and sweat. He didn’t look impressed until Johnny gave him the note. Instantly the man’s expression changed and Johnny wondered what Ana had done to inspire the slightly sick look. Denisoff stared again at the boyish face in front of him and sighed, his accent thick but understandable.
“Is she here ?”
“No. All we need is help with translation and we will leave.”
There was a sniff as Zacky appeared, the cut-off t-shirt showing well muscled arms and a deadpan expression. Denisoff looked for the other men, Ana had spoke of her American friends when he had known her in Moscow. There had been a threat behind it, one that had persuaded him to help her escape and now he didn’t want to know if those stories had been true. He pointed back to their table.
“Fine, five minutes. Alexei, another bottle for these fine gentlemen. On the house.”
Johnny grinned at Zack and took the bottle, letting one of the waitresses grab his ass as she passed. Zacky smirked, seeing Charlotte staring at the strippers and wondering if he could ask her to strip for him. The mixture of sexiness and innocence had made sure that she ahd wormed into his heart and he wanted to see her dance.
In the end Denisoff turned out to be useful, his knowledge of Uzbek and its regional dialects lead to a long discussion with Charlotte and pointed towards Lake Harku, situated in Tallinn itself. That was new, there had been no indication that the convoy had made it that far west. It would mean another drive and more risks but they had at least found the likely locale. Now it would need narrowing down further.
“Tallinn is a big place. Needle and haystack as you say.”
Syn nodded, the small city map he had in his pack covered just that, not even as far out as the big lakes. Johnny considered their options and the information that Ana had given him about their attackers. Even if the government and whoever else had been looking were going the wrong way up to that point it was unlikely they were now. The dacha had exploded in fire and flames, several more bodies found outside according to the news and it was acting like a beacon. They needed to find the cache and soon.
“Anything here to narrow it down ?”
Denisoff paused and re-read a section alluding to the forest and surrounding landmarks including a church with a tower but no steeple. Given that a large bombing campaign during the war had levelled some it might be no help but it was something.
“Tallinn Old Town has several churches like that, could be a start ?”
Dani allowed the warm rush of alcohol and Matt’s arms around her waist to dull her interest in the conversation, instead watching the door and the flow of people inside and going out. They were vulnerable here and exposed, the attention being sent their way meant they were going to be remembered should anyone come asking.
“Thanks for your help.”
Denisoff waved his hand.
“I liked Ana, always a good girl.”
Only Johnny caught the look he sent Charlotte, the girl pretended not to see and Johnny kept his face passive but noted it. The man knew enough to be dangerous although he didn’t seem to want to mess with Ana. He slid that fat man another drink as Syn headed outside with Zacky to recon around. Charlotte shuffled closer to Dani and the two girls chatted as Johnny lowered his voice.
“Do you know a man called Mysenko ? He may come after this information.”
Denisoff spat on the floor, his face twisting as he hammered his fist down on the table. Several people turned again to stare, the owner was well known to handle his business with a weapon if needed.
“That scum won’t come here. He owes me too much money. He still wants his property back though.”
“I wouldn’t say that around Syn, that’s his wife.”
Denisoff nodded, pouring more alcohol and waving away the strippers as they came around looking for added extras. He wondered if any of the men or girls for that matter would want that kind of company. It brought in good money and he treated them well unlike that bastard Mysenko. A whore was still a human being, no matter how drug raddled and desperate.
“She was never a whore and Mysenko hated that he could not control her. You should all leave Russia and Estonia alone and go home. No amount of old money is worth ending up dead over.”
Matt shrugged, he couldn’t remember the Moscow mobster but he knew that the twins had marked him for death a long time ago and wondered if this man was right. A job was one thing but if the mission turned into personal revenge it could end up with them all being dead. Johnny looked more unconcerned, nodding to Dani as she flicked her head towards the door.
“If he shows, we never met. He keeps coming and he’s a dead man.”
Charlotte gathered up the book and her papers, thanking Denisoff again in Russian and following behind Matt and Dani as they headed towards the door. Johnny lingered back, his fingers touching her arm and a gentle voice in her ear.
“The others will get the car. I want to show you something.”
Charlotte frowned as he steered her out the side door of the bar. The alley behind was clogged with falling snow and litter. The smell was horrible and she wrinkled her nose, wanting to get back to Zacky and the house. They had a room with a view over a lake and it was beautiful, what had happened at the dacha still needed to be processed and she wanted him to make love to her before that happened.
“Johnny, there’s nothing out here.”
Johnny pulled his coat back over, the heat of the bar now giving way to biting cold before he pushed her back against the wall. She gasped and went wide eyed, his weight against her was the last thing she had been expecting now she saw why people found the short man intimidating. They were eye to eye and his voice was cold.
“That man knew you, he recognised you. From where and do not lie to me.”
“Johnny, I swear….”
A backhanded blow rocked her and she felt tears in her eyes as she grabbed her reddened cheek and looked frantically around for Zacky or any of the others. They were never supposed to know who she really was. The plan was to take the money and run, Ana had said they would disappear and nobody would know. For a moment she considered trying to bluff her way out and opted for a half version of the truth.
“I met him in Moscow a couple of times. I waitressed in one of Mysenko’s clubs. He would know me too and when Ana said that was who was behind it I got scared. I was just a grad student in a foreign city, didn’t realise he was a crook.”
Johnny tipped his head to one side and considered for a moment before letting her go. Charlotte was still fingering her cheek and held her breath to see if he had believed this story. She had come to respect Johnny and didn’t want to lose Zacky now just because the old fat man had given her away.
“So why not tell us ?”
“I was worried you would think I was involved with him and a threat to you.”
Johnny was still impassive, taking Charlotte’s arm again and they walked back into the main street, her pulse dropping a little as she spotted the rest of the gang gathered around the jeep and waiting. Johnny looked sideways at her.
“I would hope you’re not a threat and telling me the truth. Lying to me now could have terrible consequences in the future.”
Charlotte swallowed down a sick feeling and remained silent as Zacky reached out to hold her, his warm arms offering a comfort she could not now feel.

Notes