The Property of a Lady - Elizabeth Adler [228]
Boris took a step toward him. His piggy eyes were murderous, and Valentin felt the thrill of fear a prisoner must feel waiting to have Boris Solovsky practice his polished little games of torture on him, but with a contemptuous shrug he strode past Boris to Genie. She was wearing jeans and a black T-shirt and she looked very pale except for a red handprint on her cheek where Boris had slapped her. She stared at him mutely. “Are you afraid she will run away, Boris?” he asked, “Or do you always tie your women this way?”
“Do not imagine you can rile me, Valentin,” Boris replied coldly. “The girl is tied because she is my prisoner.”
“Not for much longer.” Valentin made himself comfortable in Boris’s chair, his feet arrogantly on the table. “I telephoned the authorities, anonymously of course, and I think the Turkish police are about to pay you a visit. And that’s only a preliminary. Next comes the American government, then the Turkish government, the FBI, Interpol, the CIA….” He stared mockingly at Boris, whose face had turned to stone. “This little escapade has all the makings of an international incident, Uncle. And I’m just wondering how you are going to feel when they discover that the head of the KGB is aboard a Russian freighter moored in Turkish waters. And that he has the missing American girl tied up on board. It will make headlines in every newspaper! The Shame of the Russian KGB—Major-General Solovsky, Caught in the Act of International Kidnapping.’ Apart from the trouble to our family, I am just wondering how our president will react. What do you think, Uncle Boris? Is he going to forgive you for the disgrace you have brought on Russia?”
“You are lying. No one else knows she is here.”
“Of course they do. Do you take them for fools? Do you imagine they wouldn’t figure out that the easiest thing is to smuggle her onto a ship and take her back to Russia? So? What is your next move?”
Genie stared at Valentin, lazing back in his chair, then her eyes swiveled nervously to Boris, standing by the door. His bald head shone under the naked light bulb and his heavy frowning face was set in angry lines.
“We shall sail at once,” Boris decided.
Valentin shook his head. “Go on deck, Uncle. Take a look. There is already a cordon around this ship.”
“Do you really expect me to believe all this?” Boris laughed contemptuously.
“You should, Uncle. It is the truth. But I have a suggestion to save you. You and I could walk off this ship together. I will get you on a private jet to Ankara. You can be out of this mess in less than an hour, if you wish.”
“And I suppose I just give you the girl?” He laughed mockingly. “How can you take me for such a fool? Surely you know your ‘uncle’ better than that.” He prowled the tiny cabin, his hands behind his back, chuckling mirthlessly. “Your trouble is that you are an idealist, Valentin, and idealists always want to keep their cake and eat it too.” He glanced shrewdly at Valentin. “But not quite idealistic enough to think of Russia first. All you really want is to save your own skin—and your father’s.”
“And what do you want, Uncle?”
“Me?” He walked over to Genie and stood in front of her, his hands behind his back, swaying up and down on his built-up heels the way he always did when he wore his jackboots. “I want to achieve my life’s ambition. To destroy you both. At last.” Throwing back his head, he began to laugh, insane, uncontrollable laughter. Tears squeezed from his eyes and he coughed, turning purple as he began to choke.
Genie glanced, terrified, at Valentin as he eased the Luger from the holster and slid on the silencer, and her eyes and mouth rounded in alarm. He shook his head, putting his finger to his lips.
Boris heard the familiar click of a safety catch and spun around. He stared contemptuously at the Luger. “You would never get away with it,” he said with another snort of defiant laughter. “On a Russian ship? If you kill me you’ll never get off here alive—nor will she.” He grabbed Genie and held her in front of him. “You will have to kill her first,” he added with a triumphant