Page 23 of Tell No One
“Seriously? I thought Henry wanted a debrief first thing?”
The person said something that Tag couldn’t make out and the call ended. Vadim muttered something under his breath. Tag shouldn’t really be surprised that Vadim wasn’t Russian. His hair probably wasn’t usually white either. Tag wished the arsehole was nicer, wished Vadim was actually interested in him, wished…Ah well.Tag wanted his money and then he was going to disappear.
When Vadim pulled up and turned off the engine, Tag sat up. They were outside a twenty-four hour convenience store.
“Just water?” Vadim asked.
Tag nodded.
The moment Vadim was out of the car, Tag checked the glove box and saw a gun. Tag whimpered. He closed it up and looked in the door pocket. Nothing on his side, but on the driver’s side, there were scraps of paper that looked like a torn-up envelope. Tag collected them all and moved back into his seat.
Vadim came back with a bottle of water and a paper bag. He offered both to Tag.
Tag pushed the pieces of paper under his thigh. “Thank you.”
He drank almost all the water at one go, tipping it down his parched throat.God, a gun. What the fuck have I stumbled into?When he looked in the bag, he saw a jam doughnut. Tag’s mouth watered, but he needed to keep hold of the bag and he’d have no reason to if he ate the contents.
“Is that okay?” Vadim set off again.
So you do know how to be kind.“I’ll have it later. Thank you.” Tag managed to transfer the envelope fragments to the bag and scrunched up the top.
Though now Tag had seen the gun, he wondered if maybe Vadim was taking him somewhere other than his room, maybe somewhere he could shoot him, though couldn’t he have done that when they’d stopped in the industrial estate?
When streets began to look familiar, Tag’s anxiety eased. Vadim pulled up outside the house.
“Get inside, forget this ever happened. Not a word to anyone. And if you’ve got half a brain, think about moving. Soon.”
“If I had a key. I wasn’t expecting to be back until the morning. And no shit, Sherlock, I’d already figured out I’d need new lodgings.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Vadim snapped, although Tag’s words made sense.
“Where did you think I was going to carry it? Up my arse that just happened to be otherwise occupied with a tail? Apart from my clothes and shoes, they have my keys, my walletandmy phone. What’s to stop them letting themselves in when they like?”
“Then move. You’re not going to see those again.”
“I’d assumed not.” Tag clenched his teeth and held out his hand. “Pay me then. I was promised three thousand pounds.”
“Paying you is not my job.”
“What? But I can’t hang around. You know I’m not safe here anymore.” Tag was angry with himself for sounding so pathetic.
“That’s not my problem.”
What the fuck? I helped you!Tag was so furious, he couldn’t even speak.
“I’ll get you into your room. Wait here.”
Vadim reached onto the back seat, took something out of his bag, then left the car.
“God, I hate you,” Tag mumbled. “Andyou God, I hateyouas well. Fuck my fucking life.”
Vadim beckoned from the open door of the house and Tag went to him, paper bag in hand, hobbling.
“Which room is yours?” Vadim asked.
“That one.”
A couple of twists with some picks and Tag’s door swung open. He walked in and slammed the door in Vadim’s face.
