Snatched (11 page)

Empty.

With his gun trained, he climbed inside and found Elena, lying flat against the wall in a corner. He grabbed her arm and dragged her out into the bathroom. She gave no sign of anger at his betrayal. Instead she went straight into character. She sobbed in a heavy Eastern European accent, ‘Please mister! Please! This man kidnapped me, he imprisoned me here and he said he would . . .’

But she stopped short when the gun was pressed against her temple and she was warned, ‘Stop it or I’ll blow your brains out and please don’t think I wouldn’t because it’s one of the few things in this situation that I am willing to get chucked behind bars for.’

But Elena kept her gaze on Phil. ‘You have to help . . .’

Mac shook her like a rag doll. ‘You really were wasted in the world of organised crime, you know that? A nice looking girl like you, with your skills and the right agent could have made it big in Hollywood.’ He flipped his gaze to Phil. ‘Phil meet Elena Romanov, the woman who murdered those two kids out there. The woman responsible for every bad thing that happened three months ago.’

Phil showed no sign of shock. Instead he moved towards the door.

As he did so Mac whispered quickly in his former lover’s ear, ‘I don’t have to go to prison if you admit to kidnapping John Mac from the hospital. Say you forced me to do it. If you don’t do that, our son – your son – will be brought up by strangers or criminals instead of me alone.’

Phil thrust the lock back. ‘In here.’

When the officer with the gun appeared he couldn’t keep the surprise from his face when he saw Elena.

Phil looked from Mac to Elena.

‘Cuff them both.’

Once the speed cuffs were in place, as Mac passed Elena, he said, ‘Don’t forget this is all about John Mac.’

Nineteen

The following afternoon, Mac was brought up from the cells in cuffs and put down on a seat in front of his boss. On the desk were a number of statements. It had been a bad morning for Phil Delaney. Stephen Foster had declined to represent Ms Elena Romanov on the grounds that there might be a conflict of interest. Instead he’d suggested one of his junior lawyers who had recently started his own practice and might be suitable. It was well known in the legal world that Stephen Foster’s former young associates were keen to keep on the right side of the head of their former practice and not just because he could help them get cases. It was also well known that they were willing to accept unofficial ‘guidance’ from Foster in ‘sensitive’ cases, although Foster soon served a writ on anybody who suggested such a thing. By the time another of Foster’s pupils had agreed to represent Mac and had spoken to him in the morning, Elena’s brief had all the guidance he needed.

Phil Delaney stared at Mac. ‘So let me see if I’ve got this straight – you were kidnapped in the morning by Elena Romanov who forced you to buy a gun from a scrap metal merchant in South London? She then padlocked a bomb to your waist and forced you to kidnap your son from the hospital? You had to escape from our custody for fear she would harm the child? She then told you to meet her at Garcia’s house last night and drive her to Heathrow or you’d never see your son again? And while you were there two burglars turned up and she shot them?’

Mac lifted his shoulders in a casual gesture. ‘You know she killed the two boys. Her prints are on the gun. You know it was me who alerted you to where I was last night by switching my phone on at Garcia’s house. I knew you would pick up the signal right away, so you knew where I was. Trapped in Garcia’s house with that sadistic killer. I wouldn’t have done that if I was in cahoots with her – now would I?’

‘Stephen Foster has found a rather obscure error in the extradition warrant for Garcia and is moving to have the warrant struck down in the courts. You wouldn’t know anything about that either?’

Mac shrugged again, ‘Why would I? Anyway, the Americans can always resubmit the papers can’t they?’

Phil’s expression remained stony. ‘I spoke to Agent Bracken in LA ten minutes ago. Once I explained the circumstances, he seemed rather relaxed about the release of Garcia.’

Mac smiled at his boss. ‘Perhaps Stephen Foster is Bracken’s lawyer as well.’

Delaney lost his temper. ‘Don’t take the piss Mac. You don’t think I realise what’s been going on here?’

Mac looked at the papers on the desk. ‘Charge me or release me Phil. You know how it works.’

‘Do you know where the baby is?’

‘No. I’ve been told Elena is going to tell her lawyer where the child is.’ Mac thought he sounded sincere, although he‘d already had word that Foster was arranging for John Mac to be reunited with his father. ‘I want custody of my boy. His mother’s going to get life; there’s only me left.’

‘Fuck off Mac. You’re not a fit parent and you know it. Look at your behaviour over the past couple of days.’

Mac leaned over the desk. ‘Perhaps. But I’m sure Foster knows a lawyer in the family division who can make me look like a loving father who would sacrifice anything for the welfare of his son, even if it involved a little rule breaking. Now – are you going to charge me or release me?’

The silence that took over the room was broken by a hard knock at the door.

‘Come in,’ Phil growled.

Shazia, his PA, opened the door. Flustered she said, ‘Sir, I’m going to need you.’

Phil appeared reluctant to leave Mac, but he eventually left the room. The breath left Mac’s body when his boss came back.

Phil wasn’t alone. In his arms he held John Mac.

‘I just need to hold him,’ Mac pleaded. ‘Just one more time.’

Twenty

Six Months Later

It was a two hundred mile round trip for Mac to take his son to see the boy’s mother in a category A prison, one of the few that took women lifers. She’d been given two life sentences for the murder of the two burglars. Everyone was agreed it was best if her previous offences in the UK were left on file.

It was a long way to go but Elena was still his son’s mother. Seeing her now, sitting in her standard prison issue clothing, she was also just another murderer.

Elena only had eyes for her son. ‘They won’t let me hold him,’ she said quietly.

‘It’s for the best,’ Mac responded as he tightened his hold on his son. ‘This is the last time you’re ever going to see him.’

Her gaze flicked up filled with venom. ‘You promised—‘

‘To bring him to see you. And here we are. But we won’t be coming back.’

She let out a sudden laugh. ‘You think a child ever forgets the feel of his mother’s arms around him? The touch of her gentle lips as she comforts him after a fall? You’re the one who’s fooling yourself Mac, if you think our son will ever forget me.’

‘In a few days you will receive some adoption papers and you’re going to sign them, giving up all your rights to John Mac.’

Elena’s eyes went back to the child. ‘And if I don’t?’

‘The papers will just keep coming, week after week, until you do the right thing and give this little boy the chance he deserves to live an ordinary life.’

She looked at Mac, then back at the baby. When her gaze lifted to Mac again there were tears in her eyes. ‘He’s all I’ve got left.’

Mac stood, his son securely in his arms. ‘You lost him a long time ago.’

He settled John Mac tenderly against his shoulder. Then he turned and walked away.

As they neared the door, John Mac raised his head from his father’s shoulder and looked across at the woman at the table. Their eyes met and held.

He opened his mouth. No sound came out but he mouthed a word to her: ‘Mamochka.’

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