That woman. The one with Cyreck. That is definitely Wanda Payne. She moved in next door after Mr. Grayson died unexpectedly. A heart attack, I think. Wanda was nice to me. Mom started drinking just after Wanda moved into the neighborhood, and Wanda helped me quite often.
He could imagine how helpful Wanda was. Holding Airiana tight against him, he studied the woman's face. Plastic surgery was often used when an agent assumed a long-term undercover role, but he usually could identify them by the way they moved. It was one of the most difficult things to change.
It took a few minutes before he figured out who she was. Wanda had gone to the same school as he had, although, at the time, her name was different. She was Russian, and she'd gone a completely different path. She'd gotten a taste for the high life, and she broke away from her handlers. She would take work from anyone as long as the paycheck was fat.
Wanda looked up to Cyreck, laughing, flirting, clearly enjoying herself. She wasn't a prisoner, more, he was certain, she helped get the children aboard. He shifted the wind just enough that they could hear the conversation.
"Next time, Cy, I promise, I'll bring one just like her for you." Wanda laughed.
Cyreck grinned at her. "I'll hold you to it. You only brought two for the crew and they're getting used up. The captain is especially hard on them."
Wanda's smile faded. "He tossed one of them overboard a few minutes ago because she wouldn't cooperate with him. What did he expect? She's been working since the moment she came aboard."
Airiana stiffened. Maxim didn't let her go. The tension in her body told him she was already figuring out just what her old neighbor was doing on board the ship and whom she worked for.
Be still, he hissed into her mind when she began to struggle.
She had to have been planted there to spy on us, Airiana said, fury welling up.
I know, honey, but it won't do us any good if we're caught. Relax, we'll deal with Wanda, I promise. She's Russian and a traitor. I should have known she'd end up working for a man like Evan. She likes money and has no scruples.
You know her? You know that horrible woman?
He felt mist on the back of his hand, the one covering her mouth. Tiny drops--he glanced down to see tears on her lashes and tracking down her face.
I've kept every promise I've made to you, Airiana, he said, knowing he was a fool, but unable to help himself. Wanda will not get off this ship alive.
They're talking so casually about the captain throwing a woman overboard. There must be a second woman held somewhere close by.
He nodded his head slowly. He should have known that they would bring women aboard for the crew, particularly the captain. If they entertained other clients at sea, he would insist on some kind of compensation along with money.
I could send a wind and knock her overboard, Airiana declared. Maybe they'd stop the ship and try to get her back.
You know they won't. No one is that important to them--unless it's you. I doubt that any of them wants to be the one to tell their boss that something happened to you.
He deals in weapons, human trafficking and top secret defense systems? He's a busy man.
He runs the shipping company, and his biker club runs drugs. They do it all.
He removed his hand from her mouth, but didn't let go of her. Cyreck and Wanda were once more on the move, heading toward a storage container just a few feet from the one they hid behind.
Wanda took out a key and unlocked the door. She swung it open and began swearing. Cyreck looked in. It was too much of an opportunity to pass up. Maxim released Airiana and put a finger to his lips. He moved in silence around the container, right out into the open, walking up to both parties as if he didn't have a care in the world.
Cyreck glanced over his shoulder and then turned back to look inside the container again. Maxim could see the dead woman inside. She'd slit her own wrists with a piece of glass. Wanda kicked at the woman's feet. Cyreck bent to get a closer look.
Maxim shoved his knife through the back of Wanda's neck hard, spun her around and slit her throat, throwing her body on top of the dead woman's all in one continuous movement. Cyreck jumped back as Wanda's body fell nearly on top of him.
"What the hell, Maxim. You can't just kill her because you don't like her. Sheesh. Now I've got to tell the captain we don't have any women available. He'll have to take the teenager, and he hates kids. He wants a woman that knows what she's doing."
Maxim palmed his knife and threw it, the blade penetrating Cyreck's chest and slicing deep into his heart. Cyreck's eyes went wide with shock and he looked down at the knife sticking out of his chest in total disbelief.
"No worries," Maxim assured. "I'll tell the captain myself. You just rest here with your friends."
He shut the container door and locked it. Just to be on the safe side, he drew the air through the holes, so that Cyreck couldn't breathe if the knife wound hadn't killed him. He waited a few minutes before he joined Airiana.
Do you think she killed my mother? Was she capable of torturing her like that? Airiana asked. Mom would have opened the door for her, let her in, asked her if she wanted coffee. Wanda knew what music my mother played when she was drinking. She could have set the scene easily.
Every one of the op
eratives had been trained in torture. He was very skilled. He didn't use those skills, but he certainly knew just about every possible way to hurt and then kill a human being. In his opinion, Wanda was a psychopath. She didn't have any morals and it didn't bother her to inflict pain on others. He nodded his head slowly.
If she lived there for four years, what would have triggered her to suddenly go after your mother?
I stopped talking to my mother about my work when she began drinking so heavily. She had nothing to pass on to my father, if that's what she really was doing. Could that have something to do with it?
He heard the guilt in her voice. He hated this. Hated all of it. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him, his hand cradling the back of her head.
That day, after you found your mother, what was the first thing you did?
I screamed and screamed. Then I ran outside. I couldn't stand the smell inside the house. I called Westwood at the school and told him what happened and that I was going over to my neighbor's. He said they'd be right there. They sent a helicopter, the police, an ambulance, everyone. I ran to Wanda's and told her how I found my mother. She said she'd go check, just to be certain.
She didn't know you'd called this person, Westwood, did she?
Airiana shook her head.
That's what saved you. She was gaining your trust by going into the house. She would have taken you away that day, but they got there too fast and they took you back to the school.
You're saying Wanda tortured and killed my mother.
I believe that's probably what happened, yes. And your mother's death wasn't sanctioned by the Russian government. Wanda was already working for someone else--most likely Evan's brother, Stavros.
They'd been out in the open too long. He had to stash her quickly and find out the lay of the land. He urged her back toward the lifeboat that was lashed up on deck. It was covered and had supplies in it. The captain made certain it was always well stocked and that the mechanical rigging was well-oiled and working perfectly. That was his escape should there be need.