Stepping out into the darkness, Minty shivered again. Tonight, he was going to put it right. Tonight, whatever happened, he would leave Berlin, and by the time the sun came up tomorrow, he would have spoken to his family.
Pulling the black hat down over his ears, Minty turned deeper into the woodland. He had been so close to going earlier. So close to leaving and forgetting all about the money. But he had come this far, and he couldn’t do it.
He had caused so much pain and suffering already, that to leave now without the money would mean it was all in vain.
The finger of light from his torch swept through the trees.
It wasn’t just the money, though. It was security. Security that was quickly becoming important to him. The problem was, Minty had no control over the situation. He was totally in Borya’s grip.
Minty tried to think of how he had given up so much of his freedom. He’d got greedy; that was the problem. In the early days, the sizeable cash payments had been a bonus. They’d helped him keep the business afloat and support the lifestyle he’d wanted. But then he’d got used to them, so when they were doubled, he accepted the extra money gladly. Before long, most of his income came in the shady packages left in the backroom of his shop. At that point, there was nothing he could do. He was reliant. He was addicted.
Minty inhaled the cold night air. It was that greed that had got him here. Greed that had trapped him in a cycle of dangerous money and unnecessary spending. Greed that was now causing unimaginable pain to his friends and family back at home.
Minty would put it right... if it wasn’t too late.
The moment they were safe, he’d make that call. But until then, what could he do?
As the incline began to steepen, Minty visualised the coming hours. It was all going to end tonight. Borya would arrive with the money. Minty would climb back down the hill, get in the car, start the engine, and pull out of the drive. He would never come back.
62
“Ha! That will show you!” Borya shouted at the rear window as the Maserati continued barreling down the road.
Leo opened his eyes slowly. Had they made it?
The last thing he remembered was the flash of the truck’s lights. Its impenetrable silver grill, and then... Then they were through.
“Messing with us! Ha! Fuckers!” Borya shouted again.
Leo unfurled himself on the seat. His back and shoulders ached from the tension. “Who was that? What did they want?” he asked, his voice shaking.
“Don’t you worry about that.” Borya began to restock his pipe. “It’s okay. It’s almost sorted.”
Borya lit the pipe again.
Leo glanced at his phone. There was a message from Allissa. Stealing a glance at Borya, Leo decided he shouldn’t read it now. He couldn’t risk the Russian thinking he was passing on their location or something. Anyone who used a burner phone and was driven around in a Maserati must be up to something dodgy.
The Maserati slowed to a purr and turned off the main road.
“That was some excellent driving, wasn’t it?” Borya said.
Leo nodded and attempted a smile.
“Seven-litre engine in this beast,” Borya said as he tapped the door. “You’d have to be quick to keep up with us.”
They were now passing through an area of large, detached houses. Leo glanced at one; the enormous windows hinted at opulence within. No one would notice a Maserati snaking through this neighbourhood.
“They’ve got nothing on us,” Borya said. He exhaled smoke through the window. “We’ll be done before they’ve worked out where we’re going. That’s what it takes to succeed. You’ve got to do what other people won’t. To risk what they can’t. Go places they wouldn’t expect.”
The car slowed for a tight corner and began to climb. The houses had now disappeared, and trees surrounded the road. Absolute darkness hung beyond the beam of the Maserati’s headlights.
“Where are we?” Leo asked. The driver shifted gears to take another sharp bend.
“We use this place for our meetings,” Borya said. “It’s not far.”
Leo stared into the woodland as they continued to climb. He searched for a glimmer of light or some other indication of where they were. He couldn’t see anything.
The Maserati slowed as they approached an iron gate blocking the road. Borya exchanged some Russian words with the driver and opened the door.
“We’re here,” Borya said, stepping out from the car.
63
Allissa watched the buildings of Berlin became more and more sparse as the taxi headed out of the city. Using mime and the driver’s basic English, she had been able to explain she needed to follow the blue dot on the screen of the phone. The driver’s face had twisted into a conspiratorial smirk at the unusual request. Allissa didn’t know if it was genuine excitement for this sort of job or the prospect of a wild goose chase for which she would be paying. The journey had already taken them twenty minutes. Allissa tried not to watch the metre as it ticked beyond the thirty-euro mark.
Focusing on her phone, Allissa noticed the blue dot had stopped. She pointed at it, and the driver nodded. It was in an area of woodland on the outskirts of the city. What business did these people have taking Leo out there?
Numerous ideas pounded through Allissa’s mind. None of them were good.
It was unusual for Allissa to feel the grind of worry. She hadn’t experienced it in a long time. Of course, she’d cared about the women she’d helped in Kathmandu. She’d cared about Isobel and Mrs Yee in Hong Kong, both of whom now had better lives because of what Allissa had done. But this was different. Allissa had wanted to help
