CHERUB: Black Friday by Robert Muchamore

Author:Robert Muchamore [Muchamore, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781444913880
Google: ir_VlQEACAAJ
Publisher: Hachette UK
Published: 2013-09-05T07:00:00+00:00

Amy found Ryan as he headed back downstairs.

‘Natalka’s a mess,’ Ryan said solemnly. ‘She won’t let me near her.’

‘She’s in shock, she’ll calm down.’

‘It’s more complex than that,’ Ryan said. ‘That dick Vlad told Natalka that I was at the brothel by the bus station.’

Amy looked confused. ‘You went to a brothel?’

‘The place where Igor met Squashed-Nose.’

‘Oh shit,’ Amy said, glancing around because she wasn’t supposed to be seen with Ryan. ‘I’ll see if there’s anything I can do to help Dimitra. But right now, you need to get down to the bar and talk to Igor. After what’s happened tonight, he’ll be sure to head off to the bazaar and pass a message on first thing tomorrow. I want to make sure Leonid finds out about Andre and Tamara too.’

‘That’s where I was heading,’ Ryan said. ‘What’s the atmosphere like down there?’

‘Some people’s friends have been busted and they’re drowning their sorrows. The rest think they’ve got three months’ paid holiday and they’re getting drunk celebrating.’

Ryan saw what Amy meant when he got down to the lobby. People had come down for the meeting, stayed to gossip and started drinking. On a good night there were thirty people in the bar, but now every one of a hundred seats had a bum on it, with more propped on tables and armrests, and a few even spilling out into the adjoining lobby.

Igor was at the heart of it all, holding court at a large oval table covered in empty glasses and vodka bottles. Ryan had to fight his way around the back of the table before crouching and whispering in Igor’s ear.

‘You asked me to tell you if I heard something. Can I speak somewhere quiet?’

Igor looked irritated. ‘Now?’ he asked.

‘It’s about Andre and Tamara.’

Igor raised one curious eyebrow, stubbed out a cigarette and drained his glass in two gulps before pushing his chair back.

‘Excuse me, I have a little business to conduct.’

‘You want Igor to give you another lift to the bus station, eh, Ryan?’ Vlad shouted.

Ryan gave Vlad the finger as Igor took him out of the bar and into a grimy spot under the back stairs.

‘Five thousand som for good information,’ Ryan said. ‘Is that still our deal?’

‘For good information, yes.’

‘Tamara and Andre have left the Kremlin.’

Igor looked shocked. ‘Pardon me?’

‘I got a call,’ Ryan explained. ‘Andre was really scared. His mum was in tears. Apparently Josef went for her.’

Igor seemed unsure. ‘Went for her how? With a knife?’

‘She was crying her eyes out,’ Ryan explained. ‘I think maybe Josef tried to rape her. Tamara never said, but she was bawling and shit. So she had a car booked from the top of the valley, but they couldn’t carry all their suitcases and I agreed to help.’

‘Did they say where they were going?’

‘It seemed like a big secret,’ Ryan said. ‘But Andre let slip that they had plane tickets.’

Igor glanced at his watch. ‘What time was this? What time is their flight?’

‘I expect they’re long gone,’ Ryan said.

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