Read Online Matt Drake 07 - Blood Vengeance by David Leadbeater - Free Book Online
Authors: David Leadbeater
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did this. At least, he organized it. The killer said as much before someone saved my life by shooting him.”
Drake felt the bottom of his world fall out for the second time in thirty minutes. He pulled further away from Moxley and held her at arm’s length. “Are you sure?”
Her expression conveyed the words she couldn ’t speak. Drake fished out his phone and looked at Dahl.
“Call your family ,” he said. “Kovalenko ordered this.”
Dahl went white, turning away as he made the call. Drake pressed a speed dial number and waited for the call to connect. The seconds passed by like hours, each one cleaving a year from his life.
“Hello?” Mai’s voice, at last, thirteen hours ahead.
Drake told her everything.
“Oh, my God. Poor Jonathan. But I have to call Chika and Dai. I have to go. Matt, thank you, but I have to go.”
Drake understood. His next call was to Ben Blake. In his experience, the young man never parted for more than half a minute with his phone and always answered. He waited expectantly, but this time it just rang and rang. Drake checked his watch. It was early morning over in the UK. Maybe . . .
“Hello?”
“Ben? Are you okay?”
“I ’m sorry, sir. This isn’t Mr. Blake. This is Chief Inspector Mills of the West Yorkshire Police. Who am I talking to?”
The world swayed, but Drake clung to hope. “This is Matt Drake. I ’m Ben’s friend. I currently work for the US government. Is Ben okay?”
There were a few seconds of silence. “Right, sir. You’re in Mr. Blake’s contacts and I can see old text messages and calls made between you. I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Mr. Drake, but Ben Blake was murdered a short while ago. He was killed alongside his parents and two other men, who we believe were active members of the British Army. Do you have any knowledge of this?”
Drake didn ’t even feel his legs give way as he crashed to the floor.
CHAPTER TEN
Drake became aware that he was crawling through the wreckage, looking for his cell phone. In another second, Dahl was there with him.
Drake swiveled his head, believing he couldn ’t feel any worse, but suddenly became heart stricken as he looked into the Swede’s face. “Your . . . your kids?”
Dahl swallowed hard. A cop came up to them and ordered them to get up. A man dressed in an army uniform backed him up. One look at the two men’s faces and both officials backed away.
Dahl breathed low. “They ’re fine. So’s the wife. Special Forces are with them as we speak, taking them out of the country.”
“Thank God. Ben’s . . . dead. So are Sam and Jo. Fuck me.”
Dahl sat down hard, deflated. “The Blood Vendetta. Kovalenko must have reactivated it. Do you think he escaped this morning?”
“Shit. I do now.”
Dahl glance around the devastated restaurant, taking in the haunted eyes of a dozen law enforcement officers looking back at him. “This is like the scene of a national disaster. Nobody knows what’s happening.”
Drake looked up. “If Kovalenko is free , it’s only gonna get worse.”
Dahl flipped his phone open again. “Where the hell are Hayden and the others?” Desperately, he hit the speed dial.
“Try everyone,” Drake said. “Try—” Suddenly he shot up. “Fuck!”
“What is it?”
“Alicia!”
Drake dialed and held the phone close, certain that he couldn’t handle another tragedy. When the familiar crazy-ass tones filled the phone with life he felt utter relief.
“Th e Drakester! What the fuck do you want, man?”
Again, he went through the story. “You need to get the hell out, Alicia. Leave and run, right now. All of you.”
“That bastard Kovalenko ordered all that? I wish I was with you right now, Drake. I really do.”
“Don ’t worry. Just get to safety. And stay off the radar and out of contact, Alicia. We don’t know how far Kovalenko’s claws reach this time, but you can bet your arse it’s pretty damn deep.”
“I always bet my a rse,
Drake felt the bottom of his world fall out for the second time in thirty minutes. He pulled further away from Moxley and held her at arm’s length. “Are you sure?”
Her expression conveyed the words she couldn ’t speak. Drake fished out his phone and looked at Dahl.
“Call your family ,” he said. “Kovalenko ordered this.”
Dahl went white, turning away as he made the call. Drake pressed a speed dial number and waited for the call to connect. The seconds passed by like hours, each one cleaving a year from his life.
“Hello?” Mai’s voice, at last, thirteen hours ahead.
Drake told her everything.
“Oh, my God. Poor Jonathan. But I have to call Chika and Dai. I have to go. Matt, thank you, but I have to go.”
Drake understood. His next call was to Ben Blake. In his experience, the young man never parted for more than half a minute with his phone and always answered. He waited expectantly, but this time it just rang and rang. Drake checked his watch. It was early morning over in the UK. Maybe . . .
“Hello?”
“Ben? Are you okay?”
“I ’m sorry, sir. This isn’t Mr. Blake. This is Chief Inspector Mills of the West Yorkshire Police. Who am I talking to?”
The world swayed, but Drake clung to hope. “This is Matt Drake. I ’m Ben’s friend. I currently work for the US government. Is Ben okay?”
There were a few seconds of silence. “Right, sir. You’re in Mr. Blake’s contacts and I can see old text messages and calls made between you. I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Mr. Drake, but Ben Blake was murdered a short while ago. He was killed alongside his parents and two other men, who we believe were active members of the British Army. Do you have any knowledge of this?”
Drake didn ’t even feel his legs give way as he crashed to the floor.
CHAPTER TEN
Drake became aware that he was crawling through the wreckage, looking for his cell phone. In another second, Dahl was there with him.
Drake swiveled his head, believing he couldn ’t feel any worse, but suddenly became heart stricken as he looked into the Swede’s face. “Your . . . your kids?”
Dahl swallowed hard. A cop came up to them and ordered them to get up. A man dressed in an army uniform backed him up. One look at the two men’s faces and both officials backed away.
Dahl breathed low. “They ’re fine. So’s the wife. Special Forces are with them as we speak, taking them out of the country.”
“Thank God. Ben’s . . . dead. So are Sam and Jo. Fuck me.”
Dahl sat down hard, deflated. “The Blood Vendetta. Kovalenko must have reactivated it. Do you think he escaped this morning?”
“Shit. I do now.”
Dahl glance around the devastated restaurant, taking in the haunted eyes of a dozen law enforcement officers looking back at him. “This is like the scene of a national disaster. Nobody knows what’s happening.”
Drake looked up. “If Kovalenko is free , it’s only gonna get worse.”
Dahl flipped his phone open again. “Where the hell are Hayden and the others?” Desperately, he hit the speed dial.
“Try everyone,” Drake said. “Try—” Suddenly he shot up. “Fuck!”
“What is it?”
“Alicia!”
Drake dialed and held the phone close, certain that he couldn’t handle another tragedy. When the familiar crazy-ass tones filled the phone with life he felt utter relief.
“Th e Drakester! What the fuck do you want, man?”
Again, he went through the story. “You need to get the hell out, Alicia. Leave and run, right now. All of you.”
“That bastard Kovalenko ordered all that? I wish I was with you right now, Drake. I really do.”
“Don ’t worry. Just get to safety. And stay off the radar and out of contact, Alicia. We don’t know how far Kovalenko’s claws reach this time, but you can bet your arse it’s pretty damn deep.”
“I always bet my a rse,
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