James (Teumessian Trilogy Book 2) (15 page)

Blossom, however, had not gone shopping as they thought. It was only moments after she left the Winfield House that her phone rang, “Yes, Mother,” Blossom replied as she answered the phone.

“My dear, your sister has failed. She left a witness. A witness who should have never been there in the first place. Did you not make the instructions clear to her?” Ming questioned.

“Mother, I gave proper instructions as they were given to me.”

“Then she did this on her own. This was your mission, clean it up,” Ming ordered.

“Yes, Mother,” Blossom replied, slamming her car door.

Blossom drove back to her apartment. As she expected, Katrina was waiting for her in her apartment.

“You should not be here,” Blossom ordered as she closed the front door to the apartment.

“My instructions were to come to England and meet with you so I could arrange to come out of hiding if you don’t recall,” Katrina snapped back. “I hate this hair color. I am going to wash it out.” Katrina said, running her hand through her now black hair.

“You will leave your hair as it is. You failed to follow the instructions. The three CIA agents were not supposed to be included.”

“So what? They were spying. I took care of them, too. What’s the big deal?” Katrina replied, her hands firmly planted on her hips.

“The big deal is you didn’t follow instructions and, to make it worse, you left a witness.”

Katrina’s smirk fell from her face as her hands dropped to her side, “No, no, no, I made sure none of them would survive.”

“None survived. However, one survived long enough to ID you as the killer and now we are all in jeopardy. That Ray guy is sharp. We could all be outed because of your carelessness and ego.” Blossom began playing with her gold necklace.

Katrina was visibly shaken. “I thought I was doing what mother would have wanted.”

“You do as mother instructs! You don’t think for yourself, it is not your job. I am in charge of you and of this mission and you failed miserably,” Blossom bellowed.

“I need to talk to mother, she will understand,” Katrina begged.

“Mother doesn’t have time for you and neither do I.”

“So, what, you’re going to kill me? You wouldn’t dare try. You may be mother’s favorite, but you are just a baby. You can’t take me,” Katrina said, pulling a gun from the back of her black pants and pointing it at Blossom.

“Really? That’s your plan, to shoot me and to get away. They will come for you. Plus, I’m mother’s favorite for a reason.” Blossom lunged forward, knocking the gun from Katrina’s hand. The gun flew into the air. Blossom caught it in her right hand and pointed it back at Katrina.

“See, I’m better than you,” Blossom said with a smile. “Want it back? Try!” Blossom barked.

Katrina went for the gun but Blossom threw it across the room and knocked Katrina back with a backhanded slap to the face. “It just wouldn’t be fair to shoot you.” Katrina was enraged and charged at Blossom again, but Blossom was ready, quickly detaching her gold chain and wrapping it around Katrina’s throat as she flipped over Katrina’s left shoulder. Blossom landed, pulling the chain tightly against Katrina’s throat. “This is much quieter,” Blossom whispered into Katrina’s ear. Katrina tried to fight back, but Blossom was stronger. Life slowly left Katrina’s green eyes as her body went limp and fell to the ground. Blossom knelt over the body and felt for a pulse. There was none. Blossom moved to her phone and dialed Ming’s number. The phone rang twice before Ming answered. “Yes, Mother, I have made an awful mess in my apartment. Can you send me a cleaning company?”

On the other end of the phone, Ming smiled, “Why yes, my dear, but you must take care to keep your apartment clean. It’s poor manners not to.”

“Of course, Mother. Thank you.” Blossom hung up the phone and looked at Katrina’s lifeless body on the floor. Blossom walked over and picked up her gold chair and examined it in her hand, “You broke the clasp,” Blossom snickered to Katrina’s body. Blossom turned and made her way to the bathroom. She wanted a bath, and she needed to relax. The clean-up crew would be there shortly to remove the evidence. Blossom closed the door to the bathroom as she looked at the large marble soaker tub. She placed her necklace on the sink and reached behind her and unzipped her red dress. It fell to the floor. She stepped out of it and her black leather heels. Her jasmine blossom tattoo rested on her lower back. She walked over to the tub and turned it on, pouring a handful of bath beads into the running water. Blossom stepped into the tub and relaxed back against the white pillow on the edge of the tub. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to go blank. After an execution, she needed to relax to recharge. She heard the front door open after soaking for about thirty minutes. She knew it was the cleaning crew. Katrina’s body would be gone before she got out. Blossom heard a knock on the bathroom door, “Yes?” she responded.

“Ma’am, how you would like this taken care of?” the male voice replied

“Don’t worry about making it look like a suicide. Just get rid of it. She is wanted, make her easily findable. No forensics are to be left.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the voice came back.

Blossom could hear them working. Cleaning the carpet after removing the body. She heard them leave after about twenty minutes. She didn’t care where they took Katrina or what they did with her. Blossom realized she needed to get out of the tub and get moving with her day. She was expected to go shopping, and that was what she would do. She got dressed and went to the living room. Katrina’s body was gone, and the room was in perfect order. She grabbed her purse and walked out the front door.

Chapter

27

James, Chessy, and Greg arrived back at the apartments not long after Blossom had left. James went directly up to the desk clerk in the lobby.

“Which apartment is Blossom's home….” James went blank as he had no idea what her last name was.

He looked back to Greg and Chessy. Chessy knew the answer, “Smith.”

“Her last name is Smith?” James was confused.

“Yes. Which apartment is Blossom Smith’s?” Chessy questioned to the desk clerk.

“Her flat is 1404,” the clerk replied.

“Thank you,” James replied, rapidly moving to the elevator. The three boarded the elevator and as the doors closed, James could feel rage coming over him. “She is on the same floor as us. She has manipulated the ambassador. How could we be so fucking blind?!”

Chessy and Greg were silent. They were thinking the exact same thing. The elevator doors opened as they reached their floor. James bee lined to Blossom’s apartment. He knocked on the door, but there was no response. James tried to turn the knob, but the door was locked. James stepped back to kick it in, but Greg stopped him.

“Hold up, we are not going around kicking doors in,” Greg turned to Chessy. “Do you have a bobby pin in your room?”

She nodded.

“Go get it, please.” Chessy didn’t ask questions, she just moved to their apartment and went in. James was fuming, but Greg was calm. Within a minute, Chessy was back with a black bobby pin in her hand. She handed it to Greg who quickly went to work picking the lock.

“You can pick a lock?” James questioned.

Without looking up, Greg replied, “You have your secrets and I have mine.” The lock clicked as Greg maneuvered the bobby pin. He turned the door knob and opened up the apartment door. James pulled his gun and barged into the apartment. He searched the apartment, but Blossom wasn’t there.

Chessy had had enough of James’s behavior, “She isn’t here, she is shopping, remember? You need to calm down and quit storming around. You will draw attention to us. Ray wants us to bring her to him for questioning and I think it would be much easier if she came willingly. We can’t give away our position or make her feel threatened.”

Greg nodded, taking a seat on the couch by the front door. “I agree, we need to talk to her. Maybe we can make her think she is in danger and get her to come back with us for her protection. We need to start searching her things for clues.”

“So, what? We just sit here and wait for her?” James yelled.

“Do you think we should, what, run around every store within London looking for her? We need to be patient. And hello, stay on track. We need to search her stuff. I will check her bedroom,” Chessy replied, calmly walking toward the bedroom.

“Fine, but when she gets here, I am dealing with her,” James said, taking a seat on the chair to Greg’s left.

“Um, no you are not. I will handle it. You are too emotional,” Greg replied.

“I agree with him,” Chessy called out as she entered the bedroom.

James was frustrated, but he knew they were right. “Fine.”

Chessy returned a few minutes later. “Nothing but the things you would expect to find in a young woman's things.”
 

They didn’t have to wait for much longer. Blossom had only traveled to one store. She didn’t want to raise any suspicions with Huntsman by not racking up at least one large charge on his card. As she approached the front door of her apartment, she could tell the lock had been tampered with. She prepared herself as she turned the door knob ready for whatever could possibly be on the other side of the door. As she opened it, she was faced with James, Greg, and Chessy all standing in her apartment.

“Well hello, what can I do for you three?” Blossom asked sweetly as she walked past the three of them to put her large bags down on the kitchen counter.

“We are here to take you to the embassy,” Greg said gently.

“To take me to the embassy? Why, am I needed there? The ambassador isn’t there and my job is to work with him.” Blossom questioned, not looking up from her bags.

“You are in danger. We need to take you there for your protection,” Chessy added.

Blossom chuckled, “Why would interpreters be sent to protect me?” She turned to face the three of them.

“You are coming with us. It is that simple,” James barked.

“No, I am not. It is that simple,” Blossom replied.

“We know what you are up to,” James continued, moving toward Blossom. Chessy and Greg knew he was letting the cat out of the bag and needed to be ready to back him. Greg looked to Chessy as he pulled his gun. She followed, both guns aimed at Blossom.

“It doesn’t matter who we are, it matters who you are and you are coming in,” James commanded.

Blossom held her hands in the air, “I have no intention of harming any of you. I have no mission to harm anyone. I am here to protect, that is all.” Blossom was running her mission through her head. How was she going to protect James and escape him and his team at the same time? She could not be captured. It would jeopardize everything. She had to escape.

“I don’t believe you,” James replied.

“You don’t have to, but you are going to let me go or I am going to let myself go.” Blossom raised her hands higher in the air and placed them on the back of her head.

“I don’t think that is how this is going to go. We are the ones with guns pointed at you,” James snickered.

Blossom smiled, “I guess you’re right.” She quickly moved her hands to her ears where she detached the gold earring on each ear and threw them at Greg and Chessy. They were electrically charged and shocked both Greg and Chessy, knocking them unconscious. James quickly charged at Blossom and attempted to grab her, but she blocked his attempts. James continued to try to attack, but Blossom blocked every attempt. “James, I am here to protect you. Don’t make me hurt you.”

“Bullshit!” James yelled, charging again. Blossom knew she had no choice, she had to put him down. This time, she grabbed his arm and flipped him over to the ground. She swiftly got a hold of his neck and placed him in a choke hold.

“James, listen to me. I never meant for your friend to die and I am not going to kill you.” James struggled to get out of the hold, but she was too strong. James slowly felt himself losing consciousness. Right before he blacked out, Blossom added one last thing, “Don’t come looking for me. It is for your own good.”

As soon as James was unconscious, Blossom knew she had to get out and get out fast. She grabbed her purse and phone and made her way out of the apartment complex. She immediately phoned Madame Ming.

“We are compromised. They know. Get the girls out now!” Blossom whispered as she hung up the phone and threw it in the Thames River.

Ming could feel her blood boil as she clutched the phone in her hand. “They know,” she said, clenching her teeth. Ming threw the phone across the room. It shattered against the wall. This drew the attention of her attendant, who quickly ran into the room.

“I want the jet ready. I need to pay our friend a visit.”

“Yes, Mother.” The dark haired little girl rushed from the room.

Ming stood up and adjusted her pink silk kimono. Ming moved out of her home and to a waiting car. Her attendant was at the door.

“Mother, the plane is ready, and we have made contact and said that you are on your way to speak with him. They said they look forward to speaking with you.”

“I’m sure he is looking forward to this,” Ming sneered as she stepped into the waiting black Lexus.

Ming was taken directly to her private air strip where she boarded her silver jet. It would be a long enough flight so she knew she had time to calm herself before dealing with him.

Ming’s plane landed at a private air strip just outside of St Petersburg, Russia. As she had anticipated, there was a car waiting for her. She would not have to tell him what had happened. He knew. Why it happened was the issue to her. Ming got into the car and took the ride to the elaborate palace on the outskirts of St Petersburg. Ming eyed the palace. He had built it just like the official palace of St Petersburg or as it was commonly known, ‘the winter palace.’ It was a stunning sight, an exact replica. Ming felt the car stop at the front entrance. The door opened and a man dressed in black extended his hand to assist Ming out of the car. She accepted and stepped out of the car and, without missing a beat, made her way to the front door. The door opened just as she reached it. She continued on. She knew where he would be. She made her way to the drawing room and found him sitting by a fire having a drink. He immediately noticed her presence.

“Madame Ming, how good of you to join me. Your daughter has made an immense mess,” the grey haired man at the center stated, through his thick Russian accent.

“This would not have been an issue if Warren had done his part, Sergei.” Ming fired back. “Why are there CIA agents spying on US Ambassadors? My girls were tasked with controlling men in power. How could Warren allow this to happen?”

“Warren doesn’t trust your girls to do their part. He placed his own agents there to keep an eye on them for himself.”

“His additional agents are not in on anything. They have exposed my girls. I have to pull them all out.”

“You will not.”

“Oh, yes I will or you will have a blood bath on your hands. My girls will not surrender. The man heading up these teams Warren allowed to be put together is on the lookout for them. I have already lost one of my girls because of this.”

“You lost your girl because she didn’t follow orders. She caused your teams to get put out in the open. On that note, you were never instructed to place a girl on Huntsman. Why did you send the White Blossom, your best, to England without our permission?”

“I am allowed other contacts. You have paid me to do a job and my girls were doing it fine till Warren added more players. Blossom’s mission was in no way going to jeopardize yours.”

“You have been paid to do a job and if your girls do not fulfill it, you will be held accountable,” Sergei sneered.

“Are you threatening me?” Ming inquired.

“Yes, I am. You are lucky I don’t kill you now just as a message to your girls to stay in line.” Sergei waved his hand as two men entered the room. “Maybe I should just rough you up.”

The two guards grabbed Ming’s arms. “Bad move,” Ming said with a grimace. Ming knocked both of the men back. They charged at her. Ming took the man to her left and with a kick to the face knocked him unconscious. The man to her right got a punch to the throat as she grabbed around his neck and twisted, snapping it. Ming looked to Sergei, then to the unconscious guard to her left. She sauntered over to him and stomped on his throat, breaking it.

“If you think your guards can put me down, you have underestimated me. If I don’t return, my girls will be unleashed on this world. We will no longer be your ally, but your enemy,” Ming calmly stated, walking toward Sergei. He did not budge.

“Your threats don’t scare me. A blood bath will come and I will come out on top. It is up to you if you want to be by my side or stand against me.”

“I pledged my allegiance to you and your organization, but other players are not doing their part. I need to know you are taking this seriously. I am pulling out and re-grouping my girls or I will not have a force left to fight with when the time comes.”

“I will speak with Warren about his teams. I will get them pulled back. Leave your girls in place. What was Blossom doing in London?”

“I was paid to send her to protect a James Gold.” As the words left Ming’s mouth, the color drained from Sergei’s already pale complexion.

“By who?” His voice was riddled with nerves.

Ming immediately noticed it since he never seemed shaken by anything. “I had thought it was you. I just figured you wanted it more secretive.” Ming was intrigued by Sergei’s nerves. “What is this boy’s significance?”

Sergei was trying to get a hold of his composure. “We have an outside player. Have Blossom keep an eye on him. Our new player might reveal themselves.”

“I can’t. James is on to her. She had to evacuate to protect our cause.”

“Yes, she can. Don’t play like she can’t stay in the shadows. That is what your girls are good at. She stays on James Gold.”

“I will keep her on if you tell me why I should care about this boy.”

“The person who hired you threatened retaliation if James was harmed, didn’t they?”

“Yes.”

“Then I suggest you do what you were hired to do. You could lose everything, and not even to me, it appears.”

“You know who the player is! Tell me, who is it?!” Ming yelled.

“I don’t know. I have a theory and I don’t want to jump to conclusions until we have evidence to back it up. Let’s just say that, if I am right, we are going to need to close ranks, and fast. Keep the girls on high alert.”

“Fine,” Ming replied, frustrated, as she stormed out the room. She called back as she exited the door, “Better clean those two up before they start to smell.”

Ming made her way to her car, but Sergei wasn’t concerned about the bodies. He was concerned about the agents. He made his way to his desk and picked up his phone and dialed. The phone rang twice before it was answered.