Assassins Read Online Free Page B

convince.
    â€œI did. That proved to be the last straw. He blew up when he I told him what had happened to Goel.” Ashok had been reluctant to get involved with that . He had agreed only when Fatima doubled his payout and because Vishal had carried out Goel’s kidnapping and interrogation.
    â€œWhy?” Fatima was perplexed; she had hoped that would appease Leon.
    But Ashok’s nervousness had reached the end of its tether. “You can ask him yourself. He wants you to meet him at the Qutb Minar at three p.m.”
    â€œThe Qutb Minar? Did he mention how I am to find him?”
    â€œHe said he’d find you.”
    Swamped by a sea of gloom Fatima ended the call and tossed her mobile on the bed. She had no idea how she was going to convince Leon to continue with the mission, but knew she had to do it. Finding and making contact with the right man had taken her seven months. Convincing the SOB council to agree to the huge payout demanded by Leon had taken almost as long.
    And in one stroke that double-crossing bitch Cherry shafted us. All for the sake of a few pounds.
    Fatima’s grimace deepened.
    Well, not really. A lot more than a few.
    Fatima remembered how stunned they had been to learn Cherry had siphoned off most of the fifty-million-pound SOB war chest, hard-earned money donated by the thousands of Pakistani sisters who had sworn allegiance to Benazir. After paying Leon his first instalment of five million pounds, and the five million now due to him on reaching Delhi, there was barely enough left to buy toilet paper.
    The thought of telling Leon she did not have money to pay his last two installments of five million each, after he terminated both targets, petrified her.
    But I cannot let him know right now. Not till he has done the job.
    Deciding she would worry about it later, she focused on the immediate problem—convincing Leon to keep going.
    I have to make this work. I’ve waited too long for this revenge. I cannot fail. Not with the end in sight.
    She checked her watch. There were still a couple of hours before she needed to start out for her meeting with Leon. Pacing the hotel room she began to rack her brains, trying to figure out how best to counter the impact of Cherry’s betrayal and convince Leon.
    Once again, anger at Cherry for placing her in this dangerous dilemma gripped Fatima. Her hands clenched in tight, hate-filled balls. She regretted not having driven the knife into Cherry’s throat herself.
    Treacherous bitches like her need to die slowly and painfully. And to think she almost got away with it. She would have, too, if I had not taken Zaki to the zoo that day.
    Using the stub Fatima lit another cigarette and took a long drag, trying to calm herself down. But she was unable to prevent her thoughts from turning to the past.
    *   *   *
    Like all eight-year-olds, her son Zaki had the energy of a dozen men and the enthusiasm of twice that many. By time they reached the monkey enclosure of London Zoo, Fatima was ready to have him placed with them.
    â€œDon’t go too far, Zaki. Mommy needs a break.” Dying to take the weight off her feet, Fatima collapsed on the bench by the bushes. The bench was not too clean, but it was the only unoccupied one in shade. Pausing long enough to pull a packet of salted peanuts and a Coke mini from her bag, Zaki joined the crowd of kids making faces at the monkeys. Left to her own devices, Fatima nodded off.
    Voices from the other side of the bush woke her. More probably it was that one of them was familiar; Fatima would have recognized Cherry Rehmat’s high-pitched voice anywhere. It was raised even higher in disagreement.
    â€œBut that’s not what we agreed upon,” she heard Cherry say. “It’s too dangerous for you to call me. Let me…”
    â€œPipe down.” The man she was with cut her off, but he was speaking in a low tone and Fatima could not make out what he said