Page 59 of A Silent Reckoning

Ali shook his head. “No movement other than us within a ten-kilometer radius of the route. There’s a five-minute lag though.”

Jozef nodded his understanding. There was, of course, always a lag between the satellite transmission and the ground. Five minutes was a small window for troops to get in and ambush the trucks, but it was possible. Jozef preferred vigilance over faith.

Keep watching, he signed.

Ali refocused on the laptop, occasionally updating Jozef as they drove.

When they arrived at Radik’s meeting point, the men climbed out of the trucks and fanned out in a previously discussed configuration. They’d been warned not to engage if they ran into any of Radik’s people while in the bushes. Radik had agreed he would be accompanied by only three men, all visible, but Jozef didn’t trust the man. Jozef didn’t trust any man except Havel, which was why he was still alive.

A slight pang hit him as he thought of his uncle, but he quickly dismissed it. Perhaps he’d trusted Krystoff as a child, but his uncle had used Jozef and his team for years for his own purposes. And while Jozef had been a willing participant in the jobs, he hadn’t trusted his uncle to have their health and safety in mind. Jozef had compensated to cover for Krystoff’s blind spots. It was better that Jozef had split from the Kobas and took control of his team.

Jozef refocused on the job as they waited for Radik to arrive. Everything went according to plan. Jozef’s team arrived exactly fifteen minutes before Radik’s. Radik’s group arrived in a truck that looked like the ones Jozef’s team had taken across the border.

Jozef figured all of the men and trucks belonged to Radik, which put them firmly in Radik’s control. Or so the man would think. When Radik had talked about a team coming to pick up Jozef and his men to take them across the border, Jozef had suspected it was Radik’s way of putting more of his men in the field than the three Jozef had insisted on.

What Radik didn’t know is that Jozef’s team had been briefed on every possible scenario including this one. They were expecting an ambush, even though it was unlikely Radik would draw them all the way out there just to kill them. Not when the man had enough resources to blow up Jozef’s club and the building it was in, killing most of Jozef’s team in one move.

No, Jozef had done some checking on Radik and while the man was one of the deadliest mercenaries in the world with a body count higher than Jozef’s, the general word on the dark web was that he didn’t double cross his business associates. If he hired Jozef for a job, then he wanted Jozef to do that job. He wouldn’t go to the effort and expense of luring Jozef and his team into an ambush.

Havel stood next to Jozef as Radik walked toward them, two of his own men at his back, all three of them carrying rifles.

“Koba.” Radik extended his hand and Jozef took it, squeezing.

Radik and Jozef spoke while Havel translated. Jozef respected that Radik spoke directly to him without pausing or stumbling over Jozef’s lack of voice. Jozef would bet his cut of the pay for the job that Radik didn’t underestimate him either. He knew the silent guard dog could and would strike without warning if provoked.

Finally, they got around to the package.

“You’ll have questions, I’m sure,” Radik said, his deep baritone voice serious. “Don’t ask them. You won’t get any answers. Do your job and deliver the package. I’ll transfer the pay once I know it’s safe.”

At first, Jozef was insulted that Radik thought he would ask questions about a job that had already been discussed in detail. Then he felt uneasy. Radik would know that, which meant the package could only be one thing.

Human cargo.

Jozef growled, gaining Radik’s attention. He signed swiftly, making sure Havel could see.I told you, we don’t transport human cargo. You better not be fucking with me; I won’t take kindly to a change in our agreement.

Radik had easily agreed to Jozef’s strictest term; he didn’t transport people. Now Jozef realized Radik had agreed to it too quickly. Most of Jozef’s other clients had questions about that term. For most it was curiosity, for some disappointment.

Jozef lived in the underworld of the mafia, which meant he was surrounded by prostitution and human bondage. He’d become somewhat immune to the pathetic men, women and children caught up in the industry, but he refused to participate. His uncle had tried to talk him out of that particular term, arguing that it wasn’t Jozef’s job to judge their client’s activities, that they were leaving money on the table by not accepting human cargo jobs. Jozef had stood firm.

Radik looked angry, but finally nodded. “I know your terms, and you must believe I understand. Even agree, to some extent. But I need you for this job and I’m not willing to compromise.”

Jozef let out a vicious growl and lifted his hand to give his men the order to take Radik and his men out.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

“You don’t want to do that,” Radik said calmly. “I have a missile aimed at this site and, like you, a satellite in orbit. If you make a move, I will have my people fire, and we all die together.”

Jozef stared at the man, infuriated, tempted to call his bluff. There would be a five-minute lag between Radik’s satellite and his ground communications. Five minutes was plenty of time to clear out if a missile really was pointed at them. Only Jozef didn’t think Radik was bluffing. None of his research on the man had indicated he spoke anything but the truth to his clients.

Radik stared Jozef down, finally saying in a low voice. “Is your distaste for human trafficking really stronger than your desire to live? Stronger than the lives of your men?”

Though Havel knew the answer, he didn’t speak for Jozef. He didn’t need to; Radik could read the truth in Jozef’s eyes. He would rather die than transport humans to a life of misery.

Radik straightened, running a hand over his forehead, which was beaded with sweat from the heat of the sun. “You are an interesting man, Jozef Koba. You would judge the business of others, silently condemning, while running around with this ragtag group, setting fire to the world in search of profit.”

Jozef raised an eyebrow, not at all bothered by Radik’s assessment of his character. He’d seen the pictures of the aftermath of Radik’s own operations. He didn’t just kill people. He tortured them, psychologically and physically before murdering them and everyone they knew.

Radik laughed, his demeanor growing lighter. “Lucky for us, I do not intend for you to transport flesh intended for the meat market. You will be transporting something far more precious.”

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