The Enemy by Tom Wood Read Free Book Online

the others and shake his head in disbelief. The shotgun barrel angled down a fraction.
    Krausse looked back to Georg. ‘Where the hell did you find this guy?’
    ‘He found me.’
    ‘Figures. Just how much explosive is he buying?’
    Georg shrugged. ‘A reasonable amount.’
    Krausse smiled at Victor. ‘Then knowing Georg, you’ll be paying an unreasonable amount for it.’ He looked at one of his men. ‘Take his cash.’
    The man who approached Victor was about the same height – an inch or two over six feet – but bigger at the neck, shoulders and especially waistline. His face was hard, serious. He stank.
    ‘You packing?’ he asked as he came closer.
    Victor said, ‘Not unless you count my coffee.’
    In the edge of his vision, Victor caught Georg glancing his way. Victor didn’t glance back.
    The gunman lowered his weapon as he approached. ‘Just keep your hands where I can see them.’
    He patted Victor down with his left hand. Not as thorough as Georg’s muscle, but thorough enough. The man took the stack of money from Victor’s hand and held it up for Krausse to see. He half-turned away from Victor to do so. Victor waited a second and took a small sidestep to the right.
    Krausse didn’t look happy. ‘That’s not a lot of money.’
    Before anyone could respond, a cell phone rang. Victor approved of the ringtone:
Water Music
by Handel. Krausse struggled to pull it from the pocket of his suit trousers. He looked at the screen for a moment before denying the call.
    ‘I hate these things. They rule your life,’ he said, putting it back in the pocket. ‘Now, you were about to tell me where the rest of the money is.’
    Victor didn’t say anything. He glanced at the other three of Krausse’s men. They weren’t as stiff as they had been when they first arrived. They looked in control, relaxing more as time ticked by. Comfortable.
    ‘He was going to take me to it after he’d collected the stuff,’ Georg explained.
    ‘Now he can take me instead.’ Krausse looked at the guy with the money. ‘Count it.’
    His back to Victor, the man put his gun into the left pocket of his jacket and started thumbing through the notes.
    ‘Do I get to keep the goods I’m here for?’ Victor asked.
    Krausse said, ‘I told you that you’re funny.’
    ‘What if I say please?’
    Krausse laughed, turned to his men with a look of amused astonishment. They smiled or shrugged back at him, guns as close to their waists as shoulders. Victor took another small sidestep. The one counting the money now blocked his line of sight to the two with handguns to his left. And vice versa.
    Victor spoke to Krausse without looking at him. ‘Are you sure you won’t reconsider?’
    ‘Oh, I’m quite sure,’ Krausse said.
    ‘Then you leave me no choice.’
    Victor squeezed the coffee cup in his left hand. The lid popped clear and he reached inside, drew out a black folding knife, extended the blade and drove it into the lower back of the man in front of him.
    He stiffened and screamed, dropping the money. Victor let go of the knife, grabbed the gun from the man’s pocket, and pointed it at Krausse’s head before anyone could react.
    The man with the knife in his back groaned and sank to his knees. For a moment no one else moved or spoke. Hundred-euro notes floated to the floor.
    Victor’s gaze flicked between the three other gunmen. Their guns were back up and they were anxious, looking from him to Krausse and back again, waiting for orders. No one looked like he was stupid enough to shoot while Victor had a gun on their boss, but he couldn’t be certain.
    Krausse slowly clapped. ‘Impressive performance.’ He glared at Victor. ‘Bravo.’
    Victor glared back. ‘You should see what I do for an encore.’
    ‘Then let’s not go there.’
    ‘We don’t have to,’ Victor said. ‘I just want what I came here for.’
    The man with the knife in his back tipped forward and fell on to his side. He lay in a foetal position. Blood