AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The nightclub itself, though, wasn’t exactly what she’d been expecting. As she stood on the side of the street in her wrinkled, worn black outfit, she realized it was likely not going to be up to the dress code.
And now, as she stared, she realizedwhyit had been so difficult to spot Karpov.
The nightclub was underground. The sign for the Planetarium was a reworked metro station announcement. The station itself had been converted into the new hopping hang out spot.
Cora’s eyes skimmed along a couple of figures in the window behind her, peering over the railing, watching her with hooded eyes. Two rough looking women, with more tattoos than her, both wearing expensive fur coats. They glanced imperiously down at her, along perfectly sloped chins, past upturned, celestial noses. They looked like supermodels.
Other guards, six of them, were lingering by the line leading down into the underground station. All of them were armed, but the weapons were hidden from view. No way in through the front—that was for sure.
And now it seemed clearhowKarpov was getting in and out of the place. An underground train station would have multiple previously built entrances and exits. Undoubtedly, the city would have long since closed off the tunnels, but finding a way through to smuggle their boss?
The Russians were nothing if not resourceful.
She bit her lip and considered her options. The taxi behind her was still rolling away, but the man kept glancing at her, clearly worried. She supposed a few hours with any client might create some sort of bond. Plus, she was pretty sure she’d dropped nearly half her month’s rent on that detour.
As she surveyed the Planetarium, she reached the obvious decision.
The only way to enter would be through the front. No tactical gear. No weapons. No listening devices—that would be a great way to get herself in trouble.
They would likely be rigid on security, making sure no one got in who wasn’t cleared. And once inside the nightclub, undoubtedly, there would be sections available only to VIPs. Those who had been precleared or personally known by the owners. Those who would beleastlikely to be FBI plants.
Standing there in her dark outfit of breathable fabric, stained with ketchup...or was that blood on her shoulder? She frowned. There was only one option that made sense.
She turned, whistling. The taxi driver looked relieved. She gestured at him. She’d already asked him to shut the meter down, but for what she had in mind, she could enter the debit card’s digits from memory.
As the taxi approached, she glanced in. “Where’s the nearest dress shop...is that what they call it? Adressshop?” She wrinkled her nose. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever truly owned a dress.
The driver gestured at her, happily. “Come, come,” he said. “I show.” The greasy streak along his forehead had been wiped away, and now he was watching her with a bit too much attention.
She sighed and shook her head. Hopefully, the driver wasn’t about to start hitting on her.
But it couldn’t be helped. If she wanted to enter a secret, underground mobster’s nightclub, she would have to look the part.
***
Two fears were realized by the time she returned. Night watched, and so did she. The first fear came in the form of the line outside the club. It snaked down towards the street, with men and women clad in expensive outfits waiting eagerly to enter the club.
Her second fear had also been realized. Due to the dress and attempt at makeup, the driverhadtried to hit on her. This time, though, she hadn’t given him her digits. A couple of nasty comments suggested he thought this was because she had already hit it off with the other person who’d been in the car with them.
She didn’t see the point in arguing, and as she emerged from the taxi, listening to a radio that had been turned on full blast in protest, she was careful not to trip on the curb.
She didn’t wear high heels—some lines she simply refused to cross.
The dress was also black—perhaps predictable, but Cora had never claimed to be subtle. The makeup had been hastily applied, and she felt completely out of her element. Her eyelashes feltheavy.The eyeshadow was irritating. And the stuff on her cheeks...blush, foundation? What had the lady at the counter called it?
Cora sighed. It had been a while since she’d dolled up for anything. The tattoos along her arms were exposed due to the strapless nature of the dress. A couple of the women at the shop had offered to cover them, but Cora figured that in a place like this, the tattoos would be a welcome sight.
The less she looked like a nark, the better.
She approached the back of the line, moving carefully, and searching out a mark. The taxi turned at the end of the street, completely leaving her now to her devices.
She looked towards a few of the guards as the line began to move. Quicker now as night fell. But more guards too. Checking bags and checking for weapons. A few of the guards even got a bit handsy, but no one seemed to protest. If anything, this seemed like a rehearsed bit.
She had talked a couple of ladies at a dress and makeup shop into accepting the digits of a card she’d given away. How hard would it be to talk her way into a nightclub?
About fifty people remained between her and the entrance.
Then forty. Then thirty.
