100 Ways to Solve a Murder-Chapter 57: Erik Tarasovich IV

The ’Cardinal’s crew’ moved in the shadows, clad in an all-black ensemble. Black tactical clothing, bulletproof helmet with night vision goggles attached, bulletproof vests, kneecap pads, gloves, and boots. Fully equipped with semi-automatics, smoke screen, carry armor-puncturing knives, and M203 Grenade Launcher.

Attached to their CA carbine assault rifles were, a 4x ACOG sight, holographic sight, Close Combat Optic (CCO) sight, and PEQ-15 Aiming Laser and Flashlight.

The group of four stealthily maneuvered around the location, where they received the SOS signal. It was an abandoned storage unit in East London. The surroundings are empty, away from residences, something good for them, they don’t have to worry about the noise they will be making.

While Beta positioned himself on top of their parked Van a distance away. He was lying on his stomach, with eyes glued on the scope of his Remington CSR. Finger on the trigger.

"I have a visual of the Cardinal, alive. 6 combatant and Mr. Jackson on the premises. I have a target locked to a man with a gun aimed at the Cardinal. Ready to shoot, Captain." Beta said over the earpiece. His finger on to the trigger.

Charlie stood before the circuit breaker at the back of the storage.

"In position," he informed, through the earpiece.

"Beta standby, eye on the Cardinal. Shoot only when necessary. You know her instructions, avoid casualties at all cost." Alpha instructed, and the group stealthily maneuvered around the storage unit.

Satisfied that everyone was in position, Alpha positioned the Night vision goggles attached to their helmets and the group followed his cue.

Then he said in a hushed tone over the earpiece,

"Cut the lights."

***************************************

Levi turns to face Sam, his expression she recognized as defeat,

"I can’t," Levi tells her.

Sam opens her mouth to speak, telling him it’s okay. But all of a sudden the lights switch off, and the whole room turns pitch black.

And in the darkness, Levi takes the opportunity to grab a gun, any gun, and run towards Sam.

The room fills with tension, panic, a lot of cussing, and orders in Russian followed by the sound of glass shattering. Body slams against the body. Blows were exchanged, gunshot echoing in the cold dark room.

The clattering sound of the silver tray and the guns hitting the floor reverberated to the whole room.

Sam tenses at the feel of touch, "It’s me." Levi whispers, pulling his blade from his pocket and cutting the rope around her in the darkness.

Sam relaxes at the sound of his voice, "They’re here." she says. After cutting the zip lock behind her wrists Sam says in the darkness, "Drop the knife, Levi." and he did, including the gun just to be safe. He wouldn’t want to be mistaken as one of the Russian in the darkness.

By ’they’, he knew, were the group of 5 highly trained and armed operatives he had the pleasure of meeting months before in her home. He received the best greeting he’d ever had in his life. He could still recall how his jaw hurt that day when one of them slammed him like a truck to a tree against the wall.

Blows, grunts, and gunshots continued. Sam and Levi ducked their heads in hopes that no stray bullets would hit them.

Seconds after a few voices echoed,

"GET ON THE GROUND!"

"PALMS DOWN!"

"MOVE AND I BLOW YOUR BRAINS OFF! FUCKTARD!"

"Charlie, switch the light back on." a familiar voice said over his earpiece.

"Yes, Captain." was Charlie’s response, and the light returned as instructed.

Sam and Levi remained still until the light filled the room, blinding them for a few seconds.

Levi’s eyes adjusted only to find Erik and his men laying belly first on the ground, armed men in tactical suits hovered over them with a pair of FN P90, while another restrained them.

Levi eyed the night vision goggles attached to their black helmets, hinting on how the crew was able to move around the darkened room freely.

Levi could see that a couple of the Russians were injured but luckily still alive, flesh wound most likely Levi assessed one with a bleeding arm another with a bleeding thigh. They were lucky, Levi thought. And he wondered if the crew received instructions to avoid killing, seeing as they could have easily enough just shot them dead in the darkness and confusion.

Alpha approached them, holstering his pistol to his right thigh.

"Dr. Gray, are you unharmed?" he asks the redhead.

"I’m fine, Alpha. Thanks" Sam says, starting to get up, Alpha helped her, swiftly assessing her for any injuries. Satisfied that she was not in any grave danger, he presses his earpiece and says over the mic, "The Cardinal is secure. I repeat, The Cardinal is secure."

"Copy that." was heard from his receiver.

And from a distance Beta removed his eye from the scope of his Remington CSR. He got off his stomach to sit, legs crossed, and started disassembling his rifle with practiced ease.

Levi stands a sigh of relief passes him, he pats the grime and dust off his suit and brushes his slick blond hair with his long fingers.

Sam looks at the surroundings, seeing the revolvers that were on the silver tray before on the floor scattered.

Levi watches as Sam picks one, then makes her way towards Erik and his men.

All of them kneeling in line, panting, sweating. One of them even soaked his pants with his own piss. Erik racks his brain wondering who the fuck was Sam Gray after he witnessed the exchange between the bald man he’d reckon was the leader of the group.

Sam cocks the hammer of the gun, easily. Then he aims at the man named Viktor.

Viktors’ eyes widened and his face pales staring back at the barrel and the redhead holding the gun. Her face remained unfazed even then, he thought. The calmness in them now he only realized felt like the air in his lungs was being sucked completely. He had difficulty breathing.

Levi tenses, at the sight. Alpha’s crew remained unfazed and watched the scene unfold. They all know she can do whatever she please, whatever she says goes. That was what they signed up for. That’s what they get the big bucks for.

Should she decide to assassinate this group of men, then they will handle disposal.

With her connections, no, with her brother Ivan Fredricksen being their employer. It’s easy to make someone disappear without a trace.

"Do you think this is it?" she asks Viktor, her finger on the trigger.

"Please, don’t--." Viktor starts, but she pulls the trigger before he could finish, and the gun clicks. Viktor guffawed trembling in his spot. Empty. He was lucky he thought.

"You were all enjoying your time weren’t you, Russians playing Russian roulette. We should play another round, I insist." Sam points the gun to the man next in line, Dimitri.

"Any last words?" she asks. He opens his mouth, she pulls the trigger before he could speak.

Another blank.

Dimitri trembles and heaves after realizing he was still alive.

Levi watches in horror, she pulls the trigger yet again without question that third time. He had her eyes on her since she picked up that gun, she did not check it to see if it was empty. He does not understand how she was doing it, 3 out of 5.

Or if the streak will continue.

Two more shots remaining, the chances are getting slimmer.

She stands before Erik, her left-hand pushed his forehead backward, forcing him to look up at her. Green eyes locked with brown eyes.

"Now which one do you think this is, Mr. Tarasovich? Is it the gun with two bullets, one, or none?" she asks.

"You don’t have to do this," he begged. Her eyes narrowed, "That’s what my friend said minutes before. You should just have taken the money. Why didn’t you just take the money?" Sam asks.

She received no answer, "And you were all plotting to collect our organs weren’t you? Sell it to the black market for some cash," Sam states. This new information surprises Levi.

"That isn’t true!" Erik attempted to deny,

"не лги мне! (Don’t lie to me)" Sam spat in Russian, shocking the group.

She had from the start understood what they were discussing.

"Open your mouth please, Mr. Tarasovich," Sam instructs the way she said it was far more frightening he thought. The gentleness in her tone and the ’please’ made the whole thing far more unnerving. Like he was staring at a psychopath, Erik thought.

"Don’t make me break your mouth and teeth shoving it down your throat," she warned. And slowly with trembling lips, he opens his mouth, she inserts the barrel smiling down at him.

She really was a psychopath, he thought.

"So, Mr. Tarasovich is it the gun with two bullets, one, or the empty one?"

Then she pulls the trigger.

It clicks, and Erik sobs, sniveling in relief. Sam pulls the gun away from his mouth and he starts vomiting on the floor seconds later.

Sam snorts finding his state amusing, she didn’t feel sorry for them at all. She knew what they planned on doing.

Then in everyone’s surprise, including Levi, Sam turns towards the blond psychologist standing a few feet on her right. She turns and aims the gun to his head.