The Rebel: The new crime thriller that will have you gripped in 2018. Jaime Raven

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СКАЧАТЬ only days to live. And Terry needs someone to look out for him, otherwise he’ll end up dead or in jail.’

      She’d gone on to say that she didn’t tell him about the baby because their relationship had ended badly after he decided to dump her for another woman.

      ‘It would never have worked out,’ she’d said. ‘You would have wanted the baby but not me. I was sure that you would have made my life a misery or even taken steps to get rid of me.’

      To say that he’d been shocked would have been a gross understatement. The revelation had shaken him to the core. He was angry with her even though he knew that what she’d said was true.

      Their affair had lasted five months. It was fun but he’d never loved her and when someone better came along he dropped her like a hot brick.

      Before he left the hospital she gave him a letter she’d written to Terry in which she disclosed that Slack was his father.

      ‘I’m not going to tell him before I die,’ she’d said. ‘That wouldn’t be fair, if you decide that you want nothing to do with him. But if you do want to be part of his life then show him the letter.’

      Three days later she passed away and for weeks afterwards he wasn’t sure what to do or whether or not to even believe her.

      So he made enquiries, found out that Terry was looking for work, and got the lads to recruit him onto the firm. Then he took steps to secretly obtain samples of his DNA, which confirmed what Chloe had said.

      That was when it really hit home that he had a son. The effect on him was profound. Julie had never been able to conceive and he had always wanted a child.

      So he came to a decision. He would promote the lad within the firm and get to know him. And then when he felt the time was right he would drop the bombshell and show him Chloe’s letter.

      After that he would groom Terry to be his successor. The idea pleased and excited him, and suddenly he had a purpose in life other than making money.

      But then something happened that changed everything and that was why he confided in Terry that night in the club.

      He gave him the letter from his mother and told him that he wanted him to eventually take charge of the firm. And he told him why his plan had been brought forward.

      Naturally the lad reacted as though he’d received a jolt of electricity. But Slack had assured him that he had what it took and that it was meant to be.

      ‘So go home and think about it, son,’ he’d said. ‘Your mother asked me to look out for you and that’s exactly what I plan to do. You and my grandchild will have a bright and prosperous future. And you’ll want for nothing.’

      They were the last words he said to Terry. Hours later the lad was dead.

      Rosa Lopez was not what he was expecting. The eyes of everyone in the saloon bar were drawn towards her as she came in ahead of Danny who held the door open for her.

      Slack felt the urge to whistle as she walked towards where he was sitting in an alcove next to the window.

      She was disarmingly attractive, with thick, lustrous black hair and naturally olive skin. Her face was smooth and narrow, and she moved with the sinewy grace of a catwalk model.

      She had on a smart leather jacket with a fleece lining that looked brand new and probably was. It was open at the front and underneath she was wearing torn jeans and a tight brown sweater.

      She was slim but endowed in all the right places, and it struck him that she was so unlike any of the contract killers he had ever come across.

      Rosa Lopez was stunning, and he reckoned she probably stood out even among the beautiful sicarias in Latin America. He found it strange that someone so young and beautiful could be a sadistic killer. He wondered if she had been born a psychopath or whether events in her life had turned her into one.

      As she approached, he held out his hand and introduced himself. She smiled and it lit up her face, but there was something unconvincing about it.

      ‘Welcome to London,’ he said. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’

      ‘Not too much I hope,’ she replied.

      She spoke perfect English with only the faintest trace of an accent.

      ‘Please take a seat,’ he said. ‘Danny will get the drinks in.’

      ‘Just an orange juice for me,’ she said, sitting down opposite him without removing her coat. ‘I never touch alcohol when I’m on an assignment.’

      ‘Very sensible of you,’ Slack said.

      As Danny went off to the bar, Slack studied the woman who had come all the way from Mexico. Her eyes were the colour of dark chocolate and there was no emotion in them. In fact they quite unnerved him.

      ‘How was the journey?’ he asked.

      ‘Very pleasant. But then it usually is when one travels first class.’

      ‘And is the hotel to your liking?’

      She shrugged. ‘Not really. It’s cheap and cheerful, but that’s OK because I understand it was chosen for its location. And anyway I’m not here on vacation.’

      ‘That’s true enough,’ Slack said. ‘And can I take it that your boss made you aware of how unusual this job is?’

      ‘It’s not that unusual, Mr Slack. I’ve taken out plenty of police officers over the years. Once I killed three in a single day and in different locations. I’m not in the least bit intimidated by the scale of this assignment.’

      Slack was impressed. He could see now why Carlos Cruz had sent her and why she was so highly rated. She had the one essential attribute of all successful contract killers; she was not troubled by the conventional standards of morality.

      Danny came back to the table with their drinks and Slack was struck by a jarring thought. To the other customers they no doubt looked like normal people, friends enjoying an evening out. But in reality they were the opposite of normal. Between them they had carried out scores of abhorrent crimes and were planning to commit many more.

      Rosa suggested they steer clear of small talk and get straight down to business. So Slack told her about the organised crime task force and the text messages that had been sent to the detectives and their immediate family members.

      Rosa raised her brow. ‘And do you really think that killing some detectives will stop the rest of them coming after you?’

      He grinned. ‘Not at all. But that’s not why I’m doing it. This is just the opening salvo in a war I’ve declared against London’s police. I want to start by making them think it’s just about the task force. That’ll confuse and unsettle them before the real fun begins.’

      At this point he took a mobile phone and a buff-coloured envelope from his pocket and handed them to her.

      ‘It’s an unregistered phone and you can use it to contact me and Danny,’ he said. ‘Our numbers have been programmed in and we have your number. The envelope contains the list of targets. СКАЧАТЬ