Redemption

By Marvin Dixon

When cyber security expert Jack Neild goes missing in London it appears to be a straightforward missing person’s case. As the situation unfolds, Justin Kell’s sighting of an adversary from his past makes it clear that kidnap and organised crime are involved.
With the authorities struggling to make progress in finding Neild and suspicion of a critical event with a global implication increasing, Kell puts his relationship with his longstanding girlfriend on the line as he becomes central to the investigation.
When information from an unexpected source changes the dynamic of the operation, and with the body count increasing, the security services make their move, but will it be too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Jun 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9781398458567

Marvin Dixon

Marvin Dixon’s debut novel, Settlement, was published in 2019 inspired by his experiences in the world of financial services. Thus began the story of Justin Kell a financial journalist and private investigator with a passion for ensuring justice is done. Payback (2021) and Redemption (2022) continued Kell’s story with Brotherly Love being the fourth in the series. Now retired from financial services and focussing on his writing, Marvin Dixon lives in West Yorkshire.

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About the Author

Marvin Dixon’s debut novel Settlement was published in 2019, inspired by his experiences in the world of financial services. Payback, published in 2021, continued the story of Justin Kell as he pursued his quest for justice. Redemption is the third book on the Justin Kell series which sees Kell confront some old adversaries. Now retired and living in West Yorkshire, writing is Marvin’s passion.

Read more about Settlement and Payback at the end of the book.

Copyright Information ©

Marvin Dixon 2022

The right of Marvin Dixon to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398458550 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398458567 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2022

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

As usual, thanks go to the support team of Ange, Bill, John and Steve, whose input and advice was crucial in creating the narrative for Redemption. Particular thanks go to Stu Gledhill who, over a couple of beers in a bar in Manchester, introduced me to the world of cryptocurrencies.

Prologue

By the time Darya and Hendrik returned to the room, there was no sign of Mignemi’s body. The carpet had either been replaced or the cleaning job was incredibly thorough. The only difference was that the eighth seat on the left end of the semi-circle was no longer vacant. Miguel Santini had filled the place on the Maktab intended for Alfio Mignemi before his greed for power led him to betray the organisation he had worked for most of his life.

In his early sixties, Santini was by far the youngest member of the ruling council of Lebanon’s only remaining organised crime group. His late friend had successfully completed the task of destroying the Aljadid, who in recent years had emerged as the only serious threat to the stranglehold that the Qadim held throughout the Middle East and had become a growing player throughout Europe and Australia. He was shocked and saddened at the extent of the betrayal and while the Maktab had not specifically instructed Darya Llubov to kill the traitor, they had no qualms when she shot him in the head in front of them all.

The discussion over brandy and cigars in the penthouse bar of the hotel they had hired for the evening while they waited for the room to be cleared of any sign of the traitor’s death focussed on the state of mind of the female Llubov and whether she could be relied upon to complete the most ambitious project that was already in its early stages of being established in the UK.

‘I agree that she is completely loyal and with the exception of the Settlement fund fiasco, has never failed us,’ said the elder. ‘But her fury at how her brother is now rotting in an English jail through no fault of his own, continues to influence her actions, as we have just witnessed.’

‘Miguel, you know her better than the rest of us, what is your view?’

Santini steepled his fingers beneath his chin, deep in thought as he considered his response.

‘I believe she is capable of compartmentalizing her feelings and focussing on her orders. She will not rest until Andrei is free and she has avenged his suffering.’

‘But has not her killing of our traitorous college quenched her need for revenge? It was Alfio who betrayed them in London and who abandoned Andrei at the hospital.’

Santini looked around the room. Had they intentionally forgotten that it was their order for Mignemi to kill the journalist, now investigator Justin Kell, who had broken their beautiful life settlement fund venture? Darya had always seen killing Kell as her responsibility. It was Kell who was on the boat and witnessed her brother murdering the useless fund manager – another traitor, and it was Kell who was part of the deal that Mignemi made with the London Police. Or was it that they had simply moved on and no longer saw the man as a loose end that needed tidying up? After all, it was the premature ending of the Settlement project that had led to the need for the ambitious plans they were now finalising as the major source for laundering the growing proceeds of their illegitimate activities.

Santini looked at them through the haze of cigar smoke that now filled the room.

‘I am confident she won’t let us down. However, I believe it would help if we included the contract on Mr Kell and the freedom of her brother in her mission. The latter not to impact in any way on the success of ensuring we establish dominance in the laundering operation. Hendrik will help keep her in check. I have every confidence in that young man.’

‘Very well. Let’s proceed with the briefing.’

Darya Llubov did not know what to expect. Her fury at Mignemi’s betrayal burned throughout her core. He was the father figure she never had. He was professional and a perfectionist. She always looked forward to working with him and listening to how he thought problems through and was then decisive and unwavering once he’d given his instructions. And then the abject soul wrenching disbelief when he left her brother bleeding to death outside a London hospital, knowing it meant he would spend the rest of his life in a British jail. And then making a deal with the police and that man Kell who was responsible for all their problems in the first place. And then betraying the Qadim and trying to have the ruling council blown up! And then and then… she could go on but it would only bring more tears and heartache.

The elder looked up from his hands that rested on the table in front of him. ‘I am pleased to confirm that our brother Miguel has been appointed to the high table of the Maktab. His first duty will be to brief our soldiers here in the task that lies ahead.’

Santini cleared his throat. ‘The recent weeks have been some of the most tumultuous in the history of our organisation. We have seen our greatest rival, the Aljadid, removed by the heroic work of our comrades who stand before us along with our loyal soldier Andrei who was seriously injured in the line of duty and is now in custody in the UK.’

He looked directly at Darya and Hendrik. ‘Thank you, my friends. Your service will be rewarded.’

He turned his gaze on to the woman who met his look with icy steel in her eyes.

‘Darya, you were not given any order to kill Mignemi. Our success is based on strict compliance with the chain of command and your actions to shoot the traitor gives my colleagues here concern over your ongoing suitability to do as you are told.’

Both Darya and Hendrik went to speak but Santini held up his hand.

‘However, the extreme circumstances of the treason of Mignemi were such that we are appreciative of your actions as an appropriate punishment for a traitor. As I will be your commander on this next operation, I sincerely hope that you won’t feel the need for a repeat performance.’

The rest of the Maktab laughed at his humour and the tension in the room disappeared. Darya let out a sigh and some colour started to return to her cheeks.

Santini continued; ‘Operation Mandara is the most important and significant venture in our history. We have been accused of not moving with the times, of needing to modernise to face the challenges of a changing world. Operation Mandara addresses these and similar questions that the Aljadid tried to use to remove us from the battlefield. Eventually, you two will be the face of the Qadim, but for now, under my oversight, you will be responsible for taking us firmly into the 21st century.’

He paused to drink some water, and then gestured for them to sit on the chairs in the centre of the semi-circular table.

‘As you are aware, the main vehicle we use to clean our money is digital currency, Bitcoin, Ripple, Litecoin plus a number of smaller technologies. These are relatively safe but do carry certain risks and like most organisations, we are prone to our funds disappearing or being diminished by the time they come back clean. Our plan is to design, build and distribute our own such currency called Mandara. Darya you will lead this operation on the ground in the UK with Hendrik as your number two. You will have all the resources you request and will report directly to me. After we are finished here, I will be returning to London to continue my trade as a humble solicitor. The London Police do not have anything tangible on me other than my link to the traitor. When I return, I expect their main interest will be trying to establish if I know the whereabouts of our erstwhile colleague and I intend to lead them on what the English call…a wild goose chase.’

Darya raised her hand like a schoolgirl wanting to ask the teacher a question. Santini nodded, giving her permission to speak.

‘I am a wanted woman in the UK, if I go back, I will be arrested as soon as I step off the plane.’

‘Indeed that is the case,’ replied Santini. ‘That is why we will return you by boat, give you a new identity and change your appearance. It is known that the best place to hide is often right under the nose of your seeker. Hendrik, of course, has no such restrictions, but first, you are going to the United States.’

The two young people knew better than to ask the obvious question and waited for their boss to continue.

‘But more on that part of the plan later. There are two other matters for you to attend to that sit outside of Mandara. The first one is the freedom of your brother and the second is to complete the contract on Mr Kell. Both of these are secondary to your primary objective and must not get in the way of Mandara’s success. Again, you will have access to the resources you require, and I trust you won’t let your emotions impact on your professionalism.’

It was Hendrik’s turn to indicate he wanted to ask a question. Santini nodded his assent.

‘Does Mandara need to be completed before we free our comrade? I ask this as he would be a valuable resource to have on the team.’

‘What you are saying is that you believe that freeing Andrei should be the priority. Did you mis-understand what I said earlier?’

He did not like to rebuke the young man in front of the Maktab, but he knew his own authority and respect was on the line.

‘No, sir, I fully understand the priorities. To be clear, what I meant was that we could run parallel operations without detracting from the success of Mandara.’

Santini didn’t respond immediately. He stared at the young man who defiantly held his gaze. After what seemed like an age, but was just over a minute, he replied;

‘Darya has operational responsibility on the ground. It will be her call.’

He stood up and they immediately sprang to their feet. He walked around the end of the table and across to where they sat. He handed them both a flash drive.

He looked at Darya; ‘this holds the details of everything relating to Mandara. A lot of the groundwork has already been done, premises, infrastructure, company details and the logistics of the plan. Once you have familiarised yourself, brief Hendrik and then destroy the drive.’

He turned to Hendrik; ’These are the details of the operation in America. You will make contact with a particular individual who is being persuaded to come to meet us to discuss our plans. You will deliver an ultimatum, explaining the consequences should he decide to decline our request. We do not normally expose the high council to outsiders, but such is the importance of this operation, we’ve decided that it is essential.

‘We have booked you rooms here this evening, so please retire, get some rest and memorise the details that you’ve been given. An associate is waiting outside to show you to your rooms where you will find everything you need, clothes, toiletries, laptops and fake passports for you both with the required e visa. You fly at 10.30 in the morning.’

He returned to his seat indicating that the briefing was over.

Darya slumped onto the bed in the unnecessarily lavish suite she’d been given. She was physically and mentally exhausted from the events of the last forty-eight hours. She had murdered a man she had looked up to and aspired to be like. He had betrayed her and Andrei, the operation and the Qadim. The killing did not affect her. It was the deception and the breaking of a bond of trust that left an empty, hollow feeling inside. Despite the weight of fatigue that seeped through her body, she knew she had work to do. She got off the bed, opened the laptop, plugged in the flash drive and starting reading.

Chapter 1

There was the usual crowd of photographers and journalists waiting outside the court for the defendant and his legal team to emerge into the late spring sunshine.

The police made a half-hearted effort to clear a path to the waiting limousine as questions were shouted and cameras flashed.

‘Are you going to change your plea?’

‘Any comment on the thousands of lives you’ve ruined?’

‘Are you a flight risk Lucas? Why did the judge take your passport?’

The doors of the limo slammed shut and the braying screams of the press quietened to an indistinct buzz behind the soundproof glass.

‘You were confident the judge would dismiss the case,’ hissed Clay. ‘Not only did you get that wrong he also took my damned passport!’

Danny Philbrick had heard it all before. Of all his nefarious clients, Lucas Clay was the one he despised most. The arrogant prick thought he was above every law of the land and expected him to work miracles in a legal system that was hell bent on putting his client away for a very long time. Still, he knew he had to play the game.

‘It’s just a minor bump in the road. We’ll get your passport back when we go to pre-trial.’

‘Christ Danny, aren’t you listening! That’s nine months down the road. How can I run the shop when I can’t leave the country?’

‘I may have an answer to that problem,’ drawled Philbrick. ‘I’ve had a couple of meetings with an interested party from Europe and the Middle East. They want to meet with you to talk about a business opportunity over there.’

‘Not interested. I’ve enough on my plate with everything going on here, not to mention this god damned trial.’

The lawyer paused, thinking how best to get his delusional client to understand his predicament. ‘Lucas, listen to me. The DA has only one thing on his ’to do’ list and that is to see you go down for a very long time. The charges against you stack up to a couple of lifetimes behind bars, with zero prospect of parole.’

For the first time in months Philbrick saw his client’s shoulders sag and an air of resignation when he waved his hand as if to bat away what he didn’t want to hear. He continued, listing the crimes on his fingers.

‘Insider trading, wage theft, fraud, bribery, labour racketeering, copyright infringement, money laundering, identity theft, forgery and Ponzi schemes. You’ve forced countless firms to go bust with thousands of honest hard-working Americans losing their jobs and you’re also suspected of the cyber-attack on the White House last year.’

‘They’ve no proof that was me.’

Philbrick laughed; ‘You sound like that makes everything ok. Now for once Lucas, you must listen to me. There’s no way out of this. If the legal system doesn’t put you away then one of the thousands of people you’ve trodden on will put a bullet in your head when you’re least expecting it. You need a plan B and I’m the one to deliver it.’

‘You mean these dudes from Europe? I told you I’m not interested. They’re still in the dark ages over there.’

‘Far from it. They have a very interesting proposition which you should listen to, and anyway they are not the type of people you say no to.’

It was Clay’s turn to laugh. ‘With my protection team I don’t think I’ve anything to worry about. I can call together a small army if I need to. In fact I might meet with them just to show them whose boss and then blow them away.’

The tirade stopped as the car pulled up outside the office block in downtown Manhattan which housed the headquarters of Clay Technologies Inc. and the penthouse floor where America’s most hated man lived.

The scene of the press pushing microphones into his face was repeated as his security team forced their way into the building. Philbrick stayed in the car as it sped away to take him back to his office. He’d had enough of Lucas Clay for one day.

Clay Technologies owned the whole building. The ground floor consisted of the reception area with a coffee shop and restaurant which was free to the six hundred staff that worked on the first four floors. Clay’s office covered the back wall of the fifth floor on the far side from the main lift. He had his own private lift which went straight to the underground car park but today he needed to show his loyal work force that there was nothing to worry about.

As he walked onto every floor he was greeted by a spontaneous round of applause. He shook hands and high fived his way through the building until finally he reached the tranquillity of his office. The two security guards that stood outside the door just nodded as the boss walked past. His PA, Fran, said nothing. He knew she would have posted anything important onto his personal message board via an app he designed himself to be completely secure. The blinds of his office were already closed so he sat down on the leather sofa, put his head back and stared at the ceiling. He had some serious thinking to do and he needed peace and quiet.

The words of his once good friend and solicitor rang in his ears. The way he’d listed his crimes was like a boxer stuck on the ropes being pummelled by his opponent. Each one making his head drop until the knockout blow was landed. It was all so easy in the early days, just a bit of insider dealing, nothing