by Helen Bright
When hospital staff came and brought me a menu, I asked Ivan if he would stay and have dinner with me. He seemed thrilled that I had asked and quickly took the menu that the orderly offered him. I ordered hunter’s chicken with new potatoes, green beans and carrots, along with ice cream for dessert. Ivan ordered soup and a roll to start with, then he doubled the size of the hunter’s chicken dinner I had ordered, with a side of garlic bread. He also ordered ice cream and apple pie for dessert.
With Ivan being a big guy, I knew he’d need plenty of food, but when it came he devoured everything he’d ordered while I was still eating my main meal. The worrying thing was, he still looked hungry, so I gave him my ice cream and asked the orderly—who came to take away our plates—if we could have some tea and biscuits.
I could really get used to private health care. For the food choices alone it was amazing.
Ivan and I began to relax in each other’s company, and when they brought in our tea and biscuits, Ivan got up to pour.
I had to stifle a laugh at the delicate way he handled the tiny bone china cup and saucer, but he didn’t seem to notice. When I told him I didn’t take sugar in my tea, I thought he would faint with shock. It wasn’t until I saw him put four sugars in his tiny cup that I found out why. Apparently Ivan had a very sweet tooth. I handed him the plate with the biscuits and told him to take them all. He hesitated a little then looked at me suspiciously.
“Why do you not eat?” he asked, leaning towards me. “Do you have pain? Feel sick?”
I shook my head. “No, I just feel full.”
“You need to eat. You will not heal if you do not eat. Do you not like this food?” he asked, and without waiting for my reply he walked towards the door.
I told him I was fine, and definitely not hungry, but Ivan ignored me as he said something to another guard who was outside my door. He came to sit beside me again and poured us both another tea before saying, “Tess, you will not worry. Ivan can fix this.”
We sat back in a comfortable silence, and I racked my brain to find something to talk about. I thought about what Kolya had said about travelling to his home in a helicopter, so I asked Ivan if he had ever travelled in one. His laugh was deep, almost booming throughout the room, and I wondered what was so funny.
“I fly helicopter as well as guard, so yes, milaya moya, I have travelled in many. Are you nervous about flying?”
“Yes. I haven’t been in a helicopter or aeroplane before. Maybe I would be better making the journey to Kolya’s home by car? He said I would be more comfortable if we went by helicopter, but I won’t be comfortable if I get travelsick,” I stated.
“Are you travelsick before?” he asked, his English phrasing off, but his concern genuine.
“I haven’t travelled very far before so I wouldn’t really know. I went to Leeds once on the train with my foster mother and I was fine. I came to London on the train and was okay then, too. I once went on a coach to the seaside on a school trip and I can’t remember being sick then, but I was only about seven so who knows what I would be like now.”
“You will be good, milaya moya. Trust Ivan on this,” he said, winking at me.
“What does milaya moya mean?” I asked, changing the subject.
“My sweet,” he said shyly.
“You would be the sweet one, Ivan. You take way too much sugar in your tea.”
His laugh boomed out through the room again and he slapped his hand against his thigh.
A short time later there was a knock at the door, then in walked a guard with four huge Domino’s pizza boxes.
“Hello, I’m Jonesy,” he said, placing the pizzas beside me on the wheeled table.
“Ivan said you were still hungry. I got three pizzas and some sides. I’m going to grab a few slices then I’ll be out of your way.”
Jonesy took out four slices that he slapped onto a lid he’d just torn from a box. He took a huge bite out of one of them and gave me a wink before walking out of the door. Ivan handed me a pizza which he tipped some potato wedges onto before commanding, “Eat.”
I really didn’t want to eat anything else but I didn’t want to seem ungrateful either, so I ate a slice of pizza, some wedges and a chocolate brownie. I was now uncomfortably full, but happy.
I couldn’t believe only two days ago I was begging for money to buy food. Now I was being ordered to eat by a Russian Mr Universe, who was currently devouring his second pizza. It was like these last few days had been a strange dream, though if it was a dream, I really didn’t want to wake up.
12
Tess
Just after a nurse came in with my medication, Kolya arrived at the door carrying a medium-sized paper bag. He greeted Ivan then placed the bag at the end of my bed.
“Good evening, Tess. You are looking much better. How do you feel?” he asked.
“I’m okay,” I answered truthfully. The pain in my shoulder and collarbone had eased a little, although it still hurt like hell. I now felt that the pain medication seemed to be doing its job. Last night, not so much.
Kolya scanned the room, taking note of the pizza boxes and cans of soft drink that Ivan had procured. He cast his gaze over to his cousin and shook his head.
“Ivan, Tess should be eating healthy food to aid her recovery, not this takeaway rubbish,” Kolya voiced harshly. I felt bad for Ivan, his intentions were good and I didn’t want him to get into trouble.
“I’m sorry, Kolya, it was my fault. I just didn’t fancy anything on the menu and I haven’t had pizza in such a long time. Ivan said he would send out for some if I would eat.” Both Ivan and Kolya looked straight at me.
Ivan huffed out, “She eats like a myshka. I had to make sure she was well-fed.”
Kolya shook his head. “Well, take these boxes away; it looks like you’ve been having a party in here.” With his tone he was trying for stern, but his slight grin gave away the fact that he wasn’t angry. He bent forward and kissed me on the top of my head before whispering in my ear, “You didn’t have to lie for him, we all know that Ivan is a pizza addict.”
“As well as sugar,” I answered. Then I looked at Ivan and said, “Milaya moya.”
He came towards me, blue eyes sparkling, saying, “As I am male, how you say the words is different. You need to say ‘miliy moy.’ Try it.”
“Miliy moy Ivan.”
“Very good, Tess. We will have her speaking Russian very soon, cousin,” Ivan told Kolya, slapping him on the back before leaving with his pizza boxes.
“I see you and Ivan have made friends,” muttered Kolya, arching his back, no doubt feeling the ache from the slap that Ivan left there.
“I thought he was a bit scary at first, but he’s just a big softie, really,” I told him.
“Tell that to my back,” Kolya replied, taking off his jacket. “The man doesn’t know his own strength.”
“He said you and he are cousins,” I told him.
“My mother and his mother were sisters. Ivan is six years younger than me. Our mothers passed away within ten months of each other—both had breast cancer. Our grandmother died from it too, but that was many years before my mother. Of course, there is much more to be done nowadays with modern medicine, but my mother died twenty-four years ago, when treatments were limited, although it seems like only yesterday.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Kolya. How old were you at the time?”
“I was sixteen, so Ivan was around ten when my aunt died. It was too much for our grandfather to bear and he had a heart attack not long after my aunt’s funeral. It was a terrible time for my family. I have given much towards research for a cure for this awful disease, and lately it seems that there is much more hope to be had.”
“Maybe she’s in heaven looking down on you?” I told him, wanting to give him some hope. “My foster mum used to say that those that have gone before look down on us from heaven and guide us on our way.”
“I used to think that, too. But then Catherine had her riding acci
dent and yet again there was a husband without his wife, another son without his mother. She wouldn’t have let that happen. She was fiercely protective of her sons, no matter how big we grew.”
“Maybe she sent me to save you,” I suggested.
“Maybe,” he said, a hint of a smile appearing on his face, replacing the faraway look he’d had for the last few minutes.
“Of course, my mother wasn’t looking out for me or she wouldn’t have let me get shot,” I stated, very matter of fact.
“Tess, your mother may have sent you to me to help you just the same.”
“That’s a messed-up way of looking at it, although thinking about my mum, messed up would be just about right.”
Even I could hear the hurt in my voice as I said that.
“Look at me, malyutka. Your life with your mother wasn’t good, I get that. But when it came down to it she did try to save you. She took that man’s life to stop him hurting you. So, she may have sent you to me so that I could stop these men from getting to you. It just so happens that you got hurt in the process of finding me.”
Thinking about it further, I conceded that Kolya may be right about that. I had discussed it as some sort of divine intervention with Nate, earlier. I knew that however I had managed to end up in Kolya’s path, he was going to help keep me safe from Tariq, Farid, and Hassan. And that, to me, seemed like heaven.
Kolya took the bag from the bottom of the bed and brought it to me. He reached inside and took out a box with a mobile phone on the front. It was a brand-new smartphone and looked quite complicated to use. Kolya handed it to me, saying, “It’s fully set up with a new SIM card inside, and all the numbers you will need are already entered on there. So if you need to contact me at any time, just call or text me.”
He got out some paperwork and a small instruction manual. “It’s an Android phone so you need a Gmail account. I have set one up for you and the email address for it is right here. I wouldn’t recommend using your own email address if you have one in case anyone tries to trace you through it.”
“Is this for me?” I asked as I carefully handled the phone.
“Of course,” he replied. “I have included a plain white case, although you can choose another if you wish, and there are also headphones, but I would rather you not wear them in here. It is best to be aware of your surroundings in case one of the guards needs to move you quickly,” Kolya said as he looked directly into my eyes. I got a strange feeling that something had happened.
I waited for him to say something but he didn’t. He took the phone away from my hands and quickly snapped a photo of me. He handed it back to me saying, “The camera is exceptionally good on this model.”
I looked at the photo and groaned. “I look awful in that pic,” I told him as I tried to work out how to delete it. My hair, although much tamer after my bath, had gone quite frizzy again after I’d slept.
“You look lovely, malyutka,” he said with a smile. “I had a surprise for you today but something has come up that needs my attention, so you will see your surprise tomorrow. Unfortunately, I don’t think I will be back to stay with you tonight, so I will send one of my guards in to sit with you, if you wish.”
I tried to hide my disappointment as Kolya grabbed his jacket from the chair.
“I don’t need you to send a guard in to sit with me. I think I might sleep better without anyone here,” I told him, hoping he would listen. Nate and Ivan were lovely guys but I didn’t think it was right that they had to babysit me all night.
“There will be two guards here anyway if you need them. I’m hopeful after speaking with your doctor that you will be able to come home with me tomorrow. As long as your pain is controlled and you haven’t developed an infection, we could leave around lunchtime. Now, I must say goodbye and goodnight, Tess. Remember, if you need to call me, you have my number programmed into your phone.”
Something was niggling at me about his abrupt manner. When Kolya once again leaned over and kissed me, this time on my cheek, I asked him what was wrong. He sat down again and sighed, then looked at me for a moment before speaking.
“One of the men from the photographs on your friend’s phone came to my hotel. We had left the phone switched on and it seems they did trace it after all. I believe the man’s name is Farid Ali. Not long after we apprehended him, another man we believe to be Tariq Akbar, was spotted near the entrance of the hospital. Unfortunately, we were unable to capture this man.”
I suddenly felt cold and a little sickly. I was at a distinct disadvantage being laid up in a hospital bed like this, and I couldn’t wait to leave.
“Can’t I go home with you tonight?” I asked. He shook his head and lifted my hand to his mouth, kissing my fingertips again.
“Please do not be frightened, malyutka. You are well protected here. I am going to question this Farid and try to find out where your friend is, and what he wants with you. Although from what you have told me I can already guess.”
“What are you going to do with him after you’ve questioned him? Are you going to call the police and show them the phone?” I asked.
“I will take care of it for you, malyutka. That is all you need to know right now.”
Kolya’s expression became tense. He looked away from me for a few moments before saying, “I vowed to keep you safe, Tess, no matter what that means I have to do to make it so.”
I nodded my head, then thanked him for the phone. Looking back at me, his expression lifted into a smile. He stood up to leave and I felt a frisson of fear course through me. Tariq had been near the hospital. What if he came back again?
“Under the circumstances, I suppose it would be better if a guard did stay in the room with me. I mean, sleeping in that big, comfy chair would be better than just being sat or stood about in the hallway,” I said, trying to hide my anxiousness.
“As you wish,” replied Kolya, as he turned to leave. “But they certainly won’t be sleeping, Tess. So you have no need to worry.”
All the same, I knew I would miss Kolya’s presence. So before he closed the door I called out to him. As he stepped back into the room I took a photo of him using my new phone. He was startled at first, but then laughed, so I took another before he left.
13
Kolya
Walking away from Tess when she’d looked so scared after I’d told her about Farid Ali and Tariq Akbar, was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. But I couldn’t stay tonight, though I wanted to watch her sleep again.
I needed to question Farid, even though I would like nothing more than to tear him apart with my bare hands as soon as I saw him. Tess was worried about her friend, but I had a feeling she would not be found alive. She knew too much. Had seen too much. She was just fifteen years old.
A child.
These men were nothing more than paedophiles. They deliberately used the girl’s vulnerability to their advantage. It made me feel sick to my stomach to think of what she may have gone through.
Lucas opened the car door as we got to it, his expression as dark as my own. Jonesy was already in the driver’s seat, waiting.
“We need to wait for Ivan, boss. He’s making one last tour of the grounds before we leave. He’s worried that this Tariq will come back tonight. He wants to stay just in case,” Jonesy informed me.
“I have four guards at the hospital tonight: one at each entrance and two outside her room. Tess will be safe. He must not doubt this.” In a way, I said this to reassure myself as much as Jonesy.
“I know that, boss. But it seems he’s taken quite a shine to her. Said he’s got her speaking Russian.”
I knew my cousin had warmed to Tess when I’d entered the room. But what did Jonesy mean by “taken quite a shine to her”?
Ivan wasn’t normally an easy person to get to know. He could be quite gruff and reserved. His height and sheer bulk often made people wary of him, and he’d been known to play on that a little. But it seemed that he and Tess were friendly and comfort
able with each other. I have to admit to feeling a slight pang of jealousy when she’d called him my sweet. Obviously, he must have called Tess that for her to try and say it back to him.
I tilted my head back and ran my hand over my face, trying to clear my thoughts. I should not be so worried about what was simply a well-used term of endearment. Why it had bothered me at all was something I couldn’t get my head around.
Before I could ponder the reason behind it, Ivan opened the door and came to sit in the back of the car beside me.
“I know you have one of them back at the hotel,” he said gruffly, as we pulled out of the carpark into the heavy London traffic.
“Yes. Franco has him in one of the rooms that are ready for refurbishing. I want to get information from him, then get him out of the hotel as soon as possible.”
“You would let him go? The man that came to find Tess and did unspeakable things to her friend? Kolya, tell me this cannot be so?”
Ivan had asked me those questions in Russian, his voice raised in disbelief and anger. So I answered him back in Russian, my tone cold and determined.
“Ya ne skazal chto on budet dyshat' kogda on uydet.”
I did not say he would breathe when he left.
14
Kolya
Sitting across the room from Farid Ali without having caused him physical pain was a hard task. Franco stood to my left near the door, his intense stare never once leaving the wretched man’s face.
Plastic sheeting covered the carpeted floor beneath the chair upon which Farid sat; cable ties secured his arms and legs so he was unable to move from his current position. He had been stripped down to his boxer shorts, the contents of his pockets placed on the lamp table beside me. The area around his right eye was swollen, his lower lip split. Seeing the injuries Franco had inflicted on him did not calm the raging beast inside me: the one that demanded I tear out his still beating heart. But I had to try and keep control. No, I needed to keep control in order to gain the information I required to find Tess’s friend.