Descent Into Darkness

by Michael Cross

  That evening Nazir was true to his word. He let the two Russian girls go home at 10pm. One was the Eurasian gal who had been with Officer Smith and the other was the new girl who I had caught with Nazir. I wondered what their fate would be once their bosses were out of the picture. There were only a couple of guys left in the bar and Katja and I put on a rather dull show for them. Soon Aslan dimmed the lights, stopped the music, and announced the bar was closing early.

  Everything was going according to plan, except that as I was talking with Adlan at the bar he said that Aslan might not make it for a while – he had some business with a new girl. Adlan’s sinister laugh communicated that whatever Aslan was up to it had to be so evil that it amused his demented brain. As I went back to the dressing room I ran through the plan again – and tried to figure out what to do if Aslan failed to show. It was crucial that they all be there…yet…was there any way to back out now? No.

  Finally the main lights went out, leaving a faint neon red glow filling the bar. Katja came down the stairs and announced, “Everyone can come up now.” I followed her up the stairs with Adlan tagging close behind.

  I had never seen the door open to the room I was now entering. There was an old juke box in the corner, a flag of some sorts hanging above it, and two small sofas facing a coffee table that had the refreshments all laid out on top. Nazir welcomed me with a peck on the cheek just before walking over to the juke box to turn on, of all things, an Elvis Presley song. He sat down and said, “Even as a boy back in the village I just loved your Mr. Presley, he was what I wanted to become.” Little did he realize that he would get the opportunity to join him in an ironic way.

  Nazir then motioned for Adlan to take a seat, and for Katja to take her place beside him. They all began talking in Russian and started to eat. Nazir made what I interpreted as a joke since Adlan started laughing and slapped his knee. Katja did not laugh and he looked at her in an obnoxiously confused manner, said something to her and pinched her cheek hard enough for her to cry out, “nyet!” He then just gave her an angry, scornful glare. I turned to Nazir to deflect the attention being directed at Katja and asked, “What’s so funny?” acting as if I was totally unmoved by what Adlan had done to her. He laughed and asked, “What is the difference between a Russian whore and an old dog?” I shrugged my shoulders and he continued, “You cry when you find the dog dead!” At that I covered my mouth and giggled as he placed his hand on my knee and squeezed. I took the opportunity then to ask Katja, “What is wrong Petra, didn’t you find Adlan’s joke funny?” She glared at me and replied, “Fuck off bitch!” I darted my head back and said, “I thought that was what you and your kind did best!” At that Adlan and Nazir began to laugh hysterically. I merely looked at Katja and again replied, “Whatever!” and used my hand to indicate her comment had not fazed me in any way.

  Nazir stopped laughing long enough to comment to Adlan, “I just love that word these Americans use – ‘whatever’ – since it can be an insult or a way to just throw the words of the other person into the garbage.” I smiled and took his hand and kissed it. I then asked Nazir, “I am wondering, someday when your son asks what you did to gain independence for your homeland, what will you tell him?” He sat back, looked at Adlan, and Adlan made a hand gesture indicating approval for him to answer. He loudly boasted, “I am just as much on the front lines as anyone else in our patriotic struggle. Remember how I told you that every Russian girl who comes through here is one less breeder for their people?” I took a bite of a cracker covered with caviar and motioned for him to continue, “It goes deeper than that. I send a large amount of money back home to buy guns and supplies for my brethren. So these Russians make money for me with their bodies and I send it back home so their brothers and fathers can have their bodies destroyed by my people. Such a great plan, right?”

  Katja looked as though her defenses were breaking down and that she was going to burst out crying. Adlan glared at her and commented, “Oh poor girl. Look, you have a good home here and I will protect you.” He began to laugh and grabbed her hair so he could pull her back and force her to kiss him. He burst out laughing again and looked at us, “They do have their uses though. Just like any other livestock on the farm.” Nazir laughed and said, “Adlan, do not tell me you ever…” Adlan lurched forward before Nazir could finish his joke and grabbed him by the collar. Nazir raised his hands, “Sorry brother, I was only making fun.” Adlan sat down at first looking angry and then began to laugh again, “Brother, no offense taken!” They both stood up and patted each other on the back and shifted the conversation.

  Adlan suddenly asked Katja, “You do not seem to like Amber any more. You must learn to forgive. I will pair you two for performances from now on. So kiss and make up!” Like a cat that was cornered by a pack of rabid dogs she looked around, her face displaying fear as well as anger. Adlan then demanded in a harsh, threatening voice, “Kiss Amber right now or you will be punished and then you will kiss her.” I laughed so they could believe I was amused and then I rubbed my lips with my tongue and stared at her. Nazir broke out with a laugh, and just before it looked like Adlan would use force on her she jumped up, and gave me a kiss that must have looked forced and uncomfortable. Adlan yelled out, “That is a good girl Petra. In a while maybe I ask you to do something else for Amber if she is okay with it.” I looked at him, smiled, and said, “I’m always ready for fun. But hey guys, this fish egg stuff is really salty and I need something to drink. Can I mix up something for everyone?”

  Nazir said, “Sure, but my brother is not a drinker, remember that.” I caressed his hair and said, “I know, but let me mix up some nice drinks custom made for everyone – especially for the girl since she has no idea what sick things I will expect of her tonight.” The guys laughed and said something in Russian to each other which apparently caused Katja a great deal of discomfort.

  I took their orders, so to speak, and went over to the cabinet to prepare the drinks. I hoped that the tranquilizers would do the trick but I was unsure exactly how much to use – despite the directions on Daniel’s CD. I squeezed out the contents of the eyedroppers into the drinks and was happy that it mixed in without a trace as quick as I squirted it in. And just in case they would be suspicious and switch drinks I put just as much in Katja’s beverage. I only hoped she would remember my warning.

  When I returned with the drinks I sat down and asked where Aslan was. Adlan took a long sip of his drink and said, “My brother had to deliver a girl to a client. The guy is rich but Aslan probably took her for a test ride before delivery. He will be here.” I looked at Katja as she took a tiny sip, and then to Nazir who gulped down the entire drink and proclaimed, “You do not know what you are missing by being an abstainer from alcohol my dear brother!” He rolled his eyes and replied, “I miss acting like a fool dear brother.” and at that he drank a couple more gulps of the juice.

  I was hoping, even praying to myself, that the drug would work. Sure, Adlan’s comments were abusive to Katja, but he seemed in no hurry to cause her to vanish from the face of the earth, and Nazir made it clear he intended to wait a couple of weeks for the DNA test to arrive. Yet how could I be sure that I would ever have an opportunity like this again? Besides, Nazir had also indicated that Katja’s tortures would intensify. I took the initiative, “Hey Nazir, I feel really horny – for a woman if you know what I mean.” He shrugged his shoulders and looked at Adlan. At that Adlan turned to Katja and demanded, “Did you hear her? Do not just sit there like some idiot, ask her what she wants.” I looked at Adlan and laughed, “She knows what I want. The question is are you okay with us just taking this couch?” He grudgingly stood up and we switched places. As I sat I commented to them, “You know, when she is done with me you two could have a go with her and give me something to watch.” Nazir got an angry sort of look on his face and replied, “No – he is family and that is just improper!” I nodded my head to convey I understood. Suddenly Adlan slapped Nazir’s back and proclaimed, “Br
other! You and I have shared everything since we were little boys in the mountains. We can share this Russian." They both laughed and turned their attention to me.

  Just as I demanded that Katja strip, Nazir rubbed his eyes and asked, “Before you two get started, can I get a cup of coffee? It has been long day and I…getting tired.” I noted that his almost perfect English was deteriorating, just like when Matt had told me that he had a hard time speaking Japanese when he was sleepy. I instead asked Nazir, “Hey, don’t you think you will wake up once the show begins?” He blinked his eyes several times and said, “I guess.”

  Up to this moment I had anxiously awaited the arrival of Aslan, but right then it became my worst nightmare. He was strong and I doubted that Katja and I could overpower him without considerable risk to our own lives. Of course I did have the 9mm but that would leave a pool of blood and it would not be hard to tie us to the killings. It had gone too far to this point and all I could do is hope these men fell asleep before Aslan arrived – then I could figure out what to do once he finally did arrive. I also noticed that Adlan had only consumed half his beverage and that was causing me concern as well – the last thing I needed was two adversaries to worry about.

  So I decided that if I became quite intense then Nazir would stay awake initially and then pass out, as would Adlan if he would only finish that stupid drink of his. So I looked at Katja, who looked so vulnerable and scared and demanded, “Okay my pet, get over here now!” She hesitated to do as I said. I looked at her hands and it was hardly concealable that she was trembling. So I took the initiative, rose up, grabbed her by the hair on the back of her head and yanked her close to me. She tried to pull away but instead spun around and fell to the floor, breaking out in hysterical sobbing. I glanced over to Nazir and Adlan who seemed only slightly moved. Even in the dim light I noticed that Nazir’s eyes seemed blank, and he was struggling to stay awake, while Adlan looked at us in a half-alert manner that resembled a bored schoolchild doing his best to stay awake to avoid the embarrassment of falling asleep in class. So, determining that I only had to keep the act up momentarily, I pulled on Katja’s hair again which caused her face to be exposed, and at that second I slapped her to the floor. I yelled, “Come on you whore, get up over here now!” I leaned over, grabbed her arm and at that she did not resist. So once I got her standing up and pushed her down onto the sofa I sat on top of her and forced her to look at me, holding my right hand in the air as if ready to strike her again. Her eyes caught mine at that moment and I suddenly saw her fear – fear that she had forgotten this was merely an act and that I was only trying to succeed in defeating the two objects of my hatred seated on the other couch.

  Just then, I could not resist letting her know that I was not the one she should be in fear of. I pulled her to me and whispered into her ear, “I don’t mean this at all, be patient!” She seemed to try to catch her breath at that, but continued to tremble. Just as I was about to rip the blouse she was wearing I looked to my side – and to my absolute joy and relief both Adlan and Nazir were completely passed out. I hesitated a moment, frozen there with Katja, the only sound being her crying. Yes, they both were slouched over, against each other. I wanted to make sure they were completely out so I turned back to Katja, “Shut up a second…please?” She looked up at me confused, but apparently struggling to comply.

  I slowly approached them, “Nazir…Adlan, are you awake? Hello you guys, wake up!” There was no response. I went over and nudged Adlan, as he had only consumed half his drink but he only moved in response to my tugging at him. I turned to Katja and smiled, “Success! Now we have to get to work!” Katja carefully got up and looked at the men. She was silent, staring at Adlan. I could not tell if she felt sorry for him or was about to split his head open so I asked, “Katja? It’s okay isn’t it?” Her crying had given way to heavy breathing. She turned to me and asked, “So now what? Do I get the honor of killing this bastard now or shall I wait?” I took her hand and looked at her, “No, not now. But…I have to ask you, are you prepared to go through with what we have to do?”

  She looked at me in the eyes and said, “Absolutely! I mean, I think so.” I detected a certain amount of hesitation in her answer. I had to remind her, “Look, it is now us or them, and I choose them. They tried to kill my family and they most certainly killed your sister. However, we can’t do it here – we have to take them to a spot I know and not only dispose of them, but make sure we find out everything about their operation. We need to kill this at the root, and not have one of their friends coming back and killing us.”

  At that Katja asked, “What about Aslan? What do we do about him?” I shook my head and promised, “I will think of something, but for now we have some vital work to do.”

  At that I told her to follow me. We rushed to the car and quickly got the bag with the plastic locks to bind their legs and hands. Once back inside the club I quickly grabbed the box from the security camera – just before pouring water onto the main system itself. We then rushed back to the room and, thankfully, both the men were still asleep. I suggested we bind Adlan first, as he had consumed the least amount of tranquilizer. As we fastened him in a manner to insure his immobilization, Katja stopped a moment and seemed dizzy. I asked, “Are you okay?” to which she shook her head, “I’m just really tired, that’s all.” I looked at the glass she drank from and hoped the level of tranquilizer in her blood was not going to jeopardize our task. I ran down the stairs and got a large cup of coffee for her just to make sure.

  Once Adlan was sealed tight I said we needed to get Nazir fixed. Katja suddenly laughed, “Give me a knife and I will fix him right now!” I was happy she was relaxed enough to joke. I suggested, “Why don’t we wait until we get out of here with him? Then you can do whatever you want then.” She laughed but said nothing.

  Yet once we started moving Nazir into position to bind his hands Katja, in a barely audible voice said, “Uh, Melanie…I think he’s dead!” I was startled and replied, “What!” I quickly felt for a pulse – there was no sign of one. Katja stood up and stared as I tried to find any indication of life. No, it was certain – Nazir was quite dead. I turned to Katja and asked, “Can you check Adlan?” She did not immediately respond but then seemed to snap out of it and put her finger on his neck. She nodded and said, “Yes, I feel it. He lives.”

  I reached over to Katja and took her hand as we both stood up. I embraced her and asked, “Are you okay? “ She sighed, “Yes, I guess so. I knew this was necessary, and I looked forward to it, but…but I have never even seen a dead person before and now I have killed someone. Melanie, how do you feel about it?” I replied, trying to act as if I was shaken, “It was necessary for our own self-preservation.” She nodded her head and I reminded her, “Katja, these are bad people and they were onto you. The last thing I ever wanted was for you to be in some landfill after they found out who you were.” I then explained everything – Nazir’s questions and the DNA test. Katja even remembered Aslan hitting her, but then acting as if he were sad and after getting her blood on his hands rushing into the bathroom with some tube. She sighed, “I’m okay.”

  Just then we were startled by headlights appearing in the window. I rushed over to look out and it was indeed Aslan. Katja became somewhat frantic again. She asked, “What are we going to do now?” I looked around, thought for only a second, and retrieved my purse with the poison needle and the gun and showed it to her, “We are not defenseless. However, we must act fast! First we move Adlan over to the other couch. Then you need to take your clothes off while I strip off Nazir. Do it now!” The urgency of the moment must have given both of us additional strength since Adlan’s body felt light as a feather as we moved him. She quickly shed her clothes as I threw a blanket over him to hide the bindings, and we then began to pulling the clothes off Nazir’s limp and lifeless corpse. While I was in this process I asked, “Is Adlan still alive?” She checked and said he was. Apparently I had made a little mistake in dosage and shut off N
azir’s autonomic nervous system completely. I did not have time to find amusement in my error though – I had no time whatsoever to be distracted if I was to make sure we survived this night.

  I yanked Nazir’s body onto its back so it appeared he was asleep. I turned to Katja, Lay on top on him, quick!” She froze a second and then stepped back, “He’s dead! I am not laying on that!” I grabbed her by the arm, “You will be dead too if you don’t do as I say. Aslan will tear your arm off and beat you to a pulp with it! Lay on him now – it will only be for a second!” She groaned, “Oh God, okay.”