Andrey

by K. J. Dahlen

  So Andrey let out a cleansing breath as he checked his scope and made adjustments for the wind which blew at the curtain slightly.

  Suddenly, a man now came into view, he could see him under the street lamp. His gut tightened. He knew somehow that this was the killer. He just seemed to appear there. Like smoke. Fuck. Andrey controlled his emotions and attempted to stay focused. “I got him,” he announced over the comm. His voice did not betray his inner fear.

  “Where?” Ivan’s voice came over.

  “Under the street light…” His gaze swiveled over as the man was now suddenly behind Kevy. Andrey spoke over the comm, “Kevy, he is behind you.”

  The man was suddenly on her and instead of using the defense that Andrey knew she could, he watched as the man grabbed her and shoved a needle into her neck. “Bylad!” he yelled and squeezed the trigger.

  Rather than a bullet, his sniper rifle fired a soft-liquid-tracer which stuck to the man’s clothes with very little impact. As the liquid hit his long black trench coat, it bled into the material, leaving an undetectable RFID ‒ radio frequency identification device ‒ on his clothing.

  “Check and Mate. You are alive but now trackable, motherfucker,” Andrey stated with a growl. He blinked, as another bead of sweat fell into his eye. His breathing was shallow as he adjusted his sights. To see…

  Nothing.

  He called out on the comm, “Anyone have her, or him in sight?”

  Silence came back.

  Then Adrik spoke, “Man, I’m sorry, I had him then he… Bylad. The man disappeared with her through the other side of the park I think?”

  “You think?” Andrey growled.

  “Balick,” Viktor’s voice came on in warning. “You hit him with the tracker. We shall know where he is.”

  “Da, Andrey. This is what we hoped would happen, remember?” Mikial’s voice came over.

  Yes, he knew that. He knew the plan. He knew her role. Their role. He knew that this had to happen to stop this fucker. But all that reasoning and all that logic didn’t help to ease the tightness in his chest or the dead weight feeling in his heart. From now until they found her, there was a chance that this killer would—he could…Andrey growled and got up.

  Andrey covered up the rifle on the bed and rushed from the room to meet with Ivan who had the screen to watch the tracking.

  God dammit. She was gone. Just gone.

  Chapter Eleven

  Kevy opened her eyes and then quickly closed them again. The lights above were blinding. She could smell metal, a lot of it. She squinted her eyes and tried again. There were two-inch thick steel bars about a foot from where she lay. She wasn’t sure what she was lying on but didn’t want to move until she was certain. Her back told her she wasn’t on a bed or maybe a cot. While trying to feel the shape of it with her body, she figured out it was a cot. She felt cold.

  Rolling over onto her side, she glanced around to see where she was.

  In a cage.

  This reminded her of an undercover job she’d been on two years ago before she’d been partnered with Angus in homicide. She’d posed as a stripper, to catch a rapist of all things. Performing in a cage was sometimes part of the show, but this was something else. This cage had reinforced steel bars. This was not for show, it was for keeping something contained, and currently, it was her. Now, the memories of how she got here surfaced.

  The park, the street and Andre’s voice, warning her of the man coming up behind her. Yes, she’d known he was there and yes, it had taken everything in her not to react. She could have taken him, but what if she’d fucked up and he got away? She wouldn’t be able to live with the consequences. But would she even live with any now?

  Kevy had been okay with this complacent act as a prostitute that had no cares of her surroundings, until she felt a sharp needle pierce the skin of her neck. She was being drugged. She fought then, to take out her attacker. Kevy wanted to do as much damage to him as she could before whatever he gave her left her unable to fend for herself. She felt the effects of the drug flooding her body, immediately slowing her reflexes.

  She didn’t get to decide what happened next. She heard Andrey swearing over her earpiece before it fell out of her ear as she struggled.

  The magician had managed to kidnap her.

  The rest of her memories became clearer as the drug started to wear off. She’d also been thinking about the meeting she attended earlier today. Andrey had again been silent almost the entire afternoon as thy all planned and worked on the plan. His silence did bother her, but she knew he did not want her to do this.

  But what could she do? Chicken out? Not fucking likely. She had risen to the top in the FSS and she was not about to go all kiska now. She smirked. Oh, the things she had done over the years to not to be a pussy. Well, yes, she had one but that didn’t mean a woman had to BE one. Was it worth it this time? To be as tough as the next cop, or rather the next enforcer? It must be the drug that had her snickering to herself while in a cage captured by the most notorious killer in the history of Russia.

  Kevy wondered now if they’d managed to track him. God, she hoped so. What the Enforcers would do to the man who had put her in this cage. She hoped they made it hurt too. But what she really wanted to tell them all about would be how she kicked this fucker’s ass once she got out of here.

  She intended to roll to her feet, but her body was slow to respond and she stumbled, nearly falling over. Her head was fuzzy, and her body felt sluggish, the leftover effect of the drugs. Bastard. She had to admit to herself that it was smart of him. If he hadn’t, she would have done some serious damage before he could drag here into a dammed cage. Up until he stuck her with the needle, she had believed she had it all under control.

  When the needle stick happened, she knew she was fighting for her life. Of course, this was what they all knew would happen. It was just different for her mind though, when it became real.

  Had she realized it sooner, this killer would have been dead. She was rethinking it all now. Oh, yes. If she had just taken him down… Oh, now she was doing hindsight and that never did any good. Kevy shook her throbbing head. What was done was done she always told Angus when they had debates about different scenarios involving crimes, victims, and setting up sting operations. Kevy was not above hurting people if her survival depended on it. She’d lived through too many things to leave this life without fighting.

  She felt angry, but it was hard to be pissed really. She was wearing a tight bustier, black. It pushed up her boobs like some wild contraption that should be used as a torture device on women and a tight little skirt covered with little pink tea cups. Her heels were gone, as the killer must have taken them.

  With a weak sigh, she steadied herself and surveyed her surroundings. She’d better get a grip on her wild thoughts and focus for when this killer came in to do… She paused…What he always did.

  In her mind, Kevy saw her face with the garish makeup, the blonde hair, fake blue eyes and ruby red lips in a death stare. Propped up at the Leningrad Philharmonic where the Russian symphony played while holding a red rose in her lifeless hand.

  Gasping in shock, Kevy shook her head to get rid of the drug’s effect. God dammit, how it was fucking with her mind.

  She squinted her eyes and peered around There wasn’t much in sight. There were bright lights focused on the cage and darkness beyond. The room looked big, but she couldn’t tell how big it was. She did notice small blinking red lights along the ceiling.

  She was being watched.

  There was nothing she could do about it. Her best bet was to get the lay of the land and then figure out how to get out of here.

  Paying attention to what was in the cage with her, she gazed around. A rug was slung over part of the cement floor.

  How thoughtful, she mused.

  A privacy screen was set up in one corner of the cage and seemed to be the only place a camera wasn’t watching. Walking behind the screen, she found a bucket, and a roll of to
ilet tissue. There was also a small pitcher of water, a washcloth, a bath towel and a bar of soap. She glanced at the solid wood dining chair next to the cot she’d been resting on. She went back to sit on the cot, so she could figure out her next move.

  This surprised her to no end as far as the killer was concerned. So, he’d kept the women for days before? How had they, the FSS, her and Agnus missed this? Well, how would they have known? This had been the grey area that her and Angus had discussed many a time while in the car on stakeout. How long did the magician take to do what he did? Did he keep them for a time? Did he rape them? There had never been forensic signs enough to know all of this. Now, here she was… knowing. At least some of it.

  As soon as she sat down, the lights came on in the rest of the room.

  Blinking to force her eyes to adjust quickly, she was finally able to see the rest of the room. It looked huge. The ceiling loomed much higher than she’d previously thought. The cage seemed to be in the center of the room. She saw only one door into the room, and it was about ten feet away. Then something flashed out of the corner of her eye. She turned to the right to see a panel open. It revealed a bank of windows high on the wall, perfectly positioned to observe her.

  The only door squeaked open and a muscular older man with an angry expression walked in. Long, scraggly dark hair and dark eyes that belonged on a Halloween mask. Oh yes, it was the face of the sketch she had seen, but older now. His face was twisted now with a scowl and she could finally see the wrinkles of time. But otherwise, he could easily go out trick or treating as a ghoul, no need for any makeup or special effects.

  A real live Dracula, wolf man, freak. She let out a giggle.

  The older man scowled at her snickering as he stopped a few feet from the cage.

  Kevy wanted to keep her eyes on the man to see what he would do next, but she already knew about predators like him. Show your fear and they eat you alive.

  As he studied her, Kevy studied him, well a study beyond his ghoulish appearance that is. She needed to size up the enemy learn a weakness, use it then take him down. First off, she noted that there wasn’t an ounce of softness about this man and he had the coldest eyes she’d ever seen in her life.

  “You’re probably wondering where you are,” the older man said.

  Kevy said nothing. She’d learned a long time ago, that she could learn a lot more if she didn’t talk.

  “You’re a prisoner of the magician. I am your keeper. You won’t leave here alive, but you’ll live as long as you prove useful to me.” He shrugged.

  “I don’t understand,” Kevy finally replied playing dumb and clueless.

  “Of course, you do,” he retorted reaching into one of the pockets on his right pant leg and tossing pictures on the floor.

  She could see it was pictures of her and Andrey kissing. Surprise did flood her befuddled brain. He had been stalking her yesterday? How could such a coincidence happen? It was in the bar, where they went to have shots. Then she pushed this away to stay in character. “It’s not a crime to kiss,” she said.

  “It’s what happened afterward,” he countered.

  “Were you there?” she asked. “Do you know what happened afterward? Was I being taped without my permission? If so, I need to see my lawyer. Yes, I’m an exotic dancer, but it’s not okay for my partners to record our moments of intimacy. At least, not without my permission.”

  “Shut up!” he yelled, “I know what you are, you shlyukha!” he spat the last word.

  “I do like sex, but there’s no need for name calling,” Kevy quipped staying in character while turning away from him as if bored with the conversation. Show no fear, he will advance the game to slitting your throat Kevy.

  “You know, I can’t sleep at night knowing you all are out there feeding on innocent men. I don’t like it. God made man to be the apex predator. The lord, and master over all other creatures on the planet, that includes sinners. That’s the way it should be. I know that was why I was created to make sure it stays that way. In all things, it should be men, righteous men first. All other beings on the planet, including women will bow to us.”

  What a load of crap. A crazy load. In all their discussions, her and Angus never guessed the righteous man part. It had to be part of his monologue. His scare technique. Well, he obviously did hate women, but the righteous god part? They had never guessed. Kevy kept her expression blank.

  “I’m not an unreasonable man. Every creature on earth has survival instincts, those that don’t have the instinct, die. I’m sure you’re the same. I’ll keep you alive and fed for as long as you’re useful. It could be days, or years, it’s up to you.”

  Kevy perched on the edge of the chair and said nothing. It would be only hours, this she knew. Maybe she had another day, but that was all. It was his pattern. The first of every month, another masterpiece would appear. This time, he intended for her to be that work of art. She couldn’t help it, she visibly shivered.

  Chapter Twelve

  The freak stared hard at her, and Kerry continued to look back at him with blank eyes. There was something different about the way he smelled. Oh yes, she could sense it from way over here. He stunk like a sewer or something did. Were they underground that far? It spooked her. She rolled her eyes. Duh, Kevy everything about this should spook the hell out of you. She just intended to buy time until they got here. That was all she had to do.

  “So, what is your answer?”

  Silence.

  Kevy released the breath she wasn’t aware she’d been holding. Useful he keeps saying. For what? Then it hit her. He cajoled the women into having sex with him. Finally, he killed them at some point. Use the whores, then lash out killing them, then humiliate them further by displaying them dead afterward. It was sick and the FSS never knew this was what had happened to all of his victims before he slit their throats. The cage, the game, his methods. This whole thing was a game to him…only a game of cat and mouse. He was the cat, the woman the mouse of course. After listening to this freak and seeing his impassioned expressions, she knew this was part of his operandi, a part the team didn’t know… that Agnus didn’t know.

  It was genius, a sick twisted genius. No wonder he’d never been caught. His IQ was probably off the charts, though he used it for this horrific hobby, he was still a highly intelligent predator. Now she believed more than ever that if she didn’t get it together quick to stall or play along, she would die sooner rather than later.

  She relaxed her body while her mind was awhirl with everything he’d said. Everything she just learned that they never knew. She began to look around the room and give some serious thought as to how she would get out of here. Because this perhaps wasn’t a game, she would ever win. None of the women had before her. It was all set up for her to lose. And lose BIG time. Of course, it was and this let in more fears about just what this magician really had up his sleeve.

  But she didn’t have long to wonder about it.

  The freak went over to the darker part of the room and got something. Then he came back. “I’m going to give you one more chance to make yourself useful, and make your life easier. We can do this the hard way or the easy way, your choice.”

  Kevy kept quiet. What choice? Did he want her to strip? Beg? Well, neither would happen, as she wasn’t going to play. She had to believe that if she held herself together, his plan would be delayed and if he got angry enough, he may unlock the cage and come in to get her. Then, she would kill him. Once and for all, and he would be dead at the hand of a supposed lower creature, a female. Not a whore, but a cop.

  “So, take off your clothes and let me see what I will be having. Your cooperation is the key to your longevity.”

  Silence.

  “Fuck you,” she finally muttered. Why hadn’t he stripped her while she’d been out? Then logical thinking answered this. The game, he had to play the game. She had to give in. She had to beg and plead and do anything he wanted so she could live. Well, fuck him and fuck his freakish
sick game. She would not play. Not his way at least. Kevy couldn’t help herself, the corner of her mouth tilted in a smirk. She opened her mouth to get rid of it, but it was too late, the magician had already seen it.

  He raised a hand, and in it was a remote. He gave her the coldest, most frightening horror movie like grin… then he tapped it.

  From above her, Kevy heard a hissing sound. Oh god, he would gas her…then he would… She looked up to where the sound was coming from and she could smell it was water. Oh, thank god. It was just water… then she felt it, very icy water and dirty. The sewer smell was heavy in it too.

  Kevy held her breath and clenched her hands together. Oh, no! Do not scream, do not react. Your life depends on it!

  The fiend laughed.

  It was a sound that she knew would haunt her in her nightmares if she lived through this. Like some cackling evil laugh that scraped on the very nerve endings of your ears and then it traced all the way along your skin to your very spine. Kevy swallowed the bile in her throat. Spine tingling, the phrase they used for horror films. It now came to her loud and clear as a feeling she’d never truly experienced…until now.

  His odd scratchy laughter then suddenly stopped as his dark orbs gleamed at her. “So now, you should not keep those clothes on you see?”

  Kevy stared straight ahead and said nothing. But inside her mind, she pictured herself killing this man. Ending him. It would get her through this. She was shivering as dirty water dripped along her entire body and face. It was all she could do to not get up and rush the bars. Tell him everything. Tell him that the Bratva was coming to end his useless worthless life. But that wouldn’t do her any good as he could just shoot her and end it. He wouldn’t need a knife.

  Survive Kevy. Just survive and Andrey will be here.

  She continued to sit there while rivulets of water ran off her hair and single drops fell from the end of her nose. She trembled from the shock of the temperature change. She was acutely aware she was sitting in a puddle.