by K. S. Ruff
He softened his tone. “Kristine, that pipeline will cost the Russian government billions in lost revenue. Putin will be livid. If he cannot openly retaliate against Ukraine, he will order his regime to hunt, torture, and kill those who aided and abetted in this project. He will pursue anyone deemed precious to Maxim with a vengeance, so he can force him to abandon that pipeline. Putin is former KGB. Surely you understand what that means.”
I gripped the granite countertop. “The SVR will be looking for me.”
Jase’s hand raked through his hair. “I tried to warn you… this makes you an even bigger target.”
I was dangerously close to vomiting.
“I don’t know how discreet Maxim was when he visited Kristine. You said he had a number of men walking the perimeter when he was at the townhouse, blocking the entrance to the coffee shop, and patrolling USAID. Still, if he was being followed...” Rafael trailed off ominously.
Brady set a glass of water on the counter in front of me. “How do you want to proceed?”
“I want Kristine to see if she can finish her coursework remotely. I want her to request a leave of absence from Seeds for Peace. I don’t want her going anywhere near the Ukrainian Embassy on Election Day. I don’t want her eating any food the three of you haven’t prepared yourselves, I don’t want her crossing any streets, and I want you out of the townhouse by five o’clock tomorrow.”
Tears streamed down my cheeks. Tragically, it seemed, my efforts to free the Ukrainian people from Russian aggression would cost my freedom in the end.
* * * * *
I drew the thick fleece blanket over my knees. Installation of the missile defense shield aired as breaking news on all of the major news stations in the United States. Thankfully, there was no mention of Kadyn or me, only Maxim and Secretary Gates. Given that news release and Putin’s thinly veiled threats against Ukraine and the United States, Ukraine’s presidential election was receiving some air time as well.
My eyes remained glued to the television. The current news feed depicted the USS Porter. The U.S. Navy destroyer was patrolling the Black Sea alongside NATO forces.
Brady sat up and took notice. “The USS Porter launched Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles during the Shock and Awe Campaign in Iraq.”
Jase looked up from his laptop. “We’ve increased our force structure in Europe. They’re calling it Operation Atlantic Resolve.” He read part of the news story aloud. “We’ve positioned hundreds of Abrams tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, a convoy of Stryker combat vehicles, and Paladin self-propelled howitzers near the Russian border.”
Kadyn whistled. “That’s impressive.” He handed me a slice of ZBQ Chicken Pizza. Jase deemed the pizza safe because Kadyn watched while it was being made.
Brady loaded up his plate.
Jase had negotiated Rafael down from his list of demands, so we were in the townhouse for the time being. Kadyn joined us instead of going to the embassy. “How long do you think it will take them to tally the votes?”
My phone beeped with an incoming text. “It’s Shae. The exit polls are in.”
I dropped the phone when it began to wail. I glared at Brady and Jase. They’d recently started messing with my ringtone. “A crying baby? Really?” I picked up the phone.
Kadyn and Jase laughed while Brady snickered. “You should get used to that sound.”
I shot to my feet when I saw the name reflected on the screen. “Maxim, are you okay?”
“Da, milaya kotyonok. I am more than okay. We have won the election!”
Kadyn grabbed me when I swayed.
I sank back onto the couch. “You’re… you’re… you’re the President of Ukraine?”
A deep, hearty laugh rolled through the phone. I couldn’t recall the last time I heard Maxim laugh so freely. “The inauguration is in two weeks. You will attend?”
My heart stalled.
Maxim’s voice softened. “I want you to hold my father’s Bible when I’m sworn into office.”
My vision blurred while I battled the demons that provoked.
* * * * *
Dr. Sandstrom twirled a pen between his fingers while he pondered my predicament. “You are one of the most courageous women I know. Why change now?”
My hand flitted to my stomach.
His eyes softened. “Ah, well that is understandable. Still, what example would that set for your child?”
I frowned.
“You cannot abandon those you care for and everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve so you can go into hiding. You are not the sort of person who could live peacefully with that decision. The fear, frustration, and anger would forever change you,” he warned.
I wondered how he knew me so well. “Rafael is concerned that my participation in the swearing in ceremony would alert Putin to my involvement with Maxim.”
He set the pen on his desk. “The SVR exploited your relationship with Maxim once before. They held you captive until the Prime Minister and the President of Ukraine signed the treaty allowing the Russian naval fleet to remain in Sevastopol.”
I took a deep breath and blew it out.
“You’re already on his radar,” he argued with some regret. “Admittedly, the inauguration would place you in the spotlight once again, but Maxim’s position as president could offer a layer of insulation that didn’t exist before. Your friend will have a lot more resources at his disposal; security forces, Intel, and the missile defense shield.”
I chewed my bottom lip. Dr. Sandstrom was making all the same arguments I’d made to Rafael.
He leaned back in his chair. “If I were you, I’d go and support my friend. I wouldn’t linger any longer than I had to, but I would go. Kristine, this is a huge accomplishment. This could change everything for Ukraine. You played a role in this. You deserve to be there, to stand beside your friend at the inauguration, and to share in the celebration. Don’t allow the SVR to rob you of this.”
Tears pooled in my eyes. “I want to go. I really do…”
“Then go,” he insisted.
Butterflies attacked my stomach. “What about my studies?”
“If you flew to Ukraine on the twenty-third and returned on the twenty-seventh like Maxim suggested, you’d only miss one day of class.”
“Can I finish my remaining coursework remotely?” I was still on the fence about requesting this, but I promised Rafael I would ask.
“I’d prefer to have you in class. Besides, I loathe the idea of you going into hiding.” He started humming “This Little Light of Mine.”
I cracked a smile.
His eyes sparkled. “Have you selected a topic for your final paper?”
“Yes.” I breathed a small sigh of relief. “I’m mapping the Russia/Ukraine conflict so I can develop strategies for resolving their conflict.”
He smiled unabashedly. “You should share those strategies with the President of Ukraine.”
* * * * *
“Please, Rafael? I’ll only be there for three days.” I wasn’t counting the two additional days of travel required to and from Kyiv since those days involved ten hours of flight time and a two hour layover in Germany or France.
“I?” he bristled. “This will be a ‘we’ not an ‘I’ if it happens, and I’m not so sure this should happen.”
“‘We’ as in ‘me and my security team’ or ‘we’ as in ‘you might be willing to join me?’” I inquired hesitantly.
“Kristine, do you honestly think I’d allow you to go to Ukraine without me?”
I chose to ignore the word “allow.” “Maxim said I could bring my own security team, and he promised a staggering amount of security to reinforce their efforts to keep me safe. He invited us to stay with him at the presidential residence, which is heavily guarded. I have no interest in venturing off by myself, so there will be very little opportunity for the SVR to intercept me.”
“By intercept do you mean torture, kill, or kidnap?” he queried mildly.
“All of the abov
e,” I conceded with forced nonchalance.
“I can’t believe you’re even considering this,” he grumbled. “If we do this… and that’s still a very big if… we’re going to do this my way. I’ll be handling your security, not Maxim. You will not walk or sit or stand anywhere I haven’t approved. You won’t touch a single speck of food or drink a single drop of fluid until I’ve tested it first. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I conceded grudgingly.
“Good. Now let me speak with my son,” he demanded just as gruffly.
“How do you know it’s a boy?” I challenged with a lighthearted laugh.
“I just do. Now please lift up your shirt, set the phone to speaker, and place it on your tummy so I can speak with my child.”
“Stop being so bossy,” I taunted.
“Wife,” he growled. “I’d like to speak with my child.”
“You are,” I retorted. “The phone is already on my belly.”
He huffed out a breath. “Son, you should know how poorly your mother is behaving. An elbow to the belly would be good right about now. Can you make her sick again, so she can’t travel to Ukraine? I’d much prefer she hang out in bed and read those books I sent. Is she still reading to you every day?”
I folded my hands behind my head and smiled. I loved hearing Rafael dote on our child.
* * * * *
“Surprise!” Cenia, Marie, Oni, Sammi, Shae, and Gabi yelled.
I froze. “I’m pretty sure my birthday is in June.”
Cenia laughed. “This isn’t a birthday party. This is your bridal shower.”
I grinned at my friends. “Thank you. That’s very sweet.”
Cenia patted Jase on the arm. “Kadyn and Roger are watching baseball in the theater room downstairs. Why don’t you and Brady join them?”
Jase ducked his head toward hers conspiratorially. “Maybe you can talk her out of going to Ukraine.”
The smile slid from her face. “You’ve been holding out on me again.”
“Why would you go to Ukraine?” Gabi protested.
Shae’s arm slid protectively around me. “Maxim was elected president. We’re attending his inauguration.”
“You’re going too?” Cenia sputtered. “Wait. I need a drink. Does anyone else want a mango martini? I’m pretty sure I’ll handle this better if I drink a couple of martinis.”
Marie laughed. “If you have an extra shaker, I’ll help you mix the drinks.”
“Can you make mine virgin?” I inquired hesitantly.
Every woman in the room stopped talking.
I crossed my fingers behind my back. “I have a ton of homework I have to get through tonight. I can’t afford to dumb down my brain any more than it already is.”
Cenia’s eyes narrowed. “Dumb doesn’t even begin to capture how insane that decision is. I cannot believe you’re going to Ukraine.”
“Would you like to come with me?” I teased. “You could be part of my security team.”
She gaped at me. “How did you get Rafael to sign off on this?”
I bit my bottom lip. “I plied him with sex?”
Oni giggled.
Shae laughed. “Men. They’ll agree to anything when you ply them with sex.”
* * * * *
Rafael met us in Germany. Thankfully, my vomiting had subsided by the time he boarded the jet, or he would have ordered us back to Virginia. The Zofran helped, although I was questioning whether the baby was to blame. Most of my friends presumed it was nerves. They knew I was terrified despite the brave front. They were my saving grace. They kept me sufficiently engaged, which helped keep my anxieties at bay.
I gazed at my husband’s handsome face… his soft brown eyes, tousled hair, and the five o’clock shadow that made him so damn irresistible. I wasn’t sure why, but I drew comfort from the fact that we were married. Our marital status wouldn’t deter the SVR, but it would deter Maxim should that prove necessary. I belonged to Rafael in every way imaginable. That knowledge changed me somehow.
I nodded off while Rafael strategized with Jase. He was sitting beside me, absently caressing my leg. I woke with a start when he stopped.
He kissed me before whispering in my ear. “I’m not going anywhere.” His hand grazed my tummy.
I trailed my fingers over the stubble shadowing his jaw. “Good. Thank you for being here.”
A melodic “ding” sounded over the intercom. “Dobryy den'. This is your pilot, Captain Anderson. Heavy cloud cover awaits us in Kyiv. It’s a chilly forty-six degrees. The local time is four-thirty p.m. We’ll be landing in thirty minutes.”
Ethan eased two suitcases from an overhead bin. Shae gasped when he unzipped them. “There should be enough ankle holsters, shoulder harnesses, guns, and ammunition for everyone,” Ethan announced.
Rafael removed his jacket before joining him. “I asked Ethan to pack earpieces and smartwatches imbedded with Bluetooth microphones so we can communicate discreetly.” He quietly considered Shae and me. “I wasn’t sure whether you would want one.”
Shae took a step forward, then backed away. “I don’t think so.”
I shook my head. “If I heard about all the people you suspect, I’d end up a complete mess.”
“You will remain with one of us at all times then.” Rafael looked pointedly at Shae. “That includes you, my friend. I don’t care if that rubs Konstantin the wrong way. I don’t know him well enough to trust him with your life.”
Shae’s bottom lip quivered.
Kadyn rose from his chair. “I’ll watch over Shae.”
“Me too,” Marie agreed.
“We all will,” Cenia assured her.
I still couldn’t believe they’d insisted on joining us. I should have known. This circle of friends had proven time and again they’d lay down their lives for me.
Rafael and Ethan slid guns inside their holsters and harnesses before tucking an additional gun against the small of their backs. Brogan, Aidan, Brady, and Jase did the same. I suddenly realized why they were wearing suits. They were using the suit jackets to hide their weapons.
Cenia, Roger, Phil, Marie, and Kadyn strapped their weapons into place before inserting their ear pieces. While they tested their communication devices, I wondered what Maxim would think of our eleven person security team.
Cenia pulled three tactical folding knives from her backpack. She tucked one into her pants at the small of her back before pressing another into Shae’s hand. “I know you’re not comfortable packing a gun, but you should carry something.” She handed the third knife to me. “Tuck this beneath your bra if you’re wearing a dress. Aim for the femoral, the jugular, or between the second and third ribs.” She pointed to each location, tickling me when she said “ribs.”
“We’ve been cleared to land at the Kyiv International Airport,” Kari announced. “Please make sure your seatbelts are fastened, seat backs are in the upright position, and all those sweet looking guns are stowed.” She started cracking up. “I’ll be strapping on a couple of those bad boys myself.”
Everyone laughed. I’d grown to adore Kari. She always knew what we needed most, whether it was privacy, a warm cup of tea, a strong cup of coffee, or a joke to lighten the moment.
I shoved the knife inside my bra, which wasn’t easy considering the cut of my dress. I was wearing a black sheath dress, the pearls that belonged to Rafael’s mother, and pointy half d’Orsay heels from Sergio Rossi. Eva purchased the black and white snakeskin heels for me during one of her shopping sprees. I couldn’t bear to part with them so I’d taken them back to Virginia with me.
Rafael nodded his approval when he saw what I was doing. He helped me into a black elegantly hooded raincoat that swirled around my ankles like Little Red Riding Hood’s cape. This too was Eva’s doing. The woman had impeccable taste in clothes.
We fastened our seatbelts. “Thank God we’re landing in Kyiv and not Sevastopol.” I couldn’t bear to see the tarmac where Michael had been shot.
R
afael peered at the landscape barreling toward us. “Kyiv is difficult enough.”
My knees bounced. The plane grew eerily silent when the wheels touched down. I popped another Zofran. I was on the verge of throwing up.
Rafael handed me his bottled water.
Captain Anderson rolled past the main terminal. He parked near a hangar at the end of the airfield.
Rafael stood. “Wait here.” He looked at Kadyn. “Sit on her if you see any muscles twitching.”
Kadyn unfastened his seatbelt so he could stand next to me.
Ethan and Brady joined Rafael at the front of the aircraft. Rafael scrolled through some messages on his cell phone before speaking into his smartwatch. They strode off the plane as soon as the ground crew positioned the stairs. Jase stood just inside the door so he could monitor the tarmac while keeping an eye on me.
Kadyn squeezed my shoulder. “Breathe,” he reminded me.
How could I with all those men standing on the tarmac? Although, these men differed from the ones who haunted my dreams. Very few were dressed in black. Most were wearing military uniforms or suits. Maxim seemed utterly relaxed in his three piece suit. He leaned casually against a black SUV while speaking with Konstantin.
Rafael crossed the tarmac, flanked by Ethan and Brady.
Roger peered out the window. “I bet you a hundred bucks Rafael punches him.”
A smile tugged at Kadyn’s lips. “I don’t think he will. There are too many men wielding guns who could misconstrue what’s going on.”
“Maybe that’s why the aircraft is still running,” Phil mused thoughtfully.
“I’d punch him for kissing my fiancé,” Roger boasted.
Cenia patted his shoulder. “Sure you would, honey. You’d punch the president of a foreign country while he was surrounded by armed forces who were chomping at the bit to kill somebody.”
“I would.” He winked at me.
Everyone laughed.
I stood and gave him a hug. “Thank you for making me laugh.”
“Ready?” Jase asked.
I took a deep breath and blew it out. I didn’t respond because the answer was “no.” Brogan and Aidan stepped out in front of me. I followed them down the stairs. Jase and our remaining friends trailed close behind.