“Do you really think that is wise?” he asked, turning around to look at her. He had pegged her for a stupid woman but he had no idea that she was a fucking idiot. “We’ll be sitting ducks,” he reminded.
Hitting the table again, she looked over at him and snarled. “Where are we to run, Balthazar? Anyone who is anyone will happily hold us captive to collect the bounty on our heads. We stay to the plan until we find out who has stabbed us in the fucking back. Once we get the money, we’ll change locations. It’s that simple.” Manon came to her senses and calmed herself. “Now, prepare to make the call. You have thirty minutes.”
“I’ll go and see to the girl first,” he said, wiping his mouth with the napkin by his hand.
“You are not to go near her for the remainder of this job,” she said, standing back up. “Your purpose is to provide us mobility and to communicate with Dmitry. We paid you for your men and your service. Nothing more. There is absolutely no reason for you to talk to her.”
There was no way that she would have Balthazar run off with their payday. Clenching her jaw, she walked up to him and looked down into his eyes. “My men are watching her now. You leave Anya Medlov to me and focus on making that call and keeping her father right where we need him.”
“I sense a trust issue all of a sudden,” Balthazar said with a wicked grin. “After all that I have done, haven’t I proven myself to you and Vladimir?”
“Until we find out how Dmitry found out about you and I, there is no trust to be won.”
“The only person who is capable of that is Vladimir. Maybe he found a way to get rid of both of us and just take his half and flee. A quarter of billion dollars is better than none at all.”
“You don’t know him,” she said growling. “And don’t pretend to, you slimy Nazi bastard.”
“I would say the same for you,” he said, watching her walk away. “Maybe you have fulfilled your purpose now and you can finally see the true colors of your lover. Maybe you can finally see what everyone else already knows!”
“Just make the fucking call,” she ordered as she disappeared beyond the door.
***
Balthazar sat in the communication room of his beach house, already set up by his men, with a single cell phone behind an oak desk. With no windows in the room and only a large halogen light, swinging above from the rafters, the space had a dark, third-world feel to it, adding more menace to the act that he was about to perform. A tech guy sat in the corner in front of two computers, making sure that the call would bounce over four continents, ensuring that they would not be traced and two bodyguards stood at the door.
After going over notes on a pad and taking a drink of water, he picked up the phone, listened for a dial tone and carefully dialed Dmitry’s home phone. The one ring seemed to be the longest that he’d ever heard. There was an answer on the second.
“Hello,” Dmitry answered, voice void of anxiousness.
“You’ve been given enough time. You have ten minutes to make your first transfer of two-hundred and fifty million dollars,” Balthazar said, waiting for Dmitry to mention the wire that had gone out.
Dmitry sat at the desk in the dining room around his men, Gabriel and Anatoly watching and looked to his tech guy to make sure that he was tracing the call. Waiting a minute, he took out a pen and paper to write. “I’m listening for the account number,” he said, gritting his teeth.
Balthazar had memorized the account number by heart and repeated it slowly and clearly to him. When he was finished, he rolled his eyes. “Repeat it back to me,” he ordered.
Dmitry did as he asked. When the last number was given, he swallowed hard and tried to keep control of his emotions. “The bank’s name.”
“RBZ Bank,” Balthazar said quickly. “You are to make a wire transfer. If you call the bank or notify them in anyway what is going on before you get your daughter back…you won’t get your fucking daughter back. Is that clear?”
“Crystal,” Dmitry said, looking over at his tech guy again. The tech guy shook his head no. There was no way to trace the call. Dmitry let go of a frustrated sigh.
“Trying to track us, eh?” Balthazar sucked his teeth. “Don’t bother. We’re way too smart for that.” He toyed with Dmitry, trying to make him as angry as possible in order to draw out the information he needed regarding the bounty on his head.
Dmitry, however, would not give in. Keeping a lid on his anxiety, he pushed the pen and paper aside. “I want to talk to my daughter now.”
Royal waited, listening on the speaker phone on baited breath. Weaving her fingers over one another, she pressed her lips up to her index fingers and closed her eyes in prayer. Briggy and Renee stood behind her on either side touching her delicate shoulders.
“No more talking to her,” Balthazar said shortly. He rather enjoyed having the upper hand on Dmitry. Fighting a hard on, he scratched his head and rested back in his wooden chair.
Dmitry had had enough. Pushing the papers away from him, he hit the table with a closed fist. “If I don’t hear from her now, then you won’t be paid.”
Royal looked over at him with eyes wide. What was he doing? She mouthed his name and parted her lips in despair. “Dmitry, no,” she pleaded.
“If I were you, I’d listen to your wife,” Balthazar said with a grin.
“Let me speak with my fucking daughter you little shit. Hiding behind this phone won’t last forever. One day, and possibly very soon, you’re going to have to face me, and when you do, I will have remembered everything that you have said to me since our first encounter.” He stood up, gripping the phone in his hand. “And do you know what I’m going to make you do?”
Royal pushed away from her end of the long table and ran over to him. With tears in her eyes, she tried to calm him.
Dmitry snatched away. “I’m going to make you eat your words. I’m going to make you scream in pain, beg me to just put a bullet in your fucking head, but I won’t. I’m going to make you live long enough to wish that you’d never been born!” He voice boomed around the room.
“You’re not a smart man, Dmitry Medlov. I thought you were, but you can’t be. I have your little girl here. I could do anything to her. I could beat her, rape her, I could…”
Dmitry cut him off. “If you so much as put a single finger on my daughter again, I’m going to cut out your kidney with my Swiss Army knife.”
Balthazar laughed. “You are an angry little Russian fuck, aren’t you? Too bad that’s not going to get you anywhere.”
“I swear to God, if it’s the last thing that I do, I’m going to hunt you down and kill you myself! And when I’m cutting off your dick, then you can ask me if I’m angry!” Dmitry screamed again.
Royal began to cry. He was going to ruin everything. She just wanted him to give them what they wanted so that she could get her baby back. But he was gone…seeing red. She tried to calm him, to get him to see that he might very well be costing them their daughter, but it was as if she wasn’t there anymore.
Listening to the call from her earpiece, Manon busted into the communications room with Anya in her arms. Balthazar frowned and stood up. What the fuck did she think that she was doing? She was going to ruin everything!
But Manon was furious beyond control herself, because Balthazar was going against the original plan. If the only thing between them and the money was to speak with his daughter, then it made sense to let him talk to her. Why was he being so impossible? It was bad enough that the man knew who they were. He was trying to get them slaughtered.
Anya was quiet and confused. Holding on tightly to Manon’s neck, she looked over at the bald man with a scared look in her face. She was very afraid of him and did not want to even be in the same room with him. He stunk of loud cologne and looked at her like he wanted to kill her.
“Put her on the phone,” Manon mouthed with eyes narrowed. “Stick to the fucking plan,” she demanded.
“Are you still there?” Dmitry asked angrily. “What kind o
f operation are you amateurs running over there? Put my fucking daughter on the phone!”
Balthazar huffed. His concentration broken, he shook his head no to Manon. If he gave in to Dmitry’s request, then he shifted their power. Couldn’t the dumb bitch see that?
Manon insisted. “Yes,” she mouthed, reaching for the phone.
“No,” Balthazar mouthed to Manon as he stepped away.
“Answer me!” Dmitry screamed. “Answer me, now!”
“Put her on the phone,” Manon mouthed again, this time a little louder.
“I’ll answer you when I’m good and damned ready,” Balthazar said, trying to give both parties his attention. The constant nagging from Manon was driving him crazy, but he couldn’t risk Dmitry hearing her voice and confirming his suspicions.
“Put her on the phone!” Manon mouthed again.
“Put my daughter on the fucking phone if you hear me then!” Dmitry demanded.
“Dmitry, please,” Royal wept as she held on the bottom of his sleeved elbow.
“Put her on the phone!” Manon said in a low whisper.
“Everyone just shut the fuck up!” Balthazar screamed. His heart pounded in his chest as the phone and the room went still. There was a few seconds where not even a heartbeat pounded. Gathering his wits about himself, he took a deep breath and put his head back to the cell phone. Running his hand over his bald head, he turned away from Manon for a minute.
“Who is everyone?” Dmitry asked, knowing that he had gotten Balthazar to break. “Is there more than just you over there, because I damned sure don’t hear my baby girl. Eh? You got a fucking accomplice trying to get your attention over there?”
“No, but I’ve got your little girl... right here,” Balthazar said, reaching for Anya.
Manon hesitantly passed her to him. If he hit her again, they were both as good as dead. He had to control his temper and stick to the plan.
Snatching her away from Manon, Balthazar took Anya in his arms, despite his distinct disdain for the little girl and motioned to give her the phone. As she reached for it, he put up his long finger and paused. His beady eyes locked on her as he squeezed her side. “Try anymore funny business and I’ll cut your tongue out. Just say hello to your father and tell him that you’re alright for now. Do you understand?”
Anya shook her head as Dmitry listened. She took the phone quickly and put it to her ear. “Daddy,” she said in a whimper. Her hands trembled.
“Angel,” Dmitry said, relieved to her voice. The sound of it soothed the open wound in his heart that he tried hard to conceal at the moment. He could listen to her all day, if they’d let him. Just the sound of it brought peace, serenity.
Royal cried out happiness that Anya was still alive.
“Are you alright, baby?” Dmitry asked. He would not dare ask her to reveal any more about their location, because he couldn’t bare the man touching her again, but once he got his hands on Balthazar, he would pay him back for all of this.
“I’m scared, Daddy. I miss you and Mommy. I want to come home with my brothers and I want to see my dogs and…” she began to cry. “I just want to come home.”
Royal listened to her voice over the intercom and broke down. Sitting in the chair beside Dmitry, she put her face in her hands and closed her eyes. How much more of this did they have to suffer? How long would she be without her daughter?
“Everything is going to be alright. I’ll have you home soon, and then I’ll never let you go again. I promise,” Dmitry said, taking a deep breath. He looked down at Royal and touched the top of her head. “Mommy misses you so much. She can’t wait to have you home. We all miss you and love you.”
“I love you too,” Anya said before Balthazar snatched the phone. Pushing the little girl back off to Manon, he returned all of his attention to Dmitry. “Do yourself a favor, Dmitry. Have the money wired to that account in ten minutes if you really love the little half-breed like you say that you do. Now, since you said that you couldn’t have all five hundred million at one time, then you have until tomorrow morning to get the second installment ready. Then we’ll call with a place and time to make the exchange.”
“What happened to 48 hours for each deposit? I need the time to get all the money without alerting bank officials,” Dmitry lied.
“You’ve had enough time, Vor. Looks like the threats cost you more than even you could afford,” Balthazar said, snapping his fingers for Manon to leave.
“Tomorrow is fine,” he said, thinking of Anya. “I’ll get it.”
“I know that you will. We’ll call you in the morning with a time and place. Be prepared to use your jet to travel fast and alone. Try to bring anyone on the plane with you and the girl dies. Then we’re just $250 million richer, and you’ve learned a very hard lesson.” With that, Balthazar hung up the phone.
Dmitry wanted to throw the phone, but instead firmly placed it on the receiver. Walking over the 65 inch monitor, he put his hand over his mouth. “Transfer the money to the account,” he ordered.
“Do we know someone over at that bank,” Gabriel asked, finally speaking after the ordeal. The high energy had his stomach in a ball as well. And hearing Anya only made things worse.
“I know someone,” Dmitry said, putting his hand on the tech’s shoulder. “Did we get anything at all?”
“No, sir. I’m very sorry. They have the signal bouncing all over. They could be down the street or in South Africa,” the young tech said apologetic of his limited means to help his boss in the current situation.
“It’s fine,” Dmitry said, turning to Anatoly. “We need to get that young man, now. You and Gabriel head out and bring me back my Nazi.”
“On it,” Anatoly said, standing up from his corner quietly. Looking over at Vasily, he nodded. “You’re going too.”
“Da, da, boss,” Vasily said, standing up. He was happy to finally get in the fight and stop babysitting the women. Plus, he felt like family himself and took a personal offense to not only the abduction of Anya but the murder of his fellow Vor, Davyd.
Without saying goodbye to the women, all three men left the room quickly. Passing by them as they went, a bodyguard entered the room quickly and walked over to Dmitry. “Boss, the council will be arriving in the helicopters in five minutes,” he said, standing at attention.
“See to them being put in the sitting room next to my study,” Dmitry said, grabbing Royal’s hand. “I need to talk to you alone,” he said to her crassly.
Royal snatched away. “Fine,” she said angrily. Storming out of the room with Dmitry in tow, she headed to her office where they could talk alone.
Dmitry didn’t have time for the drama. Walking down to the end of the hall where her office was, he opened the door for her and closed it as he walked inside.
“What are you trying to do? Get Anya killed?” Royal asked as soon as the door closed.
Dmitry took a deep breath. “What I’m trying to do is get her back,” he said in a low voice.
“Every time that he gets angry with you, he hurts her,” Royal said, touching her temple. Putting her hand on her hip, she frowned. “Don’t you get that?”
“You don’t understand how things work, Royal. When was the last time that you kidnapped someone?”
“I don’t have to kidnap someone to know what is at stake here. This is my daughter, dammit!”
“And she’s not mine!” Dmitry asked in a growl. “I told you when this first started to let me do this.”
“You’re provoking him, Dmitry!” Royal screamed, cutting him off. “All I care about his getting her back. You two can have a fucking pissing match after she’s back in my arms safe.”
“This isn’t about a pissing match. Every second counts, and while I’m standing in here arguing with you about how to safely bring her back, I’m wasting time,” he screamed back at her. Turning around, he opened the door and slammed it behind him. The jolt made the painting on her wall fall and hit the floor. Glass broke against the limest
one and shattered below her feet.
“Damn you!” Royal screamed out as she heard his footsteps out in the hallway. “Damn you to hell, Dmitry, if you cost me my baby!”
Chapter 24
The sound of aircraft approaching the lawn echoed around the grounds. As a tornado of winds whirled around the front yard and bodyguards ran out to secure the perimeter, three helicopters landed in the large yard in front of the Medlov chateau. As the doors swung open, each council member was escorted out by their staff and brought up the gravel walkway to the staircase and led up to the front of the house.
Six men in dark designer suits filed into the house one right after the other: Khalid Sidorov, brothers Roman and Leonid Kuznetsov, Alexander Lebedev, Igor Golovakha and Pavel Yeltsin.
Khalid Sidorov was the oldest of the council members at nearly 72 years old. Age had made him a more fragile man who had lost the muscle of a young brute and was now frail in his dark suit, holding on to a cane with hands full of arthritis and covered in liver spots. His wealth had provided him good nurses and care but he was still very much in bad shape as was evident in his appearance.
Saving Anya Page 20