by Sherie Keys
This new image was of a blonde woman. She lay on her back. Her long blonde hair was matted with blood. Her blue eyes were open, staring up at nothing. Her mouth was open in a scream Dimitri knew had been terror. He could clearly see the bullet hole in the middle of her forehead.
He did not have to ask who it was. The blonde woman was Kristina-Victor’s girlfriend and the mother of his young son. Victor’s involvement with Dimitri had just made young Joey an orphan.
“You had to kill her too?” Dimitri looked accusingly at Rudolph. “She was the little boy’s mother. You had to take her from him too? What about the baby? Where is he?” Rudolph shrugged nonchalantly. He withdrew his phone to put it back into his pocket. Dimitri’s words had no effect on him. It did not surprise him. Rudolph was a hard man, with little sympathies. Dimitri would have done better to appeal to Alexei.
“I had to make a point to you, Dimitri. You do not double cross me. If you do, bad things happen.”
He did not need to resort to violence. Dimitri knew exactly what he meant. Rudolph apparently picked up that he understood, because he smiled. “You will do the job now, right Dimitri? You will do anything I want? Anything that I say?” Before Dimitri could open his mouth, Rudolph’s face lit up. “Oh, I forgot, I have one more picture to show to you.”
“I do not want to see it.” Dimitri shook his head. He could not take another corpse. And if Rudolph and Alexei had killed baby Joey, Dimitri did not know what he would do-even if that included ripping Rudolph apart right now.
“Oh, this one you want to see.” Rudolph held out his phone once more. This time, it was not an image of a body. It was an image of Alexei. He stood, leaning against a car. Dimitri immediately identified the make as that of a Ford Focus. He could clearly see the Maryland license plate. It was apparently parked in front of a restaurant that Dimitri did not recognize. Then it occurred to him: Alicia was out tonight…in her car.
“Stay away from her.” Dimitri growled. “I mean it, Rudolph.”
“You get my work done and I will do just that.” Rudolph snapped off his phone. “I will be on my way, but remember Dimitri the clock is ticking. Why don’t you put that pretty new gun you bought to good use?”
Rudolph headed out of the garage the way he had entered. No sooner had the door closed behind him than Dimitri’s phone vibrated. Glancing at it, he found he had two new messages from Alexei. Bracing himself, he opened the message.
As he thought, it was the images of Victor and Kristina. He quickly deleted them both. He did not need those as reminders to the world that he was in-he was well aware. Inside, his heart was breaking for the two of them. Victor had too much potential in this land. It was such a terrible shame that it had gone this way. Now he just had to find a way to make sure that he and Alicia did not end up in the same position.
Chapter9
Alicia let herself into the apartment around nine-thirty. She’d been out later than she had intended. She figured it wasn’t too big of a deal. Dimitri was working late, and she could still get a decent amount of sleep tomorrow.
All in all, it had been a good night. She couldn’t drink anymore but her friends hadn’t made it uncomfortable. She was the first in their group to get pregnant. They wanted to discuss it. They wanted to know how she would do everything from feedings to school. Alicia hated to admit that she hadn't gotten that far. She supposed that she needed to start planning.
It was too early to worry about school. She and Dimitri had already talked about the potential of moving. She would worry about that when the baby was closer to three. Three would mean it was time to think about preschool. They’d need to know if they wanted to move by then. For now, she’d focus on the little things. She was fairly sold on breastfeeding, but she still wanted to research. And if you breastfed, how easy was it to get them to take a bottle? Those were all things that she wanted to work out before she made up her mind.
She had been so lost in her own thoughts that it took her a moment to realize that Dimitri was sitting in the darkened living room. Frowning, Alicia flipped on the light.
“Why are you sitting here in the dark?” Dimitri glanced up at her, shrugging.
“Just did not feel like turning on the lights.” He returned to staring blankly at the coffee table. Alicia shook her head.
“Poor thing. You must be exhausted.” Dimitri knew that he had to play along.
“Very.” He sighed. “How was your night? Did you have a good time?”
“I did. The other girls all want to talk about the baby since I’m the first one pregnant. Really, Dimitri, we have so much to decide on. I know it’s early, but--" The look on his face did not express that he wanted to get into this tonight. Alicia calmed herself down. He’d been working all day. She’d hit him with this in the morning. “Look, let’s not talk about this now. We can do it tomorrow.” Dimitri smiled faintly.
“OK” He got up. “We go to bed?”
“Yeah.” Alicia took his hands, pulling him to her. “You are such a good husband. I can’t wait for our baby to see what a great daddy he or she has.”
Dimitri lowered his head. After the night that he had, he did not want to hear such matters.
“You know that you and the baby are the most important things in my world, yes?”
“Yes.” Alicia kissed him quickly. “Of course I know that.” She didn’t know where this was coming from. Dimitri opened his mouth, apparently thinking something, but then he closed it once more. “What?”
“Nothing.” He waved his hand. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”
He had made up his mind that he would tell her in the morning. He had almost told her last night, but he knew that they were both too tired. He wanted to tell her when they both had clear heads.
At the end of the day, Dimitri didn’t know if telling her was the right thing to do. But he had his reasons for wanting to do it. First, he couldn’t handle the lies anymore. Her words cut him. He couldn’t stand how high her opinion was of him when he’d been so deceitful.
Secondly, he knew that no matter how small his child was, he knew that he could not look at it and know that he was holding secrets from it and from its mother. He could not tell his child not to lie if his relationship with Alicia was built on lies.
The last reason was simple: danger. Dimitri wanted Alicia to understand the threat that she was under. He wanted her to know that there was a risk on her life. That was nothing to take lightly. Victor and Kristina’s deaths had made the news. He could not stand it if he and Alicia were the next lead story.
Alicia had gotten up at her normal time. Dimitri pretended to be asleep a bit longer. After she had gone into the bathroom to shower, he simply lay in bed and listened to the sound of the water running. It would be so easy to walk away from this discussion and keep his secret. But at the end of the day it solved nothing. They still had the same threat to worry about.
When Alicia returned from her shower, Dimitri was sitting on the edge of the bed. He’d put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, but made no effort to get ready for work.
“Why don’t you go start the coffee?” They’d switched to decaf after learning that she was pregnant. Dimitri had claimed he hadn’t minded, but secretly slipped in a regular cup at the garage.
“OK” He wasn’t sure if she would feel like going to work after hearing his news, but he figured he’d let her get ready anyway. In the kitchen, he rehearsed his lines while he measured out coffee. Alicia came in when the pot was brewing, dressed in scrubs for work. She’d tied her hair behind her in a ponytail, and already had her sneakers on so that she could head right out of the door.
“Smells good.” She leaned over to kiss his cheek. Dimitri smiled faintly.
“I-- We need to talk.”
“OK” Alicia leaned against the counter. “About what?” Dimitri considered, and then sighed.
“Do you want to sit?”
“Not really.” Alicia tensed up. “What is it, Dimitri? What’s wrong?” Her m
ind was already flashing. This was too much for him-it was too soon. He couldn’t handle both her and the baby. She should have expected this. She should have known that everything was going just too perfect.
“Well,” he took a deep breath, “there is really no easy way to say this. I…have not been entirely honest with you.”
“Oh?” Alicia steadied herself. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. After all, she didn’t know much about his background. Maybe he just wanted to tell her more about his life in Russia.
“No,” Dimitri continued. “I…did not make all of my money from the mechanic shop.” Starting this way was probably the easiest way.
“Well how did you?” Alicia had a nagging suspicion that he was about to say drugs. Dimitri bit his tongue.
“In Russia, when I was young, I met group of young men. I did not know what they did when I met them. So I began to follow them, to go to jobs with them.”
“And?” Alicia was still tense.
“And…” Dimitri really hated himself right now. “They did bad things. They did very bad things.” Alicia closed her eyes.
“What types of bad things, Dimitri? Tell me, damn it.” He considered how best to explain just what he had done.
“Well, if someone was owed money, they would go to the person who owed them money and they would…do something.”
“Do something?” Alicia’s dark eyes were burning into his.
“They would break an arm, or a leg. Maybe just beat them until they were bruised.” He realized now that the words sounded even worse coming out of this mouth. How could he live with himself saying these things? How had he done this? To anyone?
Alicia was still staring at him. She had not responded, but she seemed to be thinking over the concept of what this made him.
“So you were like a hired thug?”
“Hired thug?” He was not sure entirely what that phrase meant. He had never really had a name for himself. “I suppose that could be it. I have always heard the word ‘enforcer’ used.” Alicia set her jaw.
“So you made your money in crime in Russia?” Dimitri nodded sadly.
“Yes. It was good money. But getting out was hard. It had Russian mafia connections and--"
“Mafia?” Alicia exclaimed. “You’re connected to the mob?”
“Well yes, but Russian--"
“Dimitri, I don’t give a damn which mob it is!” Alicia exclaimed. “It’s still illegal, and it’s still dangerous! Not to mention the fact that you’ve lied to me all of this time!”
“I know, I know, and I am sorry for that. But that is why I tell you now.”
“That’s why you’re telling me now?” Alicia looked doubtful. “You just decided to come clean all of a sudden? Is it because of the baby? Did you want to tell me because of the baby?”
“Yes,” Dimitri answered, “but there is something else. There is something else that you must know.”
“What is it?” Alicia’s tone was hard. Dimitri had expected her to be angry. At least she wasn’t screaming, or raging out of control.
“The men…the men that I work for in Russia…they have come here.”
“Why would they come here?” Dimitri had never claimed to have any friends; he never went out with anyone. So how had these men known where to find him?
“They…know that I live in Baltimore.”
“They do? Why? Do you keep in touch with them?”
“No, no, of course not.” He had to tell her. “Alicia, the reason that I come to America in the first place is to do job for them. They send me here. They send me to Baltimore. They know where I am.” Alicia’s mouth dropped.
“You came to Baltimore to do a hit for the mob? I’m sorry, the Russian mob.”
“Yes.” Dimitri lowered his head. “Alicia, really I am--"
“Save it.” Alicia raised her hand. “How could you do this? How could a man like you who is so caring do such awful things to others?”
He did not know how to answer it. He knew that he couldn’t tell her what he actually thought to himself. She would not accept that these people had made their decisions and he was just enforcing their bad choices.
“I do not know.” He looked at her, shaking his head. “I do not know how I did it. The money, it was so good. It was supporting me, and my parents. By the time that I realized just how wrong that this all was I was in too deep. I could not simply get out. It would be too dangerous.”
“So why now, Dimitri?” Alicia asked. “Why now did you decide just how dangerous this was? Oh, wait,” she waved her hand, “that’s right, the baby. You don’t want the baby to fall into a dangerous path like that, right?”
“I wish it was that simple.” Dimitri closed his eyes. That made some of her anger lessen. There was something else that he wasn’t telling her.
“Wait, what? Why isn’t it that simple?”
“Because,” Dimitri did not open his eyes, “you do not think that these men came to me just to rekindle our old friendship, right?” Alicia let out a breath that she did not realize she had been holding.
“What do you mean?”
“They wanted me to do a job.” Dimitri said the words. Alicia immediately sucked back the air she’d released.
“You…you said no right? This isn’t something that you do anymore?” She sounded like she was almost pleading. She hated how that sound came out. She wanted to be angry with him, she didn’t want to be begging him.
“Of course I did.” Dimitri stared at her. “But Alicia, they do not accept such things.”
“And?” She did not want to hear the rest of this. She did not know what they had said when he had told them no.
“They do not accept it.” Dimitri bit his lower lip hard. “Alicia, they tell me to do job…or else.”
“Or else?” She knew this sounded naïve, but this was a lot to take in. She wasn’t in denial; she was hearing the entire conversation. She just did not want to accept the possibility of what these men could do.
“We are in danger.” Dimitri did not want to show her the pictures. He would not do that to her. He could not leave those images in her mind.
“Then do something!” Alicia exclaimed. “Do something! Stop them! Get us out of danger!”
“I tried!” He exclaimed back. “I had plan! I was going to kill two of the men! The third, he and I, we worked together.”
“You were going to kill someone?” Alicia’s eyes widened in horror.
“No! I mean, yes! I mean I….” Dimitri didn’t know how to get himself out of this one. He had planned to kill two people. “Look, I will do what I have to do to protect you and the baby! I am sorry if that means doing something terrible, but you and the baby mean more to me than that!”
“I can’t believe you!” Alicia stepped back from him. “Why didn’t you go to the police? Won’t the police help you?”
“And admit that I was going to kill someone? That I beat men for money?” Dimitri waved one hand dismissively. “I would have been arrested. And with one look at my paperwork--"
“Please,” Alicia pressed a hand over her eyes, “please do not tell me that your paperwork is fake.” But Dimitri could not respond. The silence hung between them for a few moments before he finally spoke.
“They gave it to me to get into country. It is good forgery, but I worry that if law enforcement sees it, they will know.” He had lied to her about everything. Alicia could barely believe it. She knew that she had been too lucky when it came to a Green Card marriage.
“I’m sure that they would.” Alicia wrapped her arms around herself. She was trembling. She didn’t know if it was from fear or anger. “Why did you stop? Why didn’t you kill those men? Is that why you’re here confessing to me now?”
‘No.” Dimitri thought again of the pictures on his phone. “One of the men, he come to me last night while I waiting for my partner to come….” So he wasn’t working late. Great, another lie. “He…he showed me pictures.” Dimitri met her eyes, shaking his head. “Alic
ia, I would never show them to you. They murder the man I was working with-both him and his girlfriend.” He felt his throat tightening at the next words. “They…they had baby. Little boy named Joey. Now he is…” Dimitri shook his head again. He would not cry. He would not stand here and shed tears at the thought of what had been done to Victor and Kristina.
“They killed them.” Alicia echoed. “The man and the woman…the ones on the news.” Dimitri pulled himself together. He nodded his head yes.
“That is them. Alicia, they are serious. All three of us are in danger.” That made her react. Alicia sprang backwards.
“I can’t listen to this anymore.” She was turning from him, grabbing at her purse on the counter. She was fumbling blindly for it. She had to get out of here. Had to. She couldn’t stand here and talk to him about this any longer.
“Alicia, wait. We must talk about this.” Dimitri reached for her arm. She pulled herself away.
“I am done talking to you.” She paused at the door to turn and face him. Her car keys were held in one trembling hand. “Actually, I am not doing anything for you anymore. Get your stuff, get out of here. I don’t care if you go back to Russia, I don’t care where you go, just don’t be here.”
She yanked open the apartment door. Dimitri watched her hurry down the steps. He called her name, but she didn’t respond. Instead, she unlocked the Focus’s doors and climbed inside. She sat for a minute, staring out the windshield. And then her hands slammed down on the steering wheel. She was crying.
Dimitri’s heart broke. He started down the stairs. He didn’t want her driving so worked up. It would not be good for her, or for the baby. She could hurt herself-could hurt both of them. Plus, Rudolph and Alexei were still out there. They knew what type of car that she drove. They could be watching them even now.
“Alicia!” He called out to her once more. He saw her glance up at him, shake her head, and start the car. Then the car was backing out of the spot and disappearing out of the parking lot into traffic.