Serge opened the car door. “Vladimir.”
“Nice wheels. Shame it’s driven by such a wreck …. What happened to you?”
“Where is she?”
“She’s gone back to what she’s good at, whoring.”
Serge walked into the container, knowing Vladimir had nowhere to run. “Look at you, running scared.”
“Look, Serge. Me and you can rise again. Let’s leave women out of it this time. It just complicates matters.” Vladimir stumbled over the rug, casing Tanya to muffle a scream.
“Tanya, babe, I’m here.”
Vladimir launched a kick into the rug. “Shut up, bitch.”
“So what are you carrying?”
“Eh, noting except a few stubborn STI’s.”
“You going to die like a man then?”
“Seeing as you look like you’ve been half-processed in a meat grinder, I fancy my chances actually.”
“Shame, I’ve gotta be a bitch and use this pepper spray then isn’t it.”
“What are you carrying that for, you big girl?”
“Borrowed the car from some copper.”
“Serge, fight fair, come on. Fight me like a man.”
“Nah.” Vladimir charged at Serge who sprayed Vladimir in the face. Screaming from the pain, Vladimir tripped and fell.
Serge stamped on Vladimir’s head repeatedly. He then stooped down and fixed a choke hold around Vladimir’s neck. Applying as much pressure as he could, Serge pulled back. He listened to Vladimir choking, and dodged his flailing arms.
Feeling Vladimir’s life drain away, Serge began to cry for his once friend.
Police sirens approached as he felt Vladimir pass into the other world.
Cutting the tape from the rug, Serge smiled as he unrolled the carpet and saw Tanya. Pulling the tape from her mouth Serge kissed her dry lips. “Come on, we need to get out here.”
Tanya weakly muttered, “I’m not sure I can walk.” Serge lifted her over her shoulder.
“Tanya I know a way out of here through our old smuggler tunnel.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Serge walked Tanya up the steps to a large townhouse. He rattled the door with his fist. Waiting for the door to be answered he rested Tanya on the step. The door opened and a smartly dressed man stood in the light of the hallway. “Doc, you gotta help us out.”
“Serge, this is my home.”
“I know, I just didn’t know what else to do.”
“You know you have to call me first. That’s the rules.”
“I obviously haven’t a choice.”
“Quick, go around the back before anyone sees you.”
In a makeshift clinic amongst garden furniture, Serge winced as the Doctor gave him an injection.
“I’m afraid that’s the best I can do for you. You’re patched up, but nothing more.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
“Ideally you should get yourself to a hospital. I’m positive you have some internal bleeding. Not to mention several broken ribs”
“You know I can’t.”
“Like, I haven’t heard that before.”
“Will I survive if I don’t?”
“Most probably.”
“Then that’s good enough for me.” Serge climbed off the bed. He glanced at Tanya who slept using a deflated kid’s pool as a pillow. “Will she be all right?”
“Yeah, just bruising and minor cuts. Nothing that isn’t superficial, really.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Although she is dehydrated. I’ve given her some fluids and a box of sachets to take with her.” The doctor pulled off his plastic gloves. “I’m not paid to be nosy, but it’s clear she has been restrained.”
“You’re right, you’re not paid to be nosy.”
“Will I be seeing Vlad anytime soon?”
“No, I think he’s taking a more holistic approach to life.”
“I want you gone by sunrise.”
“Sure.”
Chapter Forty-Three
The early morning sun shone through the corridor window. Dressed in her nightgown and slippers, Beatrice sighed as she peered into the empty bedroom. She felt Bruce’s hand on her shoulder and stepped back out into the corridor. Leaning into his chest, Beatrice smelt his cheap cologne. “Oh, Bruce I’m getting worried. They should have been back yesterday.”
“Calm down, dear. Maybe he’s paid for an extra night.”
“They would have told us, surely.”
“Probably having too good a time.”
Beatrice chewed her finger nail as she shuffled in her slippers. “I want to call the hotel.”
“They’re not kids. Let them have some independence.”
“Don’t they have a mobile we can ring?”
Bruce sighed as he followed Beatrice down the stairs. “No, Serge says they’re doing their best to live life without one.”
“But I’m worried.”
Sitting in his tractor, Bruce sang along to county music on his radio as he trundled down the quiet country lane. A car horn caused him to lower his radio and glance in his mirror. He saw a Porsche flashing its headlights. “Another city slicker form across the border, thinking he owns the road.” The car continued to beep. He hung his hand out of the window and stuck his middle finger up. “You can stay there, you impatient English bastard.”
Bruce eventually pulled the tractor into a passing place, but was surprised that the Porsche pulled in behind him. “If he’s looking for a fight, he’ll get one.” Bruce took a spanner from his glove compartment and climbed down from his cab. “I’m not scared of you, you wee bastard.” The spanner fell from his grasp. Open armed, he approached as the driver of the Porsche stepped out of his car. “Serge.”
“What do you need a spanner for?”
“Never mind.”
Bruce glanced at Tanya, who stood at Serge’s side. “I wish I could say you both look good. But you look like you’ve been caravanning in hell.”
“We’ve had a rough time.”
Serge put his arm around Tanya. “Our past caught up with us. But everything has been sorted.”
“You’re not bringing trouble up here are you?”
“No, everything is sorted.”
“Good. I’m too old to be dealing with trouble.”
Serge carefully bent down to pick up Bruce’s spanner. “I promise.”
“You staying?”
Serge slapped the spanner in Bruce’s hand. “If there is still a job for us.”
“Of course there is.”
“Great.”
Chapter Forty-Four
The morning chorus of birdsong filtered through the open window. Tanya cautiously left the bathroom, but after a few short steps the sense of nausea returned. Turning on her heels she quickly returned.
Tanya washed her face with cold water. She closed the tap when she heard a knock on the bathroom door. “One minute.”
Beatrice spoke through the door. “You OK?”
“Yes …. Why?”
“The men are out.”
“So?”
Beatrice whispered so quietly, that Tanya had to put her ear to the door. “I can’t help but notice that you have that pregnant glow on your cheeks.”
“Please, come on.”
“And that’s the third morning in a row I’ve heard you retch for five minutes or more.”
“You noticed?”
“I’m leaving a paper bag with some necessities for you.”
Tanya opened the door. “Necessities?” She crouched down and took hold of the bag from the floor.
“Just in case, Dear.”
Beatrice waited out in the hallway as Tanya unlocked the door. She pretended to be interested in an old oil painting on the wall. “You know I’ve no idea where this painting came from.”
“It’s positive.”
“Now you sure it’s right? I bought three for you try.”
“I tried all three types, and they all came out the same.
”
Beatrice wrapped her hands around Tanya’s shoulders. “Oh, my little girl’s going to have a wee baby.”
“I’m scared.”
“There is no reason to be, we’ll get you everything you need. The Royal is a fantastic hospital too.”
“I’m scared to what Serge might say.”
“I’m sure he’ll be delighted.”
“I hope so.”
Chapter Forty-Five
The summer sun was masked behind a thin whispery clouds for the first time that day. Tanya sat on a wooden bench beside the vegetable patch. Wearing sunglasses she enjoyed the cool evening air. Running a finger along her wrist, she felt the scar tissue left from the ring ties.
The creek of the garden gate signalled Serge’s return from a day in fields. Tanya smile and patted the bench beside her. “How was your day?” She passed him a glass of homemade lemonade.
“Hard, as usual, but nothing I’m not used to now.” Serge sighed as he sat. “Feeling better? You looked pretty awful this morning.”
“I’m … better.”
Serge swigged from the glass. “That’s good. I was starting to fear you were pregnant.”
“I am.”
“You’re joking?
“No.”
“H … How?”
Tanya smiled and rubbed Serge’s back. “I’m sure someone told you about the birds and bees.”
“Who is the father?”
“Serge, it’s you of course.”
“I don’t think so.”
Tanya placed her hand on top of Serge’s and brushed his tough skin. “Look if you want me to go into detail. We made love without a condom… more than once.”
“Think carefully.”
“I am.”
“It’s impossible.”
“And why would that be?”
“I’ve always been infertile.” Serge pulled his hand away from Tanya’s. “That’s why my first wife walked out on me … and that’s why I never told you.”
“Oh Serge.”
“Unless it’s a fucking miracle, you better start talking.”
“Oh no.” Tanya held her hand up her face. She rubbed tears from her eyes. “Oh no.”
“No, don’t tell me it’s his.”
Tanya reluctantly nodded. “Yes.”
“Fucking hell.”
“He raped me. Serge … Honestly”
“We’re never going to escape him. Get an abortion … please.”
Tanya grabbed at Serge’s arm, clawing at his shirt with her nails. She rubbed her teary face in his shoulder. “Serge …. Please.”
“I mean it. He’s fucking evil, we don’t want to continue his legacy. It would be like something out of the fucking Omen.”
“Serge, it’s too late. I went to the doctors this morning.”
“So you knew it was his?”
Tanya explained with her palms open. “When I found out was pregnant, I knew there was a chance, of course.”
“If you’re so far down the line, how could you possibly not know you’re pregnant?”
“I didn’t have the faintest. I don’t always get periods. I’m anemic.” Tanya peered down at her belly. “Be honest, there isn’t much of a bump is there?”
“Fucking hell.” Serge stood from the bench. “Fuck sake.”
“Serge, be supportive.”
“It just never stops raining shit on us, does it?”
“Serge. We can nurture it as our own.”
“I’m going for a beer.” Serge stormed out garden.
“Yeah, that’s right. Just fucking run away.”
“I need time to think.”
“Thinking? Thinking? What good will thinking do? I need loving and caring. It’s not been easy for me either, you know?”
“I’ll be back later. Just don’t give birth until I return.”
“Is that a Joke? Expecting me to laugh?” Tanya watched Serge jump inside the Land Rover. “Coward … you’re a coward.”
Tanya collapsed back onto the bench. As Serge left in Bruce’s Land Rover, Beatrice stepped into the garden and rested a hand on Tanya’s back. “He’ll come around, Dear. He’ll come around.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Serge sat at a small table in the corner of a quiet country pub. Placed in front of him sat a pint of glass painted in white tide marks that sat above a golden sea. His face spoke of a troubled mind, yet his lips didn’t move.
Serge flinched as he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“Serge Guzun.”
“Depends on who’s talking.”
“Dave Bentham.”
“Fuck.” Serge lacked fight in his eyes and did not move.
Bentham slumped in a chair next to Serge.”You look like a worried man.”
“I feel like one.”
“Tanya, she OK? Where is she?”
“Fine. She’s fine.”
“Good.”
Serge necked the rest of his pint. “Look, I’m going to be father, you can’t send me down.”
“Tanya pregnant?”
“Yup.”
“I think I should buy you beer.”
Serge crossed his arms and shook his head. “A copper buying a round? That’s a first.”
“I’ve retired.”
“Really? I thought you’d die a copper.”
“Me too. In a different way that maybe you imagined.”
Serge watched as Bentham stood at the bar. The memory of Bentham nursing a dying woman returned to his mind.
As Bentham sat back at the table, Serge leaned forward and asked, “The Indian-looking girl, she all right? She took quite a beating.”
“Rox, she’s my wife. She’s Persian, not Indian.”
“Your wife? And I thought I was punching above my weight.”
“Should see her now. She’s had to have plastic surgery and a new set of teeth. I bought her a new set of tits too.”
“Tits? Bought yourself a retirement present you mean.”
“I didn’t think there was anything wrong with the real ones, she wanted them.”
“Fuck off.”
Bentham felt the back of his neck. “Seriously … I’m not complaining, though.”
“What about the bastard who beat her?”
“Norman, he is about to go to trial, facing serious time.”
“Good.”
The sun had set and the table was littered with empty glasses. Bentham peeled a bar mat between his fingers. He glanced at Serge. “I hunted you down because I wanted closure.”
“What do you mean?”
“Vladimir.”
“What about him.”
Bentham could see the tension on Serge’s face. He took a sip from his larger and licked the white foam from his lips. “What did you do with him?”
“Look, how’s it matter, he’s dead. Let him rest.”
“If he’s dead, then where is the body?”
“In the container, where he died.”
Bentham shrugged. “We recovered his brother Igor … you made a right mess of him by the way.”
“Get to the point, quick.”
“Vladimir, he wasn’t there.”
“You’re not messing me around?”
“I wouldn’t be here if I was.”
The chair screeched across the stone floor as Serge stood from his chair. “I’ve got to get back.”
“You can’t, you’re clearly under the influence.”
“I have no choice.”
“Sorry, old habits die hard.” Bentham pulled his keys from his jacket pocket. Here, let me drive you back.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
A game show played on the television, but no one watched. Bruce searched the mantelpiece in the living room. Lifting a vase he peered inside and shook it. “Anyone saw my keys?”
Beatrice had her arm around Tanya as they sat on the sofa. “No, just hurry up, so you can find Serge.”
“Don’t worry, I know exactly where he is.”
“How can you be so confident?”
“There is only one pub it twenty miles of here.”
“Just hurry up before he gets too drunk.”
“I can’t bloody walk, can I?”
Tanya let Max jump down from her lap as she stood from the sofa. She walked to the side board and searched through a drawer. Picking up a set of keys she tossed them to Bruce. “Take the Porsche.”
“You sure?”
“It will be quicker than the bloody tractor.”
“I promise to bring it back in one piece.”
Bruce stepped out of the house and used a torch to find his way across the dark farm yard. He shone the torch about the yard as he heard footsteps. A quick shake of his head, he continued his walk to the barn. Pulling open the barn door, he unlocked the car.
“Excuse me, that’s my car.”
The torch hit the floor, shrouding the barn in darkness.
Tanya ran a hot bath. She heard a knock on the front door. Opening the bathroom door she heard Beatrice enter the hallway. “You got it, Bea?”
“Yes, don’t worry, I’ll get it. I bet bloody Bruce probably doesn’t know how to use the central locking.”
Tanya chuckled as she closed the door. In the steam filled room she lifted her top over her head. Her face was still covered when she heard Beatrice’s screams. Pulling her top back over her shoulder, Tanya opened the door to find Beatrice lying on the floor, holding her face. Tanya covered her mouth to stop her screams.
Beatrice spotted Tanya and pointed to her bedroom.
“What do you mean?”
Smashing came from the kitchen followed by a tortured howl from Max. Tanya then heard a voice from the past. “Tanya, you know I hate dogs.”
Tanya crawled across the floorboards towards Beatrice’s bedroom. A floorboard creaked and caused her to shriek.
“Not only do you look Hollywood, you act like those dumb bitches and run upstairs at the first sign of trouble.”
Tanya heard Vladimir’s running up the stairs. She climbed to her feet and ran into the bedroom. The door slammed shut and she drew the bolt locked. The door rattled as Vladimir tried to force his way through. “Come on Tanya, you don’t usually play this hard to get.”
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