by Pinki Parks
She wanted a big family and I had mistakenly made a promise to think about it. In the back of my mind, I was screaming for her to see a child was only going to hamper what we did for a living. She didn’t want to see the writing on the wall.
“I don’t have the time or luxury to think about the future right now. Show me the prisoner.” He took me to a back room and used a key on the padlock to open it. There was no window and the room was void of any light to make it impossible for him to know what time it was.
He was blindfolded and wearing nothing but boxer shorts. The room was soundproof. Children laughing and playing outside didn’t reach the inner sanctum of the room. He was within spitting distance of help and he didn’t even know it.
“I was going to ask if you’re comfortable, but I don’t really care. You committed a sin and now you’re going to confess. It would be easier for you to talk to me in English. There’s no reason to insult my intelligence by using a language barrier that doesn’t exist.” His mouth was moving and I got closer to hear him praying in Russian.
I didn’t know much, but I had learned to immerse myself in any culture by teaching myself enough about the language to get around. I could become a sponge for information and lock it away in the vault. It was what made me a sought-after soldier for any clandestine meeting or mission.
“I’ve been all over this several times trying to come up with the best possible approach to get you to open up willingly. I’ve come to the inevitable conclusion that sometimes you have to break a few bones to get your answer. You could surprise me by letting me know all those secrets inside your head.” Victor was outside the door and I wanted him there for an extra added bit of defense in case something went wrong.
My prisoner was squirming, but he continued undeterred in his religious beliefs. I listened fascinated by his need to reach out to a higher power to come to the rescue. I was considered God. His life or death depended on what he was going to say next. The chains around his wrist were attached to the wall limiting his movement.
“I’m not exactly shy about torture. I would rather call it an interrogation. Torture is such an ugly word. Nobody in your current position would want to hear that coming out of their abductor’s mouth.” I gagged him, picked up the propane torch and turned it on.
The rush of blue flame reached his sensitive ears. He immediately began reciting the same Russian prayer, but this time it was faster with more deliberation. I circled his chair turning the flame all the way up and purposely getting close enough to singe the hairs on the back of his neck.
“I really don’t want to do this, but you are leaving me very little choice. Let me propose a scenario. What would you do to the man that tried to hurt your wife? I don’t see you turning the other cheek. There would be no place for that man to hide where you wouldn’t be able to find him.” I made momentary contact watching the patch of skin on the back of his neck sizzle like the sound of bacon cooking in the morning.
He screamed, but the gag was keeping him from making me feel bad about my current course of action. His eyes were watering with the kind of pain that would make any hostage beg for his life. The room was void of anything other than the chair he was currently sitting in.
The tray of implements was filled with interesting instruments. The torch was one of the less damaging ways to get what I wanted. Fire was a very convincing argument. I had reduced other men to tears with the same technique. There was a part of me that was hoping he wasn’t going to break easily.
“That does look like it hurts. There’s no reason for you to ask for a lawyer because I’m not the law. I can keep you for as long as I want and do unspeakable things in the name of revenge.” I burned his hand between the thumb and his forefinger.
That little piece of flesh burning him alive was making him thrash madly in defiance.
I ran the flame between his legs letting him feel the warmth getting closer to his family jewels. I wanted him to know what I was capable of and how far I was willing to go to extract the information.
“Stop! Stop! Stop! Okay. Okay.” At least that’s what it sounded like until I pulled off the gag. “Please stop. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.” Threatening his manhood had loosened his tongue. I was reasonably sure that whatever he was going to say was going to be the truth and nothing but.
I was pleased with the results but secretly disappointed that I wasn’t able to escalate. He was hired muscle and didn’t have the fortitude to stand up to my kind of scrutiny.
“Who hired you and what kind of money are we talking about?” I waited patiently with my hands behind my back still holding onto the torch in case he was going to need a little more incentive.
“Everything was done over the Internet with a proxy. We never met the person hiring us. $25,000 was supposed to be an easy payday. We are in America for business unrelated to the kidnapping. It seemed like a good way to make some easy cash before going home.” This was looking like a dead end. He wasn’t giving me anything to go on.
I heard what sounded like a car backfiring, but I knew better. Someone had breached the house and was here to clean up loose ends. How they found us left me scratching my head. There were only a few in the loop. The list was short. I could cross off some names that were above reproach in my opinion. The others were going to have to wait until this threat was neutralized.
I opened the door with my gun in hand loaded and ready to play this deadly game of cat and mouse.
Chapter 7
Bentley
I was caught like a deer in the headlights with the soldiers and Paxton closing in. I had one advantage. The crowd was wall to wall giving me a temporary shield from discovery. I took a quick assessment of my surroundings. I hunched down on my knee pretending to tie my shoe and found a not so easy way out.
I rolled under one of the tables careful not to disturb the merchandise. The vendors had stored extra inventory under the tables covered by tablecloths of different designs.
“Don’t tell me you lost her. Fan out and search everywhere. I’m going to make her pay for burning me. She will wish that she was dead by the time she is handed over.” Evading Paxton wasn’t going to be easy.
He had the eyes of a hawk and was watching for anything out of the ordinary to attract his attention. I knew him well enough to understand his way of thinking. I couldn’t remain stationary with them closing the net around me eliminating possible avenues of escape one at a time.
“She couldn’t have gotten far. We were stationed right at the entrance and we have men around the perimeter.” I could hear every word and could see their feet making me a sitting duck.
“She’s crafty and unpredictable. Don’t underestimate her. I’ve seen too many make the same mistake. I won’t fall into that category. Keep the communication open and nobody moves until I give the word.” He wanted the pleasure of grabbing me. I had pissed him off good.
“She’s one girl against all of us. My men are trained to predict trapped animal movements. Panicking will make her clumsy and she will make a mistake that we can capitalize on.” I swallowed hard thinking about what they might do to show their displeasure once they got a hold of me.
“I don’t think you fully understand. Her government gave her the tools and she knows how to use them. I should’ve known it was way too easy to take the gun out of her hand. She used the distraction to throw a cup of tea in my face. I won’t make the same mistake next time. Did you bring them with you?” Bring what? I thought. I should have been moving steadily away from the danger, but I was curious enough to stick around to hear the rest of the conversation.
“This will put down a rhino. Every man has been issued the very same weapon. There’s enough dosage to put her down like a dog in the street. I took the liberty of holding one for you. Get her in your sights and don’t hesitate.” Paxton was going to wait but seeing me had pushed up his timetable leaving him little choice than to attack the problem head-on.
&n
bsp; I had a tolerance for some drugs, but there was no telling what concoction they had come up with to leave me unable to fight back. I didn’t want to stick around and find out.
“It will take some time for the drug to take effect. She has proven in the past to be elusive. Bentley will fight you until her last breath. I don’t know her training, but I have seen her in action to know that it’s quite extensive.” I moved backward, holding my breath and doing it slow enough not to upset delicate pieces that might break under the slightest touch.
“My men can handle it. They have nothing personal invested, but I can’t say the same thing for you. You’ve allowed her a moment to breathe. My men are not the ones you have to worry about when it comes to underestimating her.” I heard somebody gagging and it appeared there was dissension amongst the ranks.
“I will not have you talking to me like that in front of your subordinates. Be careful what you say next unless you want me to cut the tongue out of that mouth of yours.”
I didn’t have to see what was going on to know the man was terrified beyond his understanding.
“I didn’t… I didn’t mean any offense. Emotions are fragile at the moment. Forgive me for losing my head. It won’t happen again.” I had my head cocked to the side to continue eavesdropping on their conversation, but it wasn’t going to last for very much longer.
“We all have a job to do in order to get paid. Forget this petty infighting. It’s exactly what she needs to slip through our net. Stay frosty and don’t lose sight of the bigger picture. I’m going to make one thing perfectly clear. I don’t care what happens to her. It was a professional courtesy to give her a chance to give up without a fight.” I knew deep down he had unrequited feelings for me but using that against him had gone out the window when I threw hot water in his face.
Their voices faded with the distance that I was getting between me and them. I was taking my time. Rushing this was only going to cause more harm than good. I looked at my watch and realized this exchange had taken almost an hour. Pride was going to be worried about me, but I couldn’t do anything about that.
I was using the labyrinth of makeshift tunnels underneath the tables. I stopped and used the cover of two boxes to keep one of his soldiers from seeing me when they lifted the tablecloth to look underneath. I waited and waited some more before poking my head up from where I was hiding.
There were many trucks packed high with merchandise when I emerged on the other side of the flea market. I lifted a tarp to discover buckets of fresh fruit. Nobody was paying any attention. I stole a few pieces to keep my strength up. I stuffed them into my pocket and used the shelter of the trucks to hide from my attackers.
I needed to find one that was leaving soon. The parking lot down the street was too far away. I would be out in the open where they could take a shot at me from any angle. They probably had somebody with eagle eyes watching from someplace high. I would have chosen the building across the street. At the moment, I was in their blind spot and I wanted to keep it that way.
I saw one man and it was easy to make the distinction between him and one of the tourists. I got a little closer until I was standing right behind him. I kicked his leg out from underneath him and had my hand over his mouth to stifle his deep-seated hatred for me.
I dragged him into an alcove between two trucks wrapping my scarf around his neck to make him fight for every breath. He was losing the battle but was frantic to keep up the fight for as long as possible. I determined how much he had left by how his hands were digging at my forearms through my sleeve. Time was not on my side.
I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I felt the penetration of the needle in the back of my shoulder. Shit! I wasn’t going to remain standing for much longer.
Chapter 8
Pride
Victor was behind the couch. It was tipped over and he using it to shelter himself from the barrage of bullets coming through the window.
“I hope you got what you wanted from him. These guys are not fooling around. I scouted a way out of here down in the basement with the blueprints you gave me.”
“Keep them busy long enough for me to leave a message for Bentley. To answer your question, I did get what I wanted, but it wasn’t what I needed. He though he gave me nothing but it was enough of a lead. Does that make any sense?” I went into the bathroom and couldn’t quite believe everything that had transpired since my wedding.
I found some lipstick on the counter. It was better than nothing. I thought about something she would understand and nobody else would. I scrawled the message in crimson red. They would have no idea what it meant.
“I can’t keep this up for very much longer. Whatever you are doing make it quick.” It would’ve been nice to have one more chance to talk to my prisoner, but time was closing in around my neck like a noose pulling tighter with each second.
“Throw me something I can use.” He tossed me two revolvers and I snatched them out of the air without missing a beat.
One was coming through the door and I fired above his head to make him dive back outside. I wasn’t going to kill anybody unless it was in self-defense. The one thing coming from killing that man on the beach was that I had to learn to use some restraint.
The holes in the door courtesy of my two-handed action gave me a better understanding of what we were dealing with. I tried to see the light and push the darkness back, but it wasn’t easy.
I was behind the couch with my brother putting up a united front. It was kind of nice to be in the trenches with someone I knew would have my back. Losing my life was a possibility and the hazard of the business I was in. It didn’t even occur to me that today was going to be the day.
“Have I told you how much I have missed you? I know it’s strange for me to say that under these auspicious circumstances. I feel that we have come full circle since basic training. I was tougher on you than the other guys. I couldn’t appear to be playing favorites.” He had taught me everything he knew about surviving to the next day.
“I knew you were lying to me. Singling me out gave me a newfound respect for you. There were days I hated you, but I knew that you were doing what you thought was best. The strict discipline and structure pushed me to go further than I have ever gone before. I cursed your name with hot bile in my mouth.” It killed him to put him through all that hell during training but he knew if was for my own survival.
I raised my gun over my head without looking and fired in a wide arc across the room.
I could smell the spent cartridges falling from the chamber. There was something comforting about having Victor there with me. I felt confident that his training would keep him and myself alive. There is nothing better than to be in battle with someone capable and trustworthy.
“I’m giving you the cover fire you need to make a run for the basement. I thought it was pretty obvious.” Victor was already scrambling with a trail of blood following him. I looked at him to see if he was badly hurt.
“It’s a flesh wound and I cut myself deeper when I’m shaving.” He was putting on a brave face and I was hoping that his assessment was correct.
“I’ll take your word for it. Get moving and don’t look back.” I tumbled toward the door leading to the hallway, rolling awkwardly and slamming into the wall.
“Take me with you. We both know what they’re going to do to me.” The prisoner was still tied to the chair screaming from inside the room to be let loose.
I wasn’t accustomed to leaving anybody behind, but he wasn’t under my command. There was no way that I could trust him to fight alongside us. It killed me a little more inside every time that I saw somebody lose their life needlessly. Evil existed and I had seen the face of it too many times to count.
“I’m afraid what happens is between you and your maker. I know it’s not what you want to hear and I apologize for that. I forgive you for coming after my wife.” I stood by the doorway crouched, my gun aiming at the basement door
. Victor took off behind me looking for a way out.
“Victor! Hurry up!”
“I don’t need your forgiveness. Come one! I’ll die before you leave here. My face will haunt you.” He would be one of many who had found their end at my hand. Peace came at a painful cost.
I saw those faces in the mirror every morning, accusing me of doing something that could have been avoided. Enemies who turned around and pleaded for their lives once they were caught. I tried to keep that out of my home life but it sticks with you everywhere you go.
I saw the shadow and I fired when I saw the whites of his eyes.
My target, a man was in tactical gear flew back from the impact of my bullets and he landed with the sound of bones crunching. His hand had somehow gotten behind him while he was flailing his limbs around in the air. He was damaged goods and would be treated accordingly. The man in the room wasn’t the only one that was going to find his day getting worse instead of better.
“At least untie me.” I couldn’t take the risk of him attacking us.
He was cursing a blue streak directed at me and I was not immune to his caustic words. They cut me deeply like a knife through butter. I wore the scars on my body, but his words stung. Psychologically, I was stronger than I had the right to be with the woman I loved giving me a new lease on life.
I ran up to the basement door, slammed it shut. I put the three metal bars through the slats on either side of the door frame. The metallic click was comforting. They were going to need a battering ram to get through 4 inches of solid steel. The trip wire along the threshold was going to blow them out of their boots. It was going to be a contained blast with the neighboring house unaffected.
Victor reappeared at the end of the hall. “I found it! Let’s go! Bring the torch!” I assumed he needed it for light of use it as an explosive to pry open a door.
He had uncovered the hidden entrance leading to the tunnel to the sewers. It was basically an underground railroad for those trying to escape persecution. They were firing at the door without mercy, but it was holding up to the onslaught.