by Kat Mizera
“Not into it rough, dear Elen?” he asked, somehow reveling in my discomfort.
“Not particularly.” I took a bite of the eggs his cook had just put in front of me. Nothing tasted good right now, my upset stomach nearly sending me back to the bathroom, but I willed myself not to react because it probably wouldn’t go well for me if he even suspected I might be pregnant.
“Well, we’ll see what we can do to change your mind about that.” He paused. “However, since you’ve made the right decision, I’ll grant you a slight reprieve.”
“What does that mean?” I looked up at him warily. I didn’t trust him as far as I could throw him.
“It means, we’ll wait until the marriage is legal before I take you to my bed.”
I nearly choked on my eggs. This seemed too good to be true, but of course, he dashed my hopes immediately.
“Don’t get too excited.” He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, lit it, and then brought it to his lips. “We’re getting married tomorrow, so the consummation will happen soon after.”
“Wh-what will I wear?” I finally managed to ask.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about that. It’s all taken care of.”
“But…it’s my…wedding. I don’t get to pick my own dress?” I wasn’t trying to irritate him, but any stops I could make on the way would potentially buy me extra time.
Amazingly, he seemed to be considering it.
“And shoes,” I added softly. “It’s difficult for someone else to pick out shoes for a woman. They have to be fit correctly.”
He met my eyes. “I may allow a quick stop to find something of your choosing, but the ceremony will be at the orthodox church in Vinake at two o’clock. Then we’ll go to the local television station to record a public announcement. From there, we come back here to commence the…honeymoon. I want a child immediately.”
Good luck with that, I thought, though I managed to keep my head down so he wouldn’t see any emotions on my face.
“If you’ve finished eating, let me show you to your room.”
“M-my room?” I wasn’t feeling great again, so I was having a little trouble focusing.
“As I told you, we’ll wait to consummate the marriage until after the wedding. Unless you’d rather start now?”
“I’m not feeling so hot,” I said slowly. “I’ve been without food for three days. I think my stomach might revolt.”
To my horror, he got to his feet and scooped me up in his arms, groom-style, and though I wanted to resist, it was the least of my worries right now.
“In the future,” he said, going up the stairs, “you’ll need to make better choices when it comes to your health. Especially once you’re pregnant with my child.”
I didn’t dignify that with a response since I didn’t really have one, and I was glad when we got to what appeared to be the master bathroom. It was massive, filled with marble tile and shiny fixtures. Soft, fluffy towels sat on a shelf beside the garden-size tub and a plethora of toiletries adorned other shelves.
“You should find everything you need,” he said, motioning with his hand. “But mind your manners. If you try anything at all, you’ll be back down in the cellar before you even finish thinking about it.”
“I’m not in any condition to do anything,” I murmured. “I just want a shower and a nap.”
“Very well. I’ll see you this evening for dinner.” He backed out of the room, closing the doors behind him.
I stood rooted to the spot for a few minutes and then looked around. I turned on the shower and let the room warm up as I discarded my filthy clothes. There was a robe hanging on a hook and I figured I’d put that on once I was clean. I stepped under the spray and sighed, closing my eyes. I still felt nauseated, but I had a mission now. If we were leaving this damn fortress, I would have to find a way to run.
I knew Xander and the others were coming, but I didn’t know when, and the fact that they hadn’t yet arrived told me that getting me away from Omar wouldn’t be easy. Whether I was sick, tired or nauseated, I had to be ready for anything.
35
Xander
The helicopter dropped us about eight miles from Omar’s compound in a field just on the outskirts of the small town. We were armed to the teeth and ready for battle, but the plan was still sketchy. We had a good idea where land mines and patrols were set up, but though the men Ace had hired had been monitoring everything for a few days, the guards were on a rotating schedule so there was no rhyme or reason as to when or where they patrolled.
I’d dozed on the copter, saving my strength because I had a feeling it was going to be a long day, and now I was hyped on adrenaline. I hadn’t felt this kind of rush since my last tour in Iraq, and though I hadn’t missed it, now that it was happening, I realized how much a part of me it was. Saving my girl was the priority but doing it myself was as personal as it was professional. I didn’t trust anyone as much as I trusted myself, especially under these circumstances.
“Sonofabitch,” Sandor said, looking at his phone.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“According to Elen’s microchip, they’re on the move.”
“On the move? Where?”
“From what we can see, they’re headed to Vinake.”
“Good thing that’s where we are.”
“We need to spread out,” Sandor said. “We don’t know where they’re going.”
“If his goal is to marry her,” Daniil said quietly. “They’ll go to one of the churches.”
“There’s a Catholic church here.” Ace pointed to a spot on the map on the iPad he took out of his bag. “And the big orthodox church is here.”
“Omar is orthodox,” Sandor said. “Technically, so is Elen, though she doesn’t practice anymore.” He paused, looking to me. “Does she?”
I shook my head. “We’ve never talked about it much, but she did mention once that she doesn’t believe in organized religion.”
“Then they have to be headed to the orthodox church,” Sandor said. “From what we know, he feels strongly about his faith, so he’ll want the ceremony done by a priest.”
“We’ll know soon enough,” Ace said, “since the two churches are on the opposite ends of town.”
“They’ll have to stop at city hall to get a license first,” Sandor said.
“I say we wait there,” I interjected.
“I can linger outside,” Natalia said. “I look lost and homeless, so they probably won’t even notice me.”
“The rest of us can set up across the street,” Sandor said.
Sandor had procured an SUV for us, so we piled inside with him at the wheel and me riding shotgun. We found the city hall building and Ace said, according to Elen’s chip, they were still thirty minutes away, so we parked on the side of the street and waited. Natalia slipped away, skirting around the side of the building, and the rest of us kept watch.
To pass the time, and because I felt a little guilty that I didn’t check in more often, I sent Parker a text.
XANDER: Hey, dude. Just wanted to say hi and tell you I love you.
PARKER: What’s going on? Are you on a mission?
The kid didn’t forget anything. I’d been sending him messages like that since Iraq, when he was a lot younger.
XANDER: Can’t talk now, but in case anything happens, make sure Mom is okay. You’ll be the head of the family and I’m counting on you.
PARKER: You’re freaking me out, bro.
XANDER: We talked about this. This is my life, what I do. Everything is going to be fine, but you never know. Remember that.
PARKER: I love you too, big brother. Please stay safe.
XANDER: Doing my best. By the way, how would you feel about being an uncle?
Before he could answer, Ace spoke up. “Looks like they’ve just arrived. That’s his Mercedes.”
“There’s a black SUV following a few minutes behind them,” Joe said. “They’re prepared for us to show up.”
“Natalia, do you see them?” Sandor asked through his mic.
“They’re walking inside now,” she responded.
We were all on alert, watching as Elen and Omar walked up the steps to city hall. Elen was walking slowly, so I got a glimpse of her, and my fists clenched at my sides. Seeing Omar with his arm around her waist made me want to throw myself out of the vehicle and approach them, but I had to put her safety before my ever-growing need to shoot Omar in the head.
“There are five men in the vehicle that’s coming around the corner,” Ace said. “And two more with Omar and Elen in the building.”
“We got this,” Daniil said, his eyes glittering dangerously.
There were eight of them and seven of us, which wasn’t bad considering Sandor and Ace probably fought like three men—each. Normally, that would be me too, but with my ribs and kidneys as sore as they were, I wasn’t up to par and Natalia was still green, though I had no doubt she could hold her own. Lennox was as tough as any man, but I’d never seen Axel and Daniil in a life-or-death situation, so I didn’t know exactly what they were made of. Not when it really mattered.
“Xander and Lennox will meet Natalia inside,” Sandor said. “The rest of us will take care of the guys out here and then join you. The goal is pretty straightforward. My group takes out Omar’s backup as quickly and quietly as possible, while the rest of you get to Elen. We caught a huge break in them leaving the compound, but we can’t underestimate them. We also don’t know for sure he doesn’t have other reinforcements already in place. There are only seven of us, and Natalia has no experience in the field at all, despite her military training, so this isn’t as easy as it may appear. Be alert, stay focused—” He paused to look at me. “And remember that Omar isn’t stupid. He’s been planning this for a long time, so we have to go forward assuming there are going to be contingencies. Probably more than one.”
We got out of the SUV and split up.
“I’m inside the church now,” Natalia was whispering in our earbuds. “They’re getting ready to be married. Omar isn’t wasting any time.”
“Doesn’t matter,” I muttered. “She’ll be a widow before they leave the building.”
“Easy.” Lennox touched my arm and motioned with her head. We’d just walked inside and she was going to the left, so I turned to the right. We’d have to take out Omar’s men before we did anything else and I came up behind the first guy, wrapping my arm around his throat and yanking him backward. I snapped his neck before he had a chance to fight back, and I dropped him behind a pew as I cut my eyes to the left.
“One down,” I whispered into my mic.
“Two down,” Lennox whispered back.
Natalia appeared to be praying, her head bowed as she sat in a pew close to the front where a priest was now performing the ceremony for Omar and Elen. Everything happened in a kind of slow motion as I crouched down and inched forward. I had Lennox in my peripheral vision, her movements mirroring mine on the other side of the room.
Omar suddenly whirled around, grabbing Elen and yanking her against him, one arm around her neck and the hand of the other holding a gun to her head. Instead of being enraged at seeing that asshole with his hands on Elen, it somehow calmed me. I had focus and a purpose now. I pointed my gun at him and smiled.
“Close your eyes, Princess.”
She squeezed them shut as Omar scowled.
“You won’t take her from me,” he said. “Not alive anyway.”
“You’re not getting out of here,” I responded. “The whole building is surrounded.”
He laughed. “My men alerted me to your presence the moment you arrived in Vinake. You think I wasn’t expecting something like this? No one gets out of here alive today, and if that includes me, well, then that’s God’s will.” He pressed his gun against Elen’s temple and her eyes flew open.
“Keep your eyes closed, baby,” I told her, keeping my voice soft but firm.
“You’ll never risk shooting her,” Omar grunted. He was starting to sweat and I was gratified to see his cool veneer beginning to crack as I took a few steps closer.
“What is the meaning of this?” The priest finally spoke up, his eyes moving from Omar to me and then to Lennox.
“Finish the ceremony,” Omar told him.
“Shut the fuck up,” I snapped, shaking my head. “You should get out of here, Father. It’s not going to be pretty.”
The man’s eyes widened but he seemed rooted to the spot.
“El, are you hurt?”
“Shut up!” Omar yanked her hair hard enough to make her yelp but she struggled against him, trying to twist away.
“Stop fighting, El.” My voice was calmer and steadier than it should have been, but I was in the zone. A Marine. A bodyguard. A Royal Protector. Omar wasn’t going to be breathing a minute from now, and that’s all I had to think about.
Natalia was still in position, her eyes wide, as if terrified, but I knew her well enough to know she was waiting for her chance. She was armed and ready to back us up, but we had to be cautious.
“Close your eyes, El,” I told her again.
This time she hesitated, watching me intently.
“It’s okay,” I whispered.
“Stop talking!” Omar yelled. He pushed the gun against Elen’s head even harder.
Her eyes shot back to mine, widening, and I didn’t move. I still had my gun pointed at Omar and this was going to end momentarily. I just needed Elen to drop down. Even with Omar holding her, as long as she let herself fall using her own weight as a force, it would give me the split second I needed to take this guy out without endangering her. I couldn’t say the words out loud, though.
Lennox moved a few steps closer, her gun trained on Omar.
Omar chuckled, shaking his head. “It will never work,” he said. “She’ll be dead first, and I know she’s your main objective. You’ll let me go before you let anything happen to her.”
He was right and he was wrong. I would let him go if that was the only choice to keep Elen alive, but it wasn’t.
“One of Omar’s men got away.” Sandor’s voice in my earbud made me pause. “He’s headed in your direction.”
Natalia stood up, glancing behind her.
“Where the fuck are you going?” Omar yelled at her.
“I, I just want to leave. This has nothing to do with me,” she said, holding up her hands in a placating gesture.
“So you can get the authorities? Sit down before I shoot you too.”
Natalia hesitantly dropped down again, briefly making eye contact with me.
This was escalating so it was time to end it.
I caught Elen’s eyes and carefully signed four letters to her.
D
O
W
N
She frowned at first, and then gave me a little nod. Our eyes were locked. Then she took a deep breath and hers eyes fluttered closed. She let herself drop and I fired.
36
Elen
Blood spurted everywhere and Omar’s gun clattered to the ground as he fell on top of me.
I shrieked and tried to push him away. Then Xander was kneeling beside me, rolling Omar to the side and helping me up as I threw myself at him.
“Please tell me he’s dead,” I whispered.
“He’s dead.”
“Nice shot.” Lennox was squatting beside us, turning Omar over as I buried my face in Xander’s shoulder. I hated Omar, but I didn’t want to look at his dead, bloody body either.
“Xander!” Natalia’s voice rang out as the sound of two gunshots rang through the room. Xander shoved me against Lennox, whirling with his gun drawn, just as Natalia sank to the ground. A man I hadn’t noticed before fell at the same time, but Natalia was motionless, a pool of blood spreading around her.
“Oh, no!” My hands flew to my mouth.
“Shit.” Sandor and the others had just come running in and he crouched beside her. “It’s bad. We need t
o get her help immediately or she’s going to bleed out.”
“How far is the helo?” Xander asked, pulling me close again even as the team tried to get a handle on the situation.
“Just a few minutes,” Ace responded, running up to join us.
“She doesn’t have a few minutes,” Sandor growled, lifting Natalia in his arms. “We have to get her to the local hospital even though it’s not as good as the one in Hiskale.”
Xander kept his hand firmly wrapped around one of mine as we ran outside, piling into the SUV. Ace and Daniil stayed behind to run interference with the local authorities who’d been called, while the rest of us sped away.
“She can’t die,” I whispered.
“We’re going to do everything we can so that doesn’t happen,” Xander said, pulling me close.
With Natalia practically bleeding out on the seat beside us, everyone was eerily silent as Sandor raced toward the hospital. Despite my own nausea, it felt like I had to be strong for her. For all of us.
Natalia was whisked away the moment we got to the hospital and the rest of us stood in the reception area, looking at each other. We seemed to be at a loss for words.
“You got him,” Sandor said after a moment.
“Fuck yeah, I got him.” Xander gave him a tired smile but Natalia’s situation weighed heavily on us.
We sank into chairs and waited for word from the doctor. I laced my fingers with his, the silence somewhat comforting now that we were together.
“Can you tell us what happened, Elen?” Sandor asked quietly.
I nodded, resting my head against Xander’s shoulder. As calmly as I could, I told them everything, from my long, cold nights in the cellar to finally agreeing to do what Omar wanted. Shame crept in and I averted my eyes, somehow embarrassed to admit that I’d been weak, that I’d been about to give in, to give myself to a man like Omar.
“Hey.” Sandor reached out and lifted my chin, looking deep into my eyes. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but you didn’t do anything wrong. You did what you had to do to survive. There wouldn’t have been any shame had you done it sooner, either. The strong survive, Elen.”