Critical Play (Michael Cailen Book 3)

by Mel LeBrun

  “Still working on that. Now that we know who we're looking for, we can reach out to our contacts. With the reward Kevin is fronting, someone will talk.”

  Corvo breathed deep. “All right. Send me what you have on Renier. I want to know what I'm up against.”

  “It's already on its way.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Corvo hung up the phone and then left to find Josh.

  BREAKING THROUGH the yellow tape sealing his front door, Josh stood in his kitchen that was now a crime scene. Her purse, phone and car keys were no longer on the kitchen table. They had been taken into evidence to be processed. Josh didn't want to believe that was the case. He wanted to believe they were with Jinx. She had gotten away and was safe, hiding somewhere, waiting for him to come home. He called her number for the fifth time. It went to voicemail again. He hung up the phone not even noticing Corvo standing behind him.

  “I'm sorry,” Corvo said, startling him.

  “You don't make much noise, do you?” Josh remarked.

  “You're distracted.”

  “Yeah, I suppose I am.”

  “We know who Grekov hired,” Corvo informed him.

  “Oh yeah,” Josh said lacking the enthusiasm that Corvo was expecting.

  “Yeah. Name is Marcel Renier. Mean anything to you?”

  Josh shook his head.

  “I didn't think it would,” Corvo replied. “We're asking around about him. Someone will give him up.”

  “Yeah. Sure.” Josh turned away. A million thoughts were flooding his mind. Feelings of guilt, regret, anger, sadness, despair, and anxiety were overloading his system. Memories of Jinx and his last few moments with her haunted him. He was slowly dying inside. He needed her back so he could be whole again. If that didn't happen, he didn't know he could ever cope with the loss.

  “We're working every angle, Josh. I have people working round the clock pouring through security footage. Gatti has men searching for Renier. The reward should help that happen.”

  Josh's eyes fell to a photo of himself with Jinx. He picked it up and gazed at his beautiful wife. She looked so happy in the picture yet he knew whatever was happening to her now was no doubt horrific and he couldn't shake the feeling of dread inside.

  “Hang on, baby,” he muttered under his breath. “We're coming for you.”

  Chapter 22

  Jessica woke in bed with only a vague recollection of arriving at her father's. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could tell she was indeed inside his house. Tatiana was curled up beside her fast asleep. Jessica stroked her hair, thankful that she was with her. It was then she became aware of the IV in her arm. She took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes.

  “How are you feeling?” a voice came out of the darkness.

  She was startled at first, but recognized the voice as Dmitri’s.

  “God, you scared me,” she said.

  He turned on the light next to the bed. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.”

  He sat back down in a large comfortable chair they had brought in and placed near the bed so that Dmitri could watch over her.

  “I need to use the bathroom,” she answered.

  “I'm not surprised. You're on your fifth liter of fluid. You were severely dehydrated.”

  Dmitri stood up to help Jessica get out of bed. Jessica carefully slid herself away from Tatiana, trying not to wake her. Dmitri took the bag of fluid in one hand and held the other out to Jessica. With his help she was able to stand and walk to the bathroom.

  “You need any help?” Dmitri asked.

  She gave him a look. “I think I got this.”

  Dmitri smiled bashfully. “Sorry. Force of habit.”

  He handed her the IV bag and gave her some privacy. He heard the toilet flush and waited another minute for the door to open.

  “Dmitri?” Jessica called out to him. The tone in her voice was unmistakable.

  He quickly opened the door. “What is it?”

  “I'm gonna be sick.” She was bracing herself on the counter and looked like she was going to throw up.

  “OK, come on.” Dmitri rushed to her side and took the IV bag from her. He pulled her arm across his shoulders and started moving her back to the bed. “You need to lie down.”

  “I'm going to throw up,” she warned as he tried to get her back into bed.

  “You're not going to throw up,” he told her. “You haven't eaten anything in almost twenty-four hours.”

  He sat her on the bed and lifted the covers for her. As her head hit the pillow, she felt the nausea subside.

  “Oh my God, is that how long I've been here?”

  “Yes. You've been asleep for all of it.”

  “What happened?”

  “You passed out on the doorstep. You father had to call a doctor to come to the house. We put in an IV and started giving you fluids and vitamins right away. If not, you might have died.”

  Hearing how bad she had been, Jessica began to worry about her baby. She looked at Dmitri. “I'm pregnant.”

  “I know.”

  “How? Did the doctor know?”

  “Your father knew. He told the doctor.”

  “What?” Jessica said loudly. “How could my father possibly know that?!”

  Tatiana moaned and rolled over. Jessica stroked her hair and tried to calm down so as not to wake her up.

  “I don't know how your father knew but he did. As far as the doctor could tell, the baby is fine. He's coming back today to run some more tests just to be sure.”

  Jessica felt sick again. “I didn't want my father to know.”

  Dmitri leaned back in his chair. “Can I ask why you hate your father so much? What did he do to you?”

  Jessica closed her eyes and shook her head. It was not something she wanted to discuss now or ever. “Can I please be alone?”

  Dmitri pursed his lips and took a deep breath. “Of course.” He stood and walked to the door. He looked back at her as he was closing it behind him. “I'm going to bring you back some ginger ale and crackers. You need to try and eat.”

  “Can I have toast instead?”

  “Of course.”

  As the door shut, Jessica was brought back to when she first met Dmitri. She was abducted by a notorious Russian mob. Dmitri was in charge of her captivity and, unbeknown to her, was a Russian agent working undercover. Though she didn't know it at the time, he protected her. The way he left the room was the same way he left the room she was being held in. She couldn't help having a feeling a deja vu.

  As the morning sun rose, so did Tatiana. She looked up at Jessica and at seeing she was awake, an enormous smile grew on her face.

  “Mommy!” she cried out and wrapped her arms around her.

  Jessica hugged her back tightly. “Hi, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?”

  “I think so. I didn't have any bad dreams.” She pulled her head up to look at her.

  Tatiana's face radiated pure joy and Jessica was not unaffected. She smiled back and stroked her hair.

  “I love you, Ana.”

  “I love you too, Mommy.”

  She lay her head back down on Jessica's chest, and Jessica continued to gently stroke her hair. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door.

  “Come in,” Jessica said.

  Dmitri stepped in the room and smiled seeing they were both awake and in a good mood. He noticed the empty plate and half-empty glass by the bed and was relieved that Jessica had been able to keep it down. It was a good sign that she was improving.

  “James is about to begin preparing breakfast. Are there any requests?” Dmitri asked.

  “Pancakes!” Tatiana replied excitedly.

  Dmitri laughed. “Pancakes again?”

  “How many pancakes has she had?” Jessica asked.

  “It's all she's eaten since she got here,” Dmitri answered.

  “I love pancakes,” Tatiana explained, as if everyone didn't already know that.

  “Well I think you've had
enough pancakes,” Jessica said. “Why don't you have some scrambled eggs and toast?”

  Tatiana frowned. “But I want pancakes.”

  “And you'll have pancakes again but right now I'd like you to eat something else. You can't live on just pancakes.”

  Tatiana crossed her arms and pouted in protest.

  “Your mother is right, Ana,” Dmitri said to her in Russian. “You need to eat something else.”

  Tatiana's attitude completely changed. Ceasing her quiet protest, she looked up at Dmitri and asked if she could also have some sausage. He deferred her request to Jessica. Jessica agreed that she could, and Tatiana appeared pleased with the arrangement.

  Dmitri's words seemed to have more of an effect on her than Jessica's. Jessica wasn't sure how to feel about it. Tatiana listened better to Michael as well. Perhaps as men they had a more authoritative presence or perhaps it was because they spoke Russian, but either way it irritated her. Michael always backed her though, and on the rare occasions when Tatiana just wouldn't listen to her at all, Michael was there to lay down the law. Jessica was glad that Dmitri was around to pick up the slack while Michael was away.

  “Do you want some more toast?” Dmitri asked Jessica.

  “No, but could I get some fruit?”

  “Sure, we can try a little. See how you feel.”

  “Do I have to keep this on?” Jessica pointed to the IV. “The bag is empty.”

  “I can take the bag off but I'm going to leave the IV. If you can continue eating without throwing up then you might not need it anymore.” He removed the empty fluid bag and then left to place their orders with James.

  Jessica sat up slowly in bed. Her head spun as she adjusted to the change in position. After a few minutes she tried to stand.

  “Here Mommy, I'll help you,” Tatiana said. She climbed off the bed and held her arms out to Jessica.

  Jessica smiled. “You're such a sweetheart.” She held Tatiana's hand as she slowly stood from the bed. So far so good. She walked to the bathroom clutching various pieces of furniture along the way.

  “Thank you, Ana. I'll just be a minute.”

  When she came back out, Tatiana “helped” her walk out of the bedroom. Timur spotted them and quickly came to Jessica's aid.

  “Hi, Timur,” Tatiana cheerfully greeted him in Russian.

  He smiled and asked her how she slept as he took Jessica's arm to give her some support. She gave him the same response she gave to Jessica, only it was in Russian. Timur brought Jessica to the sunroom overlooking the pool. It was the most relaxing room in the house. Not only was the view full of beautiful plants and flowers, but the room itself was like a greenhouse. It was quiet, sunny, and the perfect temperature. Jessica felt at peace knowing she had Dmitri, Timur, and Ivan looking out for her and Tatiana. She was finally beginning to relax.

  “Mommy, can I go swimming?” Tatiana asked.

  “I think we forgot to pack your bathing suit, sweetie. I'm sorry.”

  “Jeff bought me one,” Tatiana informed her.

  “You met Jeff?” Jessica had no idea of the look that came over her face when she heard those words, but she saw the effect it had on Tatiana.

  Tatiana's smile vanished in an instant. Not knowing how to interpret Jessica's expression, Tatiana was afraid to answer.

  Jessica quickly tried to mask her feelings. “It's OK, honey. I just didn't know you met Jeff. It's all right. Show me your bathing suit.”

  The smile returned to Tatiana's face and she ran off to retrieve her it. Jessica closed her eyes and rubbed her face. She wondered how long it would be before she had to see her father.

  As that very thought went through her mind, Jeff stepped in the doorway. She refused to look in his direction.

  “Good morning,” he greeted her. “How are you feeling?”

  “Fine,” she answered, not even attempting a smile.

  He took a few steps forward and sat in the chair across from her.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked again.

  She looked at him. There was concern on his face and a warmth she wasn't used to seeing.

  “I'm fine,” she said again.

  “Why does it have to be this way?” He leaned back in his seat still gazing at her with the same calm expression.

  “What way is that?”

  “Come on, Jess. You know what I'm talking about. Why so much animosity? You won't even let me try.”

  Jessica looked back out the window. “There's nothing for you to do. The only connection we share is DNA,” she said flatly. “And that's the way it's going to stay.”

  “Jessica, I love you. You're my ...”

  “Stop!” She glowered at him. “You lost that right. You lost that right many years ago.”

  “How many times can I say I'm sorry, Jess?”

  She shook her head. “It will never be enough.”

  Jeff ran his hand down his face wanting to scream. Jessica's unwillingness to forgive was more frustrating than anything he had ever experienced in his life. If there was something, anything he could do that would cause her to forgive him, he would do it without hesitation. But as it stood, there didn't seem to be a single thing in heaven or earth that could make that happen.

  “Mommy?” Tatiana's soft voice broke the tense silence.

  Both Jessica and Jeff looked back at her, neither of them knowing how long she had been standing there. She looked worried and confused.

  Jessica quickly gave her a smile hoping to mask her true feelings. “Did you find your bathing suit?”

  Tatiana smiled and trotted over to her with it. Jessica held it up and expressed how pretty it was.

  “Can I go swimming?” Tatiana asked.

  “Breakfast will be ready soon,” Jessica said.

  “Please, please, please.” Tatiana hopped up and down.

  Jessica just couldn't say no to her. “OK, you can swim but you have to come out and eat when breakfast is ready.”

  “OK,” Tatiana called out as she ran to the bathroom to change her clothes.

  The tension in the room resumed after she left. Jeff sighed heavily and looked at his daughter who refused to look at him.

  “I love you, Jessica.” He shook his head and looked away. “I love you. I love Ana. And I'll love your baby.” He stood and left the room.

  Behind all the anger and resentment that Jessica displayed was a broken heart. Deep down she wanted to forgive her father. She was rebuilding her relationship with her mother and she badly wished she could do the same with her father. But she just couldn't get past how he was using his life. The things he was involved in. He had been supporting human traffickers, the very people who were going to sell Tatiana into a life of unimaginable horror. What other heinous crimes was he facilitating?

  AFTER BREAKFAST, Jessica lounged by the pool and watched Tatiana swim. She prepared to make her umpteenth jump from the diving board and begged Jessica to watch her. Even though she had slept for nearly a whole day, Jessica just wanted to close her eyes.

  “Mommy! Mommy! Watch me!” Tatiana yelled.

  Opening her eyes again, she responded, “I'm watching, sweetie.”

  Tatiana made another cannon ball into the pool.

  “Wow, that was a big splash,” Jessica said when her head popped back out of the water.

  As if sensing that Jessica needed a break, Timur came outside wearing a bathing suit and holding a towel.

  “Timur!” Tatiana shouted. “You're going to swim with me?” she asked in Russian.

  “Yes, I am,” he cheerfully replied.

  Tatiana grinned wildly and could hardly contain her excitement. While Dmitri had stayed by Jessica's bedside, Timur had kept Tatiana occupied and she had become very comfortable with him. Jessica was thankful that he was there to watch over Tatiana. Perhaps she might finally be able to doze off.

  Timur tossed his towel on the chair next to Jessica. “I'll be with her if you want to lie down.”

  “Thank you, Timur. I think
I'll just fall asleep here. I'm too tired to get up.”

  Timur grinned. “If you ask, I'm sure Dmitri would carry you to bed.”

  Jessica wasn't sure what he meant by that. A confused look crossed her face. Instead of explaining, Timur simply turned and warned Tatiana that he was coming in. He then ran and jumped into the pool, causing a miniature tsunami to wash over her head. She giggled and laughed as he swam to her.

  “Throw me!” she said.

  He lifted her up and tossed her a few feet. She came up from the water laughing and begging him to do it again. Jessica could tell it was not the first time they had played in the pool together. Tatiana didn't warm up to men that quickly. Jessica closed her eyes and smiled as she listened to the carefree laughter of her daughter, something she hadn't heard in more a week.

  When she opened her eyes again, the pool was empty. An umbrella had been repositioned next to her so she wasn't in the sun. She sat up wondering where everyone had gone and how long she had been out. She tried to stand but a wave of nausea put her right back in the chair. She leaned back and covered her eyes with her hand waiting for it to pass. She heard the back door open and close.

  “How are you feeling?” Dmitri asked as he approached.

  “I'm all right,” she answered with her eyes still closed.

  “I brought you some juice and crackers. Why don't you try to eat?”

  “Right now I'm afraid it will come back up.”

  He pulled a chair closer to hers and sat next to her. “Here. Drink this.”

  She looked over at what he was offering. It looked like apple juice. Maybe it would help settle her stomach, she thought. She took a few sips and tried to relax. The nausea subsided and she ate a few crackers.

  “Timur said something strange,” Jessica said after a few minutes passed.

  “What did he say?” Dmitri asked.

  “I said I was too tired to get up and he said that if I asked, you would carry me to bed. But he was grinning like it was some kind of joke.”

  Dmitri cursed in Russian under his breath and shook his head. He sighed. “The guys have it in their heads that my interest in you goes beyond friendship.”

  “Why do they think that?”

  Dmitri shrugged. “They say I'm a little overprotective for you to just be a friend.”