Critical Play (Michael Cailen Book 3)

by Mel LeBrun

  Dmitri shot daggers at him. “Watch your mouth.”

  “Is that a no?”

  Dmitri grit his teeth. “You know the kid can understand you and I don't even know how much Jessica understands,” Dmitri reprimanded him.

  “They can't hear me,” Timur reasoned.

  Dmitri just stared at him.

  “Is that food?” Ivan interrupted.

  The men turned to him.

  “Look who's awake,” Timur greeted him.

  “Would you like some food?” Dmitri asked.

  “I'm starving,” Ivan replied.

  Timur went to help him sit up while Dmitri put a few slices of pizza on a napkin and brought it to him. Ivan tore through the pizza like it was liquid.

  Once everyone had eaten, Dmitri offered to take first watch. Timur lay on the bed next to Ivan while Jessica curled up with Tatiana in the other bed. Tatiana was the first to fall asleep. Timur and Ivan tied for second. Jessica remained wide awake for what felt like an eternity. She closed her eyes and tried to force herself asleep, but it accomplished nothing. She finally just sat up, frustrated by her restlessness.

  “What's the matter?” Dmitri asked.

  “I can't sleep.” She swung her feet off the bed and sat rubbing her head.

  “A lot on your mind?”

  Jessica nodded. “Yeah.”

  “I know the feeling.”

  “I'm sorry,” Jessica said.

  “For what?”

  “For what I said to you earlier. About you taking me from my father's.”

  Though he hadn't felt like she owed him an apology, he was happy to get one. He walked to the bed and sat down next to her. “It's OK, Jessica.”

  “I know you were just trying to protect me. Even if I didn't want it. I know I can count on you for that.”

  “I'll do whatever it takes to protect you and Ana.”

  Jessica slid her arm around his and rested her head on his shoulder. “I wish Michael was here,” she admitted.

  Dmitri put his hand on hers. “I'm sure he would rather be with you as well.”

  “What's going to happen to us?”

  “I wish I could answer that.”

  Sitting with Dmitri, Jessica began to feel more relaxed. They sat quietly until Dmitri chuckled.

  “What?” Jessica asked.

  “If Timur wakes up now, I'll never live it down.”

  “Why?”

  “He's convinced we have some sort of relationship?”

  “But why? Where is he getting that from?”

  “I don't know but this might look a little suspicious.”

  Jessica frowned. “Screw it. I don't care.” She rested her head back on his shoulder.

  Dmitri smiled. He let her sit like that for another minute before he pulled away from her and stood up. “You should try to get some rest.”

  She sighed. “I suppose.”

  She crawled back into bed, but this time she felt tired. It wasn't long before she joined Tatiana in peaceful slumber.

  When she woke again, it was morning. Dmitri was sound asleep in the bed next to Ivan. Ivan was awake and talking softly with Timur. She lay quietly trying to listen to them but their voices were too low to make anything out, on top of the fact that they were speaking Russian and she just wasn't fluent enough to understand. She sat up in bed alerting them to the fact that she was awake. They ceased their conversation and looked over at her.

  “Good morning.” Timur smiled warmly. “How did you sleep?”

  “All right I guess,” She sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed her eyes. “You?”

  “I slept well, thank you.”

  “How are you feeling, Ivan?” she asked.

  “I'm trying not to dwell on the pain,” he replied.

  “I'm sorry.” Having been shot before herself she could sympathize. She thought about making a comment on how Gatti would be able to get them some pain medicine while Dmitri was still asleep to try and sway the vote in her favor. Out of respect for Dmitri though, she held back.

  “It's all right if I shower?” she asked.

  “Of course,” Timur replied.

  While Tatiana was still sleeping Jessica slipped off to have some time to herself. When she stood she felt dizzy and nauseous. She faltered a little, and Timur shot up from his chair.

  She put her hand up to stop him. “I'm OK.”

  Timur seemed hesitant as he stood watching her. She slowly walked to the bathroom grateful for the counter to lean on.

  She had been feeling so much better with Dmitri's attentive care over the past few days. He always made sure she was drinking something and was constantly offering her food. She feared that with their current situation, the morning sickness might return with a vengeance.

  She stepped into the shower and let the hot water wash away the past few days. As she shampooed her hair a wave of nausea became too great to hold back and she threw up. Her stomach was empty thankfully, however the shampoo ran into her eyes causing pain and temporary blindness as she tried to rinse it out. So much for a relaxing shower.

  Dmitri woke to the sound of Jessica throwing up in the shower. He quickly knocked on the door.

  “Jessica? Are you OK?”

  “I'm OK,” she replied.

  “I'm here if you need me,” he said.

  “I'm fine.”

  He paced in front of the door while she finished rinsing the shampoo from her hair and shut off the shower. She dried off and redressed before opening the door. Her eyes were bright red and stung. She looked worse coming out of the bathroom than when she went in.

  “What's wrong?” Dmitri asked when he saw her, his face filled with concern.

  “I got shampoo in my eyes when I threw up. They're burning like crazy.”

  Dmitri didn't appear satisfied with her response and she wasn't quite sure why.

  “We should get going,” Dmitri said finally. “We'll get you something to eat.”

  “All right. I'll get Ana up,” Jessica agreed.

  Chapter 28

  Michael managed to sleep a little after his conversation with Gatti. He woke with anxiety over Jessica and Tatiana, hoping they were OK, worried they weren't. David had also slept while one of his men remained on watch.

  Michael dragged himself to the kitchen to find Irina drinking tea while she waited for her oatmeal to cook on the stove.

  “Good morning,” he greeted her.

  She looked up at him and could tell he had a rough night. “Good morning.”

  Michael sat down and buried his head in his arms on the table.

  “Would you like some tea or coffee?” she asked him.

  Michael sat up and looked at her. His bloodshot eyes were either the result of a bad night's sleep or his emotional state. She couldn't tell which it was.

  “You're very kind,” he said. “If you have coffee, I would be very grateful.”

  “Of course.” She smiled at him and got up to make him coffee.

  Michael wondered why she had warmed up to him so quickly. She certainly didn't show the same consideration to David and his men. She barely even looked at them.

  Just a few minutes later, Michael was sipping on a cup of coffee trying to focus his mind on his mission and not his family. It was a constant struggle as his mind repeatedly wandered to thoughts of Jessica and Tatiana. Could he trust Gatti and believe that they were really OK? Why hadn't he heard from them? Was Grekov behind it?

  “Would you like something to eat?” Irina intruded on his mental torture.

  Michael finished another sip of coffee. It wasn't Starbucks, but it was doing the job. “No thank you. I'm not hungry.”

  “You need to eat,” she insisted. “I will cook you breakfast. You will eat.” The feisty old woman wasn't going to take no for an answer.

  Michael couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Though his grandparents died when he was young, he had a few fond memories of them that held up through the years. His maternal grandmother was always worried about
whether he was eating enough and constantly offered him food. It was a trait that irritated him as a child, but reflecting on it as an adult it became an endearing memory.

  “Are you laughing at me?” she asked, not sure what to make of his reaction.

  “No. Not at all. You just remind me of my grandmother.”

  For the first time since he had met her, she smiled. “Are you close with her?”

  Michael's smile disappeared. “She died when I was young.”

  “I'm sorry.” Her mood seemed to take a complete nosedive and she looked like she might start to cry.

  “What is it?” Michael asked, concerned over her sudden sadness.

  “Nothing,” she tried to brush it off. “I will cook you some eggs with sausage, unless there is something else you want?”

  “No, that sounds wonderful. Thank you.”

  As the woman prepared his breakfast, he couldn't get over how quickly her mood had turned. He wondered what had triggered it. His curiosity became an obsession during the time it took her to make his breakfast.

  He thanked her again as she set the plate of food in front of him and took his mug to pour him some more coffee. “Do you have grandkids?” he asked.

  The stricken look on her face told him all he needed to know.

  “I had a grandson,” she answered with a bittersweet smile. “You remind me of him.”

  “I'm sorry. Can I ask what happened?”

  “He was killed in a car accident. He was only nineteen.” She took a deep breath as she fought the tears. “He was such a good boy. He was always helping me. He would bring me to the store and help me carry my groceries.” She smiled as she thought of him. “Most of the time I think he just wanted me to cook for him. His mother didn't like to cook.” She paused, gathering her strength to get through the next sentence. “He was on his way to come for dinner when there was a terrible accident.” She hadn't talked about it in years and speaking about it now drudged up the painful feelings about the event. She wiped the tears that finally came and continued, “They said he died on impact. He didn't suffer.” More tears fell and she couldn't look Michael in the eyes.

  “I'm sorry,” was all Michael could say.

  She dried her tears and tried to regroup.

  “His father was your son?” Michael asked.

  She nodded.

  “Do you see him often?”

  Her sadness seemed to compound at the mention of her son. She shook her head. “He died four years later. Heart attack. He was never the same after Sasha died. They were very close. He loved him so much.”

  “That must have been hard on your daughter-in-law.”

  “She remarried a year later. I haven't seen her in the ten years since. She has a new family now. I suppose she doesn't want to be reminded of the one she lost.”

  “I'm sorry,” Michael said again. “For what it’s worth, I know what it's like to lose everyone you love.”

  “You have suffered in a similar way?” she asked.

  “My grandparents died when I was young. It was just my parents and me. No aunts, uncles or cousins. Just the three of us.” Michael paused as he reflected on how carefree his life had been before the tragic death of his beloved parents. Although he wished he could go back in time and prevent it from happening, that event led to him becoming who he was today and to the life he had with Jessica, Tatiana, and everyone else he dearly loved. “When I was seventeen, my parents were killed by a drunk driver,” he continued. “That night I lost everything. Even my will to live.”

  “Such things should never happen.”

  “But unfortunately they do.”

  “Have you found happiness since then?” she asked.

  “I have.” Michael's thoughts shifted to Jessica and Tatiana.

  The woman noticed a change in his demeanor. “You seem greatly troubled by something.”

  He replied almost numbly, “I can't lose everything twice.”

  “Is your family in danger?” She asked, discerning that he must be worried about his wife and children if he had any.

  Michael looked at her but didn't answer. He didn't need to. The look on his face wasn't hard to read. He was clearly worried.

  David popped his head in the kitchen. “Michael, he's making a call.”

  Michael finished the last few bites on his plate and joined David in the other room. He took the headset and listened to the call that was already taking place. The conversation was brief but it was followed by another.

  “He'll be here tonight,” Michael informed them. “He just called his wife to tell her he had to work late. And then he called his assistant to tell him he would be leaving work early.”

  “Good,” David said. “It's about time we made some progress.”

  Michael was in complete agreement. He wanted this to be over more than anyone else.

  “Do you know what you are going to say?” David asked.

  “For the most part,” Michael answered. “We just need to worry him enough to contact his partner. Make him feel exposed and vulnerable.”

  “That shouldn't be too hard,” David remarked.

  “Let's hope it isn't,” Michael said, knowing all too well that missions didn't always go as planned.

  Another hour passed before Grekov showed at the apartment.

  “He's here,” one of David's men announced as he watched from a window.

  “Pack up and be ready to move,” David ordered his men.

  Michael began to prepare himself mentally for the task he was about to undertake. He had to take on the persona of an unstable terrorist leader who would do anything to get what he wanted. Between his anxiety over Jessica and Tatiana, lack of sleep and the beard he was sporting he looked half-crazed already.

  They listened as Grekov entered his girlfriend's apartment.

  “We going to wait until they are settled?” David asked Michael.

  “That's what I was thinking. Catch him when he's most vulnerable.”

  “We think alike,” David agreed.

  “I guess some things haven't changed,” Michael replied.

  They waited ten minutes before leaving the widow's apartment and gathering outside the girlfriend's door. During that time Michael thanked the woman for letting them stay and reminded her how important it was that she not tell anyone about them. She wished him well and thanked him for the money.

  The men completely vacated her apartment before picking the locks to the apartment across the hall and quietly letting themselves in. Grekov and his girlfriend were already audibly occupied in the bedroom. They walked silently towards the bedroom.

  Grekov was in the throes of passion when the bedroom door suddenly opened and five heavily armed men entered the room. His girlfriend promptly began screaming. One of David's men quickly shut her up with the back end of his rifle.

  “Do you know who I am? I am the Deputy Minister of Defense!” Grekov growled in Russian. “Leave here at once!”

  “I know who you are.” Michael stepped forward.

  “Then you know you're as good as dead!” Grekov shouted.

  Michael chuckled mockingly. Being outmanned and outgunned didn't even put a dent in Grekov's arrogance.

  “You don't even know who I am.” Michael smiled as he spoke. “Your threats scare me about as much as your girlfriend does.”

  Grekov glanced at his girlfriend who was out cold next to him. “I know you're not Russian,” he responded. “Your Arabic accent gives you away.”

  “My name is Hamza Amer. You do your research and you'll know all you need to know about me.”

  “What do you want?”

  “The same thing you provided for our Syrian counterparts.”

  “I don't know what you're talking about.”

  “Sure you do, but I'll play along anyway.” Michael stepped closer and leaned forward so his face was just inches from Grekov's. “I want a nuclear weapon. Just like the one you sold to the Syrians.”

  “Are you crazy? That's impossib
le. I did no such thing.”

  “We both know that's not true.”

  “You are mistaken. Whoever told you such a thing was lying,” Grekov insisted.

  Grekov's assertion was so convincing that David began to have doubts about his guilt.

  “People do not lie to me,” Michael said ominously. “It is bad for their health. You should keep that in mind.”

  “What you want is not possible,” Grekov said, frustrated.

  “You proved it was possible weeks ago. I will not take no for an answer.”

  “I cannot do what you are asking. You were misinformed.”

  Michael pulled his gun and put it to Grekov's head. “If you can't give me what I want, then what use are you to me?”

  Grekov grit his teeth. “You do not want to do this. You are making a big mistake.”

  Even while staring down death in the face, Grekov remained haughty and arrogant. Michael's dislike of him grew to epic proportions. As he held the gun to his head, Michael briefly contemplated Grekov's possible involvement with Jessica's disappearance. He still didn't know if Jessica and Tatiana were safe. Could he live with himself if he let Grekov go and later learned that harm had come to his family because of him? Michael's grip tightened on his gun and his finger on the trigger. For a moment David thought he might actually kill Grekov. After a few tense moments, Michael lowered his gun.

  “I know you can give me what I want. You have twenty-four hours to reconsider.” Michael walked towards the door. “I'll even make it worth your while. In addition to letting you live. I'll pay $12 million, same as the Syrians.”

  As Michael began to leave the bedroom, one of David's men rendered Grekov unconscious and they left the apartment without incident. Their departure went unnoticed by Grekov's bodyguards who were busy resting their eyes as they waited for their employer to finish his romantic interlude.

  David ordered his men to go in one car while he rode with Michael in the other. They quickly left the area not wanting to be around when Grekov regained consciousness.

  “How did you know the exact amount he paid?” David asked Michael.

  “Lucky guess.”

  David chuckled though he was not amused. “You have more intel proving Grekov was involved, you just don't want to share it with me.”