Threat: Follow up to Stranded but not Alone (Dragoslava Connection)

by Cora Blu

  “Okay.”

  Glenda crawled out of the truck and took off down the hill.

  “Somebody stop her,” he screamed, running his hands over Bethany, feeling for a pulse. Blocking out the world around him he listened. Pressing his face to her chest, he caught the faint beat he prayed fought it’s way back to him.

  “C’mon baby, that’s it, keep breathing. I’ll get you out of here.”

  He had to get Mark’s limp body off her.

  Then a click rent the air.

  “Get us both out and back away. Bethany is mine,” Mark said inches from his face. Sweat broke out over his forehead.

  Chapter 25

  Simone

  Simone couldn’t let him fight alone, with the painful memories of last year sliding down her spine in icy blades.

  Be cool Simone, she held her sanity by a thread. Remember you told Seth the nightmares had stopped, so at least pretend you were telling the truth. You’re tougher than visions in the dark. You’re Simone Dragoslava from Michigan. You nursed two babies at once. You got this.

  She crunched through the snow following closely in Seth’s large boot tracks.

  Reaching for her flashlight hooked onto her belt loop, she pressed the tab, the soft glow spread out over the thick snow under her feet, lighting her way down the dank space. She held onto tree trunks, weaving her way through the night praying a wolf or bear didn’t come out. She’d hated killing that one last year but to save a loved one you did what you had to.

  The echoes of voices bouncing off the trees were like breadcrumbs. She followed carefully not to give herself away, but the way her heart was beating anyone with ears could hear her coming.

  Calm down, this isn’t the barn they kept you in. There are no chains on your leg. The bullet wound healed months ago and your babies are safe. Walk through that nightmare, because this time the gun is in your hands.

  Ducking around a large tree, she heard an unmistakable rasp of Munson’s voice a few yards away and the vibe of her husband not far.

  “You just couldn’t let me run my investigation my way. Drop your weapon, Dragoslava!”

  “Drop yours, Munson.” A shot rang out in the night. Her heart dropped. Instantly she knew in her bones Seth had been hit. She felt the drop kick to her stomach, and no one had to tell her he was hurt.

  “You cost me everything I’ve ever worked for last year,” Munson complained. “That promotion was mine, but you had to go in and screw it to hell. You cost me the Captain’s position, you and your friends and that brother of yours.”

  That was why he took this case, to get back at Seth.

  “That’s your problem,” Seth said. “Nobody tortures my wife and lives.”

  Munson’s footsteps came closer to Simone. “I know you’re hit Seth. I’ll give you a chance to run before I shoot you again or go and find your brother or that wife of yours.”

  “Checked your pulse lately Munson. Mention my wife again and you won’t have one. Turn yourself in, Munson. We know you helped Greg, Mark, and Glenda. You’ll do hard time for this.”

  A hand came over Simone’s mouth dragging her into the shadows. She kicked back into his shins. “Damn Simone, what’s on your feet, swords? It’s me Edward. That hurt, woman.”

  She brought her foot down, turning in his arms too look up into his face. “Edward, he’s been shot, I know it. I feel it in here,” she said sucking down air a hand braced to her heart. “I can’t catch my breath.”

  Edward’s face inches from hers in the dark, she felt his breath on her neck. “Shut off your flashlight, squat down on the ground and don’t move.”

  “Bring my husband back Edward…that’s my soul, do what you have to, but bring him back.” Tears washed down her face with the pain cresting her heart.

  Edward touched her hand. “Got your rifle”

  “Yeah,” she said wiping hair off her face.

  “Stay in the shadows. If Munson comes out, take him down. I’m not getting my ass whopped for letting you get hurt.” He squeezed her fingers then slipped away into the darkened tunnel his steps feather light. He was a trained tracker. He’d find Seth, and everything would be okay.

  “Now where is the one I want…Mrs. Dragoslava? I’ve been waiting to get my hands on you for some time now,” he spat, crunching through the crusted snow.

  He picked the wrong woman, on the wrong day, with a pocket full of shots.

  “I know you’re out here. I can smell your perfume. Come out so we can talk.” Footsteps crunched around her. Simone angled around to a thicker tree making herself small behind the trunk.

  Simone eyed him through the sight on the rifle, her finger itching to pull the trigger and blow him into the trees.

  “Not much of a fighter. I thought he'd be tougher to take down, but what can you expect from a man who makes girls. A real man would have given you boys first.”

  “Only a prick makes threats in the dark, Munson. Bring your punk ass one step closer, and I’ll decorate this forest with splatters of your blood. Stay right there.” She needed to see Seth first. If Edward didn’t find him, only Munson knew where he was out there. Possibly unconscious.

  He laughed. “Oh the little American can curse.”

  Could shoot too and he was about to find out how well. Taking aim, she sent a round into the ground two feet from his boots. The sound ricocheted off the trees, echoing through the night. Animals made scurrying noises under the canopy of the forest.

  Munson barked out curses in German into the night.

  She cocked the muzzle flipping out the casing, snapping the barrel in place to line up her sight to his kneecap. “Where’s Seth?”

  Munson’s steps came alongside the wall. She could hear them crunching over the broken branches hiding in the snow. “Fifteen more minutes, Mrs. Dragoslava and my men would’ve been there.”

  “You weren’t doing your job. I was being tortured with a bullet lodged in my thigh, and you walked around with your thumb up your ass waiting on paperwork. And just so you know, those girls he gave me survived right along with their mother through all of that. You’re messing with the woman who loves that man. Be careful what you say to me.”

  He stepped closer. “I did my job,” he barked. “Why do you think polizei showed up at the barn? I’d already traced the van to that side of town and had my men dispatched. You can’t just raid private property. I had to get a warrant.”

  She made a tsk sound.

  “Suck it up, Munson. You signed on to play by the rules...we didn’t and it happened over a year ago. Grow a pair and move on.”

  He pounded a fist against a tree. “I was up for promotion—Captain,” he snarled, anger pouring off every word. “They botched the entire operation that would’ve sealed my career at the top.”

  “So you gave it away for vengeance. Give up Munson.”

  It took everything she had not to shoot him.

  “I expected more fight from a military man,” Munson goaded from the shadows, and she wasn’t impressed.

  “Then you know the fight isn’t over.”

  In the shadows, two forms slowly came into view. Seth held a finger to his lips. Her heartbeat strengthened until she saw blood staining his jacket sleeve and his arm hanging at his side.

  Bile flooded her throat trying to push up into her mouth. Fire burned in her chest as she strained to run to him and get him to the hospital, but revealing his location could get him killed.

  Seeing Edward at his side gave Simone the oxygen she needed to breathe.

  “Munson,” she warned, aiming the rifle at his arm. “You shot the wrong woman’s man.”

  “You don’t have the…” A crack rang through the still air, now filled by Munson’s pleading screams. He fell to his side, writhing, arm oozing blood around his body. White snow melting under the warm blood seeped into its layers.

  “You’re right. I don’t have it in me to kill you, but with my aim, I can make peeing for you as simple as changing out one bag for anot
her.” She cocked the chamber. The empty shell flipped through the air, bounced over the crusted snow. “Nobody…no damn body, shoots my husband and walks away.” She bolted to Seth’s side, wrapping herself around his body.

  Seth kissed her hard, breathing labored as he cursed her between breaths. Hot tears were streaming down her face while yanking off her scarf to tie around his wound.

  “Sim…damn I’m rubbing off on you too much.”

  “I hate this forest,” she cried needing a few seconds to stop shaking. “You need a doctor the blood is coming too fast I can’t staunch the flow.”

  “Dammit hellcat, you could’ve been hurt.”

  Fiercely shaking her head, “And what am I right now, happy?”

  “Hey…you’re beautiful, and you’re mine, and right now I love you more than ever woman.”

  “I hate this forest,” she complained. “Let’s get out of here…I need to throw up and cry.”

  Edward got their attention. Together they made their way out to the SUV and froze.

  ~~~CB~~~

  Two instructors drug a kicking and screaming Glenda up the hill, fighting their hold. People milled around as a chopper landed a few yards away in a clearing, spewing snow over the narrow landscape.

  Edward helped Simone hustle a weak Seth over to the helicopter. Seth hedged to get to his brother, but Edward fought him over to the chopper.

  “Seth go take care of yourself. Get Simone out of here.”

  Seth groaned obviously angered not being able to help.

  Mark stood beside Mikhail and Bethany, a gun trained on Bethany. The ranger stood feet away a gun trained on Mark and now Bethany at his side. One shot could trigger a deadly bullet from Mark’s gun.

  “What’s happening?” Seth wheezed, through clenched teeth.

  Mikhail turned to face them his face blotchy with anger. Bethany huddled at his feet half-conscious.

  “Mark thinks I’m letting him off this mountain with Bethany.”

  “No,” Glenda screamed, stumbling to her feet. “You only get to keep one or the other, Mikhail. Bethany or your nieces,” she offered with an impatient quiver to her voice.

  Simone shot like a bullet across the ground taking Glenda in a whoosh to the ground, fists flying through the air. “Bitch don’t threaten my girls!” she warned, straddling her legs over Glenda’s body deep in the snow. Before she said a word, Simone closed her hands around her throat, shaking her violently side-to-side like a bear with a rabbit, strangling her in the deep snow. “Skank, what did you do to my girls?”

  Glenda’s head hit the ground, warm blood seeping into the crusted snow. “She does that again, and I’ll let them die,” she warned wiping a hand across her mouth.

  Simone looked from Seth to the horses at the top of the hill then bolted up the berm.

  Glenda choked. “You don’t know what the threat is.”

  The click of a bullet being chambered in a gun echoed through the air. Seth held a handgun aiming it at Mark. “One wet diaper and I’ll blow a hole through your heart.”

  “They’re safe…for now,” Glenda said her hands in the air.

  “Sir,” the ranger walked over cautiously angling his weapon towards Mark. “Put the gun down and everybody walks out of here.”

  Simone stumbled over to Seth tears streaming down her face. “Baby they can’t hurt our girls. Seth, don’t let them hurt my babies.”

  Seth kissed her face then shot a glare up to Mark. “If my girls are hurt, Mark, I’ll shove that rifle up your ass and blow your head off. Now what’s the threat?” Seth’s anger was barely contained in his lined face tight with pain from his gunshot to his arm.

  The Ranger still trying to calm the commotion, but Mikhail waved his hands to keep control. “Let me handle this. If you take her away my nieces die…,” he yelled over the moans and whinnying horses in the distance. The whirring of the chopper blades made white noise to vibrate through the trees.

  “It’s up to Mikhail,” Glenda said. “Bethany needs an antidote for Botox poisoning or he can stop the threat that’s approaching the twins.”

  Simone ran for the horses.

  “Simone, you could trigger something going back to the house…wait,” Crazy warned holding Seth up unwilling to get in the chopper.

  Standing between Mikhail and Bethany, Glenda said, “Which is it going to be Mikhail, your precious Bethany’s life or the life of your nieces? Which one will you sacrifice for the other?”

  Simone ran over to Bethany dropping to her knees to cradle her body. “Bethany I’m sorry…my babies, girl he has to save my babies...tell him to save my babies,” she wailed but Bethany didn’t move. Simone climbed up Mikhail’s legs wrapping her arms around his body. “If you love me…love Seth, save my babies. I can’t be impartial, Mikhail…I can’t, those are my babies. Save them…please.” She cried openly her body shaking violently.

  Seth stared at Mikhail, unshed tears in his eyes. There was nothing to say. Mikhail looked at Simone on the ground, big brown eyes drowning in tears. His brother deserved this family. He couldn’t take that from him. And without Bethany, he didn’t want a family.

  “Neither,” he admitted defeat draining the color from his face his body slumped in anguish. Everyone gasped. “What do you want to keep all of my family alive that includes Bethany?”

  Glenda smiled. “I was hoping you’d ask that. You sign off on a waiver to marry me. We go down the mountain. I give them the antidote, and I’ll tell you where the threat is for the twins. But time is running out.”

  She backed up grabbing a bag from the upside-down truck handing a piece of paper to Mikhail and a pen.

  Mikhail snatched the pen and scribbled his signature. “Now what’s threatening my nieces?”

  “Simone,” Nina said turning to the group gathering in the cold air. “Don’t let them drink from the jug water, Mark poisoned it.”

  Simone charged up to the horses, she rode it hard and fast up to the chalet. Seth and Crazy were behind her leaving a crowd to stare after them.

  “You slut,” Mark said waving the gun on Glenda then back to Mikhail. “I’m not taking the fall for your sick mind. You put Botox and Novocain in the water, not me. You brought Novocain up here to poison Bethany.”

  The ranger shot off a warning shot to Mark. “Drop your weapon.”

  The gun hit the ground. The ranger slapped cuffs on Mark.

  Too much was happening at once.

  Mikhail fired off in German to Glenda. “If my nieces are hurt at all I swear I’ll drag your ass to the bottom of the river and drown you myself.”

  “And what is your part in this, Mark?” Mikhail said his jaw tight under his building anger.

  “The company should have come to me. I’m Hans’s son. I’ve worked long and hard to inherit this and some adopted mongrel takes my millions. And if that wasn’t enough you take Bethany and seduced her to work for you.”

  Mikhail swallowed thickly. “You sick perverted dog. All this out of vengeance for Han’s choice in successor and Bethany was never yours. She made up her mind to stay with Heinemann’s not me, so get your head out of your ass long enough to handle the truth. She didn’t want you.”

  Mark’s face-hardened. “You took my inheritance admit it…you worthless mongrel.”

  Mikhail rocked back on his heels, visibly shaken by that word worthless, but he never faltered. “So you started your own company. Hans would have helped you.”

  “I wanted Heinemann’s…wanted to hurt you, and I knew you’d give up Heinemann’s for Bethany. I saw it if no one else did.” Mark grinned. “Gemme meant nothing to you but she agreed to take you away from Bethany for the right price.” Mikhail fisted his hands to his side. “It was easy because of your reputation for everyone to miss the love you have for that woman, but I didn’t. I knew if I kidnapped her you’d walk away from Heinemann’s and father would have left it to me.”

  The polizei He paced a circle, hands behind his head. Fifty people standing around wat
ching him decide who lives and who dies.

  Mikhail knelt beside Bethany on the ground scooping her into his arms, staring at her for a long moment. “Don’t hate me for what I have to do. One day I promise we’ll be together. I love you Bethany.” He leaned back and pulled a ring from his pocket. Pulling off her gloves, he slid it on her finger, kissing her cold hands. “I’ve been carrying this around for three weeks. No matter what you think of me after this. I’ll always think of you as my wife.” Kissing her lips, he laid her down. Give me the antidote Nina,” uncertain what to give her he laid it on her breasts for the ranger.

  The ranger used the swab to clean a spot on Bethany’s arm then plunged the needle into her vein.

  Another ranger came forward gun drawn looking from Mikhail to Nina. “We just got a confession from your guard, Greg. Nina you’re under arrest for leaving the scene of an accident, premeditated poisoning, and putting out a contract on Bethany through Greg. Only he didn’t go through with it. And now endangering minors.”

  Nina dropped to her knees on top of Bethany. “No you can’t have him!”

  ~~~CB~~~

  Bethany waited for just the right moment to use the failing energy in her arms. That sick bitch actually poisoned the baby’s water. She wasn’t leaving this mountain alive if she had to use her last breath on earth to make it happen, and she wasn’t letting the tramp have Mikhail.

  Bethany could feel Glenda standing over her. Everything Greg had taught her she made her mind hang on to. Seeing without seeing. Hearing through smell. Focus on what she couldn’t see and let her other senses be her eyes. Strong exotic perfume. Glenda stood to her left by the feel of her thigh bumping hers. She had just enough energy to do this once. Could she? Mikhail’s cologne held a faint linger in the air. He was beside her.

  Hearing Mikhail call her wife nearly brought tears to her eyes. She had to make him think she was unconscious for this to work.

  She’d grabbed the knife out of Mark’s pocket when he thought she was still unconscious in the SUV tucking it up her sleeve the sensation blinding.