“No!” Nick said loudly. They both looked around nervously, but after several seconds it became apparent that nobody had heard them. “No,” he said again, softly this time. “Nonna is our daughter. If this falls through because I messed with the Russian mob, nobody here is going to have anything to do with us.”
“There are other countries,” Anya tried, picking at a tuft of grass and avoiding his eyes.
Nick shook his head. “We’re getting older,” he said. “We’re already too old for many countries, like most in Central America. If we have to start over, it’ll be another year before we can adopt again, and who knows who’d accept us then.”
She nodded.
“Besides,” Nick said. “The important one is Nonna. I can’t leave her here with Dmitri. She’s a hostage, leverage. Do you think they’ll just put her back in the orphanage? I doubt it. More likely they’ll sell her themselves, or maybe even keep her, to grow up in the mob.”
“I grew up in the mob,” Anya said, defensively.
“True,” Nick replied, “but that was different. You were blood. Nonna isn’t. She’d be more likely to end up like Galina than you.” He pursed his lips as he thought about the prostitute on the ground in front of the orphanage. “No way that’s gonna happen. She goes home with me tomorrow.”
She looked across the street. The house was still dark. “I’m not sure he’s coming home tonight.”
“I wonder if Pyotr said something to him?”
“You thought he wasn’t working with Dmitri?”
“I didn’t think he was,” Nick admitted. “But I don’t know for sure. He could easily have told Dmitri not to show up tonight.”
“He could easily have had ten gunmen waiting for us, too,” Anya pointed out. “Perhaps Dmitri is just out late.”
A truck went by and they fell silent, watching it. Lights were going out in houses up and down the streets, and the few pedestrians they had seen walking the street were long gone. The only sounds they heard were the crickets.
They waited.
Anya dozed off around midnight, her head resting on Nick’s shoulder. He put his arm around her to keep her from falling over. They sat like that for another hour before she stirred.
She said something sleepily in Russian, then caught herself as she awoke further. “Oh, god, I fell asleep, didn’t I? I’m sorry!”
Nick laughed softly, “No worries. You didn’t miss anything. It’s still dark. I don’t think he’s coming home tonight.”
She laid her head on his shoulder again. “I’m sorry, Nick.”
“Let’s give it a few more minutes,” he said. “Then we’ll go.”
“OK,” she replied. “Tell me something.”
“Tell you what?”
“I don’t care,” she murmured. “A story. Something about you.”
“Hmmmm, a story,” he said. “Well, I was just thinking about the kids in Iraq. They’re not so different from kids here.”
“No?”
“No. My unit was an advanced guard. We were the first Americans to enter new towns. The parents would hide but the kids would rush out to see us. They didn’t care about politics or infidels, they thought we were cool. We’d have soccer balls and candy with us, and the kids just glowed. They laughed and ran around and for a while forgot there was a war on. It was dangerous, but part of me loved going into a new town. I didn’t trust the adults, but the kids were awesome.”
“How long did you stay in the towns?”
“Not all that long. Sometimes only a day or even a few hours, just long enough to find out if there were insurgents in the town. Then the regular army would come in.”
She nestled her head deeper into Nick’s shoulder.
“The kids were so innocent, you know?” Nick continued. “They just wanted to have fun. If we were around long enough and they got to know us well enough, they’d play jokes on us or show us around the town.”
Anya smiled against Nick’s shoulder.
“Although,” Nick said, “we didn’t like them to be too public about it. The insurgents weren’t above shooting parents of friendly kids, or even the kids themselves. That happened twice to me, and I swore never again to let a kid give me a tour.”
“I’m sorry, Nick. Iraq sounded bad.”
“Not all of it, but so many people hated us and hated each other. It was like they didn’t want peace, or the only peace they wanted was the peace when the other side was dead. It got old real quick, and I was happy to leave.”
He stared across at Dmitri’s house, but his thoughts weren’t on the Russian.
“I just wish I could’ve brought some of those kids home with me,” he said. “Kids deserve to be happy, not screwed up by the enemies of their parents.”
She caressed his hand. “You’re a good man,” she said.
“Not really, but thank you,” Nick said.
“What about your family?”
“What about them?”
“Do you see them?”
“Not very often. I live near my half-brother, and my parents live near my sister in Minnesota.”
She looked blank.
“Have you ever heard of Minnesota?”
He could feel her shake her head. He grinned in the dark.
“It’s a state in the north, near Canada. Very cold in the winter. It’s a long way from Oregon.”
“Kind of like our Siberia,” Anya replied.
Nick grinned again. “Yeah, probably.”
“Do you get up there much?”
“Sure, I’ve been there a few times, in the summer. Dad and I don’t talk a whole lot, but he’s a good guy. He’s an old soldier, set in his ways. He’s kind of mellowed with age, though, I guess. I get along well with my mom and sister, too. They’re good people. I hear Vicki and her husband might come to Oregon to welcome Nonna home.”
“So you have a brother and a sister. That’s nice.”
“You don’t, do you?”
Anya sighed against Nick. “No. I wish I did, at least a sister. There are too many men in my family. Too much…manliness. Momma and I need more women. It’d be nice to have a sister to talk to.”
“Do you have many female friends?”
She shrugged. “Some, but many of them are getting married, and they don’t have time to spend with me.”
Before Nick could say anything she reached up and put her finger to his lips. “No, I don’t plan on getting married anytime soon. I have enough drama in my life without a husband.”
“You’ll meet the right guy and change your mind real quick,” Nick said.
“Perhaps, although I’ve yet to find a man who can keep up with me,” she said.
Nick laughed quietly and hugged Anya. He believed her.
They left an hour later, defeated. The house was still dark. All the houses around it were dark. The streets were dark. Nick’s mood was darker.
“So that’s it, then,” Anya said. She clicked her fob and the car doors unlocked loudly. “If Dmitri has the power to take Nonna, he knows he only has to wait you out one more day.”
Nick slid into his seat silently. Anya got in and looked across at the American. “I’m out of options,” she said.
“There’s one more,” he replied.
Eight hours later the black SUV pulled up in front of Nick. It had tinted windows and the spinning “look at me” hubcaps that annoyed him for some reason. Back doors opened on both sides of the vehicle opened and two thick men with guns advanced on him.
Nick knew it would be only a matter of time, but was still impressed at how fast they had found him. He started at the Rostov hotel and walked slowly towards the orphanage, lingering slightly outside the brothel. They caught up with him a block from Nonna’s home. He feared he’d be walking all day before they finally figured it out.
“Come with us, please,” one of them said. His accent was slight and Nick could tell he was higher up the pecking order than the goons Dmitri had sent after him before. At least he was pol
ite.
“Make you a deal,” Nick replied evenly. “You keep your guns out and I break your arms. You put them away and I’ll come peacefully.”
The second man looked shocked but the first one, the one who had spoken, only smiled slightly. It was as if he had expected Nick’s response. He nodded to the other man and both put their guns away.
Nick stepped into the back seat, between the two men. The SUV pulled away from the curb.
Several seconds later, long enough for two cars to pass, a red Lada Kalina crept out from a side street and followed them.
Chapter 30
Nick glanced at the large bulk sitting on one side of him, then glanced at the large bulk sitting on the other side of him. They were squeezed into the back seat of the SUV, arms pressed together. Each guard held a gun in his outside hand, and in the cramped quarters Nick doubted he could grab one, even if he had been inclined to.
The driver sat alone in the front seat, separated from the three men by a sheet of glass. No doubt bulletproof glass. Nick wondered how many people in the back seat would have wanted to shoot the driver.
But it gave them some privacy. Time to go to work.
He turned to the guy on his left, the leader, the one who had talked and almost smiled at Nick’s crack before they got in. He stared straight ahead, keeping Nick in his periphery.
“Your boss is a nutcase, you know,” Nick said. The man’s lips twitched, a virtual grin. He wasn’t going to give Nick the satisfaction of smiling, but he didn’t have to.
Nick knew he spoke English quite well, even to the extent that he knew what “nutcase” meant.
“And he’s going to go down today,” Nick continued. “I don’t know how much he pays you, but you should plan on collecting unemployment tomorrow.”
“Shut up,” the guy on the other side said.
Nick turned to him. “I wasn’t talking to you, Ivan,” he said. “I doubt you’re even smart enough to find the unemployment line. I’m guessing you’ll just be out on the street, or maybe in jail. Maybe you’ll go down on guys to make some money.”
“Shut up,” he said again, a bit louder, a bit slower, emphasizing both words.
Nick turned back to the first bodyguard. “Nice command of the language. Is that the only English he knows?”
“Fuck you,” the second bodyguard said.
Nick laughed. He knew laughter would piss the guy off. “Yeah, I knew you’d know that one. You can put it to good use in Lubyanka tomorrow, with your new friends.”
The first bodyguard shook his head. “I think you should not talk until we see Dmitri,” he said.
“Oh, I don’t plan on talking much to that ass,” Nick said. “I’m going to find out where my daughter is, then I’m going to shoot him in his ugly face.”
“That might be difficult,” the first man said.
“Shut up,” the second man said.
Nick looked from one to the other. “He told you to shut up? Wow, the little pissant has delusions of grandeur.”
He felt the second bodyguard tense up against him and wondered if he had pushed it too far. Maybe, but at this point he didn’t have many cards to play. Aggravating the bodyguards would make what came next easier to handle.
“No more talk,” the first man said, and raised his gun slightly to show what would happen if the directive wasn’t followed. Nick knew the man wouldn’t shoot him; that prize would be saved for Dmitri. But a gun could do a lot of damage to a face or a groin without being fired.
Nick stopped talking, and they rode the rest of the way in silence.
They pulled up in front of another ornate house. Nick realized that Dmitri had probably stayed here last night. As fanatical as he was, Nick thought, Dmitri was definitely successful. The car pulled up to the curb and the guy to his right got out first. He motioned Nick out of the car, and the second bodyguard followed out the same door. Two guns were on Nick the entire time. Perhaps three if the driver was packing. They needn’t have bothered.
The two men escorted Nick up the sidewalk and into the house. Nick hoped they stayed with him to Dmitri’s office, or else his prodding in the car would be wasted.
To his relief, they did. One on each elbow, through the ornate double doors, up the stairway, to a closed door on the second floor. With a grin towards Nick that lacked any semblance of humor, the second bodyguard knocked on the door with the butt of his gun.
A grunt came from inside. The first bodyguard opened the door and ushered Nick in.
The office was ornate, just like Dmitri’s other office. A large desk, large window overlooking a garden, treasures on the wall. Nick looked closer and saw some of the items he had pilfered after his previous run-in with the mob boss.
Dmitri saw his double-take and said, “Yes, my things are here with me.”
“You’re welcome,” Nick said.
“Excuse me?”
“You wouldn’t have them if I hadn’t been nice enough to return them,” Nick said.
Dmitri smiled. “That’s not going to save you.”
“Where’s my daughter?”
Dmitri waved a hand, dismissing the question. “Sit down,” he said.
Two hands on his shoulders forced Nick into a chair in front of the desk. The two bodyguards stood over him, one on each side.
“You’ve caused me a lot of trouble, American,” Dmitri said. “You put one of my men in the hospital—“
“I put at least three of your men in the hospital, Russian. And one in the morgue.”
Dmitri’s calm demeanor slipped momentarily. “Perhaps. So, what do you think I should do with you?”
“Tell me where my daughter is,” Nick said.
“You no longer need to concern yourself with the child,” Dmitri said. “She’s with an associate of mine, and quite out of your control. You should worry more about yourself.”
Nick looked calmly across the desk. “You know, I didn’t think you’d tell me where my baby is. At least, not voluntarily. Let’s see how you do with a bullet in your leg. I think you might sing like a bird then.”
Dmitri leaned forward and frowned. He seemed surprised. Maybe he was used to store owners who were too weak or afraid to fight back. And if they did, he’d send enforcers like Sergei after them instead of going after them himself.
“Of course,” Nick continued. “I have to hit the correct leg first. We don’t want anybody getting a splinter.”
Dmitri stood up angrily, awkwardly, and pointed a finger at Nick. “Look around, American. You’re in no position to talk that way to me.”
Nick snorted. “Ha, these two? They’re amateurs.” He didn’t look at the two men on either side of him, to underscore his opinion of them. “They can’t protect you. You’re going to end up as my bitch.”
Dmitri snapped. He yelled something at the two bodyguards, and Nick felt himself being grasped and lifted by his arms. He sagged, but the strength of the two men was too much for him and he quickly found himself standing in front of a furious Dmitri.
Dmitri punched Nick in the mouth. “Now who’s the bitch?” he yelled as he swung again.
The punch connected and Nick felt searing pain rip through his jaw. Dmitri reared back again, in slow motion, and Nick closed his eyes. He had time to think that maybe he didn’t wait long enough to bait Dmitri into a frenzy.
But as the third punch landed, the door to the room burst open.
There was a brief pause, which seemed an eternity to Nick as another jolt of pain went through his jaw, then a shot rang out. The man to Nick’s left, nearer the door, screamed and let go of Nick’s arm. Immediately Nick jammed his elbow up and back and felt a grunt from the second bodyguard. He let go of Nick, either because of the elbow or of the gun facing him. Nick didn’t really care which.
He turned on his heels and came face-to-face with the second bodyguard. The man’s face showed confusion and fear. Nick head-butted him savagely and the man dropped.
Nick turned back in time to see Dmitri rus
h to the window. Whether he meant to jump through it to the relative safety of the ground below, Nick would never know. The gun barked again. Dmitri screamed and went down, clutching his side.
Anya stepped forward, into Nick’s view. She was breathing heavily but had a smile on her face. Nick quickly looked behind her.
“I thought I said to bring backup?” he told her.
“No time,” she panted. “I didn’t need them, anyway.” She crossed over to Dmitri as Nick ruffled through the clothes of the bodyguards. He quickly retrieved his Glocks from the first man’s suit coat.
Dmitri sat on the ornate wood floor, holding his side and rocking back and forth. Nick saw that the bullet had only grazed the man’s side. Enough to bring him down but not incapacitate him.
“Nice shot,” he told Anya.
“Damn right,” she replied. “And you’re welcome.”
“Yeah, thanks for saving my skin. Anybody else around here we need to worry about?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I took out two coming up, and didn’t hear anything else except Dmitri yelling.”
“I was afraid you wouldn’t be ready,” Nick said. “It didn’t take long for Dmitri to go off.”
“I’m glad he did,” Anya said as she looked down at the man on the ground. “I see movies about the cabaret coming to the rescue—“
Nick looked at her. “The what?”
“The cabaret?”
Nick laughed. “You mean the cavalry. The cavalry comes to the rescue.”
She made a face. “Oh. I like the cabaret better.”
Nick smiled.
“Next time you can rescue yourself,” she pouted, only half-joking.
“I’m sorry, Anya,” Nick said. “I really am. I appreciate what you did for me.”
She waved a hand. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s pull what we need out of this bastard and get out of here.”
Nick nodded and turned his attention to the man on the floor. He knelt down near him and said, “Hey, Dmitri.”
Dmitri had been watching them talk, hands plastered to his side, blood oozing through his fingers. He glared at Nick but didn’t say anything.
“Looks like another one for the hospital,” Anya said, and clucked.
Worth The Risk Page 20