by Marie Astor
“Right about now.”
As if on cue, there was a sound of rattling locks. Moments later the door opened and Jess walked inside. She flipped on the switch and bright light filled the room. Dennis had to squint his eyes for a few moments to adjust to the brightness. Then he proceeded to examine their visitor. She was dressed in skinny jeans and a black shirt. Her feet were clad in combat boots and on her hip she was sporting a holster with a gun. Dennis carefully eyed the Glock model, not liking this one bit—Jess was clearly taking her guard role very seriously. In her hands Jess carried two stacked plastic plates with what looked like week-old chunks of bread and two bottles of water were stuck under her arm.
“Breakfast is served,” she announced sarcastically.
“Thank you. I was starting to get a little peckish,” Dennis managed his most ironic tone. “Say, is there any chance of a cappuccino?”
She dropped the bread plate on the floor and kicked it in his direction with her foot. “You’ll just have to do with this,” she said, throwing a water bottle at him so quickly, Dennis barely saw it coming. The object had been aimed at his private parts, but he’d managed to spread his legs just in time and catch it with his thighs.
“Nice reflexes.” Jess was clearly disappointed with the miss.
“I do my best,” he replied coolly, thinking it would take a lot more effort than he thought to take Jess down. “Any chance you’ll untie my hands so I could enjoy this delicious breakfast you have prepared for us?”
She smirked, walking toward him. “Sure. But don’t you even think about trying anything stupid or I will use this,” she added, pointing at the gun in her holster. She untied the leather ropes around his wrists.
“With an aim like yours, no warning is necessary.” Dennis rubbed his hands together. “Aren’t you going to untie Mila?” he asked nonchalantly. “I feel bad eating while she’s still got her hands tied.”
Jess shook her head. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you? I said no funny business. You eat first, then I tie you back up, and then she eats. That’s the way it works. Oh, and I gotta split in ten minutes, so if you want your friend to eat today, you’d better gobble it up.”
“All right, all right. No need to get all worked up about it. Could I use the bathroom first?”
“There’s a bucket in the corner over there.” She pointed at the far wall.
Dennis rose from his chair, hoping for a chance to surveil the room. “Thank you. I’ll be right back.”
“I know you will. I’m coming with you.” Jess followed him and Dennis felt her pointing the gun barrel against the back of his head the entire time.
Inside Dennis was boiling with rage and humiliation, but he wasn’t going to give this sadistic psycho the satisfaction. “Enjoy the show,” he said, as he unzipped his pants and made use of the bucket.
“Very unimpressive.” She pressed the gun harder against him.
Silently, Dennis made the trip back to his chair. Jess trailed him every step of the way, her gun smack against the back of his head. He’d kept his head straight the entire time, making use of his peripheral vision. From what he’d managed to see, the only way out was through the front door—the metal blinds on the window were thick and secured with heavy locks.
“Feeling better now?” Jess leered once he was back in his chair.
“Much, thank you.” He picked up the bread and ate it quickly. Then he drank the entire bottle of water.
She held up the leather ropes. “Arms behind your back.”
“Is that really necessary?” he asked. “I’m not going anywhere. Couldn’t you tie them in the front? I’m all stiff.”
She pointed her gun at him and raised the trigger. “Do I have to ask you twice?”
“No, of course not.” He put his arms behind him. “You must really love Anton a lot,” he noted as Jess secured the restraints. “You realize you’ve committed a crime for him? Kidnapping, unlawful detention. Is that gun even licensed? Are you ready to go to jail for him?”
She made sure the restraints were back on, tightly fastened. Then she slowly stepped away from him. “Anton doesn’t need a license. And he’s done plenty for me. But you wouldn’t know anything about loyalty.”
“Loyalty? Sounds to me like Anton was cheating on you.”
She breathed heavily as she tightened up the leather ropes. “Anton made a mistake. All men make mistakes. And now he’s mine again.”
“For how long?” Mila’s voice carried through the room. “How long ’till he cheats on you again with someone else?”
“Shut up you worthless whore!” Jess seethed, springing on Mila like a hyena and hit her across the face. “That’s for breaking the heart of the man I love, you worthless slime. You don’t deserve a man like Anton.”
“He’s all yours,” Mila spat, her voice steady, even though the blow must’ve hurt like hell.
“Guess you don’t like to eat, do you?” Jess stomped her boot on the bread plate and emptied the bottle of water on the floor.
Baxter, who had been sleeping until now, must’ve heard the commotion and barked loudly. He raced across the room and bit into Jess’s boot.
“You annoying little rat, you’re just as useless as your master!” Jess kicked her leg, sending Baxter flying across the floor as though he were a plush toy.
“Hey, leave the dog out of it,” Dennis seethed through his teeth.
“Or what? You’re going to beat me up?” Jess leered.
“I don’t hit women,” Dennis said quietly.
“A convenient excuse for being beaten up by a girl,” she sneered.
You didn’t beat me up, Dennis thought, you tasered me, but decided not to press the point. “Whatever Anton’s paying you, we’ll pay you double, triple that, and offer you immunity.”
“Huh! You think everything can be bought and sold. You must think yourself so smart,” she spat.
“No, I don’t think so at all,” Dennis said carefully, now completely certain the woman was a total basket case.
Jess scoffed. “I bet you don’t—not any more. Not everyone is like you—lying and cheating to get their way. Some people have loyalties and standards. I’m going to tell you a story to expand your understanding of the world.” She lifted her head. “You see this face? Beautiful, isn’t it?”
“I’m sorry for lying to you about the photos, but if you really want to get into modeling, I can get you a meeting with the right people. I swear,” Dennis tried his last card.
“You think I care about that nonsense? You’re even dumber than I thought. Now, shut up and listen. This face was ruined, maimed and I lived with the shame of it for years. My worthless mother married a drunk and a pervert. When I was fifteen, my stepfather raped me. I fought him so hard, he broke my nose and just to teach me a lesson, he slashed a knife against my cheek, leaving a crooked scar that made me look like the Joker. When the child protection services came to investigate, my mother made me say I was attacked by someone on the street and didn’t get to see their face. Since then my only goal has been to never fall victim to another man and to earn enough money to fix my face. I signed up for martial arts classes after school and the next time my stepfather tried to get close to me, I broke his arm. He never touched me again. The minute I finished high school, I left and never spoke to my mother again. I worked odd jobs and continued my training. I was determined to get my face back—the way I saw it, I’d been turned into a caterpillar, but I was determined to become a butterfly and spread my wings. That’s why I got this tattoo—she opened the collar of her shirt—to keep the hope alive. I was saving every penny I could, but at the rate I was going it was going to take me another five years to get the money I needed to fix my face. Unless you’re Steven Seagal, martial arts doesn’t exactly pay a fortune. That’s when I met Anton. He saw me fight in an underground tournament and hired me as his bodyguard. He paid for a plastic surgeon to fix my face and then Anton became my lover. Sure, skanks like Mila came along the way
, but Anton and I were always close. And when I learned he was in jail, I wasn’t going to desert him. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him, you hear me? Nothing.” She turned to leave and this time Dennis didn’t attempt to stop her.
Stomping on the floor, Jess turned off the lights and shut the door behind her.
“Are you going to be all right?” Dennis asked.
“I’ll manage,” Mila said dryly. “Anton will stop by in an hour or so—he’s been checking on me throughout the day. I think he doesn’t trust her. Either that, or he enjoys seeing me tied up. He’ll bring me food and will let me use the bathroom in the hallway.”
“So the bucket was just for me?” Dennis asked.
“Apparently.”
“I’m flattered,” Dennis tried to bring some levity into the situation. “Did you know that about her?” he asked, alluding to Jess’s horrifying story. “Almost makes you feel sorry for her.”
“Oh, yeah, we share our life stories while braiding each other’s hair—it’s something we’ve been doing every night. Are you kidding me?” she snapped. “Don’t you think I would’ve told you if I knew?”
“I’m sorry. I just thought maybe you forgot to mention it. Clearly Jess has been severely traumatized and developed a fixation on Anton.”
“Thanks for summing that up so neatly, Mr. Psychologist. Now, how the hell are we going to get out of here? Because right now I could really use a bit of hope.”
“I’m working on it. I’m working on it,” Dennis muttered, wishing he had better news.
As if to cheer him up, Baxter ran over to Dennis and started licking his hands.
“Hey, buddy, I love you too. Wish I could scratch your ear,” Dennis said. Then he felt Baxter tugging at the restraints on his wrists. “Hey, buddy, do you think you could chew through these?”
Baxter merely growled, his teeth busy grinding the ropes.
“I’m an idiot!” Dennis exclaimed with elation.
“No offense, but I think it’s already been established,” Mila shot back.
“Baxter chews all his dog toys to shreds—rubber, latex, fabric, plastic, you name it, he tears them apart—even the ones that claim to be indestructible. Janet can never buy them fast enough. Once we took him to a restaurant,” Dennis paused, smiling at a fond memory, “we were sitting outside and Janet tied Baxter’s leash to her chair. She wouldn’t let me give him any of my food—said it was bad for him. But Baxter wasn’t convinced. He sat under the table quietly until he chewed through his leash. Then he ran around the place, charming everyone in sight. Before Janet caught on to him, he’d had his fill—from steak to chicken, he’d sampled the menu from every table.” Dennis chuckled.
“That is a fascinating story, Dennis, but I still don’t see how it’s going to help us get out of here,” Mila complained.
“Don’t you see? Baxter can chew through the ropes. We’re getting out.”
As if in confirmation, Baxter growled, his teeth busy grinding. Dennis smiled at the most wonderful sound in the world—the sound of leather giving way to Baxter’s tenacious teeth.
Chapter 18
“Jessy, I thought you’d be gone by now.” Anton almost collided with Jess as he stepped through the door. It was dark inside the warehouse and his eyes hadn’t adjusted from the light outside.
“I was just doing the usual rounds. That Dennis Walker’s got a smart mouth on him, so it took me a little longer than usual. But it’s all under control,” she said with a smirk, tugging at her hair.
“I see.” Normally Anton would be upset, but given the task that was awaiting him, he was glad. Jess had a mean streak in her and he worried about her beating up his prisoners. She could rough up Dennis Walker all she wanted, but not Mila. Mila was his and his alone and she was to suffer at his hands only. “Everything all right?” he asked, noticing the holster on her hip.
“Oh, yeah, totally fine. This is for just in case,” she added, pointing at the gun. “Walker tried to give me lip, but I shut him right up. Are you going to check up on them?” she asked in a tone that made it obvious she really wanted to know if he was there to check up on Mila.
“Yeah.” Anton rubbed his forehead. Jess was a rough and tortured soul, but she was loyal to him like a dog and she was good in the sack. Ever since he got out, she did everything for him. But he didn’t love her—not the way he loved Mila. He’d never let any woman get that close to him again, but Jess was the next best thing, and he was glad she was there now. For what he was about to do made him sick to his stomach. “I need your help with something,” he said grimly.
“What is it? You know there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you,” she said fiercely.
“Wait till you hear what I have to say. You might change your mind. You might never want to see my face again.”
“I doubt that,” she said, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss. He wasn’t expecting it and they ended up banging their teeth awkwardly. “Sorry.” She looked embarrassed.
“Don’t be.” He kissed her roughly, trying to gain strength for what needed to be done. Damn that jackal Pierce and damn his Uncle Petr who turned out to be nothing but a coward.
***
Janet glanced at her watch—it was ten in the morning, but she’d already been in the office for four hours and the fatigue was starting to get to her. She couldn’t get a wink of sleep last night, her mind busy planning various ways of breaking into Anton Kovar’s warehouse. But as much as she was aching to do it, Janet knew she couldn’t act on her impulse. The private contractors Philip had hired knew what they were doing and she had to sit tight and let them do their job. Philip had promised to call her as soon as he had any news.
To stop herself from doing anything stupid, Janet came into the office at the crack of dawn and tried to distract herself with work. But of course it was useless. All she could think of was how Dennis and Baxter were faring this very moment. Every few minutes, she checked her phone—she was waiting for a very important phone call.
There was a knock on her office door. “Janet?” Ham Kirk’s voice carried through the door. “You in there?”
“Yes.” With a sigh, Janet rose from her seat and opened the door. She might not agree with him, but Ham Kirk was still her boss.
“May I sit down?” Ham asked gravely.
“Of course.” Perplexed, Janet motioned at a chair across from her desk—Ham Kirk didn’t need to ask her permission to sit down. Janet took a seat in a chair next to Ham’s and waited for him to speak.
“I’m afraid I’ve failed you, Janet,” Ham said in a heavy voice, “You and Dennis.”
“Why?” Janet asked, expecting the worst.
“I was just informed that the investigation into Dennis and Mila’s kidnapping is being put on hold due to some paperwork irregularity. Agent Lang is off the case and the FBI has given Marshal Burke complete authority over the case.”
“But how could they do something like that?”
“Some bureaucratic gibberish about the office of U.S. Marshals having complete jurisdiction over the investigation.”
“I see.” Janet felt as though she’d been hit with a sledgehammer. With everything she knew, she shouldn’t have been blindsided, but it still took her by surprise. Thank goodness she’d spoken to Philip last night and his private contractors were working on getting Dennis, Mila, and Baxter out this very second. She just hoped they’d beat their adversaries to it. “Did they say anything else?”
“No. They are cutting us off completely. I was told there would be a follow up questioning into our conduct for not involving the office of U.S. Marshals earlier.” He shook his head in disbelief. “Their time would be better spent investigating that so called ‘car accident’ during the Kovars’ jail transfer. I failed you, Janet. Both you and Dennis. I should’ve trusted your judgement, but I didn’t. I just couldn’t believe the FBI or the office of U.S. Marshals would be corrupt enough to help the Kovars, but clearly, I was wrong. Sha
me on me for trusting the authorities.”
Janet remained silent, letting Ham beat himself up a bit. The way she saw it, he deserved it for being a jerk earlier. “I didn’t tell them everything, Ham. We still have a leg up,” she said proudly.
“What on earth are you talking about?”
Keeping an eye on her phone, Janet told Ham everything that had happened since Dennis’s abduction. This time she didn’t leave out anything. “Philip hired a private contractor agency—it’s all former FBI guys,” Janet continued. “They are scoping out the warehouse as we speak. As soon as they have the details they need, they’ll move in and get Dennis, Mila, and Baxter out.”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Ham muttered. “You’re one tough cookie, Janet.”
“I learn from the best.”
“Thanks for the compliment, but I don’t deserve it.”
“We all make mistakes, Ham.”
“But I’ve made too many. I let myself get blindsided with the hunt for fame and glory. Running the FBI go-to intelligence agency got to my head. I forgot the real reason why we’re doing this—not for money, or fame, or glory, although those are nice, but to get the bad guys off the street. It may sound naïve, that’s what I’ve spent my whole career doing and I’m not about to stop now.”
“Ham, I think we should wait ’till Philip’s guys have more information for us,” Janet said, worried Ham might do something crazy.
“I’m not going to screw up this time. Marshal Burke won’t know what hit him when I’m done with him. Once Dennis and Mila are safe, I’ll make sure their testimonies are heard by the right people who’ll put the Kovars back behind bars where they belong. I’ll go all the way to the Attorney General if I have to.”
Janet was about to reply when her phone rang loudly. “I have to get this,” she said nervously. “Yes?” She heard Philip’s voice on the other end of the line and nearly jumped. “They got it? I’ll be right over.”
“What happened?” Ham asked.
“The contractors have the audio on the warehouse. They’ve set up a stakeout at an abandoned building nearby. I’m going over there now.”