by Ruff, K. S.
He sighed as he turned toward his brother. “How do you see this all working out, Rafael? You’re sleeping with the woman I love. Are you going to bring her to family reunions… expect me to hold your children on my knee when they should have been mine to begin with? You can’t expect me to stand by and watch you kiss her… sleep with her… make love to her when you are in my home.”
Rafael shook his head. “When have we ever had a family reunion? God, Michael, I barely even know you. You grew up in that stupid boarding school. I only saw you when you came back to Portugal for the holidays. You were away at university when our parents were murdered. I had no one, Michael… no one to help me through that. Sure, you came for the funeral, but then you left just like everyone else.”
Michael opened his mouth to speak, then quickly snapped it shut.
Rafael began pacing across the terrace. “You have always been so self-absorbed, so oblivious to the needs of other people. Then you drag me into this obsession… this thing you had with Kristine. You asked me to watch over her, to protect her, while you were here getting this place in order. You led me to believe that she loved you, that you simply had a falling out. Then you kidnapped her and brought her here against her will. I didn’t even know you were planning to kidnap her until the day you did it! I thought you were going to talk with her, work out your differences, then bring her here willingly. That was the plan, Michael. That was the sane thing to do, and you screwed it all up.”
Michael shook his head. “Kristine did love me. She agreed to marry me, and she chose to stay here.”
Rafael stopped pacing as he folded his arms across his chest. “You didn’t give her any other choice. You took her away from everything she knew and loved. You controlled everything she was exposed to, and you manipulated her until she relented.” Rafael paused as he reached inside his jacket. His phone was vibrating against the inside pocket. He glanced at the Caller ID before accepting the call. “Ethan, this isn’t a good time.”
“You need to get over here, now.”
Rafael’s blood turned to ice. He clenched the phone. “What’s going on?”
“Kristine’s gone. Someone has taken her and her friend, Shae. Brady and I are both stuck in the hospital. Four men approached us at the ruins in Sevastopol. That’s the last thing I remember. They hit us with tranquilizers. Then they broke both of our legs. We were out for hours, Rafael. She’s been missing for hours, and we have no friggin’ clue where she’s at.” Ethan paused as he tried to calm down. Then he lost it. “For Christ’s sake, Rafael. Get your ass over here!”
Rafael’s eyes locked on Michael, who was now watching him intently. “Do you have Maxim’s phone number or the number to any of his men?”
Ethan sighed in frustration. “No. They were constantly around. We never had a reason to exchange phone numbers.”
Rafael froze. “Where are they now?”
Ethan groaned. “I have no clue. Maxim had some foreign policy meeting in Simferopol that he couldn’t get out of, so he sent Konstantin with us. There were some jurisdictional issues, so they couldn’t use the same security detail they had in Simferopol. They had to involve the mafia in Sevastopol. The new security detail was supposed to meet us at the ruins, but this went down before anyone showed up. Konstantin was with us at the ruins, but I have no idea where he is now. He could be the one who has them, he could be here in the hospital, or he could be dead for all I know.”
Rafael’s jaw clenched. “Do what you can from the hospital. Try to track down Maxim. Ask the hospital staff if they can put you in touch with someone from the mafia. Get Brady on it too. Call me as soon as you get a number.” Rafael disconnected the call. He glowered at Michael. “I want the jet fueled and a flight plan cleared for Sevastopol, Ukraine. Now.”
He turned his back on Michael as he began dialing his phone. “Kadyn. Rafael. I’m on my way to Ukraine. Kristine’s missing. I had security on her, but they’ve been disabled. I think she’s been kidnapped. Can you meet me in Sevastopol?”
The line was silent.
“Kadyn!”
“I heard you. Give me two seconds to process what you said. I need to think this through!”
“What the hell do you need to think through? Kristine’s missing. In Ukraine! The mafia has been all over her since she arrived, her room was bugged, and the government has been monitoring her. Do you have any idea what they could be doing to her?”
“I need to clear my schedule with my superiors. I’m military. I have a chain of command to answer to. I can’t just drop everything and go. I’ll get it done. I just need a few minutes to do it. I’ll call you as soon as I lock in a flight to Ukraine.” Kadyn didn’t wait for a response. He simply disconnected the call.
Michael stood slack-jawed in front of Rafael. His face was void of all color. “The Russian mafia has Kristine?”
Rafael glared at Michael. “I need that plane, now!”
Michael pulled the phone from his pocket. He scrolled through his list of contacts and hit send. “Have the jet fueled and a flight plan cleared for Sevastopol, Ukraine immediately. I want the plane ready to depart in twenty minutes.”
Rafael followed Michael back through the house. He started toward the front door, then turned in confusion when Michael disappeared inside his office. Rafael followed him into the office. His eyes narrowed when he saw Michael shoving his passport and laptop into a briefcase. “What are you doing?”
Michael began digging through his desk drawers. “I’m going with you.”
Rafael’s fists clenched. “The hell you are.”
Michael stilled as he glared at Rafael. “That’s my jet. If you want to use it, then you’re taking me.”
Rafael’s voice hardened. “I can handle this more effectively if you’re not there.”
Michael unlocked a file drawer. He grabbed a couple of folders and shoved them inside his briefcase. “I’m going. End of discussion.”
Rafael closed the distance between them. “This is the Russian mafia we’re talking about. Hell, I don’t even know if it’s the mafia that has her. She could be in the hands of the KGB for all I know. This is far beyond anything you’re equipped to deal with, Michael. I’ve been trained for this. I know how to deal with terrorists.”
Michael shoved past Rafael as he strode toward the door. “If you knew how to deal with terrorists, then you would know that you’re going to have to pay an immense amount of money to get her out of there. As it so happens, I have access to an immense amount of money… far more than you. You’re going to need access to that money. So I’m going.”
* * * * * *
Rafael and Michael arrived in Sevastopol seven hours later. Rafael listened to his messages while Michael lined up a rental car. He glanced at Michael when he returned with the keys. “Kadyn should be here in six hours. He got my message about buying a SIM card at the airport in Kiev.”
Michael looked at his watch. “It’s just after midnight, so that should put him here sometime around six a.m.”
Rafael nodded as he shoved the phone into his pocket. He reached for his duffel bag. He swung it over his shoulder as they walked toward the rental lot. “Ethan managed to track down Maxim. He confirmed that Konstantin was attacked at the ruins. He sustained a head injury and two broken legs. They’re in the same hospital. Ethan texted me the address, so I say we head over there.”
Michael tossed Rafael the keys as they approached the car.
Rafael threw his duffel bag in the back before he slid behind the steering wheel. He turned the key in the ignition and eyed the GPS. “I hope this thing works.”
Michael glanced at Rafael in surprise when the GPS accepted the address Rafael typed in. “Well, that certainly appears promising.”
Rafael followed the GPS as it navigated them into Sevastopol. He pulled into the hospital parking lot a few minutes later. He parked the car and dialed Ethan. “We’re out front. Are they going to let us inside the hospital at this hour?”
�
�Some of Maxim’s men are sitting outside waiting for you. You can’t miss them. They’re dressed entirely in black. They’ll get you inside the hospital and bring you up to my room.”
Rafael disconnected the call. He nodded toward a group of men. “They’re the guys who are going to get us in. Please, let me do the talking.”
Michael’s eyes glinted with frustration.
Rafael sighed. “Look, you’re the only family I’ve got left, Michael. I don’t like the fact that you’re here. I don’t want you getting hurt any more than I want Kristine getting hurt. I’ve already seen too many people I love get killed. Please, just let me handle this.”
Michael’s eyes softened as he relented. “Fine. You take the lead for now, but when it’s time to talk money, you let me handle it.”
Rafael nodded his agreement. They stepped out of the car and walked toward four men who were smoking cigarettes in front of the hospital. Rafael stopped just short of the men. “Dlya Maksima Markova vy rabotaete?”
The men silently studied Michael and Rafael. One of them stepped forward. He snuffed his cigarette on the pavement with his boot. “You must be Rafael. Maxim’s been expecting you.”
Rafael crooked his head as he examined the guy. “Do you have a name?”
“I’m Lev… and this is?” He nodded toward Michael.
Rafael widened his stance. “This is my brother, Michael.”
Michael’s face was passive. He nodded once.
Rafael studied the other men. “Is Maxim here?”
Lev shook his head. “No. He had some business to tend to. He’ll be here in a few hours. He wants you to stay here until he gets back. He should have some information on Kristine and Shae by the time he returns.”
Rafael’s jaw clenched. “How do I know Maxim isn’t responsible for this?”
Lev shook his head. “Maxim doesn’t have her. He was in a foreign policy meeting in Simferopol when she was taken. I was with him when he heard she was missing… and it wasn’t pretty.”
Rafael exchanged glances with Michael. “I’d like to talk to my men.”
Lev nodded. “I’ll take you up to see them.” He turned to the other three men. “Continue monitoring the entrance. If anyone tries to gain access to the building, photograph his ID and text it to me.”
Rafael and Michael followed Lev up to the third floor. The hospital staff didn’t say a word as they passed by. A number of men, who were dressed like Lev, were standing in the lobby and near the stairwells. Rafael counted eight additional men in black when they exited the stairwell to the third floor. They walked by a room where four men stood guard. The men studied them curiously.
Lev nodded toward the room. “One of ours was injured.”
Rafael nodded. “Konstantin?”
Lev glanced at him in surprise. “Yes.”
“Ethan told me he was at the ruins with them. Is he going to be okay?” Rafael asked, pausing outside the door.
Lev looked perplexed, as if he wasn’t quite certain what to make of Rafael’s concern for Konstantin. “Both of his legs are broken. He was hit in the head and hasn’t regained consciousness yet,” he responded as they continued walking down the hallway.
“I hope he makes it,” Rafael replied. “Kristine spoke highly of him, and I understand he’s been dating her friend, Shae.”
“Yes. He’s not going to handle the news of her disappearance very well when he wakes up, especially since he was in charge of their security.” Lev stopped just outside a room where two men stood guard. “Ethan is in there. Brady is down the hall, where those other two men are standing guard.”
Rafael nodded. “Thanks.”
Lev stayed in the hallway when Michael and Rafael entered the room.
Rafael catalogued his friend’s injuries. His face was bruised and scraped along one side. Both of his legs were in casts and elevated in slings that hung suspended from the ceiling. “You look like shit.”
Ethan smiled. “It’s about time you got here.”
Rafael approached the bed. “What did Maxim say when you talked to him?”
Ethan tried to sit up. “He thinks it’s the SVR, but no one’s claiming responsibility.”
Michael set his briefcase on the chair before approaching the bed. “The SVR?”
Ethan glanced questioningly at Rafael.
Rafael adjusted Ethan’s pillows and helped him sit up. “It’s fine. Michael’s my brother.”
Ethan nodded as he shifted his attention to Michael. “The SVR is Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service... essentially they’re KGB.”
Michael’s jaw clenched. “If the KGB has her…”
Ethan nodded. “Then she’s in a world of hurt.”
* * * * * *
Lev had just gotten Brady moved into Ethan’s room when Kadyn arrived.
Rafael shook his hand. “Thanks for coming, Kadyn.” He motioned toward the two beds. “That’s Ethan and this is Brady. They work for my security firm. I assigned them to Kristine when she left for Ukraine.”
Kadyn nodded politely. He studied Ethan and Brady. “What happened?”
“They were attacked when Kristine and Shae were taken,” Rafael responded. He nodded toward Michael. “That’s Michael.”
Kadyn froze. “Michael… as in your brother, Michael? The one who kidnapped Kri?”
Ethan and Brady exchanged glances.
Rafael stood between Kadyn and Michael. “Yes.”
Kadyn’s eyes hardened. “What the hell is he doing here?”
Michael scowled as he rose from the chair. “I…”
“He’s here to help negotiate Kristine’s release,” Rafael interjected.
Kadyn glared at Michael. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you for what you did to Kri.”
Rafael widened his stance. “You’re not killing him, not if you want Kristine to leave this country alive.”
“So, which one of you is the boyfriend?” Maxim asked as he leaned against the frame of the door.
“I am,” all three men replied.
Maxim looked up from his cell phone. He silently studied the three men. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Now this is interesting.” He rubbed his jaw in mock concentration. “Now, let’s see here. You’re the boyfriend,” he nodded toward Rafael, “you’re the ex-fiancé,” he nodded toward Michael, “and you are... hmm. You appear to be the dark horse.”
Kadyn folded his arms across his chest. “I’m Kadyn Rand.”
Maxim looked amused. “Funny how Kristine never mentioned you, Kadyn Rand.”
Kadyn’s jaw clenched. “And you are?”
Maxim laughed. “Maxim Markov.” He slid his phone into his pocket as he shifted his attention to Michael. “So you’re Michael, the man who broke Kristine’s heart… the man who’s ruined her for everyone else.”
Rafael’s eyes remained locked on Maxim as he raised his hand to silence Michael. “We don’t have time to debate Kristine’s relationship with Michael. She has been missing for seventeen hours. We need to find out who has her and negotiate her release.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Do you know who took Kristine?”
The smile slid from Maxim’s face. “Yes. The SVR has taken Kristine and Shae to an undisclosed location for questioning. They’re trying to get the SBU to press charges against them.”
Kadyn’s eyebrows furrowed. “What do those acronyms stand for?”
Every man in the room responded. “KGB.”
Kadyn stilled. “The Russian mafia doesn’t have her?”
Maxim gave him an incredulous look. “You aren’t very bright are you? I am the Russian mafia… and no, I don’t have her.”
Kadyn’s fists clenched. “What would the KGB want with Kristine?”
Maxim walked to the window. He stared out at the early morning sun. “The SVR has been following Kristine and her team since they first arrived in Ukraine. They’ve been looking for an excuse to detain them. According to my sources in the SBU, Shae was taking p
ictures of the Russian Naval Fleet when they were at the ruins. The SVR seized their cell phones and discovered a picture of Kristine surrounded by U.S. military personnel. They are now claiming the two women are American spies.”
Michael joined him at the window. He glanced outside before staring intently at Maxim. “That’s ridiculous. Kristine isn’t a spy.”
“The SVR knows these women aren’t spies,” Maxim responded without turning from the window.
Kadyn met Maxim’s gaze in the window. “Then why are they doing this?”
Maxim sighed. “My guess is they’re trying to further some political agenda for Russia. Tensions have been high between Russia and Ukraine. Russia is deeply opposed to Ukraine’s efforts to join NATO. Ukraine is expanding an oil pipeline that will threaten the Russian economy, and we are renegotiating the presence of their naval fleet in the Black Sea, which could compromise Russia’s military power.”
Michael raked his hand over his face. “What does any of this have to do with Kristine?”
Maxim turned to face Michael. “I think the SVR will use this kidnapping to force our prime minister and our minister of foreign affairs to adjust Ukraine’s position on one of these issues.”
Kadyn stared slack jawed at Maxim. “Why would they revise their foreign policy in exchange for Kri’s release?”
Maxim glanced at Ethan and Brady before responding. “Kristine has become quite popular since arriving in Ukraine. The prime minister met Kristine at a fundraiser and developed a fondness for her. He recently offered her a position with the ministry of foreign affairs, and this offer made the news. Her visits to the children’s hospital and the orphanage in Simferopol made the news, and her work at the university made the news. The Ukrainian people will be outraged if anything happens to her, and if this kidnapping makes international news, it will make Ukraine look very bad.”
“I’ve been collecting the news articles. Lev retrieved them from the car. They’re sitting right here.” Brady nodded toward a pile of papers sitting on the nightstand near his bed.