by Jack Ellison
Femoral artery. Game over, you fuck.
An UZI lay next to the man, forgotten in his blind agony. The other two were staring at their comrade in stunned silence as his wails started to quieten somewhat.
I shot all three in two seconds, the two standing dropped like ragdolls, joining their comrade in a macabre heap. Running to pick up the UZI, I dropped the Tokarev. I didn’t know how many rounds were left, and I wasn’t risking Chloe’s life on the preparedness of a dead Russian KGB agent.
I checked the clip of the UZI. A brass 9mm bullet shone like rose gold at the top of the magazine. A spent clip lay on the floor behind the Russian.
I had 35 rounds of death in the long clip that extended well past the handle. Enough to take out a room of Russians.
Ain’t spraying this at them with Chloe standing in the middle, though.
Chloe
Through the screaming downstairs I’d heard a door smash violently, followed by three loud, clear gunshots. The screaming ceased immediately. Heavy boots thudded along the wooden floor below us ominously. Then a couple loud metallic clicks, followed by silence.
The two remaining men had drawn silver coloured pistols. My captor had a long, brutal knife held at my throat. He backed towards the mattress I’d been seated on moments earlier.
He barked orders in Russian to his henchmen. They stared at him, open mouthed.
He screamed at them in rage. They exchanged glances, and shrugged.
They both ran down the wooden stairs to face Axel. It was over in an instant.
Axel
Shoes thudded on the floor above me. I pointed the Uzi at the top of the stairs in my right hand, steadying what I knew would be horrendous recoil by clasping my left palm over my right wrist.
Two men ran down the stairs, guns held low as they sprinted down.
I didn't even have to aim.
The UZI bucked violently in my hands as I held down the trigger. I sprayed bullets left to right at the men in an indiscriminate hail.
They both tumbled and fell to the floor in a heap, motionless.
I dropped the UZI and drew my short 9mm pistol from my boot, clicking off the safety. I unclipped my combat knife, moving it to the back of my pants, out of sight.
After a moment to ensure the two who’d charged down the stairs were in fact dead, I ran up the stairs two at a time with my gun raised in front of me, ready.
Other than a giant Russian corpse with a huge hole in his head, there was only one man left standing.
And he had Chloe held savagely by her hair, a long knife held inches from her neck.
My heart lurched at the sight of her. Head held high, her gaze defiant. She smiled when she saw me, tears streaming down her lovely cheeks.
I froze. One wrong move and it had all been for nothing. I looked at the Russian, his face was calm. His eyes blazed.
“Axel. How nice that you could join us. I’m sorry I was not able to be more… hospitable. In other circumstances I’m sure I could have offered you a lucrative deal, but alas.” He motioned at the body near my feet.
“Right. If you think I’d ever even consider working for you, think again you slimy fuck. I’m not here for money.” I glanced at Chloe.
“Ah. Aha! I see now. So you are more than just a bodyguard. How very touching.” He sneered.
“And if I kill her now, all of your considerable efforts will be for nothing. Then I will kill you.” His face started to contort, twitching with anger.
“I don’t think so,” I said, calmly, calling his bluff. “You kill her, you got nothing. All of this will be for nothing. Weeks, months of preparation. Promises to your buyer you can’t keep. Debts you can’t pay.” I looked him in the eye. He seethed with rage.
“No. Listen to me. Because I have one final offer for you.” I threw the pistol I was holding down the stairs behind me, the metal clattering loudly on the wooden steps.
“I will give you one chance to kill me, you dirty Russian fuck. I’m unarmed. That was my last gun I just threw away.” I held my hands up.
“Put your fucking hands on your head.” He spat. “Do it!”
I complied. He pushed Chloe away behind him, and she fell to the floor heavily with a thud.
My hands were on my head as he approached suddenly, knife held in his right hand at his waist.
He inched forward as he neared me, incredulous as I stood stock still. His eyes were wide, anger mixed with adrenaline and fear.
The gang leader dropped into a fighting stance, his left arm raised in a guard. He thrust the knife at my gut, punching it forward from his hips, expelling air powerfully as he did so.
I twisted my body to my left, and the knife slashed through air. I reached behind my back to draw my combat knife, and in one fluid movement I brought the knife up into his gut, twisting the knife brutally as I yanked it back.
Amazingly he pivoted as I stabbed him, sending his knife slashing across my chest. He’d swung the blade wildly at my neck in a last ditch attempt to kill me outright. I’d simply leant back, the tip of the blade merely grazing skin, and ripping my t shirt open, revealing bulging muscles beneath.
I stepped back from him, sidestepping to put myself between him and Chloe. I kicked away the gun lying near the big dead Russian as I did so.
The man in front of me struggled to stand, blood pouring from the wound in his gut. Even with immediate medical aid it would still likely be fatal, I knew.
“You fucking bastard. This is my favourite t shirt,” I said calmly as I stood a few meters from him.
He laughed softly. “You Americans think you are so funny. It won’t be funny when my employers find you and kill you! I will be waiting for you in hell!” He began laughing maniacally, blood frothing from his mouth.
It was my turn to laugh, deeply and heartily. He looked up at me, frowning. Blood loss had forced him onto his knees and he held onto a chair behind him for support.
“You mean the rogue government agents who hired you? I don’t think so. Last I heard, two were dead. And the one you were working for, well let’s just say someone I know was onto him. He won’t be alive for much longer.” I shrugged. “Probably already dead, actually.”
The man in front of me was a vision of rage as he stood up through the pain, and took a faltering step towards me.
“You… you fucki…”
He collapsed to the floor, still. I kicked the knife away from his hand as I approached. I checked his pulse. He was dead.
Chloe
Axel had appeared at the top of the stairs like an avenging angel. He was as calm as ever, steady and motionless as he’d taken measure of my captor. My heart swelled at the sight of him, tears flowing from my eyes unashamed.
I’d managed to see the swift and brutal knife fight from my vantage point on the floor. It was over as soon as it had begun. I began weeping uncontrollably with joy as the evil bastard collapsed to the floor.
Strong hands gently raised me from the ground. Blue eyes locked onto mine with deep concern, scanning my body for injury. Big fingers brushed tears from my cheeks.
“Sorry, Chlo’. I let my guard down for one second, and…” His voice cracked, raw with emotion.
“Shut up, you big idiot.” I kissed him passionately, my tongue massaging his as we locked each other in an embrace. He winced as I grabbed his arms with my hands.
I saw blood on his left sleeve. “Its nothing.” He grunted, shrugging. “You should see the other guys.”
I laughed, stress and fear lifting as he held me close. I kissed him again. He grabbed my ass.
“Calm down, Axel.” I leant back, my dainty arms small around his massive neck. “Not now. Vladimir is staring at us!” I pointed to the guy who’d stupidly poked his head out the window earlier.
We both burst out laughing, tears of manic joy pouring down our cheeks.
Chapter Eighteen
Axel
Chloe briefly ran through the kidnap and the proceeding events, the threats from her
captors, the brief call with her Dad.
I tried to apologise again for leaving her alone in the hotel. She shook her head, raising a finger to my lips.
“I said, it doesn’t matter. How were you to know they were in the room?” she said sweetly. “Plus, I was the one who stormed off anyway. Maybe it's me who should be apologising.”
I laughed at her. “Nah, that's alright Chlo’. Can’t blame you for falling in love with me so quick. I am pretty amazing.” I flexed my muscles.
She slapped me on the chest playfully.
“Dad!” Her eyes widened. “He must be worried sick, the poor old bastard!”
She ran to the tablet she’d said was used for the call earlier. It had managed to remain undamaged throughout the brief gun battle, other than a slight spray of Russian blood on the screen.
We both stood together within view of the camera. I had to duck slightly. The call rang for only a second.
“You said thirty mi….” His face unblurred as the connection improved.
“Axel! You… you’re there? What…?”
“I took care of them, Andrew. Did what you paid me to do. Just had a bit of… trouble, back at the hotel. No big deal.”
“No big deal? Haha, no big deal he says!” He sounded manic with relief. I couldn’t imagine the worry he had likely experienced when the call had dropped earlier
“You wonderful, beautiful man! I… I’m trebling your payment. No, quadrupling it! Fuck it, I’m buying you a fucking yacht!”
“No need sir. I don’t like boats, anyway,” I grunted. Chloe giggled.
“I got a contact in Prague. He helped me out earlier,” I said, looking at Andrew with a serious expression.
“Said these guys were working for rogue government agents. They were planning some sort of cyber terrorist attack. That’s why they wanted your software. The money was irrelevant. I think our friend here wanted to retire.”
I paused for a second, jerking my thumb back over my shoulder at the body visible on the corner of the screen.
“Thing is, two of those rogue agents were dead already. An old friend of mine, a French dude, was onto the third. Knew where he was. When to hit him. I just gotta make a phone call, y’know, just to be sure.”
Andrew was staring at me incredulously. Chloe was staring up at me, her eyes wide with adoration as she beamed at me.
“So, this is over. Ain’t no one left to take revenge.”
“You need anything, Axel, you let me know. I mean it. I owe you a favour, big time,” Andrew said, smiling.
“I ain’t joking when I say I’ll remember that, Andrew. Never know when a favour might be useful, right?” He nodded at me.
“I’ll make a call, get a helicopter to you. Get you out of there. I just need to know where you are.”
I gave him the location. He scribbled a few notes.
“Oh Andrew. There is one thing I’d like.” He looked up, eyebrows raised. I grabbed Chloe by her waist, squeezing her against me. She kissed me on the cheek.
Andrew stared, mouth wide. “Oh. Oh I see.” He shrugged. “Axel, you can have my blessing. Just keep her safe.” He laughed. “At least I don’t have to pay you now, anyway!” We all laughed together.
His eyes watered wistfully. “You’d make a great son in law, anyway.”
Chloe gasped.
“Dad!” she shouted with indignation at him.
Chloe
Axel had checked that all of his victims were in fact dead, one by one. I saw how efficient he’d been on his approach the house, arsenal of guns blazing. No one was left alive.
I tried to avoid looking at all the blood and the corpses strewn everywhere. I knew I should be feeling sick, in shock, something more than the pure relief and joy I felt. Maybe it would come in time. They’d all been horrible murderers, which made it easier, I guess.
He grabbed a few guns and my holdall, and took us to the edge of a forest which was only a short jog away. We sat quietly, waiting for the sound of an approaching helicopter.
My stomach was a knot of emotion, and I longed for Axel to take me into his big arms and hold me tight. To make love to me, gently.
But he was antsy, eyes scanning the horizon for sign of movement. Listening out, he scanned the trees behind eyes as we waited.
I folded my arms, smouldering with desire and feeling. My heart lurched in my chest as we heard the unmistakable sound of approaching rotor blades.
Nicely done, Dad.
Axel grabbed my hand and we ran down into the farmland, waving wildly at the helicopter as it approached. The chopper descended slowly and landed gently in the field. My hair blew wildly as we approached. Axel held the door open for me first, taking one last glance at the farmhouse before slipping into the seat next to me.
The pilot nodded at us and pointed to the helmets on the seats in front of us, with microphones attached.
The helicopter was rising already. I felt giddy with relief as the scene of destruction at the farmhouse started to fade into the distance.
We spoke to the pilot and co-pilot through the intercom.
“You boys are a sight for sore eyes,” Axel said, smiling. “Had a bit of trouble down there with some Russians. They ain’t gonna be causing any more trouble now, though.”
The pilot looked down at the farmhouse, shaking his head at Axel’s understatement.
“Where to?” the co-pilot asked us.
Axel looked at me. “Well, we ain’t got any trouble after us now.”
“Wanna go somewhere Chlo’? Up to you, doll. You got international clearance guys?”
The co-pilot gave us the thumbs up.
“Let’s get out of Prague,” I said, having to shout over the noise of the helicopter. “We didn’t have a very warm welcome here. Take us somewhere...swanky.”
Axel
The helicopter ride was loud but comfortable. Chloe lay on my shoulder, dozing. I stroked her hair with a large hand.
I could stop looking down at her pretty face as she slept, with a content smile on her face.
Gonna take care of this girl.
We made good time, the helicopter flying low and direct. The noise of the blades was broken every now and again by the pilot and co-pilot speaking to regional air control centres in clipped, short sentences. Numbers, vectors. I didn’t understand. I just knew we were getting the fuck out of dodge.
I was distracted from staring at Chloe by the co-pilot, who mentioned a few exclusive hotels with helipads in neighboring countries. I told him to take us to the nicest one.
I didn’t think Chloe or her father would worry about the price too much. Not today, at any rate.
I gently woke her as the helicopter touched down. The pilot turned the blades off for our exit, which made it a much more pleasant experience, especially for Chloe with her long hair still unkempt from earlier.
We were greeted by a smartly dressed usher, who stared at us incredulously. Chloe was half asleep, her hair tousled and unkempt from the ordeal at the farmhouse and the helicopter.
My t shirt hung open at my chest, a thin red line running from my hip to my shoulder. He eyed my ripped chest briefly, widening at the sight of the long but shallow wound. Dried blood soaked my left sleeve.
“Welcome, sir. Welcome, madam.” He spoke in perfect English, with a slight accent I didn’t recognise. “Do you have a reservation?”
“No, ‘fraid not. Any penthouse suites free tonight?” I said.
Damn. Ain’t never said that before.
Chloe had procured a black credit card from her bag and waved it at the usher.
He relaxed immediately, smiling warmly at us both.
“Yes, yes. Certainly. Please, follow me.”
Two men in black suits and sunglasses stood at the entrance to the hotel adjacent to the helipad. I felt their gaze on me as we passed. I nodded at them.
Chloe
I stumbled into the hotel, half asleep. I’d dozed at first, but had fallen into a deep sleep, comforted by A
xel’s muscled arm as I rested my head on him.
He was by my side, strong right arm supporting me as we were taken to the nearby penthouse suite. I gave the usher my Dad’s credit card and waved him away.
I had a change of clothes in my bag, and Axel had nothing other than the blood stained clothes he was wearing.
Somehow I don’t think we’ll need many clothes for the next day or so, though...