“How was she?” Vanko was fairly sure none of his turmoil came through as he jumped onto the deck of what appeared to be a mid-size luxury yacht with a dive platform. Appearances were often deceptive. He knew something about yachts, having boarded his share in his undercover drug and sex trafficking days, and Taylor’s had some very sophisticated electronics on board, more than a pleasure yacht would have.
“The young man, Jose, said she was unconscious.” John signaled the driver and the sound of powerful engines broke the peaceful night air. Yeah, way more than a typical pleasure boat. “Demidas met the helo, yelled at Zivon, and carried Elana to his house. Zivon probably sedated her.”
“Elana would’ve fought them.” Vanko fisted his hands as he watched Isla Cay recede behind them. “But I hope she plays it safe. Demidas has hurt her in the past. He doesn’t like being opposed.”
“We’ll get her, Vanko.” Andy squeezed his shoulder.
“But will we get her before…” He couldn’t finish the thought. Stay in control.
He could tell by the looks on the men’s faces, they understood what he’d left unsaid. If Demidas raped her, Elana wouldn’t break. She’d survived before, all alone in a new country. This time, he’d be there to hold her at night, to keep the demons at bay. Of course, Demidas would have to die, very slowly and by Vanko’s hands, and he wouldn’t regret the death at all.
I’m coming, lyubimaya moya. Stay safe.
Chapter 29
Very early Tuesday morning, Demidas’s Island, the Bahamas
Elana kept her eyes shut and her breathing as slow and as normal as possible. It was hard because her heart pounded wildly in her chest and everything primitive in her told her to run. At least her survival mechanisms had flushed the logy feeling out of her mind and body. But then stark raving fear would do that to a person.
He was here. Watching her. Waiting for her to awaken. His vile hunger for her was an ominous presence in the room, threatening to smother her with its evil weight. His unforgettable stench, an alcohol-laden acrid smell, fouled her nasal passages and the remembered taste of him clogged her throat until she thought she’d choke.
Ohgod, ohgod, ohgod.
Stay calm. Breathe. Plan. Wait. Vanko will come.
Yes, Vanko would come, if he could. Crocker had said Vanko was okay, she had to believe that. Just thinking Vanko’s name, visualizing his face, recalling his caring touches and his love for her gave her the strength to rein in her terror.
Even now Vanko and others were using all their resources to find her. Plus, Crocker had still been breathing when she’d been pulled out from under him. He was unconscious from the gas and might’ve been wounded, but was breathing. He had no love for Demidas. He would help if he could, if for no other reason than to get a deal.
All she had to do was survive. She’d done it before, she could do it again. This time recovery would be easier—she’d have Vanko and his love to see her through the aftermath.
“Why isn’t she awake, Ziv?” Demidas’s hated voice hadn’t changed much in all the years. “I warned you about hurting her. She was wounded. You gave her drugs on top of whatever she’d taken for pain. You could have killed her.”
The bastard should know—he sold every filthy addictive drug made and had indirectly killed untold numbers of users of his product.
“The sedative was mild, Sergei.” Zivon used a voice one might use to calm a rabid beast. “She fought me. I did not want her to pull open her wound.”
“Yes, yes…you did right. I apologize, old friend.” Demidas’s vodka-laden breath wisped over her cheek and he touched her hair, stroking her as if she was a pet.
That was how he thought of her: a precious pet. He’d told her so when she was sixteen.
It was all she could do not to cringe away and sob with the potent emotional cocktail sweeping through her veins. Fear. Rage. Hate. Most of all, hate.
“When will the doctor arrive?” He stroked a finger over her naked shoulders.
Naked shoulders? They’d undressed her? Where were her clothes? The knife Crocker had given her was in her jeans pocket, if they hadn’t found it and taken it away, that is. She needed a weapon. She’d kill Demidas before he could hurt her again—she would do it too—then she’d escape and hide until Vanko came to find her.
A plan was always good to have. Even if it was a shitty plan and probably wouldn’t work. Demidas had always bound her to hurt her; she didn’t imagine he’d changed his modus operandi since then. He couldn’t get it up without tying up his sex objects. But even if that plan didn’t work, she’d make another and then another until one did. She refused to remain in this foul beast’s presence any longer than she had to.
“The doctor will be here within the hour.” Zivon’s voice sounded closer. “Sergei, my friend, she is here now, safely with you. You haven’t slept since we heard of her survival. You should take a nap until the doctor comes. I will call you.”
“You are right as always, Ziv.” Demidas kissed her cheek. She kept herself immobile at his vile touch. She had to be alone to escape and hide. She never thought she’d be grateful to Zivon, but he had played right into her plans. “Have little Rosa sit with her. I want to be awakened as soon as she rouses. I definitely wish to be present while the doctor examines her wound.”
“It will be done, Sergei. Now, come, old friend.”
Elana sensed the two men leave her side, only a lessening of dread in the atmosphere around her told her this was so.
Careful, keep calm. Don’t let them know you’re awake.
The whoosh of air and then the snick of a door latch reached her ears. She looked through slitted eyes. No one in front of her. She opened her eyes more widely and chanced turning her head on the pillow. No one in the room.
Letting out a sob of relief, she sat up and balanced herself on bent arms as the room swam around her. Move slowly, dummy. Even though the open French doors to the patio and the jungle beyond beckoned, she wouldn’t be running any time soon especially since she had no clothes. She looked around from her semi-prone position. She needed to find her clothing. She also needed to check and see if the switchblade was still in her jeans’ pocket. If she didn’t get away, she could at least put the weapon under her pillow.
When the room finally stopped swirling, she sat up more fully and let the silk sheet drop to her waist. Yep, she was totally naked. Her bandage was pristine white, and it looked as if someone had changed it while she’d been unconscious. Nausea swept through her at the thought of Zivon and Demidas viewing her nudity.
“Forget it, Ellie, my girl,” she muttered under her breath. “Get your ass up and find that knife.”
She shoved the bedding aside and swung her legs over the side of the tall plantation style bed. She looked down and noted how high off the ground it was and hoped there were steps on the other side. She wasn’t sure she had the strength to crawl back in once she’d achieved her initial mission.
Carefully, she slid off the high bed and leaned against the side until she was sure her legs would hold her. She scanned the room and spotted a door that looked to lead to a walk-in closet. Small step by small step, she walked toward it and was about to enter when a young native girl slid into the room.
“Senorita,” the girl whispered as she quickly closed the door to the hall behind her, “you should not be up.”
“Don’t tell.” Elana didn’t care that her voice sounded weak and pleading. “Please don’t tell.”
The girl shook her head and hurried toward her. “Never. Demidas. He is a pig.” The girl spat on the floor. “My brother Jose and I were to help Senor Peters and his friends, but they are dead they tell me. So, we are helping the others who are coming for you.” All this was said in a fast, low monotone. “I’m Rosa.”
“Is this room bugged?” Elana hadn’t thought before she’d pleaded with the girl.
“No. Other rooms are, but Demidas does not want what goes on in this room to be heard or seen by others.” Rosa
’s face had gone as white as a sheet, and Elana knew the young girl had experienced Demidas’s less-than-gentle lust. They had a bond as Demidas’s victims.
Elana touched Rosa’s shoulder. “He raped me when I was sixteen. That was after he killed my parents in front of me.”
Rosa’s face paled even more with her shock, but she quickly recovered. She came to Elana and helped brace her against her smaller body. “You must get dressed. I have your knife. I found it in your jeans. We need to leave and meet my brother. Jose will hide us on the island until your man and his friends arrive.”
“My man?” Elana let Rosa help her into the walk-in closet the size of most people’s bedrooms. Demidas’s clothing lined two-thirds of the walls, but the other third held clothing for her. “God, this clothing is…” she searched for a word and could only come up with, “…skanky.”
Rosa threw a look of antipathy at the contents of the closet. “Yes, his taste is bad. There are jeans, though, and simple tops. Sit here. I will help you dress.” The smaller girl helped her to a padded bench.
“We have to hurry.” Elana’s voice cracked with fear and urgency. “A doctor is coming soon.”
“The doctor is my uncle and he is not coming.” Rosa looked up from helping Elana get her legs into a pair of jeans. “The only ones coming are your man and his friends. And that will be soon. We must be away from the house before then. Demidas has his own men to protect him. There could be much fighting, understand?”
“Yes.” Elana understood only too well. Demidas had brought his personal security force; the men were loyal only to him and there would be no desertions. Vanko and whoever was with him would have their hands full against the battle-hardened criminals. He could be killed. Fear hit her stomach like a fist. No. No. Can’t think that way.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Vanko will come to the house to find me. We have to let him know I won’t be here.”
“Jose will tell them.” Rosa grinned. “He is the butler here. He runs this place when Demidas is not here. He has fixed it so your rescuers can get onto the island secretly.”
Rosa helped her into a simple, sleeveless white blouse. “Here are some sandals.” The girl knelt at her feet and buckled them. She stood and removed the switchblade from her pocket and handed it to Elana. “Your knife. Let’s go, yes?”
“Yes, and thank you for helping me.”
“De nada, senorita,” said Rosa.
Elana took the knife and slipped it into the front jeans pocket. She let out a breath and realized how much stronger she felt dressed and armed. The psychological feeling of being somewhat in control plus the effects of the adrenaline in her bloodstream were amazing. “How will we leave? By the terrace?”
“No, that passes by the room where Demidas is sleeping.”
“Is he really sleeping?” Elana asked as she followed Rosa to a panel in the closet which slid open silently after Rosa keyed in a code.
“I slipped a sleep drug into his vodka bottle.” The girl smiled. “He always drinks before he naps.”
“If he drank it.” Elana was worried. With her here, he might not want the effects of vodka to dull his senses. He never drank the whole time he had her the last time, and while he had some vodka on his breath when he kissed her, he would not chance more before he raped her. “We can’t count on that.”
“We aren’t.” Rosa patted Elana’s arm. “This is why we are taking the tunnel into the jungle. My brother will meet us.”
Elana grasped Rosa’s arm and squeezed. “How can I repay you for all you’re doing?” Rosa and Jose were risking their lives, because Demidas would kill them and not quickly for helping her escape.
“Your man ridding us of Demidas is enough payment. Now, stay close. Hold onto my shoulders.”
Elana followed the girl into the tunnel. It was lit by LED string lighting near the floor. The walkway sloped gently downwards then leveled off. “What are we going under?”
“The main house, the housing for the men, and the hanger for the helicopter.” They came to a crossing with three potential routes. Rosa went right. “The other two tunnels exit into the barracks and the hanger.”
Elana had never thought she was claustrophobic, but found it hard to breathe. The air was stale, tepid, and humid. “How much longer?”
Rosa must have heard the panic in her voice, because she looked over her shoulder and smiled reassuringly. “Not much. We can stop if you need to rest.”
“No…no. I need fresh air.” And open space. The sooner, the better.
“We are almost there.” Rosa walked faster and Elana let out a mewl of relief.
In maybe five minutes, she spotted a door. “Is that the exit?”
“Yes.” Rosa entered a code into a key pad and the door slid open. A young dark-skinned man who looked a lot like Rosa stood there. “This is my brother Jose.”
Elana offered her hand to the young man. “Thank you, Jose.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Your man has not arrived. And already the alert has been sounded for your disappearance. Demidas did not drink.” Jose shot his sister a worried glance. “I will hide you both and then go to the rendezvous site. Ziv is on the prowl. Demidas is roaring like an angry bull.”
“Ziv won’t hurt me, Jose,” Rosa murmured. “He likes me.”
“He likes Demidas more,” Jose insisted.
“Your brother’s correct. Zivon is loyal to the bone to Demidas. He’d kill you in an instant.” Elana gripped the younger woman’s hand. “Trust me on that.”
Rosa nodded, but her eyes held disbelief. She turned to her brother. “What are you waiting on, Jose? Demidas’s men could be in the tunnels even now.”
Grim-faced, Jose shut the door and used a rock to destroy the mechanism. “They won’t get out that door easily. Come.” He walked into the thick jungle. Only the small LED flashlight in his hand lit his way in the early morning darkness and revealed what looked to be a path that might have been cleared at one time, but was now invaded by the thick tropical foliage.
Elana held onto Jose’s waistband and Rosa held onto hers as they moved ever deeper into the tangled undergrowth of the island’s tropical rain forest. They moved quickly, an almost electric urgency connecting the three. She strained to hear sounds of pursuit, but only heard the calls of jungle creatures disturbed by their presence.
Shuddering, she resolutely put bugs, snakes, and four-legged predators out of her mind. She had more than enough to worry about with the two-legged kind hunting them. A whole football team could be scrimmaging fifty feet away and she wouldn’t be able to see or hear them…or do a damn thing about them. The heat and humidity had quickly sapped what little strength Elana had. She felt as limp as an overcooked noodle. And useless.
But she refused to utter a word of complaint or slow Jose and Rosa down. She’d rather die of dehydration in the jungle and be snacked on by jungle scavengers than ever be near Demidas again.
The few minutes she’d been in his presence, had been two minutes too many.
As sweat dampened her body, she concentrated on placing one foot at a time. After a while the pain in her calves indicated they’d been climbing almost since they’d left the tunnel. No wonder she was having such a hard time, not all of her weakness was due to the heat, humidity, and her condition.
When Jose finally stopped, she ran into his back. She’d been so focused on just breathing and staying upright and walking.
“You okay, Senorita Elana?” Jose grasped her upper arms and steadied her.
“Water would help.” And a shower. Clean dry clothes. A day of rest, in bed, with Vanko. Hey, she might as well dream big.
“I think I can help with that.” Jose’s smile shone brightly in the moonlit early morning.
Moonlight? She finally noticed it wasn’t as dark as it had been. They now stood in a rocky clearing. The sound and smell of water was all around them. The moonlight reflected over a large grotto. At the far end, a waterfall splashed into the sma
ll body of water before it ran over another drop off and maybe to the sea which glimmered in the distance.
The young Bahamian waved his hand. “Water. It is safe to drink from the waterfall. Do not drink from the grotto. Animals drink and bathe there. It is safe to swim in, though.”
He took one of her arms and pulled her around the edge of the grotto toward the far end where the waterfall was located. “Come. You can shelter in a cave behind the waterfall. There is a path leading to the small cave. I will then take another branch of the path upwards alongside the falls to go to meet your rescuers on the other side of this hill.”
“Thank you.” Elana gripped his arm and squeezed.
“No problem.” He led her behind the waterfall with Rosa following them into a cozy cave just big enough for three to four people. “There is fresh food and some other things to make your stay here more comfortable.” He lit a small lantern which set the damp rock walls to shimmering and then turned to his sister and hugged her. “Stay with Senorita Elana. Do not think just because Ziv is nice to you in bed that he is a nice man. He is not. Trust me, little sister.”
Rosa nodded, but Elana noted the stubborn look that crossed the girl’s face and sighed. She’d have to keep an eye on Rosa. After all these two had done to help, she wouldn’t allow Rosa to be lured by Zivon’s false promises. Elana still remembered how he’d used her as a shield during the gunfight twelve years ago. Maybe she’d show Rosa the bullet wound on her shoulder and tell her just what kind of man Zivon really was.
“We’ll watch out for each other, Jose.” Elana caught the young man’s gaze. He did a chin lift in acknowledgment and waved his hand before he moved onto a path only a goat would love and began to scramble up the rocky incline to the top of the hill from which the waterfall originated.
Elana turned to Rosa. “Shall we see what your brother has in the cooler and those bags? I need food.” And pain meds, but she’d deal. The adrenaline that had gotten her out of bed, through the tunnel, and up the hill to this place of safety was gone. She was exhausted. Food would help, and please God, caffeine.
Weather the Storm (Security Specialists International #3) Page 28