by KJ Dahlen
The men all turned to stare at her.
Shrugging, she stared back. “They always thought I was the dumb one. As I’d never been talkative or stood out, like my brother and father did. They thought I was one who knew nothing about what was going on. Too dumb and a female besides.”
“When in fact, you knew more than anyone there,” Felix stated.
“Alert and aware.” Abby nodded. “I did it to be safe and to stay out of harm’s way as they didn’t seem interested in protecting me as a child or a teen. All my knowledge went to waste though, as they never let me show them I could do things.”
“Well, now you are showing them!” Sergi laughed with satisfaction, then he looked over at Grisha, Deter and Viktor.
They all three gave him a nod and left the suite.
“Where are they going?” Abby wanted to know.
“To catch a drone, I imagine,” Yuri replied.
Chapter Fifteen
After hearing about the boarding house raid, Pavel and Andric set themselves up in a hotel. They used Andric’s truck, which was a good thing they had it. In it was most of what Andric needed in his tool box behind the truck’s back window.
Pavel felt excited. Andric had built the ultimate surprise. In a few minutes, they would launch it then track it. They knew where they could wait, a street over in a parking lot. They would get a straight view from there while using binoculars.
Sitting in the truck, in the lot they felt safe enough that no one would notice them.
Andric smiled widely as he nudged Pavel. “There it is.”
Pavel looked down at the hand held device. “That little green dot?”
“Da, and that dot is your weapon. Our weapon against these Bratva pigs. I can’t wait to see the top of the building go up in flames.”
Pavel nodded. “Well, this is our cue to move closer.
Andric’s face paled a bit. “Get closer?” His eyes widened. “T-to them? Oh no, they have men all over that hotel.”
Pavel shook his head. “How do you think we will set the others free? We go in when the bomb causes all the hotel guests to flood out through the exits.” He plopped a wig onto his scraggly looking head. Then a hat and sunglasses. “Where’s your disguise?”
Andic stared at him in his get up. “My what?”
Pavel let out a heavy disgusted sounding sigh. “Don’t you ever listen?”
“I make the devices. I don’t do hands on or rescues. I am behind the scenes—”
Pavel stuck the barrel of his Makarov right up against his nose. “I need another man and you are the only one left. Do you want your 500k or not?”
Andric went still. “W-what do you want me to do?”
Just then, a loud boom went off and they both turned their heads to look.
“No!” Andric cried out as they both watched debris from the drone bomb float down to the streets.
“They shot it down?” Pavel asked in disbelief. “But how did they even...” His voice fell away as he realized how. “If it is the last thing I ever do... I will slit Abby’s fucking throat.”
“What do we do now?” Andric asked.
Pavel scowled. “You got flammables in the tool box, right?”
“Yeah, but—”
“Get a mixture, so I can set a fire,” Pavel urged.
“Then what?” Andric asked while looking skeptical.
“We get inside while the place is burning. Come on, you idiot!” Pavel hopped out of the truck.
Andric got out on his side and opened the tool box. He gathered what they needed then they both strolled through the lot.
“We go into the back alley,” Pavel instructed as he moved the large trench coat he wore aside while he walked.
“What if they see us?” Andric asked.
“They’re going to be too busy.” He halted just outside the alley that faced the hotel that set across the street. Reaching into his coat, Pavel brought out a long metal tube.
Andric paused and stared at him opened mouthed.
Pavel snickered as he screwed it into another piece he took out of the other side of the trench.
“Oh, Bylad!” Andric swore in Russian.
Pavel kept grinning as he clicked the pieces in place and then raised it to his shoulder. “It is already loaded up.”
“B-but... you will kill people Pavel!” Andric said in a shaky voice.
“Yeah, well they shouldn’t have messed with Pavel Zohra.”
Andric dropped the fire starter kit to the asphalt and took off running back toward the parking lot. “You are insane!”
Pavel knew he would kill Andric later, so he could get his split of the bankroll. The fucking coward. Just like the rest of them. He was the only real courage of the group.
Pavel grinned and let off the small rocket launcher. It knocked him back a few feet onto his ass. But he laughed as the lobby glass of the hotel blew out and pieces of the building spat out to the sides onto the front entryway.
He got up, grabbed the fire kit then headed to the side street and stood for a few minutes waiting for the melee to start. Andric didn’t know it, but the fire kit had been for Pavel’s escape later on, not to get in.
Finally, when he saw cops and firetrucks pull up and people coming out of the hotel, he moved forward.
He shucked of his trench and dropped it next to a dumpster. Then he got in through a lower window that had been blown out of a laundry room. Climbing up onto the washer there, he got into the air duct system. It would only take a short time to get to the upper shaft then to the cell room. He crawled for twenty minutes until he stopped then peeked down through the shaft. Yeah, some tough Bratva these guys were, they did have AC for their prisoners.
He waited and peeked sideways to see that only the prisoners were in the room. They all looked excited too.
“It’s Pavel. I just know it is!” Greta was telling them. “I told you he would come!”
Anton snorted at this statement. “Yeah, I will believe it when I see—”
Pavel knocked the vent out and it hit the cement.
All the cell occupants stared up at the open vent in the ceiling.
“See?” Greta nodded while looking even younger than she had a few minutes ago with her excitement.
They all stared as he jumped down and rolled on the floor.
“Well, Bylad!” Boris yelled.
“Shh!” Greta hushed him.
“Bah, there are no guards, they all ran off when that bomb hit!” Boris stated.
“It was my rocket launcher,” Pavel stated as he stood up. “Right through the hotel lobby.” He beamed.
“Well damn, Pavel. I never knew you had it in you!” Anton laughed.
Pavel took something out of his vest. It was a lockpik kit.
“Yes!” Greta clapped. “We will be free!”
Pavel smiled at her and then went to her cell door first.
“Hey!” Anton yelled. “Get us out first!”
Pavel shook his head. “Wife first. Don’t you have any honor?”
“No he doesn’t, and neither do you. Pavel,” Boris joked.
Pavel snickered then paused to look over at the main door. “We don’t have much time I’ll bet.”
Greta glared at him. “Well stop talking and start—”
Pavel raised his hand up. “Shut up.”
Greta gasped and glared at him.
“You have bossed me enough.”
“Well, please let me out?” she amended.
“Not until we all hear the password for the account.” He took out the main pick and raised it up.
“You cannot be serious!” she hissed.
“I am.” Pavel stared back at her.
“Good going, Pavel,” Sajeff cheered.
“Da, we should all know this password,” Boris added.
“Very smart there Pavel.” Even Anton seemed impressed.
“B-but if they all hear it...” Greta looked lost for once in her life.
“Then they do.
It belongs to us all. They wouldn’t be here if they weren’t part of this and they were working just as hard to free you.”
Greta swallowed heavily, as she hesitated and wrung her hands.
Pavel stepped over to the other cell door. “Ok then. I free the men first.”
Greta’s jaw dropped. “You wouldn’t!”
“I would. I am tired of you being the boss. I let them out then we will let you out and see if we can ALL get that password from you.”
Greta again gasped loudly. “Ok! Ok.”
Pavel stepped over to her cell again.
“It is Sergi Constantine.”
Pavel blinked his eyes at her. “What?”
“You heard me. I used his name as all one word. No one would have thought his name would be the pass!”
Pavel stared at her then he laughed. “You are lying!”
Shaking her head, she denied it. “Net. You know me. So you know I would do such a thing.”
He paused.
“So let me out!” she screamed at him.
“No, us first!” Anton yelled. “Leave her here. You can get a younger wife. A new one!”
Pavel raised a brow at his supposed friend. “Maybe?”
“MAYBE?!” Greta shouted. “How can you say such a thing?”
Pavel shook his head as he laughed and turned away.
“Wait!” she yelled. “Where are you going?”
“Da! What about us?” Anton shouted to his retreating back.
“Pavel!” Boris called to him.
“No Pavel, don’t leave us here!” Sajeff pleaded.
Pavel laughed as he took the pick and worked on the cell door lock. “You all know who I am. What I am. How can you be at all surprised? No worries though, I will enjoy the money for you.” He finally got the door unlocked.
Pavel ignored their pleas as he intended to head upstairs and slit Abby’s throat before he left here. He’d already evaded these morons twice now. Third time will be the charm and she will finally be dead.
“No! Don’t leave us here!” Boris repeated.
“Pavel!” Greta screamed as she saw he intended to leave her to Bratva Justice.
Ho opened the door.
Standing there was Sergi Constantine himself. The leader of Bratva raised his gun and aimed it at Pavel’s forehead.
CONCLUSION
Felix raced out of the suite after Sergi. “Sir, you cannot face this man yourself!”
Sergi kept marching toward the hall to the cell floor. “The hell I can’t. I owe the man a mortal wound after all that he has done! Did you see the god dammed lobby?”
“Yes, sir, but you cannot...”
Their voices went out of range as Abby stared at the open door.
All the other men had left when the bomb or whatever it was her granddad had used, tore a hole into the hotel.
Abby looked around and spotted one of the men’s guns on the table. Grabbing it, she headed out after them. She could feel that Pavel was near and his thoughts were of killing her. God only knew that she always felt it when he intended to come and beat on her and this was no different.
Following them down, she kept back a bit.
Felix had given up on talking his boss out of his intentions and he had his weapon out as he tried to get in front of Sergi to no avail.
The door to the cell room opened up right as Sergi got to it.
Pavel stood there and sneered at Sergi then at his weapon. “You won’t shoot me in cold blood! You are pathetic as your own Bratva honor won’t allow you to shoot an unarmed man.”
Then a shot rang out.
With a surprised yell, Pavel fell to the floor in agony. “Ahhh, you shot me!” He peered up at Sergi as he held his bloody chest. “How could you shoot an unarmed man?”
Sergi looked stunned, but he still held his gun on the downed man.
Felix turned around as he’d heard the gun fire come from behind him.
Abby stepped out of the shadows and went around Felix. “I shot you old man! You are a lair and always have been. You lied to everyone your whole miserable life!” She looked up at Felix. “Check him. He is not unarmed.
Felix moved over and knelt down as Pavel groaned in pain. He checked his pockets and indeed pulled out the Makarov.
Pavel yelped in pain. “She’s finally murdered me! I am dying!”
“Good riddance you selfish pig!” Greta shouted from her cell. “I hope it hurts and I hope you go to hell!”
Abby looked up at her grandmother, then over at the other men.
They all stared down at Pavel with hatred in their eyes.
Abby strode forward. “So, you all finally learned.”
They all swiveled their hate filled gazes to her.
“I knew since I was five.” Abby nodded as she met all their glares with one of her own. “He only thought of himself ever. He left me downtown at a bus station when I was just five years old. He said he wanted a drink. I was there all night.” She turned and actually kicked Pavel.
He screamed in pain.
Turning back, she stared at her grandmother. “And you never even cared! What kind of human being are you! I got home by the kindness of strangers. And you know what Pavel told them? That I had run away! He told them a pack full of lies. Then...” She stared down at the old man bleeding on the floor. “What did you do after you shut the front door on that kind couple who brought me home?”
Pavel whined and shook his head.
Stepping forward, Abby raised the gun in her hand. Then pointed it down at Pavel. “Tell the truth for once in your life!”
Pavel sniffed and rolled onto his back. “I beat you like you deserved! All right? Is that want you want me to say?”
“Yes...” She cocked the gun. “You finally tell the truth. I couldn’t go to school for three days. I couldn’t even walk.” She clicked the trigger.
Pavel jumped at the metallic click as he cried like a baby.
Felix stared at Abby.
She shrugged. “I knew the chamber was empty.” She gazed back down at her pathetic excuse for a grandfather. “I don’t want to kill you, Gramps. I want the Bratva to do those honors.” She stepped over him and hooked her arm into Felix’s.
“You little bitch!” Greta screamed. “How can you turn us over like that? We are your fam—”
“Shut. Up!” Abby shouted back. “That word should never cross your nasty lips, old woman. You know nothing of family. You were going to turn me over to this sexual deviant!” Abby pointed at Anton. “Was that what family would do? You know what he would have done to me. You knew! Or was it what you taught me the last time you beat me with that cane of yours? After I brought you dinner and you said, it was cold? Beat me, that is all you and Pavel ever did. But I am free now. Free!”
Greta sneered at her.
“And guess what Grandma?” Abby asked as she met her grandmother’s eyes. “You. Are. Not. Free.” Turning, Abby left the room.
Roman came running in with several others. Then they all halted as they watched Felix truss up the old man.
“His wound is just a through and through, so he’ll live for trial.” Felix pushed him over to Roman. “Can you put him in a cell from me?”
Roman nodded and looked over at Sergi.
“Da,” Sergi said. “I have to do one more thing for the Bratva before I step down.” He glared at the people in the cells. “I will be going along with these cretins back to Russia to see justice served.”
Felix felt it was safe enough to leave Sergi now as all the brothers arrived at the cells. He could go after Abby now. He hurried to his room and stopped at the door to see it was left cracked open. He wondered what he would find. This woman had lived a hard life. He heard some of what she’d been through and he wanted to take away all that pain.
Young but wise. Smart and tough. He really wanted her to stay with him for always. He realized that he had fallen in love with this young woman. He wondered if she wanted that too, to stay with him. He would ha
ve to tread carefully here. She had just faced off her demons. Her grandparents’ being the evil she had finally freed herself from.
He would hold her if she wanted to cry. He would keep her safe.
Pushing the door open, he peeked into the room. He didn’t see her. Stepping in, he stood for a moment. Maybe she was crying in the bathroom?
Stepping out of that bathroom, Abby wore not a stitch of clothing.
Felix’s eyes widened. “Abby?”
She smiled. “Yes?”
“What...” He cleared his throat as he took in her curves and those sweet breasts. “Why are you...”
Sashaying her way over, Abby reached around him and shut the door then turned the lock. “Starting my new life.”
He raised his brows as her lithe, but nude body brushed the front of his jeans and shirt. “I was worried. I wanted to see how you were feeling now.”
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she tipped up on her toes to try to be face to face with him. “I feel like a million bucks.”
He blinked and saw the bright look in her eyes. “A-are you sure?”
Nodding, she hummed happily, “Mhm-hmm.” Then she tilted her head. “In fact, I feel like 4 million.”
He frowned. “What?”
“Greta made the password to the account the smugglers had and I was there when she did it, though she never saw me.”
“So you want the 4 million?” he asked in surprise.
Gasping, her eyes rounded. “Oh, hell no. But I do want to give it to some foundation that maybe helps abused children. Then give a million to women who have endured domestic violence. Then another million to...”
He lowered his lips to hers. “You are something special Abigaile Zanken Zorah.”
She swallowed heavily as she looked a little worried.
“What is it?” Felix asked as he scooped her up.
“I wanted to know if...”
He set her down on the bed and stripped his shirt off. “Yes?”
She stared at his ink and his skin. “God, you are just so...”
“Abby,” he said as he unsnapped his jeans. “What worries you?” He lowered his jeans and his boxer at the same time. “Cause you need to know I will be there to help you.”