Saviours

by Beth Abbott

  They each did as they were told, and handed him the folded papers, which he shuffled together. When he’d finished, Drew stacked them up on the table in front of them.

  “Ok, take one piece of paper at a time, and the person who wrote the word has to explain what they meant to the other person, and talk about it until the other person understands why you feel or felt that way. Then move onto the next piece of paper.” Drew explained. “When you’ve finished, come and find me in the kitchen.”

  “You’re not staying for this part?” Sacha asked, frowning slightly.

  “Sacha, you guys are both old enough to be able to talk to each other like grown-ups.” Drew grinned. “Besides, I’m starving, and I haven’t had anything to eat since I got home. I’m going to make a sandwich. If you genuinely need me to come back in, I will, but the sooner you guys learn to talk to each other, the quicker you’ll heal.”

  As the door closed quietly behind him, Zach watched Sacha stare at it in surprise.

  “He’s right, sweetheart.” Zach tugged on her hand to bring her attention back. “We’ve been talking to each other fine so far. I’m sure we don’t need Drew to carry on.”

  Sacha looked at the pile of notes, and then back at Zach.

  “I guess not.” She nodded, reaching for the one on top. “Are you ready?”

  “For you? Always.” Zach smiled, turning to face her.

  This wasn’t necessarily going to be easy, but Drew was right. Talking to each other honestly was the only way forward.

  “Who’s first?”

  Chapter 22 – Kellen

  Kellen stood in the doorway, watching Hollywood lower Roman into his new racing car bed.

  It was a shame that Roman was already asleep, as he hadn’t seen it yet, but it would be great for him to wake up to the surprise in the morning.

  Kellen shut the overhead light off as Hollywood flicked the little night-light on, and the room was plunged into a strange orange glow with the lampshade throwing shapes around the ceiling.

  Kellen headed back down the hall to the kitchen in search of a couple of beers.

  “You realise he’s gonna freak out when he sees that bed in the morning, don’t you?” Hollywood joined him at the fridge, leaning over his shoulder to grab a bottle. “And by the morning, I’m guessing around six o’clock, knowing Roman.”

  “Unfortunately, I’ll be leaving around five o’clock, so you’ll have to tell me how he reacts.” Kellen shrugged. “I was just walking back to the office today and saw it in a shop window. I couldn’t resist it, and Roman’s bedroom had plenty of space for it.”

  “I can’t wait for Niko to see it.” Hollywood smiled. “She’ll be almost as excited about it as Roman. She never wants anything for herself, but if you buy the smallest thing for that kid, she’s over the moon.”

  “It’s understandable after everything they’ve been through.” Kellen nodded. “I think she’ll want to moderate it, though. Too much spoiling and he’ll turn into a brat.”

  Hollywood shook his head.

  “Not going to happen on my watch.” He said confidently. “I think kids should learn they have to earn things from a young age. Keeping your room tidy, taking your plate out to wash, picking the towel up off the bathroom floor. Silly things like that when they’re young are good life lessons. You have to start with please and thank you as soon as they start talking, but other stuff can be picked up as you go along.”

  “Niko has already taught the kid some good manners.” Kellen pointed out. “As long as he quickly forgets Ilya’s colourful language, I don’t think you have much to worry about.”

  “I don’t think I’ve slipped up once, yet.” Hollywood grinned, obviously proud of his efforts. “It’s hard to remember and not let the odd word slip out, but I’ve been working on it. I don’t want to have Niko giving me that evil stare!”

  “When she’s got the energy to open her eyes at all, she’s too busy looking at you like you hung the moon to give you any evil stares.” Kellen snorted. “Was it my imagination, or did she seem much brighter tonight? Like she was breathing easier?”

  “The doctor told me this afternoon they thought she’d turned a corner.” Hollywood smiled in relief. “She’s still a long way from being out of the woods, as these things have a nasty habit of making you think they’re getting better and then going downhill fast. But the doc said they’re keeping a very close watch over her, and they’ll continue to be vigilant for a few more days at least.”

  “Well, she definitely seemed better to me, so that’s something to celebrate.” Kellen clinked his bottle with Hollywood’s before taking a swig.

  “I just wish you weren’t heading out to Russia this week.” Hollywood scowled. “Another week or two and I’d have been able to come with you.”

  “Maybe so, but we’re not going out there short-handed.” Kellen shrugged. “And your replacements are more than up to the task.”

  Hollywood pretended to pout.

  “You could have at least tried to convince me I was hard to replace.” He complained. “Would it have hurt you to pretend you’d miss me?”

  “It wouldn’t have hurt, no.” Kellen shrugged. “But our relationship has always been based on trust and honesty. And the truth is… well, I just like Zach better than you. He doesn’t whine like a girl.”

  “Great!” Hollywood snorted, making a lunge for Kellen’s beer. “So why don’t you fuck off to Zach’s place, and drink his beer instead?”

  “Because Zach and Sacha were going out for a romantic dinner tonight, some kind of special occasion, I think.” Kellen held his bottle out of reach. “Two’s company and all that. Besides, you’ll miss me while I’m away, so I came to console you so you’re not so sad while I’m gone.”

  Hollywood grunted a laugh.

  “I’ll miss you like a dose of herpes, pal.” He snorted.

  “So, that was what you bought that cream for!” Kellen laughed, referring to the time Hollywood had gone looking for some ‘special cream’ in a market in Marrakesh. “I did wonder.”

  “The cream was for athlete’s foot, asshole!” Hollywood flipped him off. “As well you know.”

  “That’s what you say now!” Kellen grinned.

  “Anyway, what’s Drago’s friend like?” Hollywood ignored his teasing.

  “Abram?” Kellen asked. “Seems like a good guy. He’s not quite as tall as us, but he’s built like a linebacker. He should fit in nicely.”

  “You think he can handle himself?” Hollywood asked.

  “I think he can handle pretty much anyone they throw at him.” Kellen nodded. “Drago wouldn’t have brought him in if he didn’t think he could do the job.”

  “When’s the first fight?” Hollywood frowned.

  “We fly in tomorrow morning and I think the first fight is tomorrow night.” Kellen explained. “But I don’t think we’re going to be idle for much of the time. We’ve got to contact the General’s daughter and figure out how to rescue the women being trafficked.”

  “Haven’t you got to get her out as well?” Hollywood asked. “I thought that was why you were getting support from the Russians, for agreeing to extract their agent.”

  “Obviously, if she wants to get the hell out of there, we’ll do everything we can to facilitate that.” Kellen nodded. “But there could be a chance it will work in our favour to leave her in play a little longer. We’re trying to get access to all of Lebedev’s bank accounts to wipe him out. If she’s had access to them and she suddenly disappears, he might do something like moving his money out altogether to somewhere we can’t get at it. That would defeat the main purpose of us being there.”

  “I thought the main purpose was to get access to Lebedev to buy weapons from him.” Hollywood scratched his head.

  “Yeah, it is, but only so Drago will be given details of one of Lebedev’s accounts in order for him to make a payment.” Kellen shrugged. “We’re told he provides details of an offshore account for buyers to transfer t
he money into. The guy is obviously not going to leave all the money in that account, so he will probably move it out within minutes. Once he does, Hannah will be able to track it, and any associated accounts, almost instantly through one of her computer programmes. She’ll take all his money and leave him unable to pay his creditors. Apparently, he’s a prolific spender, so no matter how much he makes, he always needs more money to pay off the bad guys. This will hit him hard.”

  “Do I even want to know who his creditors are?” Hollywood winced.

  “Mostly, they’re the nasty fuckers that supply him with the weapons, trafficked women and occasionally the cocaine and heroin that he sells on.” Kellen smiled. “The sort of people you really don’t want to piss off.”

  “It sounds like you’ll score big if you take him down.” Hollywood nodded.

  “If everything goes to plan, the money we take from him will be a big plus, as the co-operating countries can split it and put it towards funding victim services and future ops.” Kellen nodded. “Plus, the Russians get to interrogate Lebedev to try and get him to give up his contacts and suppliers.”

  “Which will no doubt lead to future operations for us.” Hollywood picked up his beer. “Here’s to successful ops, and continuing employment.”

  Kellen smiled and clinked bottles with Hollywood.

  “Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your perspective, there will always be more bad guys to bring to justice.” He took a swig of his beer. “You knock one down and another one springs up in his place.”

  “Then here’s to causing as much disruption as we can, for as long as we can.” Hollywood clinked bottles with him again.

  Kellen drained his beer and stood up.

  “I need some sleep.” He declared, reaching into his pocket for his keys.

  He selected one key and detached it from the rest.

  “That’s a spare to my apartment.” He slid it across to Hollywood. “I don’t have any plants that need watering, but there’s food and beer in the refrigerator. Help yourself, and if I’m not back on Monday, can you get rid of anything that’s fresh? I’ll restock when I get back.”

  Hollywood nodded.

  “Can do.” He dropped the key in the dish on the counter, and stood up, walking with Kellen to the door. “Be safe, you hear me? Keep remembering that you haven’t got me with you to watch your back.”

  “Yes, mom.” Kellen grinned. “I’ll see you in a few days.”

  Hollywood pulled him in and gave him a bear hug.

  “I hate watching you go off without me.” He growled. “Nothing about it feels right.”

  Kellen stepped out into the hallway.

  “I know.” He chuckled. “It kinda makes me feel like I’m cheating on you. Going out with another guy like a two-timing love-rat!”

  “Yeah, I wouldn’t go that far!” Hollywood snorted a laugh.

  “Gonna have to find another warm body to snuggle up to at night.” Kellen kept walking towards his door. “Maybe I’ll ask them to wear your cologne, so it’ll be like you’re still with me.”

  “Ok, and I’m closing the door now.” Hollywood backed into his apartment. “This is getting a bit too freaky already.”

  The sound of Hollywood’s door closing had Kellen still smiling as he stepped inside his own apartment.

  Yeah, he was definitely gonna miss Hollywood over the next few days. Just… not that much…

  Chapter 23 – Sacha

  The sound of a zipper being drawn had Sacha instantly on the alert.

  It was still dark, but she could just about make out someone moving around the room in the dim light from the bedside clock.

  Instinctively she slid her hand across the mattress, finding the bed empty, but the bedding still warm.

  “Zach?” She whispered, reaching for the bedside lamp.

  She flicked the light on to find her husband standing in the middle of the room, one leg in his jeans and one out, looking comically like a deer caught in the headlights.

  He grinned at her sheepishly.

  “Sorry, I was trying not to wake you up.” He finished pulling on his jeans and zipped them up.

  “You were going to leave without saying goodbye?” Sacha pouted, hating the thought of him leaving her at all.

  “I wouldn’t do that, sweetheart, you know that.” He scolded her. “I was just going to finish getting my gear together before waking you.”

  “Is there anything you need me to get for you?” Sacha grabbed her nightdress from the floor where it had landed the previous night after Zach had slid it off her shoulders.

  Zach smiled at her as she slipped it over her head, and she blushed knowing he was remembering how eager they’d been to get naked once Rocco had gone to bed and they’d retired to their room in Hannah and Danny’s place.

  Luckily it was separated from the rest of the bedrooms by the bathroom and then Adam’s room, so there was little chance of anyone hearing what they were up to.

  The panting and gasping wouldn’t have been difficult to explain to Danny and Hannah, but she wouldn’t have liked to explain it to Lilly and Rose!

  “Could you get my bathroom stuff?” Zach grinned at her. “Shower gel, toothbrush and toothpaste. Mouthwash too, if we have a spare.”

  “Mouthwash?” She huffed. “Who are you planning on making out with?”

  Zach chuckled. Seriously? That was what Sacha was worried about?

  “Honey, I’m gonna be grappling with guys that probably resemble hairy-backed tattooed grizzly bears.” He snorted. “I figure the least I can do is go in with fresh breath, even if I have no intention of French kissing them.”

  Sacha stared at him in disbelief.

  “Ok, scratch the mouthwash.” Zach sighed. “But can you at least pack me some deodorant?”

  Sacha went into the bathroom and emptied the toilet bag, refilling it with the few things that Zach had asked for. She glanced at the first aid kit she always carried and added that back in for good measure. He’d probably need antiseptic lotion and some bandages, and there were some butterfly strips that might come in handy, if not for Zach, then for one of the guys.

  When she came out, she realised he already had most things packed, which probably accounted for the zipper she’d heard earlier.

  “Where do you want this?” She asked, holding up the toiletries.

  Zach took it from her and slid it into a separate pouch.

  “Do you need to take money with you?” She asked. “We didn’t get any…”

  “It’s Ok, sweetheart.” Zach smiled at her. “Hannah has everything sorted. Money, documents, everything. All I have to turn up with is a pack with a few changes of clothing, and my passport. Seeing as everything else will probably get left behind anyway, there’s no point in taking any personal or valuable items.”

  Sacha turned to the bedside table.

  “Honey, it’s Ok. I already have my passport.” He took hold of her hand and pulled her to the bed where he sat down, standing her between his legs. “You may find this hard to believe, but I’ve been looking after myself for a lot of years, way before you came into my life. I can still manage to pack a bag, even if the thought of leaving you behind for a few days kills me.”

  Sacha desperately wanted to beg him to stay, but she knew she couldn’t. It wouldn’t be right for the team, and it sure as hell wouldn’t be fair to Zach to put him in that position.

  “I know you can do all that stuff for yourself.” She sighed, reaching up to run her hands through his short blonde hair. “But I like doing things with you. It makes me feel like I’m part of this, even when I’m really not.”

  “You’ll be with me every step.” Zach smiled. “I never go anywhere without thinking of you constantly.”

  “Don’t think of me when you’re fighting. I don’t want you thinking of anything other than beating your opponent and getting out of the ring uninjured.” Sacha warned him. “I’m holding you personally responsible for your safety, y’hear? Anything m
ore than a few cuts and bruises and I’m going to beat you senseless when you get home! Understood?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Zach chuckled, as he ran his hands lazily down her sides, wrapping them around her bottom to pull her closer to him. “So, leaving aside your feelings about what I’m going to be doing for the next few days, how are you doing since we spoke to Drew and Vicky the other night? Do you think it helped?”

  Sacha nodded her head.

  “I feel a lot calmer about everything, and not like I’m ready to explode or have a meltdown all the time.” She admitted. “Drew made me put things in perspective, I guess, and not feel so guilty about finding it all so painful. Like I have a right to my feelings. That helped a lot.”

  “And you know you’re going to have good days and bad days.” Zach reminded her. “And when you have bad days, the most important thing for you to do is to tell me about it so I can support you, right? Don’t pretend everything is Ok when it’s clearly not.”

  “I won’t do that anymore.” Sacha promised. “I can see how destructive that behaviour was. For both of us.”

  “Good.” Zach smiled. “And Vicky is setting you up to see her doctor? The one who helped her after she went through a miscarriage?”

  “Yeah, she spoke to her yesterday, and I had to send my doctor’s details and sign a consent form for them to release my history.” Sacha nodded. “As long as they sent my records over yesterday, she’s got a free appointment this morning. Vicky said she’ll contact the clinic first thing, and if they can fit me in, she’ll pick me up and take me.”

  “What about Rocco? Will you take him with you?” Zach frowned.

  “No, he can go into the creche for a few hours with Adam and Amelia.” Sacha explained. “Vicky is going to tell people we’re having a girls’ shopping trip if anyone asks. Hannah and Abbey are way too busy, and Alice, Luke and Ellen were already booked up with some charity event, so nobody else should be free to come with us.”