Daybreak

by Nicole Fox

  “They beat him worse than they did me,” he said. “Elena still thinks I betrayed Dmitry when I went to the FBI. I think she’s hoping that if she shows me special treatment, I’ll betray him and side with her. I know they’ll still kill me in the end, of course, but it would be another blow to Dmitry. She just wants to shove my disloyalty in his face.”

  That sounds exactly like something Elena would do. It was the same logic behind Devon trying to convince me that Dmitry had sold me and the girls to him. They want to weaken the bonds between us because if we’re united as a group, we’re more of a threat. They want to create rifts.

  “Will you fall for it?” I ask.

  He snorts. “Please. I’ve seen what these people are capable of.”

  “Which is why you might be at a higher risk,” I say. “You know the kind of torture they can employ. I don’t think anyone would blame you for saving yourself.”

  “I’d blame me,” he says quietly. I can’t see his face, but I can hear the conviction in his voice. We can trust Sevastian. I’m certain. “Besides, you are queen of the Bratva. I would never turn my back on you.”

  “I thought you were only loyal to Dmitry, remember? You aren’t in the Bratva anymore, so you don’t have to listen to me.”

  “That was before I knew you,” he says. “Now that I do, I know you are one tough bitch. I also know that if there is any chance of all of us getting out of here, it’s you.”

  I swallow, nervous about his faith in me. “I’ve recently come to the same conclusion.”

  “Good,” he says. “Then I don’t have to waste time convincing you. I know how you can get out of here.”

  “You do?” I have to remind myself to keep my voice low. “All of us?”

  “Just you. The rest of us would slow you down. Even if we did get out, they’d catch up to us within an hour and bring us right back here. If we want to call for help, you’ll have to go alone.”

  That is the same conclusion I’ve come to, but it’s still hard to hear it confirmed. I don’t want to leave my girls or Dmitry behind. I don’t want to leave any of them behind.

  “It’s the only option,” Sevastian says, speaking the words I most need to hear.

  I sigh and then nod. Only when I remember he can’t see me do I speak. “Okay. I’ll do it. Tell me what needs to happen.”

  Sevastian chuckles under his breath. “God, if we survive this, Dmitry might kill me for risking your life.”

  “I won’t let that happen. Don’t forget, I’m the queen. And a good king always listens to his queen.”

  Sevastian lays a hand on my shoulder and squeezes once. “Let’s hope Dmitry is a good king.”

  20

  Courtney

  The night before, when Dmitry and I were resting, Sevastian stood at the door of the cell, watching the movement of the guards. Hearing him explain their comings and goings makes me realize that I should have been doing the same. I should have been paying attention to what’s happening beyond the walls of our cell if I want to escape.

  Thank God Sevastian has remained hopeful and vigilant.

  “They don’t have anyone standing guard outside the cell overnight,” he whispers. “Overconfidence on their part, to be sure. They think that door is impenetrable, but Elena never was one for the details. The hinges are a big weakness.”

  “You think you can remove them?” I ask.

  My eyes have adjusted to the darkness enough that I can see Sevastian check to make sure everyone else is sleeping and then move over to the door. There is a soft tapping noise, almost like a distant woodpecker, and then he crawls back towards me, hand extended.

  I reach out my hand and feel something long and cool slide into my palm. It’s one of the door hinges, I realize after a minute.

  “They were recently installed and are still oiled up. If they were old and rusted, it would be a more difficult job.”

  I stare down at the pin in my hand in disbelief that it could be this easy. “So, I can get out of this room, but how do I get out of the building? They had guards all over the place earlier.”

  “During the day,” Sevastian clarifies. “At night, they keep a few guards at the main exits, and they do laps around the perimeter every fifteen minutes or so.”

  I raise my eyebrows. “A few guards are still a huge problem. I can’t fight one guard without waking the entire building, let alone two.”

  “And that is why you won’t fight,” he says. “While they were beating Dmitry earlier, I was mapping out the building. There is a door on the south side that—”

  I raise my brows again, chin lowered, and Sevastian rolls his eyes. He lifts his hand and points to the right.

  “A door on that side where a lot of guards were coming and going. Best I can tell, it’s their quarters. At night, they should all be asleep. So, that is where you’ll go.”

  “What if there is no exit on the other side?”

  He nods. “There is. I saw the Tiger walk out the main door with a few guards and then a few minutes later, he came out of that southern door. There is an exterior exit there, and that is your best bet.”

  I haven’t even moved yet, and my heart is already hammering in my chest. “You want me to walk through a room of sleeping guards to escape?”

  “You can’t use the front or back exits, so—”

  “So, I have to walk past twenty sleeping guards to bypass two that are awake.” I hope Sevastian can tell by the sound of my voice that my confidence in his plan is limited. It sounds like way too big of a risk. All it would take is for one guard to be awake for the entire house of cards to come falling down. I honestly think I’d have a better chance of fighting the guards and running away. Though, that would raise the alarm and put my family in danger for my disobedience.

  “Yep,” Sevastian says, acting like he doesn’t notice my doubts at all. “They won’t be expecting something so bold. As long as you keep your head down, even if someone wakes up, he won’t be able to see well in the dark and will just assume you’re a guard headed to bed. Besides, there are more like fifteen.”

  “You’re right. Five less guards make this much more doable.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Sevastian says, patting me on the shoulder. I have to resist the urge to bite his hand.

  I go through the plan several times in my mind before I realize the most obvious issue. I stand up and hold out my arms. “I can’t leave in this.”

  My pajama bottoms, once a pale pink, are now a dingy light brown. However, they are still obviously pajama pants. They are cotton and thin, not too dissimilar from the gray shirt I have on. “Unless the guards think one of their own sleeps in women’s pajama sets, I think they’ll notice me.”

  Sevastian stands up, too. “Don’t worry, I’ve got that covered.”

  Before I can ask what he means, he reaches behind his back and tugs on his shirt, pulling it over his head. The room is dark, but I still feel uncomfortable looking at him.

  “You want me to wear your clothes?” I ask. “But what will you wear?”

  He points at me. “Your clothes. Take them off.”

  I sputter as Sevastian throws his black shirt at me and then unzips his pants. The zipper sounds like a chainsaw in the otherwise silent room, and I check to make sure no one has woken up. Seeing the two of us half naked in the corner would probably lead to a lot of incorrect conclusions.

  “You won’t fit in these,” I argue.

  “They have an elastic waist. It will be fine.”

  “You’re twice my size.”

  “Then I’ll be naked,” he hisses, gesturing for me to drop my pants as he throws me his. “Get dressed.”

  He mercifully turns around, and I quickly disrobe and slip into his clothes. Thank goodness there is a belt because the moment I pull the pants on, they drop to mid-thigh. The shirt is just as baggy, but I tuck it in and manage to not look entirely ridiculous.

  At least, I think so until Sevastian turns around and snorts.

&n
bsp; “You look like a kid wearing his dad’s clothes to sneak into an R-rated movie,” he says with a laugh. “I’d know because I used to do that all the time.”

  “Did it ever work?” I ask hopefully.

  He shakes his head. “Not once.”

  He must see my face fall because he hastily adds, “Though, the ticket holders were always awake. If they’d been asleep, it would have worked like a charm. You’ll be fine.”

  I look down at myself, feeling less and less confident by the second. “Okay, so what do I do if I make it outside?”

  “When you make it outside, you’ll hightail it for the woods and then make your way towards the city.”

  “The city?” I ask. “We’re in the middle of nowhere.”

  “Didn’t you see the glow of the lights?” Sevastian asks. “Over the treetops. We’re close to some civilization. Get there, get a phone, and call for help.”

  “From who?” I shout whisper. “The Bratva is dead.”

  “Not all of them. I don’t think.” Sevastian shrugs. “From someone. Some of the Bratva allies. Get in touch and get them here.”

  I scan my brain for Bratva allies or any way to get in touch with them, but I’m not sure. What if I leave the warehouse only to realize I can’t help? To realize I’m useless and now my family is trapped?

  I look towards Dmitry, but Sevastian sees where my train of thought is headed.

  “You can’t,” he whispers. “He’ll never let you leave. If you wake him up, you aren’t getting out of here. None of us are.”

  “You were right. He really will kill you for this,” I admit.

  Sevastian laughs. “My nine lives have to run out eventually. Better at the hand of my friend than fucking Devon.”

  “Why would Dmitry kill you?”

  We both startle, and I turn to find Sadie looking up at us, eyes narrowed. She takes in my appearance and frowns. “And why are you wearing that?”

  “It is definitely not what you’re thinking,” Sevastian says. “She’s just—”

  “Escaping?” Sadie asks, eyebrow raised, looking from me to Sevastian.

  There is no point in denying it. She’s awake now. She’ll see me leave. I need Sadie on my side if this is going to work. So, I nod.

  “Yes. But I’m not escaping for myself. I’m escaping to save all of us.”

  “Well, no shit,” Sadie says, rolling her eyes. “Your family is here. You wouldn’t leave them behind.”

  “Or you.” I grab her hand with both of mine. Her fingers are cold and clammy. Sadie always had such warm hands. We have to get out of here. “I wouldn’t leave you here, either. I’m going to get out of here, get help, and come back for all of you.”

  “Why aren’t you going?” she asks, looking over my shoulder at Sevastian.

  “Because he isn’t the wife of the Bratva leader,” I explain, drawing her attention back to me. “I am the only one here, aside from Dmitry—”

  “Who is out of service at the moment,” she says, looking back at the heap of my husband and wincing.

  I nod, hating that it’s true. From the moment I first met Dmitry, he has been strong. A fighter. He still is those things, but I’m the only one who knows it. He is battered and broken right now, and I have to fight for both of us now. Until he can be strong again.

  “I’m the only one here, aside from Dmitry, who the Bratva or any of our allies will listen to. If we’re going to get anyone to help us, I am our best shot.”

  Sadie nods. “I assume you two have a plan?”

  A weak one that I’d rather not explain for fear that saying it out loud will reveal the many weak spots. “Yes, we have one.”

  Sadie holds up a hand. “That’s all I need to know. The less I know, the less they can torture out of me later.”

  The urge to hug my best friend overwhelms me, and I wrap my arms around her and pull her close. Sadie and I have never been the kind of friends who show physical affection, but she sinks into the touch, laying her head on my shoulder.

  “Be careful,” she says.

  “Take care of them,” I whisper back. She knows who I mean. The girls. Before this experience, I never would have said Sadie would be the person I’d trust to take care of my girls, but I’ve seen how maternal she can be, how protective she is over them. I trust her with my life and theirs.

  “Of course I will.”

  “And Dmitry,” I say. “If he wakes up, lie to him. I know Sevastian won’t because he’s too loyal.”

  “And I’m not?” she teases.

  “Not to him, but you are to me.” I hold her at arm’s length and smile. “And if I know anything at all about you, it’s that you can lie better than anyone I’ve ever met.”

  “True,” she says. Then, she pushes me away and reclaims her spot on the floor next to Tati and Larissa. The two girls have grown close, comforting one another, and now they are huddled together for warmth. I have to get us all out of here, for their sake. They both deserve better than this.

  “Are you ready?” Sevastian asks.

  No. Never. Not a chance.

  I nod. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  Sevastian moves to the door and begins prying the second hinge out of the door. Then, he looks through the metal bars in the center of the door to check for anyone nearby, and when he sees the coast is clear, he begins work on the third and final hinge. It gives him the most trouble, and for one second, I think this all may have been for nothing. We are trapped here and there is no escape. No way out.

  Then, he gives one final bang—louder than the others—and the pin comes free. He quickly catches the door as it starts to tip towards him, and then slides it open, giving me a foot of space to fit between.

  I stare at the gap with trepidation and more nerves than I’ve ever experienced.

  I don’t want to go.

  All I’ve wanted since the moment Devon broke into our house and kidnapped me and the girls is to get away, but now the chance is staring me in the face, and I don’t want to take it. I don’t want to risk everything falling apart.

  I know if I stay that we will all die, one way or another. But it won’t be my fault. As soon as I walk through that door, though, a thousand more possible outcomes appear, many of them deadly, and all of them my fault.

  Devon and Elena could catch me escaping and kill me and my family on the spot. They could torture Dmitry for allowing me to escape. They could kill Tati since they don’t seem to have any use for her.

  I could escape, and they could still kill my family.

  I could even make it far enough to get help, and the help could be defeated by the guards Devon and Elena have amassed. Even if I technically succeed, this could end in disaster.

  I don’t want to go.

  “Go,” Sevastian says, nodding his head towards the door. “Now. While the coast is clear.”

  I take a deep breath and push aside the panic that grips my chest. I ignore the dread that has sunk like lead in my feet, holding them in place. I ignore the swirl of disastrous thoughts moving through my head like a washer on the spin cycle. I ignore it all and take one step forward and then another until I’m through the door and on the other side.

  I turn around to take one last look at Dmitry and my family, but Sevastian is busy putting the door back on the hinges. There isn’t anything he could say to make me feel better anyway, so I turn around and face the dark warehouse in front of me.

  I can just barely see the front door we were escorted through the day before, but based on the soft voices I hear coming from that direction, Sevastian was right about the two guards standing watch. One of them just passed by the door five minutes before, so if his calculations are correct, I have ten minutes to clear the area before I’m discovered.

  The room is dark, but moonlight filters through the open windows near the ceiling, giving me a small amount of pale light by which to navigate my way across the dirt floor.

  Sevastian’s clothes are large and the pant legs drag under
my feet, making it difficult to walk smoothly and quietly, but I don’t want to stop and adjust them now. That will have to wait until I’m away from the warehouse and hidden in the trees.

  I can see the door that Sevastian indicated straight ahead. The one that will lead into the guards’ sleeping quarters, and I force myself to keep moving towards it even when every part of me wants to find another way.

  I didn’t do any reconnaissance, so I have to trust his judgment.

  When I reach the door, I expect it to be locked or for someone to open it and wait for a password on the other side, but there is no barrier. I turn the knob, and the door opens, revealing an empty hallway in front of me. On either side of the hallway are doorways with no doors in them, almost like horse stalls in a stable. As I pass, I can see the dark shapes of beds and figures lying in them.

  Nothing looks like I expected. I imagined walking through a narrow opening between cots, sidestepping feet hanging over the small frames. Instead, I’m only visible to the guards in the half second it takes for me to pass their doorways. Unless someone grows suspicious and comes out of his room, I should be fine as long as I keep my head down. Just as Sevastian said.

  So, I do just that. I stare down at my feet and walk quietly, but quickly, down the hallway. I don’t see the exit straight ahead, but I can tell the hallway turns towards the right, which is where I hope there will be a door.

  I’m three-fourths of the way down the hallway when I hear footsteps behind me.

  “Hey, wait up.”

  My entire body stiffens in fear, and my next few steps are stilted and awkward. Still, I press on, not turning around.

  “Man, wait,” the voice behind me says, growing louder. “You headed out for a smoke?”

  A chorus of harsh shushes rises up from the rooms down the hallway.

  “Shut the fuck up!”

  “We’re trying to sleep.”

  The man behind me chuckles, and I hear his steps quicken. I move faster to match his pace.

  He might be fooled from behind in the dim hallway, but as soon as we’re in normal light—or as soon as he hears my voice—there will be no mistaking who I am. I can’t let that happen.