The Beginning: In the Families Footsteps (A Terri Walker Series Book 1)

by Robert Segulin

  Again, the one said, “Mr. Petrov will insist that we help you.” Then he smiled.

  Bags packed and a final look through the room, then I called my ride. I heard a knock at the door and my two new friends came in and took all my luggage and started to go towards where they were parked. I said to them as we were walking together. “I need to check out of the room, and then we can go to the rental car agency to turn in my rental, then to get my car and finally to my new home.”

  The one that always does the talking said, “no need for any of that Miss Walker, it has already been taken care of, room rental and car, so we can go right to your new home.”

  I looked confused, until we turned a corner of the building and there standing next to his Mercedes was none other than Mikhail Petrov.

  He was waiting for me and as I approached him, he said, “Terri I do hope that you are not upset with me for making sure all has been taken care of, and that you only need to go to your new place?”

  I stopped for a second because my first feeling was to give him what for, but with a deep breath and remembering that it is not about me but my mission. And he is part of it, and I must keep him close so that I can pick his brain about his knowledge of Laurie.

  So, with a smile I said, “so, you paid for my room, and are having the rental car company coming here to get the car, which I am sure that is already paid for, and my new used car, will it be at the Condo when I get there, and again paid for? You are incorrigible you know that, but that is why I love being with you. Uh! Like, oh my, as friends.”

  He smiled and said, “as long as you are at this moment a part of my life, call it what you will, and let’s get you to your new home.”

  I got into his car and we went to the condo. I thanked him on the way and then said, “I do want to do something nice for my two new friends, actually four, your assistant and my running partner. Would it be alright to pay for dinner or at least drinks somewhere?”

  He shook his head and said, “they are my employees and were only doing their job, no need for you to spend any money or even thank them, they were happy to be of service for you.”

  I then shook my head and said, this time with a bit more forceful voice, “I am going to do something nice for them, with or without your permission, got it?”

  His eyes opened wider and a smile came to his face, not a mad one. Then he said, “you see Terri, that is why I am so interested in you, an independent, beautiful strong woman, and you make me feel so good when I am with you. Sometimes I feel that you would be protecting me instead of me you.” Then he leaned over and gave me a hug and a quick kiss on the forehead.

  Chapter 23

  I unlocked the door to my unit and let my two helpers go in first. I told them, “just leave the luggage on the floor next to the bedroom door. I will sort through them later to see what goes where in this place.”

  As they put my things down, I said, “I need more stuff!”

  Then quickly turned to Mikhail and said, “stuff that I will buy, OK?”

  He nodded with a yes and we both went to the window to look at the view that I have. Then we sat down on the couch. I said, “to bad that we don’t have a bottle of wine to celebrate.”

  Just then in comes my running partner Lana with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

  I asked her, “why only two glasses, aren’t you three going to stay and help in my celebration?”

  The three smiled and Lana said, “thank you Miss Walker, but I feel that you have all the company that you need right now.”

  Then the three left my residence, and I was now for the first time completely alone with Mikhail. Well alone if you don’t count all the surveillance cameras and microphones that I have had installed for not only my protection but also for listening and taping any conversation that would go on in the room. Unless I turned it off for a while.

  I turned to Mikhail and said, “first, my sweet dear man. No funny stuff! At least until we get to know each other better.” I said with a smile.

  He lifted his glass of wine that he poured and said, “a toast to not only a remarkable place that you have found, but for a remarkable woman that lives in it.”

  I said, “a great place that was found by your assistant, and I am delighted that she was as good as she was in doing so. I am very happy, and I owe the majority of that to you.”

  My turn to lean over to him and give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

  After one glass of wine I told him, “it has been a long day and I am going to bed. Alone!” I said with a chuckle and a smile.

  He nodded, and I walked him to the door and he then gave me what was a very long passionate kiss goodbye. I gave him a slight push away and said, “you will never give up, will you?”

  He shook his head with a no and then left.

  Chapter 24

  As I was laying in bed thinking of all that went on of today and what will be the next steps that I am needed to take in my investigation, the iPad on the night stand turned on, and all by itself too.

  Reaching over to get the iPad off the night stand, I heard a familiar voice.

  “Hey sis, what are you up to, no good I hear. So, what made you take an assignment that is dangerous, as we know from Agent Laurie disappearing and now you want the same.”

  “Charlie! Hey brother, yes, I am on assignment to find out what happened to my friend and fellow agent Laurie. I know what I am doing, so try not to worry.” I responded back to him.

  All that conversation even before I picked up the pad. Now with it in front of me I could see my brother Charlie. He was sitting in his office today. I said to him after seeing where he was at, “so, you are back to the office, how was your vacation at moms with Jenny?”

  There was a moment or so with dead silence from both of us, I know that by just looking at Charlies face he is about to blow up or tell me to come back and give up the mission.

  Then Charlie took a deep breath and said, “Terri, you are my sister and I worry about you more than I should. But that is me. Vacation was cut short after someone told me that you were on this assignment. Mom doesn’t know anything about where or what you are up to, because I told her that I had to go and check on another agent that was overseas. So, you are in the clear, for now.”

  “Thanks, but I am doing ok, I am getting some good intel on her life here before she disappeared.” I told him.

  “Good, I have the file and have read most of it and when you are ready, we can add what you have found out to it.” Charlie said, with a military type cadence to his voice.

  “Before we get into the mission, I am going to tell you that I am staying at the unit’s condominium complex, that is completely safe and free from any type of outside surveillance. I also have a car that came from a car lot that is connected and the car has a tracking device on it just in case. I am registered for classes and will go to them too. I will make my life here very real to anyone who tries to see if I am who I say that I am.” I told him.

  Charlie gave a grunt and then he said, “so, sis please tell me of what you have found out about Laurie and who she was in contact with that may not be in the file. And I want to know if you have made friends there with anyone that may be involved with the mission you are now on.”

  I cleared my throat first, which is a dead giveaway that I am about to tell him something that I am afraid to.

  I just started my report as it may be, and said, “after arriving here in LA, I took my rental car and drove to some of the places that Laurie had remarked about in her reports. I drove by them first then went to where she lived. She did live in a nice building but after I found out about the place that I lived in, I wondered why she didn’t go to where I am. Well, she met a man and they were good friends and he paid for the unit that she lived in. I met him also and never said a word of Laurie only gave my information as I was required to.”

  Charlie interrupted me and asked me, “so what you are saying is that Laurie went off script and became involved with this man
?”

  I answered him and said, “yes, she became an item with Mikhail, I mean this man in question.”

  Quickly Charlie interrupted me and said, “Mikhail? Terri you know this man that was possibly the last person to see her?”

  “Yes sir, I have become friends with him, but I keep my distance in the relationship department. He was her boyfriend, you can say and the two were an item. That is according to some of his employees.”

  Again, Charlie asked me, “Terri, tell me of her involvement and if you think that he had something to do with her disappearance, and, your involvement that you are not telling me about. Remember that I have assets all around you and will eventually know everything and everyone you see.”

  “The main thing that I want you and the General to know is that I am being very careful of where I go, and with whom. I know that he has some knowledge of Laurie’s disappearing.”

  I paused then said, “OK let me continue. After I went around the area and was in the building that Laurie decided to stay, I saw a man and he was very interested in me as I walked around, he would follow, with his eyes. I knew that this building was very important to Laurie in her investigation, so I decided to become friends with anyone that may live in her building, that way hopefully I would get better information about her and the mission than sitting and waiting for something to come together from her notes.”

  Charlie then asked me, “how close are you two that you know things about him? And how do you know that he wasn’t the one responsible for Laurie becoming missing?”

  I responded with, “one day I was out for a jog and didn’t take my gun. That was on purpose because I wanted Mikhail’s men, who by the way have become my body guards.”

  “What!” Charlie said, and then continued with, “body guards? Terri what are you getting yourself into?”

  I answered with, again Charlie, “I know what I am doing. I am staying close yet far from this man, but he has people watching me, or rather protecting me. You see again when I was going for a jog, the two men that noticed my gun the day before then noticed that I wasn’t carrying it that day. So, as I was running a young pretty girl came up to me and started to run with me. She was another employee of Mikhail. She was ordered to be with me because of me not carrying my gun. You see this guy wants me to be protected.”

  “Why does he want you to be protected if I may ask my agent.” Charlie said.

  With a slight hesitation in my voice I said, “because he likes me and wants to be my boyfriend now.”

  Charlie responded with, “so, now Laurie’s out of the picture so he is chasing a new conquest, am I right?”

  “No Charlie,” I said. Then continued with, “when I was talking to the girl that ran with me, she mentioned about another woman that he liked but that she left without any notice. The girl said that his employees feel that she couldn’t take his smothering of his affection and his constant wanting to be around. She said that Laurie at times would tell her that he is just to close to her and that she has no space.”

  “So, the woman that ran with you said that this guy was over bearing and that Laurie ran away from that, am I right?” Charlie said.

  I answered his question with, “yes that is what they say, but then she said that Mikhail feels that she did not run away but may have been taken by one of his new partners or even a competitor. He feels that she will be used in some type of negotiation or swap later.”

  Charlie with some excitement in his voice said, “so, you also feel that he may be right about a person or group that he is in with may have taken her. Because Laurie was, sorry, is a fine agent and would not just run and not tell us what was going on. I think that you are right in staying close to this guy. He may just be the connection that we need to have in order to locate Laurie and finish this mission with success.”

  I then said, “I believe that he wants me to be protected, because Laurie refused it from him, and he doesn’t want the same to happen to me.”

  Charlie then said, “just be careful and do your best to not be too obvious when asking about Laurie. Make him tell you what he knows. I hope that things work out, I know that you and Laurie were friends and that you want her back safely more than any of us. I will keep in contact after I have my complete report of Mikhail Petrov along with his employees, and I will let you in on all that I find out. That will help in getting what you need from each of any person of interest in this assignment.”

  “Ok Charlie, I will give you all that I know in my report tomorrow. And when you have information on Mikhail’s business dealings and employees, send that to me. I will talk to you later, Bye.” Then I signed off the iPad and put it back on the night stand.

  I turned out the light and went to sleep.

  Chapter 25

  When I woke up, I got ready immediately. I was to be at school this morning for my first day. I wasn’t nervous at all because I have been going to so many different schools for some time now. And after I attend the school, my transcript gets changed, only showing me going for what is needed for my next school. Then on to the next.

  Onto the elevator I go, and a beautiful view you have when you are inside it. The three walls are of glass, and when going up or down you see the whole complex and all the different things that it has.

  As I was going down, I noticed two men standing not far from the elevator doors. At first, I thought, my two security guards, but as I came down and got a better look, it wasn’t them and I now thought, where are mine.

  At the bottom, the doors opened, and I stepped out. I didn’t make any eye contact with those two men, I just started to walk.

  When I turned to head towards the inside parking garage, they did the same. Today I am glad that I brought my little friend, miss 9mm.

  I walked slowly so that it didn’t seem that I knew that they were behind me. I glanced at the different windows as I walked and tried to keep notice of where they were. I was about 100 or so feet from the door to the garage and then I saw the two putting their hands inside of their jackets. I could barely make out what type of gun that one of them had, but I wasn’t going to wait and find out.

  I started to bring my hand to my gun when the door to the garage opened and my two body guards emerged from it. When they did the two behind me quickly turned away and walked in a different direction.

  The one that spoke English said, “sorry that we were not at the elevator door, but we needed to see if anyone was going to follow you, and someone did. Don’t worry Miss Walker, they are probably just a couple of punks that wanted to steal your purse or even your shoes.”

  I looked at him and said, “shoes?”

  He chuckled and said, “you have very expensive shoes on and many would love to have them for their friend. By the way, a struggling school teacher with those on your feet?”

  I responded with, “I got it, my purse would probably be filled with cash with wearing $500.00 shoes. But they were a gift by an old boyfriend, one that had money but no class. So, I ended it with him and have been very picking of who I am with since then. Please don’t tell Mikhail that I wore these shoes, I didn’t even notice which ones I put on this morning.”

  After a breath I continued with, “He may get jealous and try and buy me two or three pairs. Just to out show whoever bought these for me. Men!” Then I gave my head a shake.

  We both laughed at that and I went on my way to my car. In the garage I made sure that my spot was in a very well-lit spot and near the door to the complex.

  I got into my car, started it and pulled out of my space. As I did, I waved at my two friends and drove off. As I was driving, I knew that I had to get word to the office so that they could pull the video of those two. I know that they were not just there to steal my shoes, but I feel that they just may be the ones or associates of those who took Laurie.

  Chapter 26

  Being at school today was uneventful. But when I was leaving the lot, my guys were a few cars behind me. But my new friends were right behind m
e.

  I knew that today and soon, these two will try and do something. I kept my cool and when I was nearly at a light I slowed down. As soon as the light turned red, I went through it. And the two behind me did the same. The two that were from Mikhail, also went around a few cars and went through the light. I just hope that no police were looking at that time.

  Now I know that it is time to find out just who my new friends are, and hopefully find out who they work for.

  I quickly pulled into an almost empty parking lot and stopped in the middle if it, facing the car that was following me. The car stopped, and the two men got out and immediately pulled out their guns. As they were walking towards me, I got out of my car but stayed behind the door, that way I am partially protected, and the door gave me a good object to rest my arm on so that I would have a steadier hand and a better aim.

  I didn’t notice Mikhail’s two men. They were probably stopped by the police. OK, here we go I thought to myself. I didn’t wait for them to shoot first. I knew that they would because one of them began to raise his arm up and the other stared to walk sideways in a slightly different direction. Cross fire, I thought. So, no time like the present.

  My only advantage that I have is that they don’t know that I have a gun. They hopefully would think that Mikhail’s guys were my guns.

  Before the one raising his arm got it up to shoot, I raised mine and hit two direct shots to his chest. The other one then tried to shoot back at me, but I already pulled the trigger and two went right into him. One in his chest and the other his forehead.

  I waited a moment before I made my way around the door. I wanted to not see any movement from the two men that apparently were dead.

  I slowly walked in the direction of them. I knew that it was a matter of time before someone called the police and they arrived here. I needed to get any identification that they had on them and then take a better picture of them then leave quickly.