by Laura Acton
Blaze looked at Mike. “Do you think that would work? Would Savelievich fall for something like that?”
Mike nodded. “Possibly. I remember Savelievich thinks he is God’s gift to women but only the whores pay attention to him out of necessity to survive. Real women find him noxious and sleazy. A woman as stunning as Anastasia taking an interest in him would stroke his ego.”
Brody turned to face Dan. “The thought sickens you as it does us, but can you pretend to perform for him without tossing your cookies?”
Dan raked his hands through his hair. “Not sure. Maybe. But I can’t leave children in that situation. We are here to save Nicolette and Anna-Marie, but what of the other children? Who saves them?”
Mason said, “Blondie’s got a point. No child should be used that way. We are Guardians. We must not leave them there.”
Blaze stated, “I need to contact Dom. Our mission has now changed. Not only are we are going to rescue all the children, but we are also going to shut Savelievich down. We are going wipe his operation off the face of this earth.”
Below the Surface
17
May 27
Anzhi-Qala Resort – Luxury Suite – Main Room – 1840 Hours
Knocking on the suite door punctuated Blaze’s declaration. Anastasia moved to answer it, smiling at the delivery man, inviting him in as he pushed a rolling table laden with food. The man’s heavily applied musky aftershave competed with the delicious aromas of the food wafting around them as he lifted the dish covers. Despite the adept manner in which Anastasia ushered him out and closed the door, the scent’s potency lingered in the room.
Blaze scanned his men. “Eat while I’m gone.”
“I’ll eat later. I’m going with you.” Winds stepped forward.
Giving Winds a slight nod, Blaze unzipped one of the duffle bags and removed two handguns. After passing one to Winds, he tucked the other in the waist of his pants, covering it with his jacket.
Mason asked, “How long will you be gone?”
“Uncertain. We’ll meet Dom at the emergency point.” Blaze turned his attention to Blondie. He appeared wiped out. “Eat and rest, kid.” His eyes shifted, locking on Patch’s, sending silent orders to take care of their brother.
Once they left, Anastasia said, “Okay, you heard the man, let’s eat.”
Dan’s stomach turned at the thought of food. He pushed up off the couch, standing, still drained, he began to shuffle towards the bedroom.
“Blondie, you must eat something.” Patch stood along with Brody, both flanking Dan, worried about his lethargic state.
Realizing Dan had not eaten today, Anastasia included a spicy dish when she ordered dinner earlier having learned during their talk after the second round that he enjoyed spicy foods. “I ordered steak and fish, and the house specialty, whelks in a garlic and chili pepper sauce. I’m told it is very spicy.”
Shaking his head, Dan continued to walk as the smells made him nauseous.
Anzhi-Qala Resort – Luxury Suite – Bedroom
Fighting the desire to hurl, Dan sat on the edge of the bed. His mind spun in many directions as he battled with the thought of pretending to frig a child. If that were the only option, he needed to find a way to push through to save the children, though the very idea sickened him.
Brody crouched in front of Dan holding Beauty in his hand after Patch passed it to him. “Danny, we will work something out.” Unsure which playlist would help with his brother’s current emotional state he fiddled with the music player and selected one with an eclectic mix. “Here. This should help.”
Lifting his eyes, Dan met and held Brody’s gaze. “This is fucked up. The general … he wants to kill me. He might succeed this time.”
Patch entered having stopped to grab a glass of fresh limeade from the tray for Blondie. Vitamin C would be beneficial for him. After picking up the neglected pain pills from the cedar nightstand, he held out them out to Blondie. “Take these and rest.”
Switching his gaze Patch, Dan spoke honestly. “Want to puke. Won’t be able to keep them down.”
“Alright, but after you relax, you must eat something and take them. Though, perhaps stay away from the spicy dish.” Patch put the tablets in his pocket but set the limeade on the nightstand in case Blondie wanted a drink.
“Yeah, not doing anything spicy.” Dan scooted back and lay on the soft pillows. Although he slept well earlier, his emotional tantrum drained him and a nap before going out to the nightclubs appealed more to him than eating.
Leaning over, Patch took Blondie’s wrist, rechecking his heart rate. Satisfied once Blondie’s pulse settled back to normal, Patch straightened up and started for the door.
“I’ll be out there if you need me.” Brody rose and gave Dan a small grin. “I won’t let the general win. Trust us to find a workable solution to this mess.”
Dan only gave a slight nod before closing his eyes and inserting the earbuds as Patch and Brody left the room. He turned up the music to block out all other thoughts, focusing solely on the beat hammering in his ears.
Anzhi-Qala Resort – Luxury Suite – Main Room
Exiting the bedroom, Brody closed the door softly behind him. He scanned the assembled group before heading to an empty chair. Food didn’t appeal to him any more than it did to Danny.
Putting a steak on his plate, Ripsaw asked, “How is he?”
“Resting,” Patch answered.
“Should I go in there?” Anastasia gazed at the closed door.
Brody shook his head. “No, Dan needs a little time with Beauty.”
“Beauty?” Anastasia’s brows knitted with confusion.
Mason, who sat near Anastasia said, “What he calls his music player. Helps him process his emotions.”
“Good thing I brought the charger. I’m gonna ensure Beauty is always charged. I think it needs to be part of my standard kit.” Patch eyed the food, nothing appealed to him, but he realized he needed something in his stomach before tonight. Moving to the trays, he decided to go for the lighter steamed fish with lemon butter.
“Yeah, I agree, Patch. We should all carry a charger in our packs too,” Brody added as he slumped into a chair and turned a suspicious eye on Mike. He trusted Blaze, but the jury was still out on Galloway. Mulling over the situation, he didn’t come up with anything which would help Danny.
Mike sat on the floor tucked into a corner. He blew everything to hell. Dan was a mess again all because he failed to share his knowledge with the general. He screwed up royally, and the pressure of being in this room weighed heavily on him. Every single one of the men glared at him several times. Their distrust and anger flowed from them to him. Standing, Mike said, “I’ll be in room fifteen-o-four if anyone needs me before Blaze returns.”
As he headed towards the door, no one acknowledged his comment or tried to stop him. Mike closed the door behind him and strode rapidly down the hall as old memories plagued his mind.
Anastasia stood and went to the window to take in the sight of the beautiful Caspian Sea. She loved open water with nothing for miles around and the gentle rocking of a boat. It reminded her of Colten. She had loved rocking him to sleep at night.
Colten would be nine now if he were still alive. She missed him. His life was short, only four months, but he was loved dearly and remembered with affection by her whole family. Anastasia sighed. There would never be another Colten or any other children for her. Her fiancée had seen to that. Her hand rubbed the lower part of her abdomen.
He sliced so deep and savagely she required a hysterectomy. Tyson yelled at her that he loved her, but he would make sure she would never bear another man’s child and burn in hell for cheating on him. He succeeded in one thing, but not the other. When she eventually passed away, Anastasia knew she would be reunited with Colten in Heaven. Tyson, however, would be burning in Hades for killing their innocent child.
Sighing again, thoughts she seldom revisited rolled in her mind. Helping Dan, and then
finding out the true nature of Maks and Panin stirred them up. Her eyes shifted to the corner where Mike had sat since Blaze and Winds left. She could tell he hurt. The guys in this room aimed their ire at him. Unjustly she believed.
Turning, Anastasia faced the unit. Her voice reproachful, she said, “This isn’t Mike’s fault. Everyone is allowed their secrets. He tried to help. Can you imagine what would’ve happened if Dan went in unaware of what he would be facing? In all likelihood, he would be dead. Mason and Ripsaw, you right along with him.”
Anastasia moved closer to them. “I don’t care how Mike came by his knowledge, and I will not press him for details. I’m confident there are things in all our pasts we would rather forget. Hindsight is twenty-twenty. I’m sure Mike wishes he said something to General Broderick or Colonel Sutton. It might’ve changed who he assigned to play Maks. However, it would not change the fact that this mission must be carried out.
“From what I learned from the colonel this unit is the best. Time to prove it. Instead of wasting time blaming Mike, I think it is time you all focus your energies on finding a way for us to be successful in saving the girls and the other children.”
Confidently Anastasia said, “Dan will come through this. He is a survivor. Sure, he will be bruised and battered from things he might need to do, but he’ll persevere. All of you will ensure he does.”
Anastasia strolled to the tray and filled a plate for herself and Mike before she said, “I’m going to talk with Mike. When we get back, I want your attitudes changed towards him.” With that, she left the room.
The guys glanced at each other somewhat ashamed of their actions, but Anastasia wasn’t aware of their history or how the general treated Blondie.
Brody blew out a breath. “I hate to admit this, but she is right, regardless of how we feel about the general. Galloway indicated General Badfather is unaware of Savelievich’s ways. I don’t think he would lie about something like that … too easy to prove otherwise. For Danny’s sake, we must figure out another option.”
The rest nodded, and Ripsaw quipped, “Nothing like being chastised by a woman. But in the case of Anastasia, I’m willing to be chastised often. She does it with such finesse.”
Mason chuckled and pulled out all the intel they had to review it again for anything they might’ve missed which would prevent Blondie from having to try his already battered soul. He took a bite of the garlic pepper whelks which reminded him of one of his favorite Scottish dishes, golbaengi-muchim. Though, it didn’t have any veggies. Blondie would like the spiciness of these. Perhaps he would want some later.
“Brody, eat something,” Patch admonished as he took a seat near Mason to examine the recon photos of the exterior again.
Pushing himself up, Brody complied choosing a small portion of both surf and turf. He needed to set an example for Danny.
Anzhi-Qala Resort – Room 1504
Anastasia entered the room, noting Mike stood at the window. His rigid body language screamed defensive. She set the plates down and joined him in peering outside.
After several minutes she said, “The Caspian Sea is beautiful. I enjoy being in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight. I used to spend a lot of time on my family’s yacht in the summer. My favorite thing to do was lay in the sun and let the rocking motion lull me to sleep.”
Mike glanced at Anastasia. “Your family owned a yacht?”
Anastasia smiled faintly. “Not something I talk about often. But yes, I come from a wealthy and loving family. Yachts, vacations to exotic places, and loads of idle time to get into mischief were the norm. Did my fair share of stupid stuff because I had nothing better to do.”
Her hand went to her abdomen. “One imprudent choice changed me significantly. A brief, beautiful, bright moment came from my decision but also so much pain. Without my mom and dad, I would’ve been lost. They saved me when I wanted to curl up and die.”
She moved her hand to Mike’s shoulder. “We all make choices which in hindsight are wrong. For me, I picked the wrong man. I believed I was in love. Now I’m aware it was only infatuation. Had I listened to my mother, I would’ve avoided much heartache, but being young and dumb, I wore blinders and ear muffs and believed my parents didn’t understand me.”
Brushing her flyaway hair behind her ear, Anastasia continued to share openly. “Three weeks before I was to be married, I learned a painful lesson. I lost a child and nearly died at the hands of the man I thought I loved. My world collapsed. Only the true love and care of my family pulled me out of my despair. Mom arranged for me to travel the world while I recovered from the emotional wounds. She never let me fall and helped me grow and change.
“During my travels, I began viewing things differently. I witnessed many people suffering in various places. Diverse ways of dressing, multiple languages, but strife was the common denominator which inspired me to do something with my life.”
Anastasia’s soft voice quivered only slightly at first but became stronger as she spoke. “After Tyson murdered our infant son, I couldn’t go back to being an idle, self-absorbed girl. I desired to make a positive difference with the second chance I was granted. To create a life which would make my son proud and honor the life he would not get a chance to live.”
Returning her gaze to the rolling waves, she shared. “After I graduated, Dad set up an interview for me with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. From there I made my way into covert ops with his encouragement.
“I like who I am now, and I’m making a difference. I transformed, and I’m no longer the characterless person who made a naïve choice and paid a horrible price. I was lucky to have my family’s help to build a new path.”
Mike studied Anastasia. “Why are you telling me this?”
Gazing at Mike, Anastasia peered into his sky-blue eyes. Lighter than Dan’s velvety sapphire ones but both sets reflected souls who endured much pain. She reached out to caress his cheek, happy he didn’t pull back from her touch. “I perceive a kindred spirit in you and sense you would understand my past. Although I do not know your particulars, I recognize you are a man who changed through adversity.”
With an expression part haunted and part veiled, Mike stared at Anastasia. He believed no one would ever breach his carefully crafted persona. He hid his regret, his pain, and most of all his disgusting, ill-spent youth behind an intense, silent, duty-bound mask. Mike swallowed hard. “You see that?”
Anastasia nodded and let her hand drop from Mike’s face. She turned to peer out the window again. “Yes, I notice a lot of things. Once I removed the rose-colored blinders, I began to perceive things in others. It can be a gift and a curse, though, I choose to focus on the positive aspect of my ability. My insights help with my job which eases the suffering of others.”
Mike sighed then inexplicably chuckled. “I thought I was better at hiding who I used to be.”
Smiling Anastasia said, “You hide your pain well. As I said, I observe little details others don’t and make connections they miss.”
In a serious tone, she said, “Thank you for choosing to share what you knew of Savelievich with Dan. It would have broken and surely killed him if you had not. That young man is in a world of pain. His soul cannot bear more weight.”
Striding to a chair, Mike sank down. He leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. A strangled groan of disgust emitted as he raked his fingers through his coppery-blond hair and sat back in the chair.
Mike’s agonized expression, and self-loathing tone added power to his words. “I’m aware of what Dan went through … privy to the information fed to the general. Once again, my choices suck. I should have told General Broderick everything about Savelievich’s operation, but I wanted to keep the most disgusting part of my past hidden.”
Slamming his fist on his thigh, he said, “I was afraid he would be disgusted by me, but I know better. The general knows who I used to be and the man I am now. He saved me, and he trusts and respects me. If I had only shared
with him my entire past, Dan wouldn’t be in this position. Hindsight is a bitch.”
Scrutinizing Anastasia, Mike opened himself up and told her parts of his life he never revealed to another soul. Unsure why, but his Magic Mike past poured out of him as easily as one would pour alcohol from a bottle.
When he finished, Mike felt oddly lightened. The weight he carried for fifteen years eased, the anxiety and embarrassment of it all diminished. The empathy Mike saw in Anastasia’s eyes soothed his weary soul.
Anastasia listened quietly as the raw hurt spewed out of Mike. His terrible ordeal caused him much torment which she would not wish on any living soul. As she dried his tears, Anastasia whispered in a dulcet tone, “Kindred spirits. We both survived and created meaningful lives. You are an honorable man, Mike Galloway. The details of your past are safe with me. And we will trust Dan’s unit to come up with something which will save his soul.”
A sense of tranquility settled on Mike at Anastasia’s touch and kind words. He closed his eyes and leaned into her hand. After a bit, he opened them and gazed at the compassionate woman. “Thank you. I didn’t realize how burdensome my secret was all these years. I’m ready to go back now.”
“Let’s eat first.” She rose and retrieved the food she brought. She handed him the plate and then picked up hers and sat in the chair across from Mike.
His appetite restored, Mike chowed down as his mind began to work on the problem. They ate in silence, and after he cleaned his plate, he said, “I need to help. I’m good at subterfuge which might help in developing a new plan.”
Anastasia smiled. “Another thing we have in common. We are both well versed in dealing with people who only perceive what they want. Most people never bother to look below the surface. A hard lesson for both of us I think, but we now recognize those who learn and care about the person inside are the ones we value. And we use our surface to our advantage to achieve our goals, to make a difference in this amazing world.”
