GUARDIANS: Mission To Rescue Innocence (Beauty 0f Life Book 7)

by Laura Acton

  Panin lifted one eyebrow. “Your cut?”

  “Yes, as agreed. We get twenty-five percent.” Makar tensed as a glint entered Panin’s eyes.

  Shaking his head, Panin replied, “Nyet, they are mine in full.”

  Kazimir understood the comment and started to go for his gun. Panin was trying to weasel out of the deal. He would execute the money-grubbing bastard before he would allow Panin to steal from them.

  Panin snapped his fingers, and Kazimir found himself on the ground in seconds flat and disarmed. He struggled a moment before lying still under the weight of Grigori, Panin’s burly guard. His eyes flicked to Savelievich, worried about the consequences of his action. The club owner was known to be vicious.

  Speaking to Makar, Panin said, “Be happy your brother still lives. The product is mine for the trouble of caring for them and the assistance in bringing Savoy here. You could’ve snuffed him in France. Stupid of you to go to this elaborate setup. Your dead brother got all the brains in your family, too bad they were blown out by Savoy.” Panin smugly added, “I will profit from your stupidity. Now leave. Kill or don’t kill Savoy, but the merchandise belongs to me now.”

  Makar seethed. How dare Panin renege on our deal? Keeping his mouth shut for now because they were outnumbered, Makar stood and moved to the door. He would make Savelievich pay later.

  Yanked to his feet by Grigori, Kazimir was shoved into Makar who reached out to steady him as the red-shirted goon put Kazimir’s gun on his boss’ desk.

  A sardonic expression played on Panin’s face. “Oh, a new gun for my collection.” Picking up the weapon, Panin aimed at Kazimir and fired.

  Screaming as the bullet grazed his bicep, Kazimir gripped his left arm tightly, and blood seeped between his fingers.

  “A little going away present. Teach you not to pull a gun in my presence. Next time, I will put a bullet between your eyes.” Panin turned to Grigori and instructed him to throw the trash out and ensure they never entered the club again.

  Roughly pushed from the office with Kazimir, Makar silently vowed to kill the crazy son of a bitch for shooting his brother. Panin’s laughter followed them down the hall. We kill Savelievich after Savoy.

  As the door to his office closed, Panin grinned as he stopped laughing. He would allow the Yurievich brothers to live long enough to rid him of Dom Savoy. He didn’t need the trouble of a former SAS operative.

  Switching on the monitor, he laughed again as he viewed the assured money in the bank huddled together on the single bed. Virgin sisters would bring a high price. Turning to his second monitor and pulling his keyboard to him, he began notifying his clientele of his latest acquisition and setting the auction for tomorrow night. Better to offload them fast than chance the ex-SAS operative retrieving his daughters.

  Multifaceted Man

  19

  May 27

  Anzhi-Qala Resort – Luxury Suite – Main Room – 1950 Hours

  Ten minutes later Dan opened the door to the main part of the suite. He composed himself as he rapidly showered and changed. Always appreciative of the way the guys handled him when his nightmares reduced him to a shaking and blubbering mess. They never said a word and treated him as if nothing happened.

  Thankful for their friendship, Dan conceded not all his luck was lousy … not if it provided him brothers like them. Having been farmed out to several units in the last two years, he comprehended this one was different. Two or three guys in other groups might share close bonds, but none of them consisted of seven men who possessed a connection as he had with Brody, Blaze, Mason, Patch, Ripsaw, and Winds.

  Occasionally he wondered why the bond formed. What is so different about this group? Is it a simple twist of fate which created my band of brothers? If so, it is the only decent thing fate ever did for me. These men, his chosen family, meant the world to him and he would willingly give his life to protect theirs.

  He pulled on one of his well-worn military shields and locked his cocky mask into place as he entered the room. Registering a new person, Dan assumed it was Dom. He marched directly to him and said, “Dom, I presume,” and held out his hand to shake.

  Stunned by the man walking towards him … so much like young William’s self-assured attitude and military bearing. Mon Dieu, what a transformation! Gone was the wounded soul and in its place stood a poised soldier. Night and day. He noted the firm handshake. “You presume correctly.”

  In a confident voice which entirely covered his inner turmoil, Dan said, “Sir, I promise to do all in my power, whatever it takes, to rescue your daughters.”

  Dom blinked. Daniel was so like William, well, except for the long hair—William always wore his in a high and tight. He wanted to confide his friendship with his father and the trust the word of a Broderick earned but understood why William wanted him to conceal their connection. William’s and Daniel’s relationship was strained at best, and any affiliation might cause a distraction none of them could afford. “I have no doubt we will rescue my daughters, the other children, and shut down this depraved man.”

  Turning to the unit, Dan singled out Blaze. “Any ideas?”

  Ripsaw’s small smile grew seeing confident Blondie back, even if it was only a mask. They saw right through the shields now. At times during Blondie’s recovery, his defenses had been non-existent. As a result, they all spotted the real man behind the armor. It fashioned a deeper bond between them. For Ripsaw this unit became a new family, giving him a familiar feeling of his old hometown where people cared, and there was a sense of belonging. He would do anything for any one of them.

  The last months had been horrific and painful, but cathartic. He recognized Blondie’s capabilities and strength of character, but also accepted the kid remained hurt underneath which brought out his protective nature. Blondie became their beloved little brother. A brother each of them would fight to protect with their last breath.

  Often, Ripsaw reflected that with a father like General Broderick, Blondie needed them. The thought of father made Ripsaw’s grin broaden. The sniper was a younger brother to everyone except Blaze. No one missed the fact that Blondie’s and Blaze’s relationship appeared to be morphing into a father and son connection. Likely had something to do with Blaze being more of a father to his sister and Blondie’s need for a caring father figure.

  Ripsaw was pulled from his musing when Mike answered Dan’s question. “We have some, but it means making a few changes.”

  “What kind of changes?” Dan inquired as he strode over to a chair and sat.

  Mason said, “Mike expanded on Anastasia’s concept. The plan has merit, but we need to flesh out some details.”

  “Let’s hear it.” Blaze turned his eyes to Galloway, pleased with the change in attitude towards him from the others.

  Mike stood, a little rigid, his defenses up as he revealed more of his past. “Anastasia’s idea to distract Savelievich needs to be believable. If Maks meets a friend who urges him to sample the local fare, that might help set the stage. Since I was acquainted with Maks a long time ago, that should be my role. Two old friends meet and decide to hang out.”

  “Another benefit is Dan will have additional support inside the clubs and Savelievich’s place,” Mike said quickly trying to move focus to something other than his association to Maks.

  They all rolled around the thought wondering how Mike knew Maks but decided to focus on the mission. Brody, Ripsaw, Patch, and Mason also let Anastasia’s words echo in their heads, ‘everyone is allowed their secrets.’

  One thing niggled at Ripsaw’s mind, and he asked, “Why do you keep saying Savelievich? The bastard’s last name is Volkov.”

  An image of a huge, grey, amber-eyed wolf fleetingly entered Dan’s mind. Perhaps Savelievich is the reason I’m thinking about wolves. He spoke up. “Russian naming structure is different. The first is a given name. The second is a patronymic name, which is the father’s name, and in this case with the most common suffix of evich for a son. The surname is a
recent convention. Volk means wolf, and the suffix ov means belonging to, so Volkov implies belonging to the wolf. Family names are only used on official documents, so people are referred to by their given and patronymic names.”

  Shaking his head slightly at the wealth of trivia Blondie seemed to carry around in that blond head, Ripsaw quipped, “Well, thank you, Professor, that clears everything up for me.”

  As the others chuckled, Dan shot Ripsaw a quirky smile and said, “Language lessons coming up. You and Mason need to know how to change my Vodka orders to water.”

  A grin played on Dom’s mouth. Perhaps William is right, and Daniel is prepared for this mission. William said Daniel was a quick study. Whip-smart, the boy picked up languages nearly as fast as William. Daniel could’ve followed in William’s footsteps. Still might.

  Though Yvonne often indicated Daniel would choose a different path. He may have ingrained behaviors of William, be a protector like him, but his soul needed something more. Yvonne, the dear woman, suffered so much with the estrangement from her son. Dom wished for her sake things would one day change. He refocused as Winds moved the discussion back to planning.

  The notion of sending in another person to cover Blondie’s back appealed to Winds. “So, does Maks meet you at a nightclub or in this hotel?”

  Mike answered, “Probably best if we meet at a club. Would lend credence to Dan being Maks if I call him Maks in public. Dan looks a lot like Maks, but there are differences. He’s younger for one thing. Though, the darkness of the clubs should help. What’s still up in the air is how to set the stage for Maks to be seeking out other entertainment since Anastasia is with him.”

  Dan listened intently. The proposal might work for part of this but wouldn’t change the worse element. He focused on the club portion for now. “Perhaps Maks ignores Anastasia. He might leave her to ride with his bodyguards and goes off in the Corvette with his driver.”

  Sauntering over to and peering down at Dan, Anastasia fake pouted. “Paradise lost. Maks is ignoring me.”

  “Nah, ‘Paradise Lost’ is heavier. Read it once, lots of fire and brimstone.” He grinned up at her.

  A hint of surprise lit Anastasia’s face. “Deep reader?”

  Dan shrugged. “It was in the library, and I was on restriction. Either read that or spend more time studying Xerxes the Great. Already had my fill of military strategy, so ….” Dan trailed off.

  He didn’t like talking about his academic past much. The private tutors at his ice prison, especially Duffy, provided him an education worthy of the top prep schools. He and his father had gone toe to toe about whether he should accept the scholarship to Yale or the Royal Military College of Canada. The general wanted him to do either one of those but preferred the RMCoC and for him to join the Army as a commissioned officer. All Dan wanted to do was become a police officer, so he declined both and defied his father by attending the Toronto Police College instead.

  As Dan engaged in conversation with Mike and the others, Brody caught Blaze’s eye and inclined his head towards the windows as he moved there himself.

  Tapping Winds on the shoulder and signaling for him to take-over, Blaze followed Brody and asked, “What’s up?”

  Speaking in a hushed voice, Brody said, “Danny pulled it together, but he is too tense and military rigid. He needs to loosen up to be able to pull off being Maks.”

  “What do you suggest?” Blaze asked knowing Brody would not pull him aside without having a plan.

  Brody glanced at Dan. “Give me a half hour or so to drive him around before we arrive at the first club.”

  Eyeing Brody, Blaze wondered what he had planned given he was a bit evasive in his answer. Though, Brody understood Blondie the best. He nodded. “Alright, but Mason and Ripsaw with Anastasia will follow. I don’t want you two out there without protection. Since you’re not going inside, I want you to be armed.”

  Grinning Brody nodded. “Got it. I promise not to lose Ripsaw but tell him he’s gonna need to put his driving skills to the test to keep up.”

  Patting Brody’s shoulder Blaze teased, “Just remember we must return the Corvette in the same condition.”

  Brody’s grin got wider as he acknowledged with a slight nod. The two of them rejoined the planning session.

  Patch urged Blondie to eat, but when he refused and confided he still felt nauseous Patch backed off. Blondie upchucking at a club wouldn’t do. Eating when they returned would be soon enough. He would talk to Anastasia and ensure she ordered oatmeal with raisins and walnuts for Blondie.

  Corvette – 2115 Hours

  Dressed to the nines, in an outfit which would likely take the entire yearly pay of a soldier, Dan assumed the indolent saunter of Maksim Gennadiyevich as best as he could as he exited the lobby, knowing his rigid bearing prevented him from pulling it off completely. He hoped people focused on the clothing instead of his body language. As he settled himself in the passenger seat, a thought popped into his head. If clothes make the man, I want nothing to do with these designer duds. He never wanted to be anything close to Maks.

  Besides, the expensive shoes hurt. The special insoles didn’t fit in them. Sadly, he accepted his feet would be aching after a night of club hopping. His mind whirled trying to release the tension, comprehending his stiff posture would lessen the likelihood of people believing he was Maks.

  Brody grinned at Dan, pulled out his music player and connected it to the stereo system. He cranked it up as ‘Get Your Motor Running’ blared from the speakers. He clicked his seatbelt and said, “Buckle up, Danny. Time for a little fun.” He floored it, and the red Vette sped away from the hotel.

  As he deftly maneuvered the sports car through traffic, heading in the predetermined direction, Brody started singing along with the music at the top of his lungs. Thanks to Mike, they now appreciated Maks wouldn’t show up at clubs before ten at night. So they had time for a trip outside of town where traffic was sparse.

  Ripsaw did his best to keep up, but Brody soon outdistanced him. However, Brody maintained visual of the SUV in the rearview mirror as promised. Taking a glance at Danny, he noted his lighthearted singing caused Dan to smile.

  Dan stared at Brody, noting his goofy smile. “How’s she handle?”

  “As you would expect.” Brody shifted and poured on the speed as the road before him opened up. One song after another played and before long Brody managed to coax Danny into singing with him. As they approached the time they needed to turn around and head for the first club, Brody noted the looser body language as Danny relaxed.

  Tension no match for Brody’s infectious laughter, Dan found himself enjoying the ride. “We should’ve rented a Vette when we were in Halifax.”

  Brody burst out laughing. “Might’ve helped me some, but the Sinner needed no assistance in attracting the ladies. Besides, if we did, where would’ve the twins sat the night you …” Brody’s words faded away as a blush crept into Danny’s cheeks.

  “Yeah, well, I guess I could’ve ridden with them to their place.” Dan recalled the enjoyable night he spent with the Anderson twins, Tina and Nita. Not much sleep that night. Though, waking to find himself handcuffed to each of them and not knowing when that occurred was a bit disconcerting.

  “I won’t be drinking tonight,” Dan said recalling the massive hangover he woke up with that same morning.

  “Water, not Tequila and beer. Unlike the night you hooked up with Pamela or was that Angela or Erica or—”

  “All four of them.” Dan sighed. “How am I going to do this Brody? I’m out of practice. I don’t … I … I’m different now. I, … Brody, how?”

  Reaching out, Brody gripped Dan’s shoulder. “Nothing of importance has changed. You’re the same man you have always been. Honest, upstanding, caring, strong, and handsome as hell.”

  An old jest popped out from Dan without thinking. “You’re not my type.”

  Brody grinned, he was making progress in loosening Danny up. “Nor you, mine. Just sayin
g. Tonight, you only need to talk, and you can do that without over thinking.” Brody cranked up the music and started hamming it up when ‘I’m Too Sexy’ played which caused Danny to laugh out loud.

  He followed up with ‘I’m Still Standing’ to remind Danny he would go forward as a survivor and pick up the pieces of his life. The bastards who tortured him would never win. Danny would win and return stronger than ever. Next, ‘Eye of the Tiger’ played, and Danny’s foot kept rhythm with the beat as did Brody’s hand on the steering wheel as they both belted out the lyrics. Dan went to town when AC/DC’s ‘Back in Black’ came on.

  As he pulled to a stop at a streetlight a few minutes from the nightclub, Brody grabbed the player and selected his pièce de résistance, and as he hit play, he said, “Time for Sinner to come out and play, Danny.”

  Brody began singing along with ‘Mambo No. 5,’ but substituting names of woman Danny had dated in Halifax. Brody kept singing as Danny’s body moved in time to the music, loose and smooth, as the Sinner bloomed and the rigid military façade wilted to the background. Entirely aware they had serious work to do with significant impacts, Brody also recognized Dan needed to be in playboy mode rather than soldier mode if he was going to pull it off.

  As the song ended, Brody pulled up to the entrance of the first nightclub they would be visiting, checking to see if Mason and Ripsaw were behind them. He noted they found parking very close to the front. Brody made eye contact in the rearview mirror with Ripsaw as Mason exited the SUV and opened the rear door for Anastasia.

  Brody turned to Dan and grinned when he ascertained Sinner was ready to play. Dan’s whole carriage was different … now relaxed and moving fluidly, but most importantly his devilishly handsome smile which reeled in women beamed solidly on his face.

  Dan flicked his gaze to Brody giving him a lopsided grin. “Thanks, Saint.”