Sticking his head back out, Anatoly threw the grenade toward the shooters and then quickly used his body as a shield over Valeriya’s as it exploded. Seconds later, they could hear at least two people screaming.
Valeriya looked up at Anatoly as he moved back from her.
“You okay?” he asked, looking back at his men.
Valeriya nodded. “I’m fine,” she said, standing up.
Anatoly took another look. Two people were blown to bits, their bloody bodies strewn over the grass and two other people lay cradling their wounds and screaming. Walking up to them, he put a bullet in each of their heads. No hostages. Just as Yegor said, there was an emergency stairwell just a few feet away. Thank God it had not been ruined by the grenade. He jumped up to grab the bottom of the metal stairs. Pulling them down, he motioned for Valeriya to go up first. He followed with a few men behind him, while the rest of the men stood guard.
When they got to the top of the building, Valeriya looked out over the compound in awe. Under the blaring lights, shots rang out all over the campus. Muzzle fire erupted from behind walls, cars and out of windows. Glass and fire, smoke and explosions had decimated the inside of the compound, bringing it to absolute rubble.
Anatoly called her over. “Hey,” he said, pulling her attention away from the mayhem happening below. “This is where they said jump, eh?” He looked across to the top of the headquarters.
Valeriya walked over and stood beside him. “That’s what they said. Eight feet.”
“That’s not fucking eight feet,” Anatoly said, wiping a hand over his sweaty brow. Pulling off his leather jacket, he raised his hands over his head and stretched.
Valeriya could still hear the men screaming below. She could hear the bullets as they ripped through bodies. Backing up, she pulled off her heavy MP-5 and dropped it on the ground.
“Hey, wait,” Anatoly said, putting a hand over his mouth as he calculated what they needed to do. “Just let me figure this out.” His fingers pulled at his beard.
“That’s at least 12 feet,” one of the other men pointed out. “I mean, eight, I can jump.” He shrugged, looking at the four-story drop below. “Twelve is more of a suicide thing, you know.”
I’ve come too far, Valeriya thought to herself. He’s depending on me. Everyone is. Glaring at the wide space separating her from Gabriel, she took a deep breath, trying to drown out the sounds below, and the thought of what might very well be happening to Gabriel at the hands of Yuri Danko at that very moment. Her fist balled up.
“Maybe we can push through the bottom floor,” Anatoly said, coming to the conclusion that this was not a smart idea. He turned to say the same to Valeriya, but instead he saw her break out into a run, moving with powerful strides.
“Valeriyaaaaa…Noooooo!” Anatoly called out, running after her.
But her foot had already hit the edge of the building. Soaring through the air, legs kicking, arms flailing forward, she landed just past the smooth edge of the top of the roof of the headquarters and rolled roughly onto the concrete.
Trying to caught his breath, Anatoly threw up his hands. “What the fuck!”
The men stood behind him in shock that she’d actually made it.
Getting to her knees, she inhaled a breath and looked skyward. Saying a prayer, she finally stood up, walked to the edge and looked over at Anatoly. “It’s not 12 feet,” she shouted, panting. “It’s more like 10.”
“Motherfucker!” Anatoly said, tucking his gun into his jeans. “I said no superwoman bullshit.”
Valeriya smiled as she bent to catch her breath. “I never…promised.”
Anatoly wiped a hand over his face as he walked to the other side of the building. He could hear his men protesting the entire time.
“I don’t know, Boss. You’re much heavier than she is,” one of the men warned.
Anatoly pointed toward the men and raised his voice. “I’m not being shown out by a fucking girl!” Taking a deep breath, he broke into a run and leaped once his boot-clad foot hit the edge. Flying through the air, he landed squarely on the edge of the other building and began to tip backward, but Valeriya grabbed him by both arms and pulled him to her.
He stepped closer to her and gritted his teeth. “That was stupid,” Anatoly brooded, blonde hair now down on his wide, capped shoulders.
Valeriya released him and stepped back. “That was 15 years of being a ballerina,” she said with a wink. She looked over at the other men. “Come on,” she said, waving at them to jump. “We don’t have all night.”
***
It was clear which of the madmen who came exploding through the broken doors of the headquarters was Dmitry. In all black, towering over everyone else, he pressed forward, advancing with his AK-47 into the building as Vasily and Nadei stood on his flanks, spraying everyone in sight. Ten other men followed behind with guns at the ready. They had fought their way through the militia outside and were determined to work their way up to Gabriel’s cell.
“Split up and clean up,” Dmitry ordered, stepping over dead bodies. Each man took his own path, to root out those who might be lurking in corners hiding or preparing an ambush.
Walking straight forward down the hallway, his footfalls echoed as he moved past bullet-riddled walls and pictures that hung sideways. After checking first, he rounded the corner just as a muscular, bald Slavic man spun out from the shadows to attack with a hunting knife. Dmitry kicked him square in his chest with his steel-toe boot, sending him backward onto the wall. He banged his head and fell. Disoriented, he tried to get his bearings, knife still in play, but Dmitry was on him in an instant. He twisted the man’s hand back, knocking the knife out of it.
“You’re all like cockroaches,” Dmitry spat. Picking the man up by his neck with his left hand, Dmitry pulled his knuckle knife from its sheath and stabbed him in the side of the neck. Blood sprayed across the hall and onto Dmitry’s shirt. Like a discarded piece of meat, he threw him back on the floor to bleed out, when suddenly he heard someone coming on him from behind.
He turned and pivoted, barely missing the butt of a gun in his rib cage. Grabbing the barrel, he pulled the man into him, reached back and punched him so hard in his ribs until they both heard them crack. The man dropped to his knees, wheezing to breathe. Dmitry took one look at him, grabbed a hand full of his hair as he pulled him up to his knees and then snapped his neck.
Seeing what happened to his friend, another man who had gotten stuck in the gunfire while he was over at the headquarters reporting for assignment, eyed a rifle lying by a dead body across the room. Trembling, he stood up and tried to run for it, but Dmitry caught a glimpse of him out of the side of his eye and pulled his rifle back around on its sling. Releasing three shots, he hit the man in his leg and chest.
Hearing Dmitry’s footsteps nearing him, he crawled toward the gun still, but Dmitry stopped directly over him and put the barrel of the gun to his head.
“Please,” the man begged in a whisper.
Dmitry’s eye twitched as he stood emotionless over the man. He paused for a second and then he pulled the trigger. Turning away, he headed out of the room and back down the hall.
Gunshots rang out all over the bottom floor as Dmitry’s men found and killed each and every person there. Without prejudice, they cleaned each room until no life, but theirs was present. Lights flickered in the tattered room, holes lined the walls, blood splattered over the floors, bodies lay atop each other limp and lifeless. Just as Dmitry had ordered, all bodies were dead-checked and no witnesses were left. When they were done with their task, they met Dmitry at the door leading up the stairs.
***
Yuri knew that his time was nearing an end unless he had a bargaining chip. He could hear the screams of his men out in the courtyard from the barred window in Gabriel’s cell, but unlike everyone else, he had been smart enough to go where he knew he could have a last stand. With Gabriel tied to the metal chair in the middle of the floor, naked and beaten, he stood be
hind him with his gun pointed directly at the back of his head, waiting.
Quietly, Gabriel waited as well, eyeing the door, wondering who would come in and save him. The gunshots moved closer and closer. Louder and louder. Until they sounded like they were inside of the room.
“You have to have a code to get in here,” Yuri said, eyes wild. He was desperate now, willing to do just about anything. “They can’t get in, no matter what they do. They’ll have to blow the fucking door and risk blowing you straight to hell.” He pushed the muzzle into the back of Gabriel’s head.
Gabriel licked his cracked lips and closed his eyes. “They are not going to kill you, Yuri. I am.”
Yuri laughed, despite his bleak situation. “You arrogant shit. You’re tied to this chair and not going anywhere. What makes you think you’re going to do anything?”
Gabriel clenched his jaw. He knew that at any moment that door was going to open. He could hear the footsteps outside of the door. Smiling, he looked over at Yuri. “They need a code to get in you say? What makes you think that they don’t already have it?”
Yuri held the handgun with both hands, nudging it at Gabriel’s head forward with it. “Because the only two people in the world who have it are me and Yegor.”
Gabriel chuckled. “One too many.”
At that very second, the door flew open.
Yuri knew that he couldn’t very well keep his weapon on Gabriel as well as on the door, so he stepped closer to Gabriel and put the gun to his temple. “Come in, you cowards!” he screamed.
Stepping into the room, guns pointed, Nadei entered first, followed by Vasily, Anatoly, Dmitry and finally Valeriya in that order. The room was barely big enough to hold them, but they managed to cram in and put their sights on their target.
Looking at Gabriel, beaten up and bloody, Valeriya pointed her weapon directly at Yuri, putting her infrared laser in the middle of his forehead. She wanted to kill him for her man’s state. He looked horrible, weak and beaten - a state that he would not have come to if it had not been for this monster. Her finger trembled on the trigger and she was not sure if she could hold her desire to shoot Yuri much longer.
“Go ahead. He goes, I go,” Yuri said, showing his stained, yellow teeth.
Dmitry lowered his weapon. With a small detonator in his hand, he kept his eyes on Gabriel. “Yuri, if you lower your weapon from my nephew’s head, I won’t kill you.”
Gabriel smirked.
“You can go and fuck yourself, Dmitry Medlov!” Yuri said, pulling the hammer back on his gun. He grasped Gabriel’s neck in his sweaty hand and he pushed the muzzle of his weapon harder into his temple. “All of this for your fucking nephew.” He shook his head. “All of these fucking people dead?! Did you really think you were going to walk out of here with anything more than a dead body?”
Dmitry raised a hand to calm him. “Don’t do it.” He ran a finger over the small gadget, putting his finger firmly on the dial. “Yuri, listen to me. We can work something out.”
Yuri looked over at the four other people with their guns pointed at him and laughed. “Yeah, I bet you have something special to work out for me.” He gawked at Valeriya. “Especially you.”
Valeriya gripped the handle of her weapon tightly. All she needed was a signal, and she could end all of this for good.
Dmitry wanted to draw Yuri’s attention away from Gabriel. Stepping forward just one step, he raised his hand slightly. “I will not kill you. You have my word.”
Anatoly bit down on his lip and looked down through the sites of his gun. He wanted to shoot him so badly until he could barely breathe.
“Your word is shit,” Yuri snapped. “Don’t make one more fucking step closer!”
“Relax,” Dmitry said, keeping him talking. “You’re the man, eh? Completely in control.”
“Don’t patronize me!” Yuri screamed.
“I’m not trying to patronize you.” Dmitry eyed the weapon so close to Gabriel’s head and felt his stomach queasy. He did not come this far just to lose him. “I just want to talk to you is all.”
“Talk to me?” Yuri shook his head in disgust. “You came here to murder me, you bastard!”
Dmitry took another step.
“Don’t you move another inch or I swear to God I’ll blow his brain all over this place,” Yuri warned.
“Alright,” Dmitry assured. “You’ve got the room. You’ve got our attention. No need to complicate things.”
“Complicate?” Yuri asked with a gaff.
Raising the gun just a centimeter away from Gabriel’s head to warn Dmitry was where Yuri messed up. At that second, Dmitry pushed down on the button triggering the hidden beacon that was also served as a small bomb. Still placed under the table in the corner where Yegor placed it, it exploded, blowing out the exterior wall and causing Yuri to lose his balance.
The distraction was just enough for Anatoly to get a good shot. As Yuri flew backward, almost in slow motion, he released a breath and pulled the trigger, shooting him in between his shoulder and his chest.
All five of them launched toward Yuri and piled on him. Pulling the weapon out of his hand, Dmitry dragged him back in front of Gabriel and kicked him in the back of his knees, making him kneel before Gabriel in his chair.
“Stay there,” Valeriya said, pointing her gun at the back of his head.
Taking the knife that Royal had made for him out, Dmitry cut the ropes holding Gabriel down and released him from his bonds.
“Can you stand?” Dmitry asked, offering a hand.
Gabriel looked over at Valeriya and gripped the arms of the chair. Standing up on his own, he looked down at Yuri. The man seemed smaller now that he wasn’t in shackles.
“I told you that I was going to be the one to kill you,” Gabriel said with a devious, eerie smile. “But first,” he fisted his manhood in his dirty hands and pissed in Yuri’s face.
Anatoly stepped back and bucked his eyes. Frowning, he looked over at his father. “Did I miss something?” he asked, biting his lip.
“You missed a lot, cuz,” Gabriel said, blowing out a breath. He was weak and sore, but he had just enough strength for Yuri Danko. Grabbing the man by the collar of his shirt, he yanked him up and gut punched him. When Yuri fell back down on his knees, he snatched him up and punched him in the face, knocking out both of his front teeth.
Yuri fell back on the floor and coughed.
Anatoly offered his gun, but Gabriel pushed it away.
“I don’t want a fucking weapon,” Gabriel said, slowly making his way over to Yuri. “Get up!” Gabriel yelled. “Get up and do some of that shit you did to me when I was shackled down in this motherfucker.” His green eyes beamed with pure unadulterated hate.
Yuri rolled over on his side and tried to stand. “Fuck you.”
“Fuck me?” Gabriel kicked him in his side, sending him on his back. He looked down and spit on him. “Fuck me?” he yelled again before raising his foot and stomping Yuri right in the balls.
Yuri cried out in pain. Grabbing his testicles, he literally curled into the fetal position. Blood spewed from his mouth as he shuttered.
Giving him room, everyone moved back further. Dmitry watched on knowing that whatever had happened in this room, his nephew needed closure.
Gabriel looked down at the man with tears in his eyes. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to kill you enough,” he said, breathing hard. “But I can try.”
Wiping tears from her eyes, Valeriya looked away, but no one else did.
Gabriel’s muscular body was covered in black and blue bruises, blood, scratches and dirt, his lips were swollen, his eyes were battered, but his spirit was still intact. Bending down over Yuri, Gabriel wrapped his large hands over the SS bolts on his neck, looked into his eyes and slowly choked the life from his body.
Yuri tried to fight. The look of bewilderment on his face told that he could not believe that this was actually happening. Kicking his legs and clawing at Gabriel’s chest and
hands to get free and draw breath, he jerked and convulsed until finally his body went limp and his dead eyes glared back into Gabriel’s.
“It’s done, son,” Dmitry said, putting a hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. “We can go now.” He helped Gabriel back to his feet while Valeriya found the rags that he had worn to cover him up and Vasily got on the radio to report their status.
Walking up to Gabriel, Valeriya took his hand in his and kissed it. “Let me get you dressed,” she said, eyes red and watering. “Let’s leave this place and never come back.”
Gabriel looked down at her and smiled. He ran a hand over her wet cheek and realized she was actually more beautiful than he remembered. “You’re the best thing I’ve seen in a very long time.”
She smiled back. “I love you,” she said, pushing up on her tip toes to kiss him. He brushed her lips with his own. He was afraid to kiss her fully, especially naked. He might have been hurt, but he was not dead.
“I love you,” he said, sincerely. “But I’m never wearing those fucking clothes again.”
Valeriya looked down at the torn, dirty uniform and threw it on the floor.
Chapter Fourteen
Welcome Home…
Two Days After Extraction
Prague, Czech Republic
Medlov Compound
Against the backdrop of a blue-black sky filled with glittering, luminous stars and a bright silver moon, one of the Medlov’s Airbus H-225 helicopters slowly descended from the night to the illuminated helicopter pad on the manicured lawn in front of the family compound.
Unapologetically quiet, Gabriel rested back in his leather seat, looking out of the window at the ground as it came closer and closer into view with a true sense of peace. It was a sight to behold after being in captivity for so long. Freedom. He knew that after his time in Ukraine, he would never take it for granted again.
Clenching Valeriya’s hand tightly, he looked over at her and smiled. “Home,” he managed to croak. Talking was still a little hard for him. After leaving Donetsk, Dmitry had rushed him to a hospital in Crimea where he was held for a day under the care of a doctor and pumped full of vitamins, pain meds and water through an IV before they made their trek home.
Gabriel's Regret: Book Two (The Medlov Men 3) Page 22
