by Beth Abbott
“Ok. Will check in once comms are live.”
He walked over to where Logan and Evan were apparently shooting the breeze.
“Hannah wants the body cameras live, so that means getting your jackets on. Make sure you have your earpieces ready for when the op kicks off, as Hannah will be able to feed us information.” He informed them.
“Shit, I was hoping we wouldn’t need the cameras.” Evan complained. “Didn’t you point out it’s fucking hot in here?”
“I didn’t, no.” Hollywood admitted with a smile. “That’s because when I’m given orders by our operational leader, I’m old enough and experienced enough not to question them.”
Evan shrugged as though the thought hadn’t occurred to him.
“I’ll grab ours out of the back of the cab.” He strolled off casually.
“At least half of Ilya’s men look like they’re dressed for winter.” Logan pointed out. “We won’t look too out of place.”
“That’s because it’s not high summer here yet.” Hollywood grinned. “Until it gets up into the nineties or above, they still think it’s winter.”
Logan chuckled.
“They sound like the opposite of your typical Scot, then. Unless it gets below freezing point, we generally think of it as a nice summer day.”
“Keep your eyes on Ilya’s men.” Hollywood said casually. “I’ll go and speak to Yuri and Kris.
Hollywood approached his Russian team-mates just as they finished unloading the second truck.
“Hannah wants your body cameras activated so they can follow what’s going on.” He informed them. “If you can get the third truck emptied, then while I’m moving the trucks into place, you two can get your jackets on. Have your earpieces ready for when we go live.”
Hollywood was impressed with how efficiently Yuri and Kris got the women unloaded, and how with just a few words to the women, he got them to co-operate without a murmur.
“What are you telling them?” He asked Yuri.
“I’ve told a few of the older ones to look for tunnels appearing under the walls, and not to sit too close.” Yuri smiled. “The older women have plenty of common sense about them. I don’t trust the younger ones not to freak out.”
“Good thinking.” Hollywood grinned.
Out of the corner of his eye, Hollywood noticed a movement, and turned to watch as Niko climbed down from the truck. Kellen followed her down with Roman clinging on to him, with his arms wrapped around Kellen’s neck.
His friend was already wearing his jacket, with Hollywood’s jacket wrapped around Roman.
They walked over to where Hollywood and Yuri were standing, and Kellen casually handed him his jacket.
“We need to get the food from the vans.” Niko informed them.
“Evan and Logan can help you with that while I get the trucks in place.” Hollywood explained. “Once the women are effectively locked off, it will be much easier to defend them against an attack by a drunken mob.”
“Ok, but can you get it done quickly?” Niko frowned. “I want the women fed and under our control long before those idiots get drunk off their faces. God only knows what trouble they could start if they decide to go after the women.”
Hollywood quietly climbed up into the cab of the truck and started the engine.
One way or another, he had a feeling that quite a few of Ilya’s men wouldn’t live to see the morning light.
How many died and how soon, would depend entirely on whether or not they thought the women were fair game.
Chapter 58 – Niko
Niko studied the women as they distributed the food amongst themselves, watching as everyone took only one of everything to make sure it was shared out evenly. Only once everyone had something did any of them start to eat.
Niko felt tears at the back of her eyes and turned away from them.
She wondered if those women hated her right now as much as she hated her brother.
Did they still blame her for everything?
Before she could sink into even more of a funk, Niko felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.
She stepped away from the group and pulled it out to read the message.
“In position, two minutes away. Will keep watch until we receive your signal.”
Her signal? Her signal to do what?
They hadn’t told her the plan, so how the hell was she supposed to know when the right time would be to signal them?
Niko glanced over at Roman, who was sitting with his favourite people, H and Ken, and her heart flipflopped in her chest.
His safety was the only thing she ever truly worried about, and it had been with a hope of getting Roman away from the dangers of being around Ilya and his men, that she had first reached out for help.
Wasn’t it ironic, that only after she realised her plans were coming to fruition, had she actually met men she trusted enough to protect him.
She watched Roman climb up on Hollywood’s lap, and he automatically wrapped his arm around her son’s little frame, pulling him up higher so he wouldn’t fall off.
She half-smiled, guessing that Hollywood hadn’t even realised what he was doing.
So much for the big macho Marine, acting tough in front of Ilya’s men.
Then again, she thought, when you looked like Hollywood, Kellen, and the rest of their team, and carried those huge frames with confidence, you really didn’t have to try and act tough at all. Macho hung around them like an aura, flashing a clear ‘don’t fuck with us’ message.
“I’ll try and get Roman clear first, then I can help you get the women out.” She typed back, wondering how on earth she was going to get him outside without Ilya’s men noticing or following her.
Hopefully, as plans went, that would be good enough for her contacts.
Niko pulled a bottle of water out of a pack and took it over to her son.
“Here, baby. Have some of this.” She watched as he took it from her and gulped some back. When he finished, Roman wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, before letting out a loud belch.
She glanced around the group of men who suddenly couldn’t meet her eyes.
“Do I need to ask which one of you taught him how to do that?” She asked, more amused than cross.
“H does it loudest.” Roman smiled up at her. “But Evan can make his last a really long time.”
“I see.” Niko couldn’t bring herself to scold him. “Well, what I think H and Evan should have told you, is that belching like that is something guys do together. They don’t do it in front of ladies.”
“Is that because ladies suck at it?” Roman looked up at her innocently.
When the guys started laughing, even Niko was hard-pressed not to chuckle.
“No, sweetheart. Ladies just don’t think it’s as funny as men do.” She explained. “We have quite a different sense of humour.”
“I know, mama.” Roman nodded. “Uncle Ilya told me he knows many ways to wipe the smile off a woman’s face. Is that because he burps louder than H?”
This time nobody laughed.
“Maybe.” Niko leaned over and kissed his head. “Come on, I’ll take you outside to go to pee before bedtime.”
“We’ve rigged up something he can use behind the van.” Kellen pointed in the opposite direction from the entrance to the shed. “It’s probably safer to take him over there than try and take him outside.”
“I think the fresh air might do us both some good.” She smiled, but her tone said she was going to do what she wanted, not what they said she had to.
“Honey, if one or more of Ilya’s men follows you out into the dark, it’s going to be hard for us to protect you, while still keeping the women safe. Splitting the team leaves only half the protection.” Hollywood pointed out, standing up to stop her walking away. “You really need to work with us on this one.”
Shit! How the hell was she supposed to get Roman outside?
Before she could figure out the answer, her phone vibrat
ed again, and she pulled it from her pocket. It was a call from an unidentified number.
“Ilya?” Hollywood glanced at the screen.
“I don’t know. I don’t recognise the number.” She replied honestly.
She accepted the call, turning her back on Hollywood until she knew who the caller was.
“Niko, can you hear me?” She could barely make out the man’s voice.
“Who is this?” She asked, turning back to Hollywood. This was nobody connected to her escape plan, she was sure.
“Niko, it’s Drago! Can you hear me?” Why did he sound so strange?
“Drago? Where are you? You sound weird, like you are miles away from the phone.”
“Niko, listen to me. Ilya is on his way back to you in one of the vans.” Drago’s voice was muffled. “He’s off his head on coke again, and he’s driving like a lunatic. I dared to complain about his driving again, and he went into one of his rages. He had a couple of his men throw me in the back of the van.”
“Are you Ok?” She asked, worried for Drago’s safety. She knew her brother’s temper was legendary. Add in a few grams of coke, and God knows what he was capable of doing.
“Niko, there are two vans heading your way, containing your brother and another half dozen men. I don’t think we can be more than a few minutes out.” Drago said quickly. “You need to be aware that the deal he did today was for a huge consignment of arms. Niko, the vans are packed with guns and grenades. You have to tell your people. Do you hear me? You have to warn them now!”
“Warn my people?” She hissed. “What do you mean, Drago? Who are my people?”
Before he could respond the line went dead, and Niko was left staring at her phone.
“Niko, you need to tell me what that was about.” Hollywood grabbed her arm gently and shook her. “Niko talk to me. What the hell is going on?”
Niko looked up at Hollywood. Was he one of the people Drago had been talking about? Or worse, did Drago know what Niko had been planning all along?
“We’re waiting Niko.” Kellen moved closer. “What’s going on?”
“That was Drago.” She confirmed. “Ilya is on his way here, high on coke, with a van full of newly acquired rifles and grenades. Drago tried to calm him down, and he got thrown in the back of the van for his troubles. He didn’t sound too comfortable, so we can’t be sure he isn’t tied up. He said to warn my people that Ilya is only a few minutes away, so I guess he means you guys.”
She watched Hollywood and Kellen glance at each other.
“Finally!” Kellen breathed a sigh of relief.
Hollywood grinned as he pulled her in for a hug.
“Angel, you have no idea how good it is to hear you say that.” He whispered into her hair.
Niko stood frozen to the spot, watching Logan, Evan and the Russian brothers grinning at her.
‘Angel’?
Why did she have the feeling that name had more meaning than when he called her honey, or sweetheart?
Shit! What the hell had she got herself caught up in now?
Chapter 59 – Hollywood
Hollywood grabbed Niko’s hand and pulled her along with him, not prepared to let her out of his sight now he knew the truth.
He’d prayed that she was their informant, desperate to not discover that she was as evil as her brother, and finally, he had the proof that he’d been longing for.
He pulled his earpiece out of his pocket and put it in, tapping on his coat button as he did.
“Hannah, honey? Did you catch that? We’ve got our confirmation.” Hollywood said quietly, keeping his head lowered so he was talking into his chest. “Unfortunately, Ilya’s on his way back, off his face on coke, and he’s bringing a van load of serious hardware with him. Rifles and grenades and shit. He could be here any minute, so we’re not going to have time to start the extraction, or he could see our guys on the way in.”
“I heard most of it, but you’ve filled in the gaps. I’m glad you got Niko to admit her connection.” Hannah’s voice sounded like she was standing next to him. “I’m going to tell our team to hold off until Ilya’s safely inside, and then I’ll let you know when we’re in position and ready to start digging.”
“Ok, I’ll message you when we’re ready to start moving them out.” Hollywood agreed.
“There’s just one thing I need to clarify with you.” Hannah hadn’t finished. “We’re getting a dozen or so obscured heat signals coming from a building about two hundred metres north of you, roughly facing the entrance to the building you’re in. Can you see what’s there? It just looks like another derelict warehouse from where I’m sitting, looking at the satellite image, but maybe you can see more from where you are.”
“I’ll check with the guys, hold on.” Hollywood turned to his team-mates.
“Did any of you see any activity at any of the buildings to the north as we came in?” He asked, looking around at each of their faces. “Hannah is getting heat signals and can’t work out if it’s a genuine operation, or if something else is going on.”
“I didn’t see anything.” Kris shook his head. “And I didn’t see any buildings that looked like they may actually be open for business. They all looked derelict.”
When the others shook their heads, Hollywood relayed the news to Hannah.
“Ok. Well, until we can rule them out as a potential threat, I’ll have Abbey keep an eye on them.” She confirmed.
Hollywood had just signed off, when he turned and noticed the expression on Niko’s face. She was deathly pale and looked as though she was in shock.
“Are you Ok, sweetheart?” He ran his hand down her arm and linked his fingers with hers. “Niko? Are you alright?”
“Who are you?” She whispered. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s Ok, Niko. We’re part of the rescue team. Everything’s going to be alright now.” He pulled her closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, noticing that she seemed to be shaking. “It’s all Ok now, Niko. You’re going to be safe. You and Roman, both.”
Before she had a chance to respond, they all heard the squealing of tyres, and Niko stepped away from him just as the first of the two vans almost crashed through the doors, barely avoiding a head on collision with the nearest truck.
The van skidded to a halt, and the driver’s door was flung open, and Hollywood watched as Ilya Federov almost face-planted on the floor in his attempt to climb out quickly.
Niko started to step forward to help him as he staggered to his knees, but Hollywood held her arm to hold her back.
“Let one of Ilya’s men pick him up.” He murmured. “He won’t thank you for interfering.”
Niko stood silently and watched her brother struggle to his feet, laughing as though he thought it was the funniest thing in the world.
When his men made the mistake of laughing with him, Ilya obviously didn’t like the idea, and threw out a punch at the poor unfortunate asshole who was standing closest to him.
For a guy who could barely keep his feet underneath him, he packed one helluva punch, and taking the guy by surprise, had him flat on his back unconscious with just the one shot.
Ilya’s men cheered him as though he was a deity, and Ilya stood upright and threw his arms out, accepting their applause like he was a king.
When the second van stopped, more of Ilya’s men piled out, and as Ilya greeted a few of the newcomers like they were long-lost friends, Hollywood watched someone haul Drago from the back of the first van.
As he stumbled forward, Hollywood could see Drago had his hands roughly tied behind his back, and blood was dripping down the side of his face.
When Ilya turned and spotted him, he covered his mouth with his hand and giggled like a stupid drunk.
“Untie him.” Niko stepped forward before Hollywood could stop her, and she marched up to the man standing closest to Drago. “Now!”
The man glanced over at Ilya, who was still chuckling, and waited for permission before followin
g Niko’s order.
Ilya had stopped giggling, but wasn’t taking offence at her interference yet, waving regally to give the man permission to cut the bindings around Drago’s wrists.
As soon as his hands were free, Drago lifted his hand and wiped at the blood on his face.
Hollywood could see how pissed Drago was, and took the slightest step forward, ready to protect Niko if the shit hit the fan.
Drago didn’t hesitate to walk straight up to Ilya and get right up in his face.
“Three fucking years I’ve worked for you, Ilya!” He growled. “Three fucking years helping you build your business to what it is today. And this is the thanks I get for it?”
Drago paused to spit blood from his mouth onto Ilya’s shoes.
“You went too far today, my friend! Too fucking far!” Drago hissed.
Hollywood would have been better off flipping a coin because he genuinely didn’t know which way Ilya was going to react.
He could pull out a gun and shoot Drago in the head, or he could laugh it off and they’d be best friends again before the first bottle of vodka was empty.
For a few agonising seconds it felt like every man in the building held their collective breath, while a multitude of expressions passed across Ilya’s horrifically scarred face.
“Aww, c’mon, man!” Ilya eventually laughed. “Can’t you take a joke? Come and have a drink with me.”
Ilya grabbed Drago’s arms and pulled him in for a hug, kissing both cheeks in a way that only a Russian or a member of the mafia could get away with, and still be considered macho.
Hollywood watched as Drago stared directly at him over Ilya’s shoulder, and understood that whatever Ilya might think, Drago was nowhere near happy.
Niko stepped back, and Hollywood moved between her and Ilya, hoping that the brother would have forgotten her interference.
As Ilya reached the area where the men had laid out some chairs and a makeshift table, he grabbed a bottle of vodka and swigged half of it down in one go.
When he came up for air, he turned and glanced over at Niko and scowled.
“Sister, if you ever interfere in my business like that again, I’ll give you to my men as a party treat.” He smiled, his scar knotting together under his eye, giving him an even more sinister appearance. “For now, go and sit with the women until I decide to forgive you.”
