"Where are you guys?"
"We're back at the apartment. Is everything okay Lindsay? You sound different?"
"Everything's fine. I just wanted to make sure you and Nena were okay. I'll be home soon."
"Everything is just fine except for these guys out front."
A chill went down Lindsay's back.
"What guys?"
"They look like FBI or something. They have a couple of big SUV's badly parked out front and they're looking up and down the street like they're expecting the president to arrive. Is this something to do with Dale?"
Shit.
She heard another call coming in and looked at the phone. It was Vasily.
"Gotta go."
She ended the call to Tanya and jammed the phone to her ear.
"Vasily I was here on time. I swear to God." She said before the mobster could say a word. "I have the money. All of it. Two thousand in cash."
"For member of Hargrave family? I don’t think so."
"What are you talking about?"
"Here.Speak to him."
Vasily pushed the phone to Dale's ear. The tall billionaire was bound to a chair.
"Lindsay I--"
"Enough." Vasily interrupted. "You hear voice good."
Lindsay's skin had turned a sickening shade of pale. It was his voice alright, there was no mistaking it.
"What do you want?" She whispered.
"Hargrave is very, very rich man Lindsay." He paused. "And you fuck him, yes?"
She didn’t answer. Her mind was racing, pure adrenaline coursing through her. She had left him with a scribbled lie in order to keep him out of this mess but instead he had somehow been dragged further in than ever.
"I ask you question Lindsay. Are you deaf? You fuck him, yes?" He repeated with vehemence.
"I'll give you anything I have." She said. "Take me. Take me instead of him."
Vasily's laugh was merciless.
"Lindsay, you are penniless American trash. You not even have job anymore. If I want you I take you anytime, not need billionaire for this. You are messenger Lindsay. Not more. Tell his people we want one hundred million. Deposit."
"One million?" She said stupidly.
"One hundred million. Idiot girl."
"I…I don’t know how to ask them. I only know Dale."
"Don't fuck me Lindsay or I send you pieces of billionaire in plastic bag."
"Of course Vasily, of course. I'll get it done. Right now. I'll call you as soon as--"
"I am not fucking finished yet. Idiot girl." Vasily shouted.
"Of course not."
"We want hundred million dollars and Mikhail Boyevik."
"You told me yourself he was dead."
"We want proof he is dead or we want him alive. Fair exchange. Now fuck off little journalist. Do your job. You fuck up, we kill boyfriend and take little girl instead."
The call ended and Lindsay looked around desperately. There were plenty of people walking around the streets of DC but no-one who could help her. Who was she supposed to contact? She remembered Ruben Mayweather and Clayton Hargrave from Point Nemo but these were hard to reach powerful men and she had no direct contact information for them. Storm clouds were gathering overhead and the first droplets of rain began to hit her face. She put her hands to her head and tried desperately to steady her thoughts.
"I've got to get home." She told herself. "That's it. Outside my house. Those are Dale's people. They'll know who to get in touch with. She turned and started running towards her car.
********************
Dale didn’t bother engaging with his captors. Piotr he recognized and would always be able to find as long as he had the tracer on him. Once he got out of this mess he intended to come looking for them. If they harmed Lindsay or Nena then all bets would be off. What happened to Boyevik would be like a coconut milk massage on the beach compared to what he would do to these guys.
A hand gripped his head and jerked it back. Piotr was looking down at him.
"How bad you want I hurt him boss?" He said to Vasily and raised a blade up in front of Dale's eyes. He was a brave man but his blood ran cold when he saw the knife. Nevertheless, you would never have guessed it from the impassive stare he gave to Piotr. If he could hang on long enough then he was sure that either Ruben or Clay would check in on their shared tracking system and figure out where he was. Guaranteed they had already been informed that he was missing. If they put two and two together which they almost certainly would, then it was only a matter of time before they closed in on this location.
"I'm sorry." Dale said without a trace of emotion in his voice.
Piotr was confused for a moment and then smiled at him. Terrifying this arrogant, rich asshole American was going to be more fun than usual. A few cuts to the face followed by some broken fingers would do nicely for starters. Then the macho attitude would disappear and prisoner would beg for mercy like anybody else.
Dale continued.
"I'm sorry I didn't slit your throat when I was sitting behind you in your car."
They were going to hurt him anyway. If he could rile them, stir the pot then maybe it would take them off guard. They would already be rattled when Ruben and his team kicked the door down.
Piotr made ready to slash his face but Vasily put a hand to his wrist and spoke to him coldly in Russian. Dale didn't understand but he could guess; you're an idiot for letting him get you like that now don't be a fool and mess up the merchandise.
Or something along those lines.
"You want to know what happened to Boyevik?" Dale said.
Vasily turned on Dale and gripped his jaw in his right hand.
"No, no. No need to tell yet. Better we extract information from you. It is more entertaining this way."
"Mikhail was entertaining too." Dale said. "Your buddy screamed like a little bitch before we even got started."
"Like this?" Vasily moved his thumbs up to Dale's eyes and began to squeeze. Dale struggled to shake his head free but couldn’t. The pressure to his eyes was unbearable and he cried out. When the pressure came off all he could see were stars and then when they cleared a fist slammed into his forehead and rocked his head back.
"Hmm, not sound like little bitch yet. We need to try harder. How much you think your people pay for blind man? Less? Or maybe more? When they see eyes in plastic bag with photo of your empty socket I they pay very, very fast. What you think?"
Dale was shaking.
As long as they don’t hurt Nena. Then it's worth it. It'll be worth it.
He lifted his head up and peered through the remaining stars.
"Boyevik's eyes are in a bag in my apartment." He said with the appearance of absolute calm. "My associates will take great pleasure in adding yours next to them."
Mikhail's lips curled up slowly into a silent snarl as he gripped Dale's hair into a tight fist.
"You shake like leaf." He said. "I don’t blame you." He put out his hand to Piotr.
"Give me knife." He said. "Now is time for what American call 'fun and games'."
Chapter Four
Lindsay pulled around the corner to her apartment and pulled in a few doors down. The private security guards outside were obvious as hell, no doubt intentionally so. She would get to them as soon as she had seen Nena and made sure she was okay. It was still raining so she pulled on an old raincoat she had in the car and covered her face with the hood as well as she could. Leaving her car she headed up the street, keeping her head down. She was sure they would be looking out for her and she recognized at least two of the guards but with her face well covered she might be okay.
She passed by one of the black vehicles where two of the guards were sitting and then went up the steps. A tough looking guy at the top eyeballed her as she approached but then said nothing to her.
She nodded to him and let herself in before it occurred to her why she hadn't been challenged.
"Aunt Lindsay, you're home early!"
Ne
na ran up to her and Lindsay wrapped her arms around the little girl. The feeling of relief was immense.
A set of expensive leather shoes and tailored pants appeared in front of her and a large, strong hand extended down. For a second her heart jumped and she came to her feet.
"Dale, thank God…"
"I'm Dale's brother Clayton." He said. He was just as she remembered him from the island. Tall, commanding, strong, as good looking in his own way as Dale but a little more uptight and of he was wearing a pair of distinctive sleek, ultra fashionable eye-glasses.
"I'm so sorry." She said immediately. "I didn't want any of this to happen."
"Sit down Lindsay." Clayton said. "We don’t have time for apologies."
"Of course." She said and for the first time she looked around the room. There were at least six more people there apart from herself, Nena and Tanya.
"Who are all these people?" She said nervously.
"These are my people. Now please sit down."
The babysitter was looking very frightened.
"Do you want me to call the police Lindsay? These guys invited themselves in. They said they were friends of you and Dale but they didn't exactly give me a choice and I didn’t want to freak Nena out so--."
"It's okay Tanya. You can leave. I've got this."
"I'll stay if want--"
"You can go Tanya." Clayton said. "Marcus here will escort you home and stay with you tonight."
She looked at Lindsay who nodded her head and then left, reluctantly with the tall, handsome Marcus in tow.
Clayton indicated a seat and Lindsay sat down.
"Hey Nena, do you want to see a cool computer game?" Lindsay recognized the woman from Point Nemo.
"I sure do Nadia." She had obviously already gained Nena's trust and Lindsay let the little girl go. "Is it okay uncle Clay?" The little girl looked at Clayton and he smiled.
"Of course it is Nena, go have some fun."
Nena clapped her hands and followed Nadia out of the room. Lindsay followed her niece with her eyes until she was gone and then looked back to Clayton. The warmth in his gorgeous smile for Nena was gone and he had returned to his cool, commanding self again.
"This story can't go any further." He said.
"I don’t care about the story. Not anymore. All I care about is Dale. I want him back and so does--", a lump came to her throat, "so does Nena. We need him."
Clayton was unmoved.
"Nena has been exposed to a lot in the last couple of months. That's why we're going to refer this case to Child Protective Services--"
Lindsay jumped to her feet.
"Get the fuck out of here right now."
"I think you had better sit down Lindsay."
"Don't you tell me what to do in my home."
"This isn't your home. You'll be out on the street before the end of the month. Is that how you want Nena to live?"
Lindsay shook with rage and the sickening knowledge that the man was absolutely right. Even if Nena had been kidnapped for ransom she would have a hope of getting her back, but if she was taken from her by the state it would change everything. Her legs felt weak underneath her.
"Sit down Lindsay." Clayton said calmly. "You need to talk to me. There's no other way around this."
"You look like your brother." She said, and then sat down before she risked falling down. "If you had a heart you'd be nearly exactly alike."
"This is for Nena's good." Clayton replied. "She's the important one."
"Tell me then, how do I keep her? What part of the American Constitution needs to be violated for us to stay together? The First Amendment is a no-brainer but I'm guessing there's more."
If her sarcasm had affected him in any way at all it was impossible to tell. He was so like his brother in looks that it was hard for Lindsay not to be reminded of the mind-blowing time she and Dale had spent together earlier in the day. It seemed like a thousand years ago now.
"Lindsay, believe me, I don’t want to separate you and Nena, but I will if I have to and not because I have anything against you personally. If however, you release a half-baked, unfounded story about my family that leaves a permanent stain on our reputation then there will be other consequences for you and that won’t put Nena in a good position. She will need someone responsible to care for her if you throw away this opportunity that I'm about to give you."
"So you're the good guy now, just looking out for poor little Nena. Is that your story?"
"You just said you weren't interested in the story anymore so if that's the case then what exactly is this?" He picked up a tablet computer from the table and held it up for her. It was on the AltNews website and Dale, Clayton and Ruben were all prominently featured.
'Billionaire Brothers Fight Mob.
Dale Hargrave of Hargrave Robotics admits to our reporter Lindsay Day, his role in the disappearance of notorious Russian mobster Mikhail Boyevik - click to hear the audio clip of Dale Hargrave's bizarre confession'.
Clayton returned the tablet to the table.
Lindsay slumped back in her chair. The publication of the story was what she had always wanted and it looked like her wish had finally come true. Marco had finally backed her story but the result would be to condemn the man she loved to jail or worse while she would lose Nena and her home.
"So what happens now?" She said. "Do I disappear the same way as Mikhail Boyevik - never to be seen again? Incidentally, how did the bastard go? Is he with the feds the way Dale tells it or did you throw him out of a plane over the South Pacific the way the mob has it?"
"Does it really matter?" Clayton said.
Lindsay stared at him blankly. He was right. What did it matter now? Without a job or a house and most of all without Nena and Dale, what did anything really matter anymore?
She looked around the room. There were still three security people in the room. Could she make it to the window before one of them stopped her? Maybe, but what difference would that make? They were on the ground floor so all she would do is slice herself to ribbons jumping through the window and end up in hospital. It wouldn't solve anything or help anyone. But then again, maybe she was beyond solving problems at this point.
Clayton stared at her attentively.
"Whatever you're thinking right now Lindsay, don't do it. You've still got one option left to make things right and it's a whole lot better than jumping through that pane of glass."
Lindsay looked at him blankly without nodding or even indicating that she had understood a single word.
"I will now tell you what that option is? Do you understand me Lindsay?
She looked back at the window again.
Oh Jesus Christ Nena, please forgive me, I'm so sorry for all of this…maybe one day you can forgive me….
********************
"You better enjoy this while you can Vasily." Dale said. The fear of death was in him and it was different from anything he could ever had imagined. He was not a man prone to fearing for his own safety, but it was the fear of loss that coursed through him now. Death was nothing compared to that, or was it the same thing? He would never see Lindsay again, he would never play with Nena again. Her auntie would have to explain to the little girl why uncle Dale wouldn't be around anymore.
He couldn’t let that happen.
"Don't worry rich man, I will enjoy very much." He put the blade underneath Dale's left ear. "You know Van Gogh?" He said. "Dutch painter?"
"As soon as that blade cuts me Vasily, you're finished. It's your death warrant. So go on, knock yourself out. Go ahead and do it. Cut me and see how that works out for you. I'll have your eyes in a bag next to Mikhail Boyevik's and you'll be looking for maggots in the dirt to eat while we hunt down whatever family you have in this world to----"
The blade pushed sharply into Dale's ear and he felt a trickle of blood run down his collar.
He continued talking.
"Shit. God damn it, you can keep fucking with me or you can make a billion dollars an
d rule your own empire of shitty little mobsters from wherever you like in the whole world."
The blade stopped.
"Pretty sure I can do both Hargrave." Vasily laughed.
Dale struggled with his bonds but they were too tight and nothing gave.
An ear could be stitched back on. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
The sound of the phone ringing jarred his raw, heightened senses and he opened his eyes again. Vasily released him and picked up the phone.
A reprieve.
"Lucky Hargrave. You are lucky man. You have couple of seconds left before we take ear. Maybe take nose as well." He pushed the phone to his ear.
"Lindsay. You have good news for me."
A deep male voice came through on the phone instead.
"You have thirty seconds to release Mr. Hargrave, unharmed." Ruben's voice was as cold and steady as a glacier.
"Who the fuck are you?" Vasily said calmly.
"In ten seconds you will hear a knock on the door. Ten…"
"In three seconds you hear Hargrave choke to death with slashed windpipe." Vasily shouted.
"Eight. Seven." Ruben continued.
"I kill him. I warn you."
"Six. Five."
There was a heavy knock on the front door of the abandoned warehouse.
"Apologies Vasily, we're early."
"Listen to this." Vasily shouted to the phone and then held it to Dale's mouth. He shoved the blade to his throat. "Tell them to fuck off or you die."
Dale looked up at Vasily. He was calm now, ready for whatever would happen and trusting implicitly in the gamble his friend was playing.
"They have your money Vasily." He said in a loud, clear voice. "Let them in and you're a rich man. Kill or harm me and they'll do a lot worse than just blind you."
The phone was still to Dale's ear. He heard Ruben's voice in a whisper.
"Hold your breath when I give the signal." He said.
There was another heavy knock at the door and then Ruben's voice came loud and clear through the phone.
Her Sweet Liberation: Billionaire Secrets - Book Six Page 6
