Anil wasn’t happy with the cryptic explanation. “Somewhere safe?”
“Trust me,” Gabriel said, hanging up. He didn’t have the time to explain. It would all make sense soon enough.
Passing the phone to the guard at the end of the hall, he heard the loud siren, almost like the Amber Alert, go off on cell phones around the mansion, including his own. “Burn this,” Gabriel said of his phone. “We don’t have much time. Is the property being locked down?”
“Yes, boss,” the man answered. “Cars are waiting outside for the family. You’ll load up through the side door leading out of the kitchen instead of the front of the house, just in case…”
“Let’s not keep them waiting. The guard followed behind Gabriel as they ran, instead of walking to collect everyone. He had ten minutes to grab everyone and leave. No one could pack. Nothing could be taken but the clothes on their backs. The thought of his young twins being in a fire fight made him run faster. He had to get everyone to safety now!”
Vasily watched his son solve the double-digit math problem in the craft room at the work table attached to their suite with supreme satisfaction. They had been at it for an hour now, learning how to carry over the numbers, but he was picking up well on what to do.
Dylan looked up at his father and smiled. “Is it right?” he asked in a raspy little man-voice, pushing his paper toward Vasily for inspection.
Vasily rubbed a hand through Dylan’s dark, chocolate locks and grinned. “Da, da. It’s right. You are a very smart little soldier, you know that?”
Dylan shrugged. “Yeah, I know.”
Lilly walked into the room, stepping over one of her son’s toys, to bring a tray of cookies. “I thought you guys could use a little snack while you work,” she said, proud to see her husband and son spending quality time together after today’s sad circumstance. Things like this always brought a family together.
“Maybe later tonight, we can roast some marshmallows out on the fire pit.”
Vasily reached out and took the tray from her. “That sounds fun, eh?” he winked at his son. Just then, the code red alarm sounded on his cell phone. Jumping up from the table, he quickly grabbed his son, threw him on his hip and grabbed Lilly by the hand.
“What’s going on?” Lilly asked, voice trembling. She followed him into their suite.
Vasily looked around the large room. “Grab your purse. Leave your phone. Get his medicine out of the small refrigerator and let’s go!”
“Baby,” Lilly said, running over to their bed to grab her purse. She was about to ask a question, but when she saw Vasily go to their closet and pull out an Uzi, she already knew the answer, or at least a part of it. Something had gone terribly wrong. The door leading to the hall flew open and two guards ran in.
“I know,” Vasily said before they could say another word. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and threw it on the dresser. “Where is Anya and the twins, Renee and Alexandria, Valeriya and the twins, Gabriel…”
A line of guards ran down the hallway past the door, headed to their positions, drawing Vasily’s attention. He was used to being out there with them, not here, vulnerable with a family. But he had come to terms with his promotion.
“Everyone is being collected,” the guard said, as Vasily guided Lilly out of the room. “We need to get you loaded up now. Orders are family first.”
Nine minutes and thirty-seven seconds later, a procession of Medlov family members in various loungewear lined up in the corridor attached to the kitchen that lead out to the bricked carport as a guard worked down a checklist of names on his cell phone and another assisting with loading. All the children. All the wives. The sister and Anatoly’s dogs were being prepped for loading. Non-essential staff were to stay behind and wait for further instructions.
The first SUV pulled off with Dmitry’s children and several heavily armed guards. Anya had gone without a word, tears streaming down her face, scared to ask if her parents had been killed. Instead of focusing on herself, she gave extra attention to her little brothers who protested loudly as they were pulled from their nannies and placed in car seats in the vehicle.
The next SUV took Renee, pregnant and tired, along with their daughter and another group of guards.
Valeriya rocked one baby while Anatoly’s sister, Anastaysia, rocked the other. Nadei, one of the other family guards, held his daughter in his arms with a baby bag thrown over one arm and a weapon thrown over the other.
“I don’t like this,” Valeriya said, wiping tears that spilled from her face. “Why won’t you tell me what’s going on?” She looked up at Gabriel, still in his gym shorts and shirtless.
Lovingly, he bent and kissed her forehead, hoping to ease some of her worries. “I can’t right now. Vasily will explain to you once we get you to the next location.”
Valeriya frowned. “Vasily?” She looked over at him and Lilly, speaking quietly and then back at her husband. “You’re not coming?”
“I can’t. But I’ll meet you there. I promise.” He rubbed a hand over his child’s head. “You have to trust me now. No questions. Just trust me.”
The baby started to cry, sensing the tension in his mother. Rocking him faster, she blew a frustrated breath from her mouth. This wasn’t her first rodeo. She had been a freedom fighter, but that was before she was a married mother of two. Now things were dramatically different. “I’m trying…to trust you, but you’re making it really hard. You won’t tell me where we’re going. You won’t tell me where you’re going. You won’t tell us what is going on.” She adjusted the baby bag on her shoulder, but Gabriel quickly took it from her and passed it to one of the guards.
“It’s for the best.” Gabriel could barely make himself meet her eyes. He knew at that moment she was shooting mind bullets at him. But he couldn’t fold simply because his wife was angry. It was possible she might be angry for a very long time after this, but it wouldn’t change the fact that this was necessary.
The guard motioned for her to come to the door, but Valeriya refused to move. “I want to stay here with you,” she said, licking her dry lips. One more glance to plead with her husband was all she could muster.
Gabriel looked at his watch. It was time. No more talking. “You have to go now,” he said sternly. He blinked quickly, feeling the pain of their separation even before she left his sight. “I love you. I love my babies. We’ll see each other soon. I promise.”
“I love you,” she said, obediently walking out of the door as the next SUV pulled up to load her and the babies into the car. Turning one last time, she held on to the doorway. “Don’t break your promise, Gabriel.”
“I won’t,” he said sincerely.
Gabriel moved to Vasily and grabbed the back of his neck. Putting his forehead against Vasily’s, he held him tight. “Take care of all of them, brother.”
“Always,” Vasily said, releasing him. “Check in when we get there.”
After watching his family load into the large SUV convoy, Gabriel stepped out into the carport and jumped into the passenger side of the last family vehicle. He slammed the door closed behind him as the driver sped out behind the others. Guards on bikes provided extra security as they exited the gated driveway into the busy street of Walnut Grove while guards in tactical gear stood in the street, holding back traffic.
All the cars headed east toward the private airstrip, but Gabriel headed west toward the safe house.
Wiping his hands over his face, he sat back quietly. Valeriya’s face had said everything her lips hadn’t. Air blasted out of the vents, cooling his face, but fire boiled just below the surface of his quiet exterior. There was no need to ask if his uncle was alright. All phones had been shut off. They had to go dark – no communication of any sort outside of face-to-face interaction. It was time to move to phase II.
When the convoy of cars and motorcycles pulled up the tarmac, two Gulfstream jets were waiting as well as one very angry Royal Medlov who refused to board the plane until
her family arrived along with Anil, who sat with her.
“They’re here,” Anil said, as soon as the convoy approached.
Seeing her daughter step out of the back of one of the SUV’s, she jumped out of her vehicle, ran past the guards and darted toward her child. Dropping to her knees, she hugged Anya tightly.
“Momma!” Anya cried, beyond ecstatic to see her mother alive. She held her tight as Royal kissed the side of her daughter’s soft face over and over.
“Thank God you’re safe,” she said, standing up. Realizing she was still covered in her husband’s blood, she tried to straighten her clothes. “Daddy is okay. He’s just hurt.” That was no doubt the first question on Anya’s mind. “But he’s okay.” She said again, unsure if she was lying to her child.
“If he’s okay, why is he not here?” Anya asked.
“The doctors are taking care of him,” Royal said, wiping tears from her face and sniffling. She cleared her throat. “But he’ll be joining us soon.”
Anil walked up to Anya bent to hug her. “Hey, little princess.” He held her tight, glad she had made it safely. “You okay?” he asked, lifting her chin to look into her eyes.
Anya nodded. “I’m fine,” she lied.
“Good,” Anil said, winking at her. “You’re the strong one. I’m a mess.”
Going to the door of the SUV, Royal helped the guards unbuckle the twins. “I’ll do it,” she snapped as a guard moved out of her way. She fumbled with the buckle, fighting to keep more tears from falling. “How were they on the ride?”
“They cried all the way, but they finally passed out,” Anya explained, holding Maxim’s sippy cup. “Konstantin pooped himself. The guard wouldn’t stop so he could go potty.” She shot the guard a dirty look. “I told him he couldn’t hold it very well.”
Anil smirked as he made his way to the other side of the vehicle.
Royal pulled her sleeping baby, covered in sweat and tears, out of the car seat and held him close to her bosom, while Anil helped the other baby from the other side of the vehicle. “I’ll clean him up in just a second,” she said of Konstantin. That was the only downside of having twins. It was impossible to hold them both at the same time, leaving the mother to feel as though she was always neglecting one child or the other.
“Why are you covered in blood, momma? What happened,” Anya asked, masking her fear with anger.
Royal kept her voice calm, knowing her daughter’s defense mechanism all too well. She didn’t want to disarm the girl with a stern reply. Everyone was scared, understandably so. “We can talk about that later, baby. Right now, we have to go.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Anya answered, following her mother toward the stairs attached to the jet, eyes focused on the female stewardesses who came quickly to assist Mistress Medlov up to the cabin.
The blonde Amazons hiked down the stairs in immaculate dress, hair tucked in buns, guns shining in the holsters under their arms. With faux smiles, they quickly ushered the family inside all while accessing threats around them.
Holding her large three-year old tight to her chest, Royal stumped up the stairwell in her heels without skipping a beat. As soon as she got on the plane, she headed straight to work. “Bring the baby into the private bedroom,” Royal ordered, anxious to get her son clean.
“Yes, ma’am,” the guard responded, following Royal to the back with Konstantin, who stunk to high hell and had stained his clothes.
When the guards finally made sure everyone was on board both planes, accounted for and seated, the pilot announced take off. All the children had been placed in the back of the large jet with a separate area that had sofas and television they could watch, away from the heavy conversations sure to be had by the adults. The nannies, guards and a few others had been placed on the other jet to serve as support staff once they arrived where they were going. The core of the Medlov family, however, sat together, two men and a sea of women. But no one had said a word, until now.
The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Every woman on the plane kept their eyes on Vasily, demanding an explanation, before they ripped him limb from limb. Anil sat in the corner, quietly wondering if this was all his fault. He should have told his father to stay home. Going to see his mother compromised him, nearly cost him his life.
“Can I get you something, Mr. Medlov?” one of the stewardess asked, bending to him with a tray of finger foods.
Anil nodded it away. “Thanks, not hungry.”
At this moment, Vasily hated that the white leather chairs were facing toward each other. “Bring me a vodka straight,” he told the stewardess. Running a hand through his black beard streaked with strands of gray, he rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his large hands together. “This is a code red. A code red means that Dmitry Medlov has been…” he glanced over at Royal, sure that she was hurting and apologetic for having to explain all of this now, “fatally injured or killed.”
Royal sat back in the chair as the gazes went to her. “He’s not dead,” she said, looking out of the window at the wing of the jet. “I spoke with him before I was rudely whisked away.”
That was news to Vasily, but he was glad to hear it. “This is good.” He tried to reason. “When we go to red, we also go dark.”
“English!” Renee hissed, gripping the end of the arm rest. “Going dark, code red. Look, Vasily, just tell us what the hell is going on.”
The other women nodded in agreement, even his wife, Lilly.
Vasily scratched his eye and tried to adhere to the women’s wishes. “The council set up a plan in the event that the Czar was ever compromised to protect all of you. We’re in that plan right now. My job is to escort you to a location where you will be safe as we figure out who tried to assassinate Dmitry and neutralize that threat. Once we have completed that very complicated job, you will be allowed back in the states.” He could hear them as they prepared their questions, but he raised his hand to silence them. “During this time, no communication can happen. You can’t use the phones, you can’t use computers, you can’t talk to anyone who is not on one of these planes right now.”
Royal trailed her gaze back over to Vasily. “So, you’re telling me, I can’t find out how my husband is doing?”
“No,” Vasily said, regretfully.
Royal shook her head. “This is bullshit.”
“Where are we going, if we are not going to be in the states?” Renee rubbed her stomach. “I’m about to pop, if you haven’t noticed.”
“We’ve made arrangements. There will be a doctor there to help you,” Vasily answered.
“Where are we going?” Valeriya asked, assuming she would not be allowed to talk to her husband either.
“Siberia,” Vasily answered.
Anastaysia’s brow rose in confusion. “Siberia.”
“What about my brother?” Valeriya asked. “Am I just supposed to leave him without…”
Vasily cut her off. “He’s on his way there.”
“Well, you’ve thought of everything,” Renee said, running a hand over her face. “Except how we might have felt being left out of the loop on this.”
Lilly made eye contact with him and pursed her lips together. As much as she loved her husband, everyone was right for their concern.
“I hate to sound selfish, but what’s going to happen to my mother’s body?” Anil asked.
“That’s not a selfish question, baby,” Royal assured. She glanced over at him. “If they’ve taken care of everything else, they better take care of her as well.”
Vasily nodded in understanding. “She will be.”
“So where in Siberia are we going?” Royal asked, trying not to think of what was happening to her husband at this moment. It would only torture her to dwell on it, especially since she could not call him. Instead, she needed to redirect her attention, focus on how to keep everyone here together.
“There is a property there that Dmitry owns. It’s secluded…safe.” Vasily took the vodka from the
stewardess and downed it quickly. “We have quite a few guards from the estate who are going with us, but we have more teams activated and meeting us there. Every arrangement is being made, I assure you.”
“Once we arrive, will there be news?” Royal asked her final question.
“I hope so,” Vasily answered, placing the empty crystal tumbler in the cup holder beside him. It was going to be a very long flight to Siberia.
Chapter Thirteen
Memphis, TN
Pinch District
Safe House
I t might not have been the most sterile of locations, but it was definitely the most ingenious. On the corner of the Shaydac Avenue and Front Street, a bricked building, slathered with dingy red stucco sat across from the railroad tracks and the front of the Pyramid, which had recently been turned into a hunting shop, and only a street behind the Memphis Police Department. It was the last place the police would look, even though a city-wide BOLO had already been issued for any associated with the Medlov family. Right under their noses, Dmitry didn’t worry of being captured as he listened to the sirens rush up and down the district.
Purchased by a shell company, owned off the books by Dmitry, he had utilized the building to smuggle stolen art brought off the Mississippi River by cargo ships and along with the movement of high-end medical equipment like MRI machines sold on the black market.
Large industrial fans were placed around a metal table covered in black plastic as an old man with stark white hair worked on Dmitry’s wounds in the kitchen area of the empty building. Dropping the bullets he had dug out of Dmitry’s back into a small metal dog bowl, he focused on trying to keep his area as sterile as possible. All the while, Dmitry laid still, teeth clenched around a wooden bit, muffling his screams.
“They are all out,” the old man informed Dmitry as he walked over to the sink to clean his hands. The nurse working with him, poured iodine on the giant’s body and prepared to stitch up the wounds.
Dmitry's Redemption: Book One (The Medlov Men 7) Page 19
