Nordic Lessons

by Christine Edwards

  Something’s not right.

  The brother starts in a rush of frantic words, “Elora’s friend has been taken. She said that bikers took her. I only brought her here instead of going to the police because they attempted to snatch Elora off the street along with her friend, and I want you to tell me what the bloody hell is going on? Why is my sister now involved with people who want to kidnap her?”

  A white hot shot of pain lances straight through my chest. The agony is so forceful I nearly sway into Alreck. I feel my stomach lurch and twist into a painful knot. My worst nightmare has just sprung to life. My blood begins to pump so hard inside my head, it feels like a monsoon is pounding on it. Just before the fear begins to creep in and take over, an inner voice speaks low and calm, Lock it down. You’ll never save her if you lose your shit, you know that.

  Elora runs over and is trembling so hard her teeth are fucking chattering as she stammers out, “W-we were jogging together, not a block from Alexander’s office. A black van pulled up to the curb, and the door slid open. Oh God, Mikkel, two men were on us before we could blink. They threw Lisetta in first. Her screaming attracted a couple who began yelling and hitting the man who had me. Somehow his hold loosened and I shoved my thumb in his eye. He released me and the van took off. You have to hurry, Mikkel! I’m terrified for her! It was them, the Hellraisers. I saw the badge on the back of the man’s jacket as he jumped into the van. We have to do something!”

  “You tell the cops anything yet?”

  “No, Mikkel, we came straight here.”

  “Stop right there, Elora. I want details about this crazed situation and I want them right now,” Alexander says.

  I ignore him. I know there’s little time. When a man goes to the extremes of abducting a woman, he’s not planning to fucking play a game of tennis with her. I glance at Bern, who has been listening from a distance. He’s shaking with rage as I call out, “Keep your shit tight, brother. Grab your gear. We’re heading out.”

  I race to the office to grab my keys and leather jacket. As we’re making a beeline to the SUV, Alexander gets in my face. “I’m coming along.”

  I growl low, having not an ounce of patience … or time. “You fucking are not.”

  “I’m an excellent shot. I’ve hunted since I was a child. Besides, I owe it to my sister. I’m not losing her.”

  “Get in the truck.”

  I glance over at Elora, who is so wired with fear that she looks like she’s about to black out.

  My eyes fly to Alreck’s. “What’s your hotel and room number?”

  “Oslo Mark Hotel, 309.”

  I grab her shoulders and give her a shake. “Elora, baby, listen to me. Use the phone in the office to call for a taxi. Here’s some money. I want you to go to Vail’s hotel room, lock down tight and wait there for me. Can’t have you going back to your place … too risky. Don’t worry about Lisetta. We’ll get her back, I promise. Now do as I say.”

  I want to hold her but there’s no time and we both know it. “Please be careful,” she whispers before racing to the office.

  I sprint hard for my truck. I keep seeing the sand trickling down a fucking hourglass with Lisetta’s name etched into it. I’m laser-focused, refusing to acknowledge my fears for her safety. When I get her back, I will leave behind nothing but fucking ashes. That’s a promise. Nobody fucks with my family and gets away with it.

  We load up inside of two minutes, and as we tear out of the lot in the Durango, Alexander says, “Perhaps we should make a quick stop at the bank. I can get funds, you know, in case they want to negotiate for her release.”

  “No,” I reply, hard as ice, “they don’t want money. Besides, there’s no fucking time. Now belt up.”

  He sounds confused, asking, “What do they want then?”

  “Retribution.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Lisetta’s Monster

  “Tell me you’ve always wanted me. Admit it, Lisetta.”

  “Go screw yourself!” My rage is palpable, shockingly outweighing the fear I should rightfully be feeling. Why do the worst monsters come neatly disguised in pretty packages?

  He lowers his tall frame down to sit on the end of the low bed. My legs are free and I twist to get as far away from him as possible. The cold, abrasive concrete of the wall allows me to go no farther, but it’s still better than his vile touch. Just the nearness of him makes me sick. His hand reaches out to run across my left calf—thankfully covered by my Lycra running pants. I gasp as he suddenly clamps down in a painful hold. Still smiling, he leans in, watching me with those cruel blue eyes of his that are so very cold and sinister. His rhythmic voice is just above a whisper, “Oh you will tell me, Lisetta, and you’ll make me believe you or you’ll regret it.” He digs deeper with his strong fingers, and despite my best efforts, I can’t help but cry out in pain.

  “Isn’t that right, my little sweet girl?”

  With tears threatening to spill over, I grate out, “Fuck. You. Dag!”

  He releases my leg and busts out into a full laugh.

  Oh my God, he’s crazy.

  He slaps a hand down on his jean-clad thigh and stands up, manic amusement distorting his handsome features. “I’ll tell you what. You do as I say and I won’t send the boys over to the Oslo Mark Hotel for a little pick-up.”

  “What?” My already overloaded brain tries to process what in the hell he’s talking about.

  “Your friend Vail is in room 309 right now. I can have her here within the hour. Then it will really be a party, don’t you think? Hmm, come to think of it, maybe when I’m through with you I’ll have her next.”

  His cruel taunts enrage me further, and I start to struggle wildly against my restraints. Both my wrists are tethered above my head to the narrow slats of a wooden headboard. The hard plastic of the zip ties has already cut into my skin, and blood is seeping out of the cuts, running down my arms, staining the baby blue sleeves of my shirt.

  “Now I’m going to cut those ties, and you’re going to be my good, sweet little girl. I’m right, am I not, Lisetta?”

  I narrow my eyes, wanting nothing more than to leap on him and squeeze his throat until he chokes, but I simply grind out, “Fine.”

  “Excellent. I knew that I could bring that fire of yours to heel for me. See, Lisetta, it just took the right man. I’ve always known what’s best for you. Unlike that stupid boy you chose over me.”

  You make me want to puke is on the tip of my tongue as he pulls out a traditional Helle knife, hovering over me to work on the restraints. I look up at him and shudder. He’s undeniably handsome and positively Nordic in the chiseled splendor that masks his true inner monster. Perhaps that’s why he’s so terrifying. If he looked like an ogre, I could better understand his maniacal behavior. But as he is now, he’s the ultimate contradiction of what we are led to believe a predator should look like. It’s as if the hooded figure of death himself tossed back his covering to reveal an angelic countenance.

  “Hold still now, wouldn’t want to cut you. Not just yet, anyhow.”

  I can’t hide the trembling with him so close, only inches from my lips. With his perfect control he watches me for a long time. His warm breath floats down to me.

  “Now be a good little girl and behave for me, Lisetta. I’ll be very disappointed if you don’t.”

  “Get away from me. You make me sick, ” I hiss up into his face.

  He tilts his head, his expression placid, unreadable. “I think you’ll have a change of heart after you realize what I can allow or forbid within this building. Mikkel and that sorry excuse for a lover of yours, Bern, aren’t here to save you. By the time they even realize you’re missing, there won’t be a trace left of you. Therefore, only you can decide how you’d like to go out. Quick and easy, which I can allow with good girl behavior, or long and unbelievably painful.” His long fingers reach out to caress my cheek. “Ever been fucked by a gang of bikers, Lisetta? One after the other, until you pass out from the pai
n and exhaustion, only to be slapped awake to the ongoing nightmare? I’ve seen it. It can last for days, until you finally give up the fight. I can offer you a quick out if you behave for me, girl. You have a lot to make up for. Trust me, you’re too sweet to withstand their rough bodies shoved deep inside your every orifice.”

  His graphic taunts hit their mark, and sobs burst forth from my lips. Hot tears track down my cheeks and onto my chilled neck.

  He sighs and presses his forehead into mine. “There’s a well-behaved girl. That’s the compliance I was looking for. It all could have been different, you know. You could’ve had the honor of being my woman, but you ignored me for so long and baby, for a man like me, that’s fucking unacceptable. Get up now, and don’t worry, I’ll be back soon. I won’t make you wait long. I’ve wanted to break you in since the moment I saw you at Mikkel’s so many years ago.”

  I turn away and cry harder, unable to deny my terror. He runs his hand across my hair once; then I hear him leave, the metal door slamming shut behind him. I curl into a tight ball. My wrists are pulsing with pain as I plead quietly into the silence of the room, “Someone, please save me.”

  * * *

  I roll the truck to a slow stop. Their warehouse compound is a dark shape set against the driving snow.

  “We’re stopping here. If they spot an unfamiliar vehicle approaching, we’ll never get in. The only advantage we have is the element of surprise.”

  “Do you think they’ll be armed?”

  Alreck and I stare at each other in disbelief at Alexander’s naïve question.

  I turn and say quickly, “Do yourself a favor and keep your fucking trap shut. Gonna give you a rifle. You see trouble, you point and shoot, that’s it. Got it?”

  He blanches at me but says, “Yes, of course.”

  “You’re gonna freeze your balls off without a coat. Reach in the back. Think there’s a spare fleece somewhere.”

  A second later he says, “Got it.”

  Alreck speaks up, his voice thick with anger, “We’d do best splitting up. I’ll take the front with Bern. Most of their brothers should be in the front area if the layout is a typical biker club. Let the Brit flank the left. Hopefully he can provide cover from low windows. Mikkel, you can go around back. Should be some kind of back entrance with a building this large. He most likely has her in a back room or some shit.”

  My head nearly explodes at the thought of Dag’s hands on my delicate cousin. I’m concerned that Bern might not keep his shit together. He’s been silent the entire ride, too silent. He looks as if he’s prepared to commit mass murder.

  Agreeing with Alreck’s plan, I say, “Got it. Let’s grab the guns and roll. Gotta stay inside this tree line as we make our way closer. When we’re close enough, we’ll make a dash for the doors.”

  Alreck nods and Alexander says, “Agreed.”

  A deep growl echoes from the back, “Let’s fucking move!” Bern grates out.

  As we step out of the shelter of the truck, the snow begins its steady assault, dumping down so hard that it covers us instantly. I open up the back and lift up the dark gray carpet to reveal a hidden compartment containing my steel gun case. I have a Browning .22 takedown rifle and two Walther P 22’s. I quickly assemble and load the detachable rifle and hand it over to Alexander. Alreck is already shoving the magazine into one of the handguns. He stows an extra magazine in his front jeans pocket and tosses one over to me so I can do the same.

  Should’ve stored more ammo. Too fucking late to sweat it now.

  My eyes flick over to Bern’s. “You packin’?”

  “Yeah, I’m good.”

  I know he has a gun that he keeps in the office of the garage. He often works late into the night on his designs and takes necessary precautions because of it.

  With all emotions wiped aside we creep through the trees, working our way ever closer to the compound. Because they have the motorcycles in a garage for protection against the weather, there’s no way of knowing how many members are inside. Parked alongside the building is a black van, an older blue pick-up truck, and a black-on-black Volkswagen Touareg.

  Once we’re parallel to the structure, we halt.

  I look them each in the eye. “All right, we’ve got to move quickly. I’m busting in the minute I reach the back door. Alreck, you and Bern take down the front and just maybe with the confusion we’ll be able to force our way in. It’s still early, so most likely there won’t be too many of them here yet. Everyone good?”

  Alexander’s eyes tighten as he says sternly, “Let’s go.”

  We jog swiftly down the white incline of the small embankment and split apart the minute we hit flat ground. I crouch low and wind my way around the vehicles in an attempt to get right up against the building and away from the windows.

  To my relief there’s a receiving dock with a metal door at the end of it. I check the handle. Locked, of course. I draw in a deep breath, feeling the sting of the bitter cold air enter my lungs right before I level the muzzle and fire at the lock. Thankfully it’s old and brittle and the thing shatters instantly. I lift my right knee, pull it back and kick hard as it bursts open, revealing a darkened back hall that’s hazy with cigarette smoke. I race in, reaching the end of it in eight strides. My gun is clutched in both hands straight out in front of me. Three things happen simultaneously. Sansa, of all fucking people, jumps up from her prone position on a big biker’s lap; the shock of my fury has her scrambling for cover. Another shot rings out just before my guys bust through the front door, and a prolonged, terrified scream comes from behind a closed door, so frantic that it turns my blood to ice. Lisetta ….

  Have to get to her ….

  The bearded biker closest to me has a gun leveled directly at my head. I give him a stern warning, “Take a shot and the guy behind you will take your head off. We’re only here for the girl, that’s it. Don’t be fucking stupid.”

  The odds of us all surviving a gunfight aren’t favorable. The guy glances back to see the second gun on him then takes my measure for a long moment. Finally he lowers his gun and cocks his head at a closed door. “You’re not gonna get away with this,” he says menacingly. “You know he’s got it out for you.”

  I ignore him and flick my eyes to Alreck, then to Bern. “You both keep everything out here tight.”

  Only Alreck replies, “Yeah, brother.” Bern’s inched forward and has his gun against the other guy’s temple. Fuck … don’t let him do anything stupid!

  My feet feel like sandbags are tied to them, I can’t move fast enough to reach her. I wind my way around a steel post toward the shadowed right corner and just as I reach out for it—my gun clutched tight in my right hand—her voice cuts through the air like a blade, this time in pain, so tortured that the hairs on my neck stand at full attention. I burst in and come close to passing out at the sight before me. Inside of an instant, blind rage takes over and I’m swept away.

  * * *

  The door opens once again. Dag smiles cruelly down at me and I leap away to huddle in a corner, as far away from him as humanly possible.

  Just think of Bern, remember your closeness, his love for you. I’ve heard of abuse victims tuning out to deal with the trauma; however, I never really understood it. Now, huddled into myself in a freezing room, I’m only a fraction away from unraveling as I tug at the hem of my Polartec running top, desperate to shield myself from the hungry gaze that is devouring me like prey.

  He casually leans back against the closed door and folds his arms across his black thermal, watching me carefully. Eyes glittering with excitement, he says in a measured voice, “Stand and turn around for me, nice and slow my sweet. Wanna see that fine ass in those tight pants.”

  Something about the creepiness of his voice breaks through my fear. Deep within, a voice speaks to me, Delay what you know is coming. Stall him. Even if it hurts, don’t give in to him easily. You’ll hate yourself.

  I stand up, square my shoulders and do my best to speak
in a cold, level tone, “Make me.”

  If I can just get through that door ….

  His teeth flash into a brilliant smile as he pushes away from the door. “Oh, you’ll pay for that one, Lisetta.”

  He stalks toward me in measured, even steps, as if he’s calculating every move I might make against him. I know he’s uncommonly smart, always has been. Mikkel’s never kept stupid company. My fear is my Achilles heel in this situation. If only I had a way out, a plan, a weapon … something, damn it! My blood thunders in my body but I manage to lash out in a hiss, “Oh yeah? That’s doubtful. Men who threaten often lack in other departments, if you know what I mean.”

  My new goal, my last resort—as crazy as it might seem—is to enrage him so he’ll slip up somehow.

  “You’ll get no mercy now.” His voice is different, menacing and low.

  Keep it together, time your strike, get him where he’s vulnerable. In the eyes or crotch might work.

  The moment he closes in on me I attempt to knee him in the balls, but he shifts away quickly and grabs a fistful of my long hair. Twining it roughly around his clenched fist, he drags me up against his powerful body.

  “Stop!” I start to writhe like a hellcat, kicking out with my bare feet. It’s pointless. He’s so strong, and his free hand closes around my throat and squeezes. Panic explodes within me as my air is cut off. A strained gurgling sound is all that comes out of my mouth as he shoves me hard against the freezing wall, his body pinned tightly against mine. His face is so close that I can feel the hot air from his nostrils puffing like an infuriated animal’s against my cheeks. His head tilts in question, “What was that? Nothing to say now, Lisetta? You’ll learn to behave, girl. Your pussy-whipped boyfriend might let you get away with that bitch attitude, but I can assure you I am far less tolerant.”

  His face is blurring out. Black spots and stars are crowding my vision as I waver on the edge of consciousness. I will my body to go limp. He expects a struggle. If he thinks I’m out, maybe he’ll release me.