“I don’t think I’ll want to be out of Tristan’s sight either. I feel safe with him.” But I’m totally okay with that.
The door to the basement opens and I watch Salvador slam the door behind him and descend down the stairs towards us. He looks mad.
“Are you okay?” I ask him.
“Fine,” he says, his voice hard. “We’re moving locations.”
“Why?” I ask, my heart pounding hard against my chest. Moving is not good. It’ll just make it harder for Tristan to find us.
“They’re getting close to finding you,” Salvador answers. “Or at least Rafael thinks so.”
He calls his dad by his first name?
“I’m supposed to drug you,” he says, pulling a syringe out of his pocket.
“Please, don’t,” Damon says.
Salvador looks at him. “Shut it, American.”
He really doesn’t like Damon.
“Are you going to drug us?” I ask.
He shakes his head.
Relief floods through me, and I feel hope for the first time since being in this awful situation.
Salvador sits on the floor in front of his and drops his voice to a whisper. “I want to help you guys. But I need you to promise me something first.”
“Anything,” I say.
“I don’t want to be in trouble. Not with Russia or the US. I want to be free and I don’t want anything to do with my father and this group anymore,” he says. “I never had a choice. And if I did, I never would’ve chose this.”
“Done,” Damon says.
“I also want to go to that American school you guys go to,” he says. “I’ve never been outside of Russia, but I want to. Maybe I can make American friends too. It sounds like you guys have a lot of fun.”
Okay, I didn’t expect that.
“How old are you?” I ask him.
“Fifteen,” he answers.
“You look older.”
He shrugs.
“My aunt is the dean of the school,” I tell him.
“I know,” he says. “So you can make it happen.”
I nod. “Definitely. You have a deal.”
He takes the syringe and pushes all the medicine out onto the floor. “We will be down here in thirty minutes to get you guys. You can’t move. They’ll know. You can’t even flinch or breathe the wrong way.”
“How will we escape?” I ask.
“Trust me on that one,” he says, pushing up on his feet.
“How can we trust you?” Damon asks.
“Well, I guess you don’t have any choice but to,” he says. “Just like I have no choice but to trust you.”
He walks up the stairs and out the door.
I look at Damon. “I trust him.”
“I hope we can.”
“He didn’t drug us,” I say.
“True,” he says. “I’m just trying not to get excited in case he’s lying.”
I don’t think he is lying.
For some reason, I trust him completely.
I’ve heard it all.
Tristan.
I get a call on my private phone from a Russian number. I answer it, hoping that it’s Katerina. Maybe she found some way to contact me. She’s a smart girl. It wouldn’t surprise me if she found a way for her and Damon to escape.
“Hello.”
“Is this Tristan Thomas?”
“Yes,” I say, hesitantly. “Who is this?”
“Salvador Grishin.”
Grishin.
As in Rafael Grishin.
“I have a proposition to make,” he says.
I have a strong policy on not negotiating with terrorists, but he has Katerina. I will do anything to get her back. If this were regarding anything but her, I would hang up. But I can’t. I will do anything.
“I’m listening,” I say.
“Katerina and Damon are going to be moved to a new location tonight. Once they are moved, you don’t have a chance of getting to them,” he says. “But if you find us while we’re on the move, you can save them.”
“And what do you want from this?”
“Damon and Katerina know exactly what I want,” he says.
“Is she okay?” I ask.
“She’s fine,” Salvador says. “So is the boy.”
Thank God.
“Whenever you come, I know that you won’t hesitate to kill anybody who stands in the way of their safety. I’ll be the one in the red shirt. Don’t shoot me,” he says. “Katerina and Damon know exactly what I want. I’m not a threat.”
I don’t know much about Salvador. He’s fifteen years old and lived with his mom until about a year ago. She died, so he moved in with Rafael. At that point, he was pulled from school and pretty much dropped off the map. I want to ask him why he’s willing to help us, but I don’t want him to change his mind. I’m desperate. I have to find her. He’s just a kid. It’s not his fault his dad does what he does.
“I can promise your safety as long as Katerina and Damon are alive and well,” I say.
“They are,” he insists.
“You have yourself a deal,” I say.
“I can also tell you where the others are being held,” he says. “Elizabeth Vasin and the other girl.”
“Okay.”
“Damon and Katerina made me promises,” Salvador says. “I need to know that they are able to keep the promises.”
“What promises?” I ask.
“First, that I won’t be put into jail. I have nothing to do with what my father is doing,” he says. “Damon told me that I wouldn’t get in trouble. He’s the president’s son, so he can make this happen.”
“I don’t think that will be a problem,” I say, knowing that the person who helps rescue the president’s son will be give amnesty. Especially if Damon promised it. He wouldn’t promise it to somebody who was a bad guy.
“Good,” he says. “Katerina also promised me something. She was telling me about her American friends, and her school. I want to be enrolled there.”
“What?” I ask, not quite believing what I am hearing.
“I want to go to school in America. At the school Katerina goes to. It sounds like a nice school. She really likes it there,” he says.
A Russian terrorist wants to go to an American high school. Huh. I’ve heard it all.
And Katerina is telling a terrorist about school. She might be okay if she’s doing that.
“Okay,” I say. “No problem.”
I’ll always find you.
Katerina.
Pretending to be passed out is harder than it sounds. Especially when the terrorist who is carrying me feels like he’s going to drop me. His arms are literally shaking. And I have a cramp in my foot. I’m trying hard not to move, but my body is literally hurting from not moving.
The guy who is carrying me leans over and then drops me onto the floor. I’m only a few inches from the ground, but still! Ouch! I jerk an inch before I catch myself. Thankfully, nobody notices. I hear something hit the ground beside me, probably Damon.
I hear an engine roar to life and begin to vibrate around me. Now I am nervous. What if Salvador doesn’t follow through on his promise? What if Damon and I are on our way to our execution right now? It’s not like I can win against these guys if it came down to a fight. They’ve got guns. Plus, there are a lot more of them than me.
But I would fight if it came down to it. Not just for me, but for Damon too.
None of them are talking, so I can’t tell how many guys there are.
I wonder if we’re going where they have my mum. I’d love to see her again. I hope they are treating her good. Salvador was good to us, but he’s a fifteen year old kid. If Rafael or one of the others had been bringing down our food, I’m sure the treatment wouldn’t have been as good.
If they’re feeding her.
They might not be.
I feel the vehicle move forward and my body rolls slightly. I hit another body—Damon.
At least no
w I know he’s definitely with me.
The longer we are in the car, the more panicked I feel. I should be glad to be out of that basement, but I felt safe there. Here, I am exposed.
Plus, my foot cramp has gotten worse. I need to move my foot.
The vehicle suddenly slams on the brakes, and I go rolling forward. While I’m rolling, I move my foot slightly.
Augh… relief.
Then I hit something hard. It hurts my shoulder a but, but I’m fine. Then I feel Damon hit me on the other side.
Ouch.
He hurt worse than whatever else I hit.
They really should invest in some seat belts for their victims.
“What’s going on?” I hear somebody I don’t recognize.
A door opens and cold air hits me.
“Salvador, you stay here with them,” another voice says. I hear people jump from the vehicle.
Where are we? The back of a truck?
“They’re gone,” Salvador whispers.
I open my eyes and look around.
We are in the back of a truck.
I move, my muscles feeling better.
I hear a gun go off, which thoroughly freaks me out. Damon puts an arm in front of me, trying to shield me.
After the first shot, I hear a lot of guns going off and somebody opens the back of the trailer. Sun shines through, hurting my eyes. I’ve been locked in a basement for so long. Even with the tiny window, not a lot of light was coming through.
“Kat.”
Alik.
My eyes adjust to the light, and I get up and run over to him. He grabs me around my waste and puts me on the ground, giving me a hug.
“I never thought I’d see you again,” he says to me, still not letting go. I hold him just as tight.
“Me too,” I say. “How did you find me?”
I look up and see a team of military going inside the truck.
Then I see Tristan standing back, watching Alik and me.
Salvador jumps out of the truck beside me.
“Did you do this?” I ask him.
He nods.
“Thank you. You saved my life,” I say.
Tristan walks up behind Alik. He looks tired. Like he hasn’t slept since we’ve been gone, which he probably hasn’t. There are bags under his eyes, and his hair is a complete mess. But he is smiling. Still, he’s the most beautiful guy I’ve ever seen.
“You found me,” I say.
“I’ll always find you,” he says.
I know he will.
That is why I love him.
I don’t know who steps towards who first—him or me. But he wraps his arms around me tight and I hold him just as tightly.
I missed him so much.
“I probably stink,” I say, feeling self conscience. The first thing I want to do is shower and brush my teeth.
“I don’t care,” he says, still holding me tight.
This is where I belong—with him. In his arms.
THREE
Raslan.
Katerina.
After showering for nearly an hour, I went to bed and slept better than I have in days. Probably because I was safe. And because I wasn’t sleeping on a concrete floor. That morning, when I wake up, my muscles are sore.
Tristan is asleep in a room that is connected to mine and Alik’s room. Last night, he fell asleep as soon as we got back. I haven’t even got a chance to really talk to him yet about anything. He must have been exhausted.
“How do you feel?” Alik asks, as he walks into our shared hotel room.
“Like I was kidnapped, drugged, and slept on a concrete floor for two nights,” I answer.
He holds out a large styrofoam cup. “I brought you tea.”
That is pretty much the only thing that could get me out of this bed. Hot tea. I haven’t had good hot tea since I went to America.
I grab it from him.
“So I found somebody in the lobby this morning,” Alik says. “Somebody who would like see you.”
“Who?” I ask.
“Raslan.” He looks scared as he waits for my reaction.
I should have known that the tea was just bribery.
“Oh.”
“He’s kind of waiting in the hallway.”
Of course he is.
“Come on, Kat,” Alik says. “Raslan misses you. He didn’t just lose Eduard that night. He lost you too. Give the guy a break. He helped look for you when he found out you were kidnapped.”
“How did he know?” I ask.
“The whole country knew,” he answers. “Everybody was looking for you guys. You were on the news for three days straight. Not just in Russia, but America too.”
“That’s just great,” I say, sarcastically.
“Everybody thinks your dating Damon.”
“Seriously?” I groan. “Can I hide and just never show my face in public again?”
Alik laughs. “Nope. Sorry.”
“Darn.”
“Will you please talk to Raslan?”
I nod hesitantly.
He grabs the door knob, but doesn’t open it yet. “Kat, be nice to him, okay?”
“I will.”
He opens the door, and I see Raslan standing in the hallway. He has his hands in his pockets, and he’s looking at his feet.
He looks the exact same as he always did, except older now. He’s still the adorable guy I once knew, but it’s not the same. Not since Eduard is gone. It won’t ever go back to the way it was.
“You two talk,” Alik says.
Raslan walks in and Alik leaves. I stand there, feeling extremely awkward.
“Hey,” I say, breaking the silence.
Raslan looks up at me. “Kat…”
I walk over to him and give him a hug, because what else are you supposed to do when you see your best friend for the first time in six months? I haven’t seen him since Eduard’s funeral.
“I missed you,” I tell him, as we pull apart.
Now that I see him, I realize just how much I have missed him.
“I missed you too. A lot,” he says.
“Do you want to sit down?” I ask, pointing at Alik’s bed. He sits down and I sit down on my bed across from him.
“You look so different now,” Raslan says. “So much older.”
“I feel a lot older.”
“So… you’re dating the president’s son,” he says. Of course this is the first thing he wants to know.
I laugh. “No. I’m not. I mean, I did date him. For, like, a week. But we decided to break up. Or I decided. But it doesn’t matter. Damon and I would not have worked out. He’s… and I’m…”
“I understand,” he says. “Plus, I met that Tristan guy. He’s intense, but I’m pretty sure he has a thing for you. It’s kind of scary how perfect the two of you are for each other. He reminds me of your brothers.”
I grin. “Yeah… I’m kind of head over heels in love with him. But he’s twenty one. And I’m sixteen. Plus, he’s my bodyguard.”
“It’s complicated,” Raslan says. “But the Kat I know would never back down from a challenge. Do you remember that time we went bungee jumping?”
I laugh. “Oh my gosh! Yes! Eduard called me a chicken because I didn’t want to do it and then he ended up chickening out.”
“But you did it,” he says.
“That was fun.” And I teased Eduard about backing out for months after that.
“I miss him,” Raslan says.
“I do too.”
“I want us to be friends, Kat. Because losing him is unbearable without you,” he says. “I need you in my life.”
“We could try to be friends,” I say.
“I know that it won’t be the same. It won’t ever be the same,” he says. “And I know that you’re going to school in America and that you have your life there now. But maybe, when you’re in Russia, we can get together. And I’ll come to America some. I mean, I did learn English from you guys.”
I laugh, thi
nking of how much Raslan came over when we were kids. He learned English because of my mum insisted we speak English at home.
“Maybe we can video chat a couple times a month,” I say. Because no matter how much it hurts to talk to him, it also brings up a lot of good memories. He was such a big part of my life and cutting him out isn’t right.
“Deal,” he says.
For the best.
Tristan.
I wake up to the sound of Katerina laughing.
It’s something I wasn’t sure I would hear again. While I was looking for her, I didn’t give myself a chance to think like that. But now that I know she’s safe, I can’t help but think what would’ve happened. If they would’ve successfully moved locations, we probably wouldn’t have found them for a long time. And by then we might have been too late. I owe that Salvador kid everything.
Raslan, who was once upon a time Katerina’s best friend, is in her room. They’re laughing at old stories—good times they had with Eduard. And I’m glad that they’re talking. I think this will help Katerina heal. She’s gone through a lot—her brother’s death, moving to America, finding out her dad is a terrorist, almost getting killed by Kazimir and now getting kidnapped by Rafael and Gaidar. She’s strong to have made it this far.
I’m excited to tell her about her dad. That’s he’s actually not a terrorist. At least not anymore. That he made a deal with the government, because he loves his family so much. Because he loves her.
Katerina’s dad and her other brother, Dimitri, are looking for her mom and Elana right now, which is why they’re not here. I think they will find them, especially now that we’ve got Salvador. They weren’t in the place he said they would be, but they had been. They were moved. Which is going to make it harder, but not impossible. I just hope we don’t find them too late.
Rafael and Matthews… er… Gaidar… are nowhere to be found. They weren’t there when Katerina and Damon were being moved, which is inconvenient for us. Until they are in protective custody, Damon is going into hiding, and Katerina is going to be with me at all times. Not just me, but there are also going to be armed guards standing by, just in case.
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