Hollywood Confessions

by Gemma Halliday

  Then again, what am I?

  She shoved that thought deep into the recesses of her brain, focusing instead on the commands one Russian was shouting to the others. She wasn’t fluent, but she’d picked up enough of the language to understand he was telling them she’d escaped, over the balcony. Go find her.

  Three pairs of feet pounded out of the room, receding down the hallway.

  She waited, counting off two beats before daring to move a muscle. Slowly, she drew back the curtain, using reflections in the windowpane to check the room. The general’s lifeless body lay slumped in the middle of the floor.

  Alone.

  She sprang into action, adrenalin pumping through her limbs as she crossed the room, out the door, running left, opposite the exit, she knew. Deeper into the compound, but farther away from the expanse of property outside the general’s bedroom window where the bodyguards would now be searching for her. The sound of her heels pounding with practiced speed was muffled by thick carpeting as she counted the doors she passed. Three, four. She’d been studying the blueprint of the house for weeks, but she still held her breath as she passed the fifth door and slowed, opening number six and slipping inside.

  An empty office. Just as it was supposed to be.

  She quickly shut the door with a soft click behind her, hearing her own ragged breath fill the silence. The room was dark, moonlight filtering through the window the only light. Anya blinked, letting her eyes adjust. The windows faced east, toward the woods, beyond which ran a little used road where a car awaited her. Her handler had set up surveillance on the road to monitor every person who’d gone in or out of Fedorov’s compound for weeks. All she had to do was get to the car, and she knew they’d all be watching her on their monitors from their big, safe room that, as far as anyone knew, didn’t really exist. Her handler, the generals, the faceless men who controlled her fate.

  And she’d finally be safe.

  She paused, put her ear to the door, praying she didn’t hear the telltale pounding of feet behind her.

  Nothing.

  She crossed to the window, lifting it open. The bite of night air stung her cheeks, giving her instant goosebumps in the flimsy dress completely ill-suited for Kosovo in the spring. But cold was an indulgence she didn’t have time for. Instead, she pried the screen from its frame with her fingernails, dropping it to the floor as she threw one leg, then the other over the sill.

  It was a two-story drop. One she’d anticipated, but it looked far higher now that she was straddling the sill, all that empty air below her.

  You can do this. You’re almost there.

  If she thought about it a second longer, she knew her resolve would waiver. So she didn’t, instead, kicking off her shoes, she plunged into the darkness. She hit the ground with a thud, sharp pain instantly shooting up her left leg. Anya bit down hard on her lower lip to keep from crying out, her hands sliding out from under her in the dewy grass. She looked down. Her left ankle was twisted under her. Probably sprained.

  But pain was another thing she had no time for.

  The taste of blood filled her mouth as her teeth ground down on her lip. She struggled to her feet, favoring her right side. She forced her legs to hold her up, then glanced around in the dark, quickly getting her bearings. Ahead of her lay an expanse of grass, a fence to the left leading to the yard where the general carried out his own private training exercises. She shuddered. She’d seen the files on his victims and could only imagine the tortured souls who still haunted those tainted grounds.

  Still grasping the revolver in her hand, she turned right. A wooded area lay at the edge of the grass, but it was a good ten yards to the tree cover. Ten yards where she’d be completely exposed. She could only pray that the Russians were still searching the other side of the compound for her.

  Ten yards. Ten yards… and then you’re free.

  Anya dashed forward, running as fast as her injured ankle would allow, half hopping, half dragging her leg along as she kept her eyes on the tree line ahead. Her arms pumped at her sides, her lungs burning, her eyes watering at the sting of cold wind whipping past her. Six yards. Five. She was almost there.

  And then she heard it.

  The crack reverberated through the still night like lightening, a tuft of grass at her side flying into the air.

  They’d found her.

  While she’d hoped they wouldn’t, she was really only surprised it had taken them this long. The general had been a sadist but a smart one. The men he’d hired were nothing less.

  Anya jagged to the right, then left, never decreasing her speed as she made a zig-zag pattern across the lawn. Tufts of grass flew at her sides, spattering her legs with mud as bullets embedded themselves into the soft ground.

  Three yards left. She was almost there.

  Another shot rang out, and fire instantly erupted in her right arm. Anya cried out, falling to the ground, her left hand immediately going to the sharp sting slicing through her bicep. She rolled onto her right side in the grass, shot off two wild rounds toward the house. Pain blinded her. She had no idea if she’d hit anything, but the bullet hail stopped for a second. Warm liquid seeped through her fingers, and she bit back a scream. She would not give them the satisfaction.

  The gunfire ceased for only a moment, then the Russians began again. Relentless. The air filled with deafening shots, chunks of grass beside her jumping, spraying cool mud onto her cheeks.

  She rolled left, then right, pulling herself up onto her knees as she twisted away from the hail. She looked up. The tree cover was only a few feet way. So close. She could make it.

  She would make it.

  Anya turned, firing two more rounds back toward the house before the revolver made an empty clicking sound. She threw it, making a mad dash for the trees, her bare feet slipping on the wet earth, her teeth chattering against the cold. Five more feet. Four.

  She heard shouting behind her, the Russians scrambling for their vehicles, their dogs, their spotlights, organizing an all out search as she reached the cover of the woods. She wasn’t home free yet, but the tall pines bought her time.

  She tripped over the uneven ground, roots rising up from the earth to slow her pace. Dried pine needles bit into the soles of her bare feet, low branches scratching at her exposed arms and legs. She heard the sound of wings flapping overhead, birds rising angrily from the highest branches at the sudden intrusion into their territory.

  But she kept running.

  The woods sloped downward, toward the road, but she didn’t slow her pace all the way down the hill, tripping the last few feet as she reached the dirty pavement. On the far side, a shiny silver sedan sat up against the bank.

  Anya let out a cry of relief. It was almost over.

  Freedom.

  She stumbled across the road, listening to the sound of Fedorov’s loyals in the distance, Jeep motors humming as they closed in on her.

  She threw the driver’s side door of the sedan open, fingers fumbling in the dark beneath the console for the switch to start the car. She found it.

  She paused, the pain in her arm spreading into a dull ache as her index finger hovered just above the switch. She knew they were watching her, waiting with anticipation almost as great as hers. Would she make it out before Fedorov’s men caught up with her? Or would they be training someone new to take her place? All eyes would be on the screen now, the room hushed, men with grave faces all leaning forward, holding their collective breath as she disappeared inside the car.

  Anya slid her bare thighs onto the leather seat, listened to the roar of motors drawing closer, breathed in deeply the frigid night air scented with pine, leather, and her own cloyingly sweet blood dripping down her arm. She stared out the window at the sight of moonlight shimmering off the frostbitten street, creating a deceptively serene scene.

  And then she flipped the switch.

  An explosion rocked the air, an orange fireball engulfing the shiny, silver car in one giant fist as smoke billow
ed up toward the top of the pine trees.

  Chapter One

  “Jesus, would you just do it already?”

  Anna shivered, shifting her umbrella to the other hand, her teeth rattling together. Rain fell in fat droplets around her, splashing back on the cuffs of her jeans as she stood on the small square of lawn, shifting from foot to foot. She could feel mud squishing into the grooves of her running shoes and cringed. She’d have to carry them up the stairs unless she wanted her landlord bitching about muddy footprints again. In one hand she held the umbrella, in the other a leash connected to a stubborn as hell boxer who was currently being very particular about where he did his business. Anna thought for a moment he might have chosen his sweet spot when he paused to sniff at the azalea bushes flanking her apartment building. But no. He turned up his black nose and continued pacing in the rain. Anna had a sneaking suspicion he was enjoying this.

  “Come on, Lenny,” she pleaded.

  Lenny looked up, trained his black eyes on her, cocked his head to the side. Then went back to his pacing.

  Anna narrowed her eyes at the jerk.

  Originally he’d come to the shelter from a family who’d been moving to Chicago and couldn’t take a dog with them. They’d promised he was an excellent watchdog and very companionable. The companion part he’d proven right away. She could hardly walk two steps in her tiny apartment without running into him. The watchdog part had turned out to be the biggest joke she’d ever heard. Lenny’s deep baritone bark was impressive, but he was more likely to lick an intruder to death than attack. Still, half the idea of a watchdog was for show, so she hadn’t had the heart to unload him on someone else.

  She just wished he’d show a little more cooperation.

  “Please, Lenny. I’m cold, I’m wet. I’ll give you three bacon treats if you just pick a spot and take the shit. What do you say?”

  He ignored her completely, sniffing the flowerbeds along the walkway.

  Anna wiped a raindrop from her cheek, wrapping one arm around herself to stave off the chill. Normally she didn’t mind the rain so much. She loved the smell of water hitting the oil stained streets, the crisp color of the San Francisco sky that it left behind when the clouds parted. Almost as if the entire city were being washed clean, given a fresh start.

  But tonight she wasn’t a fan. The rain cut down on her visibility, left her feeling too exposed standing out in the open.

  Her gaze swept the street. The dim glow of streetlamps bathed the neighborhood in pale yellow hues, rows of old Victorians lining the block of narrow, three story buildings painted every color of the rainbow over the years. They banked right up against each other, one after another, trailing down the hill toward the bay. Across the street were a used bookstore, an Asian market, and an all night laundromat. Only the laundromat’s lights were on at this time of night, a sole occupant visible inside, reading a book as he waited for his clothes to finish. It wasn’t a particularly busy street for San Francisco, one of the things Anna had liked about it when she’d first moved in, but it was close to the park and Muni, and the rent was relatively cheap.

  And her landlord hadn’t asked any questions when she’d installed a state of the art security system.

  Anna tore her gaze away from the street, focusing again on her stubborn partner.

  “I swear to God if you don’t do it now, you’re holding it until morning,” she threatened.

  Lenny walked over to the azaleas and, miracle of miracles, this time squatted down. Anna said a silent thank you, pulling a plastic baggie out of her pocket. She waited until he’d finished, then transferred the leash and umbrella into one hand as she crouched down to pick up Lenny’s offering with the other.

  But the rain must have made her grip on the leash slippery. Because as she bent over, Lenny gave a tug on the end, and the leather slid out of her hand, the umbrella falling to the ground, rain immediately pelting her as she lost her balance in the muddy grass.

  “Goddammit, Lenny,” she shouted, throwing one hand out to break her fall. She slid forward, mud streaking down the side of her jeans as she lunged for the dog. He’d taken off like a shot into the dark evening, bounding down the rain soaked sidewalk.

  “Lenny!” she called, her cries immediately swallowed up by the storm.

  Abandoning the baggie, she grabbed her umbrella, useless now that she was soaked to the bone, and picked her way back over the square of lawn, hitting the sidewalk just in time to see him shoot across the street into the laundromat.

  “That’s it,” she muttered to herself. “No bacon treats for you, asshole.”

  Reluctantly she set off after him, crossing the street. As she pushed through the glass doors of the laundromat, warm, humid air immediately hit her like a blanket. She scrubbed her wet hair out of her face, scanning the room for the dog.

  He had the sole occupant of the room backed up into a corner, his book held up like a shield as Lenny tattooed his clothes with muddy paw prints.

  “Lenny,” she yelled, “get down.”

  Which, of course, he ignored, completely enamored with new-person scents.

  Anna crossed the room, her wet shoes squishing with every step, and grabbed the end of his leash from the floor. She gave a sharp tug. “Down. Now,” she commanded again.

  This time he complied, letting his captive go as he took a step back to sniff a box of detergent on the floor instead.

  “Sorry,” she said to the man.

  He was tall, at least six feet, lean with broad shoulders beneath a cotton shirt, unbuttoned at the top. His jeans were worn at the knees, his shoes dry, indicating he’d been inside for a while. His hair was a warm chestnut color, curling a little at his neck, just slightly longer than current fashion would dictate. His eyes were a deep brown so dark, she noticed, that they were almost black. He had a square jaw, a day past needing a good shave, and his build was tight, all angles, like an athlete’s.

  He lowered his book as Lenny stepped away, the corners of his mouth tilting upward.

  “No problem. I only peed myself a little,” he joked.

  Anna felt an answering smile. “I swear he looks more vicious than he is.”

  “I’ll take your word for that.” He slowly sidestepped the dog. “I’ve always been more of a cat person, myself.”

  “Well, on a night like tonight, I don’t blame you.” She looked down at her jeans. It would take an act of God to get those grass stains out.

  The man reached into a plastic laundry basket and pulled out a towel, tossing it to Anna.

  “Here. You look like you’ve been swimming.”

  “Nearly,” she said, gratefully drying her face. “Thanks, but you know I’m just going back out in it.”

  “Nick.” The man stuck his hand out at her. “Nick Dade.

  Anna looked at it for a minute. Then gingerly took it. “Anna.”

  His grip was firm, strong, his skin a little rough as if he worked with his hands regularly. Definitely confident, but careful not to hold on too long.

  “Just Anna?”

  “Smith. Anna Smith.”

  “Hmmm.” He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back on his heels. “Smith. Very mysterious.”

  Anna laughed. “No, very plain.”

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Anna Smith. You live around here?” he asked, gesturing to the windows.

  Anna paused, bit the inside of her cheek.

  Don’t talk to strangers.

  She nodded slowly. “Yes.”

  “It’s a nice place. Quiet at night.”

  “It is. I like it.”

  “The architecture’s amazing. I love all the old buildings. It’s incredible to me that so many have survived not one, but two major earthquakes.”

  Anna nodded, running the towel over her hair, trying to squeeze out the bulk of the rainwater. “That’s one of the reasons I moved here,” she agreed.

  “Where from?”

  Anna looked up. “What?”

  “Where did
you move from?”

  Don’t talk to strangers. Don’t get personal.

  Anna looked away, turning her eyes to Lenny, still circling the detergent box.

  “Oh, I’ve lived all over. I’m a bit of a nomad. What about you? Local?”

  He shook his head. “No, I’m just visiting a friend in town. Thinking of relocating, though. It’s a fun city. You lived here long?”

  Anna shrugged. “Long enough, I guess.”

  “Long enough to know a place for good Chinese?” He took a step toward her.

  Without meaning to, she took one backward.

  “In San Francisco? You’d have a hard time finding bad Chinese.”

  He laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Come on, you must have a favorite?”

  “Okay, if I had to pick one, I’d say the Shaolin Palace. Down the street a couple blocks. They deliver twenty-four hours.”

  “Oh, definitely my kind of place.”

  A dryer dinged behind him, signaling the end of the cycle.

  “Well, I guess I’ll let you get back to your laundry,” Anna said. She dropped the towel on the counter and tugged Lenny toward the door. Having ascertained the detergent box didn’t contain anything edible, he complied.

  “Wait,” Nick said, taking a step forward. “Are you busy tomorrow night? Maybe you could walk me through the Shaolin Palace’s menu, huh?”

  Anna chewed on her cheek again.

  Don’t get personal.

  “Sorry, I have plans tomorrow. With my boyfriend.”

  “Oh.” His smile faded. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Yeah, well, goodnight,” she said quickly, pulling Lenny toward the door.

  “I guess I’ll see you around, Anna Smith.”

  She raised a hand in a wave, then pushed out into the sheeting rain again. It hit her like ice after the warm, sticky air of the laundromat. Giving up altogether on the umbrella, Anna crossed the street, ducking her head against the torrent as she ran up the walkway.