by Measha Stone
With fresh clothes on, I open the bedroom door. The same soldier stands there waiting for me to ask him to do something for me. I don’t need him to do anything. I’ll take care of myself.
“I need to use the car.” I step out of the room and into the hall.
He squares off with me, his brows pulled together with worry. He’s probably not sure what to do. Does he drag me back in the room, does he call for help? Seeing as he’s unsure, I’m positive Dominik’s not in the house.
Good.
That makes things easier.
“Your husband said—”
“Yeah. I heard you the first time. It doesn’t change that I need the car. You have two choices here. You can get out of my way so I can go, or you can come with me in case there’s trouble.” I don’t really want him with me, but I’m also not stupid enough to think I’ll get far without one of his men at least following me. Besides, maybe he’ll come in handy. He does have a gun after all.
His gaze darts past me to the stairs. His options are limited, and I’ve put him a tough spot.
I don’t care.
Right now, I only care about getting what I want. It’s worked for my father in the past, it works for Dominik every day. Demand what you want, and if it’s not handed to you — just fucking take it.
“Where do you want to go?” Defeat dances in his question.
“I’m driving.” I turn on my heel and head to the stairs. He’s right behind me, already starting to try and talk me out of it.
“I’m going to have to call Dominik,” he says just as I reach the garage door. It gives me a moment of pause. I don’t want him fucking this up for me.
“Fine. Once we’re in the car and have cleared the gates, you can call him and tattle. But if you call him before that...” I shrug and pull the garage door open.
“Kasia? Is that you?” Margaret’s voice trails down the hallway. Damn this house. Gorgeous, yes, but all the openness makes it damn near difficult to sneak away.
I don’t say a word to her. Instead I walk across the three-car garage and climb into the black SUV. I don’t have my purse or my wallet, but it’s not like I’m not driving without protection. If a cop pulls us over, soldier boy will have to get us out of trouble.
He climbs in beside me, his phone already cradled in his hands.
“It’s a push start,” he says, and drops the fob in the cupholder of the center console.
Once the garage door opens, I pull out quickly and head to the gate.
“What’s your name?” I ask him as he taps on his screen. The gate closes behind us and I turn onto the main street that will take us right to the expressway.
“Michael,” he mutters and puts the phone to his ear.
The expressway is clear while we’re still in the suburbs, but the closer to the city we get I know I’m going to run into traffic.
“Boss, she’s out of the house. I’m with her...I don’t know, she won’t say...” He presses a button on the touch screen of the car and Dominik’s voice booms through the car.
“Kasia, what the hell are you doing?” he demands.
“Taking care of some things,” I answer. His general answers have been good enough for him to give me, it’s about time he was treated the same.
“Go back to the house. Michael is going to take you home.”
“No.” I change lanes and speed up, merging onto the highway. “I’ll be home sometime after dinner. Don’t wait for me.” I glance at the console and hang up the call.
I can feel Michael’s panic roll off of him.
“Don’t worry. He’ll survive.”
“Yeah,” he mutters. “It’s me I’m worried about.”
I smile at that.
It takes over an hour to get to my father’s house. I’m told he’s out of town, but I’m not really looking for him, so it won’t matter.
“Jesus, why are we here?” he asks, as I pull up to the curb. My father’s house isn’t a gated estate like Dominik’s. No armed guards walking the property.
“You can call your boss again if it will make you feel better. We aren’t going to be long.” I grab the fob so he can’t withhold it from me and hop down from the car.
The front door is still controlled by a keypad, and thankfully my father never saw fit to change the code after he sold me to Dominik. The house is quiet. Dad’s office is open.
It’s not as scary now that it’s empty. Now that I’m an adult who has finally grabbed the reins of my own life.
“Kasia, what are we doing here?” Michael asks in a hushed whisper. His hand is posed on the butt of his gun.
“Don’t worry. He’s gone.” I sit at Dad’s desk and open the filing cabinet drawer. I thumb through the files until I find the one I’m looking for.
“Dominik will be here soon,” he tells me, like an annoying big brother who’s informed our father I’m snooping.
I get the address I need and stuff the file back into the drawer.
“Good for him.” I slam the drawer and get up. I walk right past him and down the hall, not sparing a glance at the family pictures hanging on the wall. I’m not in most of them and if I am, I’m tucked off to the side.
Fuck them.
Fuck everything here.
When I climb back into the SUV, Michael is right next to me.
“Tell me where we’re going,” he demands. He could end this right now and grab me, but I know he won’t. He’s young and hasn’t been around Dominik enough to know that stopping me by any means is probably safer for him than letting me do what I’m about to do.
“Making things right,” I say and pull away from the house. He grabs onto the handle of the door. I’ll admit my driving is a bit erratic, but there are lives at stake. I can’t wait around for men to decide to stop being monsters.
“Kasia. Where are you headed?” Dominik’s voice comes through the car speakers again. Michael called him again, I suppose.
“The transports leave every Thursday night.” I remember from hearing my father talking about them. I assumed he was moving stolen cars or merchandise, not people. I never thought he could be so cruel. I was an idiot.
“Kasia. Pull the car over. I’ll be there within ten minutes,” he orders.
“Sorry, I can’t.”
“Kasia, do what I’m telling you right now.” There’s worry laced in his demand.
“Do you want to threaten me with a spanking, Dominik?” I switch lanes, heading south.
“Kasia. I swear to you, it will so much worse than that if you don’t do as I tell you, right now.”
He’s bluffing. Maybe he’s not. I don’t really care anymore.
“Bye, Dominik.” I hang up again and find the button that disconnects the bluetooth. “Call him again, Michael, and you’ll be walking home,” I say in Polish to be sure he gets my meaning clearly, and head for the next exit.
The sun is gone now, night has settled around us. This isn’t exactly the best part of Chicago, so it would be best if Michael, and his gun, stayed with me.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Kasia
There isn’t exactly a directory posted at the train yard, but I remember this place. My father took Diana and I here when we were kids. He let us play on the empty train car while he talked with men in suits. They talked too fast for me to understand them. My Polish wasn’t as good then.
A quick look around the car and I find what I need. A gun is hidden in the middle console.
“You may want to draw your weapon,” I say to Michael as we climb out of the SUV. We’ll have to walk down several rows of cars before we get to the place my father took me.
“This isn’t a good idea. Let’s wait for Dominik to get here,” he says.
I pause a moment, then realize my error. “There’s GPS in the car. He knows exactly where we are.”
“So maybe we should wait,” he urges me but keeps his voice low.
There’s a sound up ahead that makes me stop. I put a finger over my lips to kee
p him quiet too. He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. He’s probably done this a million times and doesn’t need me to explain to be quiet.
“Almost loaded, Marcin.” I hear a familiar voice carry to me. The car’s already loaded on the tracks.
I wave Michael to follow me and run toward the sound.
“Don’t forget the fucking water this time. Last week two of them nearly fucking died. I had to take half price on them.” My father’s voice booms. He’s not even trying to maintain a low profile. But why would he?
I look over at Michael, at the gun in his hands, then at the one in mine. I’ve never fired one before. I swallow, fear claws at my throat. No matter what I think I know what I’m going to find, it could be worse.
There’s never been much love between my father and myself, but I’ve always thought him decent. As good as a man in his position could be, but now, I’m being faced with a horror that was meant for me. A terrifying scene that he’d planned for me.
“Kasia.” Michael’s whisper shakes me from my thoughts. “What are you hoping to accomplish here? Your father has many men here. There’s just us. Let’s wait for Dominik. He’ll have others with him.”
It’s a sound plan. But I’m tired of waiting for backup. It’s never come before, and it’s not going to start now. My father wanted me to grow up alone, he sent me with a man who would keep me in solitude. I won’t cow to it. I can be strong all on my own.
He curses when I move forward. I won’t be talked out of this. When I get to the next row, I press myself against the car before looking around the corner.
What I see twists my stomach.
Women tethered together at the ankles and hands stand at the bottom of a ramp leading into the open train car on the tracks. They’re dirty, their clothes are tattered, and they’re scared. Their muffled sobs tear at my heart. Not even the gags in their mouths are helping to keep them silent. This was meant for me. That was to be my future.
Tears prick my eyes, but I dash them away. There’s no time for that.
“Kasia—”
“No.” I put my hand up in Michael’s face. “No more.” I glance back at the women. My father is walking around the five of them huddled together. The moonlight strikes his face and for a moment I can see his features. How pleased he is with his capture.
“Come with me or don’t. That’s your decision.” I cock the gun and take a deep breath. “I’ve already made mine.”
He calls for me again, but I’m already walking toward them, toward my father, those women.
“Tata!” I call out to him. He freezes like he’s been struck in the back. When he turns toward me, two of his men flank him, weapons drawn and pointed at me. That’s fine, mine is aimed at him.
“Kasia?” He squints, the darkness probably makes it hard for him to see me. “What are you doing here?” he demands. “You little fool. Is your husband here?” He looks past me, but there’s only Michael. I can feel him close to me.
“This is what you wanted for me?” I stop several feet from him. The women huddle closer together. “You wanted to put me on this train? Where’s it going, anyway?”
“Who told you this?” he asks. His hands fidget at his sides. “Who lies to you? Your husband? The Staszek asshole?”
My insides shake. “You sent the Kominski family to take me, to steal me away so you could sell me.” I can’t seem to get the volume in my voice to match the rage in my chest.
“Kłamać!” Lies.
“It was supposed to be me in that car, how many times over the years did you remind me? Me! But you didn’t want me dead...you wanted me here. Tied up like this, taken away and sold.” My voice breaks toward the end, but I can’t help it. Tears build in my eyes. This is my father. My dad. The man who taught me to ride a bike when I was little. The man who once held my hand as we crossed the street.
Before it was confirmed my mother could never get pregnant again, he held some tenderness for me. He was kind. That’s the father I’ve been holding in my heart. But this man standing here, looking disgusted by my presence. This isn’t him.
I raise my gun higher, pointing it at his head.
“What? You think you can pull the trigger? You’re a badass now?” He taunts me, raising his square chin. “Go on. Show me what a bad ass you are.”
A tear falls down my cheek. Why can’t I be steady? Why can’t I tug on this fucking trigger? He deserves worse, he deserves to burn in hell.
“Why?” The question leaves me on a breath. “Why do this when you could have just let me leave?”
“Leave?” His brows raise. “You wouldn’t leave. You’d come back, you’d always be there, always need me. You’d always be a spot on my family name. You needed to go away.”
“You could have just killed me.” A sharp pain hits me. I knew he didn’t love me, but this, this look of disgust squeezes my heart.
“You were worth more alive.” His lips twist into a disturbing grin.
“Ah, but you aren’t, Garska.” Dominik’s voice booms from behind me. Tension eases in my shoulders, but I don’t lower my gun. This is for me to end. Not him.
“What are you talking about?” Dad sneers. “Zabij ich!” Kill them!
I swing my gun to the left of my father, to his men, and pull the trigger. One yelps, but doesn’t go down. I think I’ve hit his shoulder. Dominik rages behind me, grabbing me and shoving me backward. It takes only a second for him to pick off the two guards. One shot to the one I wounded, then one to the second man. They both crumble to the ground.
My father looks behind him. The women are in a panic, screaming behind their gags.
“Where is everyone! Come! Come!” my father yells.
Dominik stalks up to him, his gun lowered. “Your men have been taken care of,” he says, coming toe to toe with him.
“Dominik!” I yell. He doesn’t turn away from my father. “He’s...let me,” I say still holding my gun up.
“Michael, take this prick over there for now. If he moves, shoot his cock off.” Dominik grabs my father by the collar and shoves him toward Michael who is already making his way to him.
I want to demand they stop moving. To stop taking over this moment from me, but I can’t get the words out. My hands shake so hard, I’m not sure I’d even hit my target.
I lower the gun and run to the plank leading to the train car. I need to see. I need to know how many there are.
Air escapes me. The car is nearly full. More than twenty women. All tied together with rope, all dirty, their gags are around their necks. Some have been beaten. Others injured in other ways. All of them look back at me with terrified eyes.
I cover my mouth, unable to bear the horror. A few of the girls are barely teenagers.
“I’ll get you out,” I promise them as I run to the closest woman and tug on the knots. I need a knife. “I’m sorry...so sorry.” I’m sobbing and tugging on their restraints.
“Kasia.” Dominik enters the car. “Kasia.”
It’s not until he touches me that I realize I’m not moving anymore. He turns me to face him, brings up my chin.
“They’re hurt,” I say, a numbness starting to cloud me.
“They will be taken care of. I promise.” He holds my face in his hands. “Are you hurt?”
“He wanted this for me.” I blink, tears stream down my cheeks.
“He won’t hurt you ever again.” His jaw clenches.
“I didn’t listen to you. I came without you.” My mind wanders like the breeze.
He presses his forehead to mine, breathing deeply and wrapping his hands around the back of my neck.
“These girls. They need...why would he...and you...I know you wouldn’t...”
“Shhhh.” He lifts away from me, leveling me with his arrogant stare. “What do you need, Kasia? How do I help? What do you want me to do?”
It takes a few seconds for the words to sink in. He’s asking me for directions. Me, his wife.
“We have to help these women
,” I say firmly. “We can’t let this go unpunished.”
“Your father.” He nods. “There’s been a decision on that that even I can’t disobey.”
I can’t imagine there being a higher power than him, but I know how these things work. At least in generalities. He answers to his father, and his father answers to the families at the highest ranks.
“Do you want to say anything to him?”
“No.” I look at the women. They aren’t huddled anymore. No one says anything. They’re probably too afraid.
Dominik gestures to one of his men at the entrance of the car. I can’t make out who it is before he jogs down the ramp and out of sight.
Dominik pulls me to his chest, he wraps his arms around my body, then one around my head. I can’t breathe very well, it’s too tight, but then I hear it.
A single shot. Muffled, but I know it for what it is.
My father’s dead.
If Dominik wasn’t holding me up, I’m not sure I’d stay on my feet.
When he unravels me from his arms, he kisses my forehead. It’s tender, sweet, nothing like him, but exactly what I needed.
“My men will help these women. We need to leave now, though,” he says to me, softly.
“They aren’t to be mistreated, Dominik.”
“They won’t be. I swear it, Kasia.” He brings my hand to his chest. “So long as my heart beats, I will never lie to you.”
I swallow back another sob. The night has been too much. All the strength I had when I started out has waned away, leaving me a mess.
“I think I want to go home, Dominik.”
Silently, he takes my hand and leads me from the car. His men are already inside untying the women, speaking softly to them, being careful. The women that witnessed my exchange with my father watch me as I walk past them. They rub their wrists that are no longer bound.
“Thank you,” one says, then another.
“I am so sorry this was done to you,” I say to them. Dominik tugs me along before I can say more.
Two of Dominik’s men drag something heavy behind them, away from the car. A body. My father.
Dominik won’t let me stop; he tugs me along. Shouldn’t I feel something? I can’t untangle everything running through my mind.
