Master

by Catherine Taylor

  Her decision made, Natasha slipped quietly out into the hallway. Her regret was instant, as she felt the hard end of a gun pressed to the back of her head.

  “Don’t move. Don’t make a sound.” The voice behind her was deep, husky and frightening. “Keep facing that way and hand me back the gun.”

  Natasha breathed steadily and complied, feeling the large hand take it from her.

  “Who else is in there?”

  “Nobody,” Natasha whispered, but the gun was pressed harder into her skull.

  “I already know there’s another woman in there. That’s the last lie you tell me. Next one, you die.”

  “It’s just the woman. There was another one here, but she has left.”

  “I know,” he said coldly. “I wiped her blood off me not long ago, after she had explained a few things to me.”

  Natasha felt her heart sink. “What do you want?”

  “I want answers. Get inside, but move slowly.”

  The gun remained pressed against her as Natasha went back into the apartment. She stopped a few steps in and waited, not daring to turn around, and heard the door close and lock.

  “Who are you to Damyen?”

  She frowned anxiously as she heard Jahn’s real name. “I’m his friend.”

  “Are you fucking him?”

  “No, we don’t have that kind of relationship.”

  “Where is the other bitch?”

  “She’s asleep in the bedroom. She’s been through hell last night and she’s not well.”

  “Show her to me.”

  Natasha winced, but she had little choice but to lead him to the bedroom. “Please, she’s just young and…”

  “Shut up. I want to see her.”

  Lena was still fast asleep and didn’t stir as they entered.

  “Get over to the other side,” the man demanded. “If you move, you’re both dead.”

  Natasha quietly walked to the far corner of the bedroom, and having not been told otherwise, she turned to see this intruder.

  The room was dark, but she was able to make out his shape, at least six foot three, broad and bald. As she watched, he approached the bed and stood looking down at Lena. Natasha felt sick, wondering what second that their lives would be forfeit; whether to risk an all-out attack, maybe surprising him and getting the advantage.

  The gun dangled down from his hand and she could see the silencer on the end. It was all too close to Lena.

  Please don’t wake up, Natasha prayed.

  The man’s hand went to his neck and she watched him tug on a chain, pull it away from him and lay it gently on Lena’s body. With the same hand, he gestured to Natasha to leave the bedroom.

  He followed her out and closed the door quietly behind him.

  “How long have you known Damyen?”

  “Seventeen years.” Natasha replied, trying to make out his features.

  “Then you’re the one I need to talk to, but first I need water. It’s been a long night.”

  “In the kitchen.”

  “Get it,” he demanded, and followed her.

  The kitchen blinds were open, and as Natasha handed him a glass of water, she got her first look at his face. Her breath caught in her throat.

  “Who are you?” she asked nervously.

  A cruel smile widened his mouth. “I’m Taras Kravec, Damyen’s brother.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Ignoring the groaning in the back seat, Jahn used the binoculars to watch the activity out the front of the building. He took particular interest in an older man, possibly in his sixties, but large, bald and moving quickly to get into an awaiting car, surrounded by his men.

  Jahn had a mind to follow him, but it was the added attention being paid to a black van behind the car, that stopped him. As the car pulled away, he knew that it was the gamble of losing Novikov, but it proved to be the right decision.

  A few minutes after the car was gone, four terrified girls, dressed in bathrobes were ushered roughly into the van. One of Novikov’s men got in with them and the door was slammed shut. Two more men hopped into the front, and the van took off.

  Jahn put the car into gear and was after them immediately, maintaining a distance and speed to avoid attention.

  “Are we going to the hospital?” Gregor’s voice was weak.

  “Hang in there,” Jahn replied. “Let’s see how this goes first.”

  The van turned onto the main road, where the traffic was still minimal, allowing Jahn to stay well back and keep it in his sights. It was a city area, and not one where he wanted any more damage done to buildings or people. When the van finally got onto the single lane highway, it picked up speed considerably, and Jahn pressed down on the accelerator. To lose it now, would not be good. This was the only plan he had.

  Gregor continued to groan loudly. “You fucking liar.”

  “I said I would get you to the hospital,” he called back. “I didn’t say you would be alive.”

  “You fucking arsehole.”

  Jahn ignored him as he watched some unusual driving from the van ahead. It began to swerve over the centre line, nearly collecting cars in the oncoming lane. Suddenly he saw a girl hang out from the side door, waving frantically at the cars.

  “What the hell?”

  As he watched, a man’s body tumbled from inside, bouncing onto the road, until he lay unmoving on the tarmac. Jahn swerved around him and continued to chase the van, bringing the car closer.

  He grinned. “Brave girls. Just don’t get yourselves killed.”

  Ahead he could see a dirt road coming off the highway, and he wasn’t surprised when the van veered off and disappeared behind trees and bushes. Jahn wrenched the steering wheel and followed. Seeing the van had stopped ahead, he pulled over and turned off the engine. Winding down his window, he heard yells and screams, and opened his door, slipping out low and quietly.

  One of the two remaining men had pulled a girl to the ground and was pinning her shoulders down with his knees. The other man was struggling with three girls, trying to wrestle a gun away from him.

  Jahn moved quickly, kicking the first one in the face, sending him flying back into the bushes, where he lay unmoving. In two strides, he had the other man by the hair and let his fist connect with his jaw. The man and the gun fell to the ground, and a girl scrambled to get hold of the weapon. Jahn got there first and snatched it up.

  The girls backed off, regrouping, and one grabbed a thick broken branch from the dirt, holding it up menacingly at Jahn. He stood still, looking at their terrified faces.

  “I’m not here to hurt you.” He told them quietly. “I want to help you. I know where you were, and what you’ve been through.”

  “He’s one of them,” one girl yelled.

  “No, but I’ve got another of them in my car, with a bullet in him.”

  They stared at him, uncertain. His eyes shifted to the girl with the branch, who kept the others behind her. She had short, dark hair and wide eyes. Her terror detracted from her pretty face, but he knew that she was the right one.

  “Marisha,” he called quietly. “Your father sent me to get you.”

  “Is that right?” she snarled. “Tell me his name. Tell me what he looks like.”

  “He smokes too much, even more since you went missing. He’s got more wrinkles than a man his age should have. He doesn’t give out his name often. We usually refer to him as the old man, but I’ve known him as General Burick.”

  Her face softened and she pursed her lips tighter as tears rolled down. “Poppa. He does smoke too much. You’re one of his?”

  Jahn nodded. “For the last ten years.”

  “You’re the one who blew up the building, the one they’re after. You killed Novikov’s son.”

  Jahn nodded. “He was trying to take a friend of mine. I stopped him.”

  Another of the girls cried out to him. “He had a girl with him, blonde, eighteen, a pretty girl, her name was Raisa.”

  Sighing d
eeply, Jahn slowly shook his head. “She escaped, but was too injured, I ‘m sorry.”

  The girl broke down and dropped to the ground, crying loudly. Two of them, knelt down and held her. Marisha kept upright, keeping between them and Jahn. He stayed still, knowing how volatile she was.

  “If it helps, my friend, Lena, was with her when she died. She wasn’t alone and I returned her to her family.”

  Marisha kept staring at him. “Your friend, is she okay?”

  Jahn nodded. “For now, until your father gets hold of her.”

  “My father?” She frowned and shook her head. “What has he got to do with it?”

  “He is trying to recover some money taken by her grandfather, and he needs Lena to get at it, no matter what he has to do to her.”

  “You’ve come after us, to get me, haven’t you? Not to save us. You want me as some type of bargaining chip.”

  “I wasn’t even sure Novikov had you. I went after him to kill him, but his man did confirm your presence. I’m not going to lie to you. It did cross my mind to take you, but recently I’ve learnt a valuable lesson on how dangerous you girls can be in captivity. I’m not about to go through that again.”

  She laughed with no humour. “You men are all fucking alike, aren’t you? You see the only value in women in what you can use us for.”

  “My friend said fairly much the same thing, which is why it’s up to you. I’d like you to come with me, but I won’t force you. None of you needed me. You were doing quite well on your own. About that… how...?”

  Marisha looked about her and hurried over to where a small, black, rectangular device lay on the ground. She snatched it up and held it out menacingly, revealing two prongs at is end.

  “They used this thing to control us. One zap made us totally obedient. They were so sure they had crushed any fighting spirit we had in us, they didn’t even bother to bind us. The man in the back with us, it was sticking out of his pocket.”

  “Stun gun. Cruel and effective.”

  “Very cruel,” Marisha snarled. “The men took great delight in using them on us, but obviously had never experienced its effect on themselves. I took a chance and grabbed it and then I stuck it to his throat. I don’t know how long you have to hold the button down, but I didn’t stop and he started convulsing…”

  She stopped and stared down at the ground.

  “You did what you needed to do and you’ve saved the lives of these girls.”

  “And I had to take a man’s life to do that.” She glared at Jahn. “That may not seem like much to you, but I hated that I did that.”

  One of the men on the ground began to stir.

  “They need to be secured,” Jahn stated. “Is there a phone in the van?”

  Marisha nodded sullenly.

  “Good, call your father while I tie these bastards up, and then they can show me where to find Novikov.”

  “I already know where he is going,” Marisha breathed deeply. “He has a farm, about fifty kilometres out of town. He’s already taken me there once. There are other girls there.”

  Jahn frowned thoughtfully. “Do you feel able to show your father the way?”

  “I would delight in it.”

  “Tell him to bring plenty of military with him. It will be highly secured and the women will be the first casualties if they fuck up. Novikov shouldn’t be aware yet of what has gone on here. Tell your father to load the van with soldiers and he should be able to drive right in.”

  “And what will you do?”

  “I made a promise to get a man to a hospital. I like to keep my word when I give it. Go and call your father. Make sure he is fully aware of the situation.”

  Jahn hurried back to the car. Gregor was lying in the back quietly, his breathing barely audible. His eyes were half open, staring out at nothing. Shaking his head, Jahn grabbed his bag and got out a handful of black plastic ties, stuffing them into his pocket. Gregor would have to wait a little longer.

  As he was binding the last of the men, Marisha came to stand at his side.

  “I spoke to my father. I’ve told him everything, but I didn’t know your name. As soon as I described you, he knew you straight away, Jahn Zaleski. He said that I couldn’t be in safer hands, which is why I am going to come with you.”

  “Why would you do that?”

  “Because I asked about your friend, Lena. He was surprised you had shared so much with me, but he began his bullshit, about how this is something which I can’t understand. It is to do with national security. I told him I would not be here when he arrived, unless he could guarantee Lena’s safety.”

  “And how did he react to that?”

  “He started crying.” Marisha heaved a breath. “In all my life I have never heard my father cry. I don’t want to hurt him, but if this is what he needs…

  Standing up, Jahn admired her. “Forgive me if I decline your offer. You’ve been through enough, and you do need to be with your father.”

  “But what about Lena?”

  “I still have an ace up my sleeve. Right now these girls need you. Militia are going to pour in here and scare the hell out them.”

  “I want your friend to be alright.” Tears ran down her face.

  “She is going to be, I promise.” He smiled at her. “You’re a remarkable woman, Marisha. You give me hope that Ukraine will be an incredible nation one day, with people like you running it.”

  “My father has always tried to get me to take an interest in politics, but in the wrong cause. He certainly has never listened to my opinions.”

  “I think he’ll listen now.”

  * * * *

  For several minutes, no one had left or entered the hospital and Gregor’s body lay unmoving and unattended on the lawn outside. Standing some distance away, under the dark shadow of an oak tree, Jahn waited patiently.

  Two people came and gave the body a casual glance before walking on. It was a man picking up rubbish that finally stooped down to peer curiously. He ran towards the entrance and in a few minutes returned with two nurses. They carefully examined Gregor and one ran back again, returning with a stretcher and IV bag and more medical staff.

  Jahn was satisfied and was ready to go back to the car, when a shiny, beige Mercedes Benz cruised into the hospital. He remained in the shadows and watched it park some distance away. With its tinted windows, it was impossible to see inside.

  For a long time nothing happened, and then a back door opened and a nurse stepped from the vehicle. His interest grew as he watched her march towards the hospital. His body and mind were weary, but a nurse in an expensive foreign car could not be dismissed lightly.

  Jahn followed her casually, thankful for the attention Gregor was receiving from bystanders. No one gave him a glance as he entered the hospital. The nurse went straight to the lifts and Jahn quickened his step, getting inside before the doors closed.

  The nurse pushed the third floor button and glanced at him. “What floor do you want?”

  “The same one as you,” Jahn smiled.

  She frowned at him. “That’s maternity.”

  “I know. My wife gave birth to twins last night.”

  “Congratulations,” she said, averting her eyes.

  “Maybe you’ve seen them. Two girls, both look like me.”

  “No. I didn’t work last night,” she replied quickly.

  The doors opened and she stepped out, gazing each way down the corridor. Jahn came up behind her.

  “You look lost,” he commented.

  “Of course I’m not lost,” she snapped and hurried away with her head down. Jahn watched her go from room to room and grinned. Approaching the nurses’ station he addressed the matron behind the desk, his face distressed.

  “I’m Dmitri Petrenko. My wife was brought in last night. I couldn’t be here…”

  The matron smiled warmly. “It’s alright, Mr Petrenko. Your wife is fine, and so is your beautiful baby boy. They’ve just taken him in to be with her for a while
for a feed, so your timing is excellent. Go down the corridor. Room eight”

  “Thank you.”

  He walked slowly and wasn’t surprised to see the nurse overtake him. She looked at each door anxiously and stopped outside room eight, peering through the narrow window in the door.

  Jahn hung back until she had gone inside. Peering through the window he could see Vera sitting up in bed, looking weary as she cradled her baby. The nurse was talking to her, but Vera didn’t look happy, especially when the nurse gathered the baby from her and put him into a portable crib.

  He leant back as the nurse pulled the curtains around the bed, and quietly opened the door.

  “I do not understand,” Vera was complaining. “What is this an injection for?”

  “It is standard procedure. It is a vitamin boost to help you recover from the delivery.”

  “I don’t need vitamins. I feel fine. I just want to feed my baby. I don’t even know you. Shouldn’t a doctor be giving me these injections?”

  Jahn threw the curtain back and already had his gun trained on the nurse. He pulled the curtain closed behind him. Both women looked ready to scream.

  “Not a sound.” He warned them. “Put the syringe down now.”

  The nurse placed it on the bedside cabinet.

  Vera started babbling. “Please, I haven’t even seen Victor. He hasn’t been here.”

  “I don’t think he has any intention of visiting you,” Jahn told her. “That’s why he’s still sitting out in the car and has sent this bitch to kill you.”

  Vera’s mouth fell open. “He’d never do that.”

  Jahn smirked. “Yeah, because you are the catch of the century. Victor is only interested in his child and he’s waiting for her to deliver him.”

  The nurse shook her head. “That’s ridiculous. I work here.”

  “Really? Then if the contents of that syringe are only harmless vitamins, you’ll have no objection to sticking it in yourself.”

  The fear on her face was obvious and Vera shifted away from her. “You fucking bitch, you were going to kill me.”