Distilled Duplicity

by Louise Furley

  She took them to another corridor then, her chest rose with a tense breath she informed him, “That is ICU,” and pointed to a set of open double doors.

  “Everyone stay here,” Naithon ordered and he stalked into the room. There were a dozen beds, only one had a patient in it. He strode over and looked down. A frail, elderly woman lay with tubes stuck in her. He swung around and moved to a connecting restroom, a storage closet, he jerked the door open, mops, sheets, cleaning supplies. Spinning on his heels, he stormed back to the nurse, spitting nails.

  He roared in her face, “Where the fuck is Mr. Delducci?”

  The red hair about flew back from the breath of his fury, hazel eyes rounded with terror. She stammered, “The- there is no one by that name in this unit.” Now her eyes bulged out of her head at the way Naithon seemed to grow bigger, an enraged bull about to charge and destroy.

  “Find out where he is located.”

  She nodded like a puppet and rushed to the nurses’ station. She hurried back and said, “He was moved this morning, he’s on the second floor, room 236, bed A.”

  “Who was the nurse that came and retrieved Kiri Delducci from the front nurses’ station? Why did he come and get her if her father wasn’t here?”

  Stuttering her fright, the nurse said, “I…don’t know. He had come to the station a few minutes before you arrived and said for us to call him when she got there. That was it, we…didn’t know why. I thought your woman was…uh, the nurse’s girlfriend or something?”

  Naithon tapped his earpiece. “Mazonn, have someone check room 236 for Ignacio Delducci, fast.” His eyes speared the nurse, her already pale face whitened. He asked, “Where is Kiri Delducci?”

  She blinked at him.

  He lowered his upper body to an inch from her face, accent scathing, he snarled, “You saw her, pretty with reddish brown hair go in here with that nurse, Haziq something. Where are they?”

  “Uh, I- I don’t know.”

  “Why would he bring her in here if her father was moved to another floor?”

  “I, uh, d- don’t know. Like I said, I just assumed the nurse was her boyfriend and he was bringing her in for a visit. I don’t know who he is, I thought he worked on another floor or…someplace. I’ve never seen him before.” She wrung her hands in front of her chest as if they could shield her from his wrath.

  Naithon snapped, “Where can I find him?”

  Her legs shook so much it was a wonder she was still standing. “I- I- I don’t k-know. Last I saw him he was bringing the woman in here. I wasn’t really paying attention, I-”

  Naithon tapped his ear, cursed in Romanian, said, “Lock down the fucking hospital.” He asked the nurse, “Is there another way out of here other than the way we came in?”

  She nodded, too frightened to speak.

  “Show me,” he directed with a bark.

  She started towards a hallway, as Naithon followed her, he turned to his men and ordered, “Search every motherfucking room, under the beds, closets, behind the nurses’ station.”

  The nurse brought him to a room. It contained an unoccupied desk and some chairs and a bookcase. “The- there-” she pointed a quivering finger to a door on one side of the room. A clipboard was lying on the floor near it.

  Naithon hustled to the door and shoved it open. It only opened a few inches then stopped. He shoved it harder, something was blocking the door. Both hands on the door, his arms rigid, grunting with the effort, he pushed the door until it was wide enough he could get through.

  When he stepped past the door he saw what was blocking it and his hair stood on end. It was the nurse, Haziq. There was a neat bullet hole between his eyes. “Fuck,” Naithon spat.

  Stepping over the body, he tapped his earpiece and told Mazonn what was going on. “I’m hitting the stairs, fan the men out, no one leaves the fucking hospital.”

  Mazonn said, “That office you’re in isn’t on the blueprints of the building, neither is the door or stairwell. Must have been added later and never recorded.”

  “Keep in tabs with everyone, Maz, I gotta find her.”

  Leaping two or more steps at a time, Naithon hurdled down the stairs, grabbing the railing when he veered from one set of steps to the next. He locked his brain into stone cold work mode, he couldn’t think about who had taken Kiri and what they could be doing to her. If she was still alive.

  At the next landing, in a corner lay the helmet Kiri had been wearing, as if it had bounced down the stairs and rolled, coming to a stop in the corner.

  Heart beating like a jackhammer, sweat making his palms slick, he raced down floor after floor until he reached the last one. The staircase ended at an exit door. A red exit light was lit up over it, a fire alarm next to the door. Naithon slammed into the door shoving it open, he ran outside.

  Quickly scanning the area, he was at the east side of the hospital in the back. He saw nothing but an expanse of grass with a border of woods, there was no parking lot. But there was a narrow road, and further down there was a truck parked on it. A white van, and some fucker was dragging, carrying Kiri to it.

  The side panel door was open, he could hear Kiri screaming as she hit and kicked her abductor. The male wore all black including gloves and a mask that covered his hair and face. He was a big fucker.

  Pulling his gun from his holster, Naithon tore across the grass, boots clomping the ground like a galloping horse, the asshole hadn’t seen him yet. She was small, but carrying and fighting Kiri was still slowing him down. He had reached the van and threw her inside.

  Aiming without slowing, Naithon pulled the trigger and shot out a tire. He couldn’t shoot the bastard, he was too close to Kiri. The man halted abruptly at the gunshot. His head twisted and his body jolted when he saw Naithon bearing down on him. The tire was quickly deflating. The kidnapper had no choice, he turned and ran into the woods.

  Still running, Naithon shot at the figure as it disappeared into the trees. Leaving the man to flee, Naithon ran straight to Kiri, feet stomping the tarred driveway. She was slumped in the open door to the side of the van. When he reached her, he touched her arm, she screamed and hit out at him.

  “Baby, baby, lamb, it’s me, Naithon, you are safe now, sweetheart, I’ve got you.” He scooped her into his arms. She threw her arms around his neck and sobbed. He didn’t have to look to know his men were tearing around the building running to them.

  Holding her, Naithon shouted, “Man in black, ran into the woods,” he motioned towards the direction the guy had fled. A dozen of his men spread out and disappeared into the dense copse of trees.

  Naithon sat on the floor of the van in the doorway in the open doorway and set Kiri on his lap. Her face was stuffed into his shoulder as she wept and shuddered. His arms like an iron fence held her so tight it was a wonder she could breathe.

  His face shoved in her hair, he murmured as much to convince himself as her, “Safe, baby, you’re safe now.” They sat for several minutes listening to his men shouting to each other in the woods.

  Mazonn appeared from around the front of the hospital and ran over to them. “Hey,” he huffed warily, not sure of Kiri’s condition.

  Naithon peered at him through her hair. Maz grimaced at the emotion packing his eyes. Maz nodded silently at Kiri, brows arched to Naithon.

  “Ah, I don’t know how she is.” Naithon cradled the back of her head, lifting it so he could see her face. A man made of corrupted steel, his hand shook for the first time in his life. “Baby, are you hurt?”

  The tears flowed, she hiccupped, a shiver rolled over her shoulders then up her body.

  “Tell me, Kiri, did he hurt you?” The rage barely contained, his voice was rough and thick in his concerned accent.

  She blurted through sobs, “He- he k- killed that nurse, Naithon.”

  “I know baby, did he say anything when he shot him?” He felt the shudder run through her body again.

  Sniffing, she wiped at her eyes. “Y- yes. The nurse was- was in on
it. The man in the mask said, ‘Your task for today is over, Haziq, sorry, no bucks for you’ and- and he shot him, oh God, it was horrible!” The tears filled and rolled out again. “Haziq collapsed to the floor, and- and the man threw me right over his shoulder and pounded down the stairs. I couldn’t get away, Naithon!” she cried.

  “Ja, ja, honey, did either of them hurt you?” He couldn’t slaughter Haziq, but when he catches the guy that took her…

  “No, I- I don’t think so,” she stammered, trying to quell the waterworks.

  But she was hurt, Naithon gently held the side of her face, there was a cut near her eye, and her jaw was turning purple. The bastard had struck her.

  “Baby,” he whispered, “are you injured anywhere else on your body? Can you stand?” He moved off the van and stood with her, and gently set her on her feet. Her legs wobbled but they were okay.

  Naithon examined her arms for any injuries. There was a tear on one leg in her jeans, he could see blood oozing from it. “Maz, bro, get the car.”

  Mazonn gave a wink of support to Kiri and stepped a few feet away, took his phone out and made several calls to all of the squad capos. Moving back to them, he said, “Car is coming around, we should get out of here before the uniforms come.”

  “Teo will handle them. The Chief is his uncle.”

  The Lincoln came speeding around the corner down the narrow curved drive, several of the other cars were behind it. Naithon hustled Kiri into the Lincoln and climbed in after her.

  He said to Mazonn standing by the door, “Have Doc Maankov meet us at the house. She needs care and she’s not going back inside that fucking hospital. I want that van brought in and scoured. Pull all the surveillance tapes. Set the men to questioning the people.”

  He held Kiri the entire drive back, neither speaking. Naithon had never been so scared or so enraged in his life. Each time his phone rang, he mumbled briefly into it. The perp had gotten away. Apparently he had a backup vehicle hidden in the woods.

  The doctor was there when they arrived. Bursting through the front door, Naithon ignored people gawking at them and carried Kiri up the stairs to their room, the doctor followed.

  Inside the suite in the bedroom, the doctor laid a medical bag on a table and went to Kiri when Naithon set her on the bed. Nodding to Naithon, he said to Kiri, “Hi, honey, I am Doctor Maankov,” his accent was as thick as Naithon’s. “Let’s get you out of those clothes, ja?”

  Naithon’s angry face got between them. “What the hell, Doc? She’s not undressing in front of you.”

  The doctor stood impassively in front of Naithon, said calmly, “You will leave the room or I will go and you can take her back to the hospital.” While the men stared each other down, Kiri slipped into the bathroom and came out wearing a thick white robe.

  “Naithon,” she said softly, “I am not glass, I won’t break, please do as the doctor says.”

  His angry gaze stroked over her body, frustration pinching his lips, defensive eyes narrowed at her. “That is not the point, Kiri, I won’t have him looking at your naked body.”

  “Mr. Adranokov,” the doctor sounded somewhat amused and also annoyed. “I have seen a lot of naked women in my career. I think I can keep myself from jumping your girl.” He moved to the medic bag and grasped the handle. “You go or I do.”

  Naithon knew he was being unreasonably jealous and possessive, he couldn’t help it. Stuffing the unfamiliar feelings down, he muttered sullenly, “Fine. I will be right outside the door.”

  He pointed a thick finger at the doctor, said ungraciously, “You do not take liberties with her, and you,” he growled, ignoring the doctor’s offended yet still amused expression. Gesturing to Kiri he said, “You keep that robe on, and you better have,” he stalked to her and jerked one of the sides of the robe open.

  “Naithon!” Kiri gasped, shocked at his behavior.

  Seeing her bra, Naithon pulled the lower half apart and nodded when he saw her panties. “Nothing else comes off, you hear me?”

  Her eyes shifting to the ceiling she said sarcastically, “Yes, Naithon, the Pentagon hears you in Washington.”

  His mouth twitched, then his gaze zeroed in on the bruise on her jaw. The irritation in his voice softened. “I almost lost you, baby, please indulge me.” He lifted his hand and stroked her face with his palm.

  A shudder rolled through her. With a sigh, she smiled. “I know. Please don’t worry. Let the doctor do his job.”

  The doctor stood patiently to the side. Crazy as it seemed, Maankov was in his sixties, not much hair on top and the fringe around his lower head was grey. He had a paunch because he loved Romanian and Italian food, still, he ran across many men who were reluctant to leave their women alone with him.

  Especially as he did most of his work with mobsters, and they tended to be old fashioned and macho, chauvinistic with their women, and outrageously possessive. They treated them like property, beloved perhaps, but still property, and no one fucked with their property.

  Naithon’s eyes flittered around Kiri’s face going from the cut by her eye to the bruise on her jaw, his mouth compressed. He grunted, “Okay.” Leaning in, he pressed his lips on hers, pushing until she opened her mouth to him. His hand cupping her face, the other on her back, he pulled her in and gobbled her up. He kissed her hard, long, the doctor coughed politely.

  Naithon drew back, gave the doctor a warning glare, face softened at Kiri. “I will be right outside that door,” he stepped out and pulled the door, almost closed, but left it a hair open.

  After the examination, Naithon walked the doctor to the door. Maankov said, “She is okay, Mr. Adranokov. Shaken up of course. She has bruises and a few cuts, a bad gash on her knee I bandaged up. She may have a slight concussion, she’s been trying to hide her dizziness and nausea from you. Apparently when the perpetrator threw her in the van her head got slammed into the side of the door.”

  “Motherfuc-”

  “Please calm down,” he told Naithon as he saw the rage burn again in his dark eyes. “She will be fine. If she becomes acutely nauseas, or disoriented, has trouble seeing or hearing or standing, call me right away. Naturally she needs to take it easy for a few days. I left pills on the table for her headache.”

  After seeing the doctor out, Naithon trudged up the stairs, he had to tell Kiri another of her brothers had been murdered before she saw it on the news. Duce in a wood chipper, and now Piero charbroiled to a crisp in Naithon’s sugarcane field. What the hell will happen next?

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  A carbon copy of the hospital visit, Naithon had his men immersed in the crowd at Piero’s funeral. His arm around her weeping form, Kiri was dressed all in black with a black veil covering her face red and swollen from days of crying. Surrounded by a human barricade, Kiri paid her respects to her deceased brother.

  Ignacio was too ill to attend the funeral. Rueford Montoblanco tried his damnedest to get to Kiri, but her male wall wouldn’t let him within twenty yards of her. He tried to get to Naithon to talk to him, but Naithon just tightened the wall keeping him away.

  At Duce’s funeral, much to his frustrated chagrin, it was Naithon who had been barred from getting to Kiri, but now he had her, and he had the power to control the situation. She was enclosed in his tight, secure bubble.

  After the hospital fiasco he swore she would never leave his place until the danger was cleared. He should have known. There was no fighting his tiny dynamo when she was set on something, thus, he was standing beside her as she cried for her brother.

  The second the first shovel of dirt hit the casket, Naithon steered Kiri to the limo. The car was surrounded by dozens of other vehicles; a soldier was running a detector around all of the cars searching for bombs.

  Kiri was so distraught, Naithon had to half carry her to the limo. They drove home, she wept on his shoulder. There was to be a reception at the Delduccis’ put on by business associates and friends. Naithon put his foot down, Kiri was going straight home
.

  The next day, Naithon’s brother, Novikav, narrowly missed being blown to bits in his car. He was downtown visiting his mistress. When he got in the car, he realized he’d left his phone in her apartment and just as he exited the car it blew to smithereens. The forensic team had a devil of a time locating all of the driver’s body parts.

  Novikav had to have shrapnel from the car dug out of his back, he had a concussion, hearing loss, both legs were broken. But he survived. His wife and mistress met at his hospital bed. They attacked each other like wild screeching cats. Security had to be called to remove them from the hospital.

  Naithon refused to let Kiri out of their suite for a week. Wouldn’t even let her go to her studio on the second floor. Not much scared Naithon, but after her attempted abduction, and the attacks on the Delduccis and then his own people were enough to chill him to the bone for fear Kiri would be next.

  He barely slept a wink, checked with his security team every hour, checked and re-checked the alarm system, examined the video surveillance of the house and perimeter. Backtracked all of his guards, and had all nonessential people removed from the house. They’d found nothing on the hospital tapes. It appeared the deal made with Haziq was done elsewhere.

  Videos of the van used in Kiri’s abduction revealed the license plate had been removed, and there were no viable shots of the abductor. All cameras leading in and out of the streets to the hospital were viewed with negative results.

  In the mansion, all meals were brought to the bedroom where a soldier tasted and drank everything before Kiri touched a thing. Aware he also could be a target, Naithon was more careful than normal.

  He had already hired the best private detectives money could buy to investigate what gang was behind the attacks on the Adranokovs and the Delduccis. So far they hadn’t come up with a single clue, not a single suspect. He knew his people weren’t guilty.

  Ignacio may be retaliating for the hits on his family thinking Naithon was at fault, but Naithon doubted it. He was too afraid of Naithon. Someone was pitting them against one another, and no one had an iota of a theory as to why.