Alina's Revenge

by Greg Van Arsdale

  Alina gave him a wondering look, searching for something she never had. She let him touch her hair and trace his fingers down her cheek, lingering on her lips. After all the years of working, of training, she never thought she would ever feel like this.

  Everything seemed to let go inside her. Her hate and anger simply faded. She looked up at Goran, still searching his face. When he smiled, she knew what she had found.

  Love.

  Slowly, he took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply. She draped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. It was the first kiss of her life.

  ~~~

  When they got into Goran’s unmarked police car, he took the cuffs and shackles off.

  “Did you get the hotel’s layout?” she asked.

  He nodded and started the car. “And we got a bit of good luck, too. It faces away from the street.” He pulled out the map. “You should be able to get to his room by this fire escape here. After that, it’s all up to you. I’ll circle the block so my car won’t be seen. Here,” he handed her a cell phone, “call me when you’re ready and I’ll come pick you up in the alley. How long do you think it will take?”

  “A few minutes to get to his window. About one second to get the job done, then a few more to get back down. So, plan to meet me in ten minutes. Okay?”

  “Check.” He nodded. “First, let’s go get your weapons. I already have your duffle in the trunk. The chief wanted no traces you were ever here. I was supposed to leave it with your body.”

  Alina took his hand. “Thank you, Goran,” she said. “Once again, I owe you my life.”

  “No need to thank me. It’s what I want to do. It’s what I need to do. It’s the right thing to do. Plus,” he kissed her hand, “I love you.”

  He pulled up to the entrance of her hotel.

  “Be back in five,” she said, and then she was gone.

  She averted her face from the registration desk and climbed the steps to the second floor. Cautiously, she peered around the corner. Yellow tape blocked the entrance to her old room, but no one was in sight.

  Quickly, she made it to the potted plant and retrieved her gun and knives. She had just put the plant back in its pot when someone behind her shouted, “Stop right where you are! Police!”

  From her crouched position, Alina turned as she rose. She used her legs to power an open palm up and through the man’s face. His head rocked back. Alina caught his body before it could hit the floor. She then dragged him into the room. Coming out to pick up his pistol, she tossed it in after him as she headed for the stairs. When she reached the car, she jumped in and slammed the door.

  “Hurry,” she said. “There was a guard at the door.”

  Goran’s head snapped toward her. “Did you kill him?”

  Alina shook her head. “No. I just dumped him in the room. That means we have about ten minutes to get to the Vila Mitic before he comes to.”

  He shook his head. “That doesn’t give us enough time. It will take us five minutes to get there. That only gives you five to get the job done. There’s no way you can get in and out in time. They’re sure to warn him.” He looked at her. “I say we bail. Oric isn’t worth dying for. It’s Itsakovic we want.”

  Alina shook her head. “He raped me. He killed my family. He dies tonight.” She looked at Goran with grim determination. “This may be our only chance.”

  “Okay,” Goran agreed reluctantly as he pulled into traffic, “but you better come up with a faster way to do it before we get there.”

  They pulled up in front of the grand Vila Mitic Hotel a few minutes later and Goran stopped the car.

  “You sure about this?” he asked, but Alina was already out the door, tucking her pistol and a knife in the back of her jeans. She covered them with a jacket she had pulled from the duffle bag.

  “I’m sure. Just keep the engine running.”

  Abandoning her plan for the fire escape, she walked straight through the front door. The expansive lobby was full of people, but she did not care about being seen. They would know she did it anyway. Just walk up to the door and shoot Oric. That was the plan.

  She entered the elevator and pushed the third floor button. Before the doors could shut, a hand shoved through the opening, bringing the doors wide open again. A soldier dressed in blue fatigues stepped into the elevator.

  “Mind if I join you?” he asked.

  “Not at all.” Alina tried to smile. “Are you here on leave?”

  He shook his head. “Working tonight.”

  “Why would an officer be working at night in a place like this?”

  He turned toward her. “How did you now I was an officer?”

  She indicated the gun in his holster, the matted black grip clearly visible. “Infantry normally aren’t issued side arms. By the way, yours is unsnapped.”

  He looked at it, then snapped it closed. “You are very observant. How about you?”

  “How about me what?”

  “Are you here on vacation?”

  “Yes, I’m touring the country. Started out on a whim. Wound up here last night. You have a beautiful city.”

  “If you say so.”

  The conversation went dead. The elevator doors opened and they both got off on the third floor. Alina glanced at the officer when they both turned left and headed in the same direction. Ahead of them, two more guards stood on either side of Oric’s door.

  This is not good. She had to think fast.

  She turned to a door on her right and fumbled about her pockets. “Oh! I forgot my key.” She turned to the officer. “Do you think they will give me a new one?”

  “Downstairs,” he said and kept on marching.

  Alina went back to the elevator. This was getting more complicated by the minute. Why would Oric station guards at his door? Unless…

  She dug the cell phone out of her pocket and mashed the key.

  “Goran! Goran, it’s a trap. Get out of here.”

  “I’m afraid Captain Bratislav is indisposed for the moment,” a strange man answered her over the phone.

  “Who is this?”

  “Chief Djuricic. And you must be Alina. I must say I am not surprised that you are here. I expected you might overpower Captain Bratislav, but I never would have expected him to betray his country like this. Now, the two of you will suffer the same fate together. Why don’t you come down before someone innocent gets hurt?”

  “If you harm him, you’re a dead man!”

  “A dead man? I don’t think so. My men are coming even now. In just a few minutes, you will have nowhere to run. Make it easy on yourself and your beloved Goran. The more you resist, the more he is going to suffer.”

  Alina heard a loud noise followed by a grunt of pain.

  “There, you see?” Djuricic said. “It has already begun.”

  Alina dropped the phone as an arm snaked around her neck. It was the officer from the elevator. Instantly, she stepped back into him, grabbed his arm, and rolled him over her hip. He landed hard on his back and she threw a wicked punch to the jaw, knocking him unconscious. She dashed for the stairs.

  Shouts came from behind followed by rifle fire. The ugly smack of bullets slammed into the stairwell door jam. She pushed through the door and was gone.

  Once inside, she turned around and pulled out her gun. The door burst open and a soldier rushed through. Her two shots sounded like cannon fire in that enclosed space. The soldier doubled and went down. The second soldier shot through the closing door. Slugs bounced off concrete and steel, ricocheting through the cramped confines. Alina cringed and headed downstairs.

  In seconds, the door opened again. The man fired as he entered. Alina stopped on the second floor landing, her pistol raised. The man ran down the stairs and turned the corner without looking. She fired three more times. The soldier repelled back. Blood stained the concrete wall as he slowly slid to the floor. Alina raced to the first floor.

  She opened the door and peered outside. There was no one the
re but tourists looking about curiously. Alina hid the gun behind her back and walked to the front door. Goran was nowhere to be found.

  Frantically, she looked left then right. She saw his car parked in the lot and started running, gun in one hand, knife in the other.

  A policeman came around the corner, gun drawn. Alina did not hesitate. With one shot to the head, the man dropped.

  She looked inside the car. Goran was gone. Distant sirens wailed. She only had minutes before the place would be swarming with cops.

  On a hunch, she raced back inside. Taking the stairs by two, she reached the third floor and ran down the hall. Two men were dragging the listless form of Goran toward Oric’s room. She pulled up, took careful aim, and fired twice. Both men went down.

  In an instant, she was by Goran’s side. His wrists were cuffed.

  “Goran! Goran, can you hear me?”

  One of his eyes was red, and a slight cut dripped blood on his forehead. He mumbled, “Yes, I can hear you. Now, get out of here before we both die.”

  “Not without you.” She grabbed his shoulders and helped him to his feet. “Can you walk?”

  He nodded.

  “Then you can run. Come on!”

  She wrapped Goran’s arm around her neck and led him toward the stairs. Opening the door, she checked below.

  The first floor stairway door burst open. Shadows appeared followed by boots pounding the steel steps.

  “Third floor!” someone shouted. “You three, second floor. Don’t let her get out.”

  Alina retreated to the third floor hallway. She looked down the corridor where the two dead men lay. There was just one option.

  She ran as fast as she could while half dragging a groggy Goran down the hall. She stopped in front of Oric’s room. She tried the door. Locked. She stepped back and shot the lock, then burst into the room.

  Oric fired from the far side of the spacious room. Bullets smacked the door beside her. She ducked, pulling Goran down with her. She returned fire in the direction the shots came from, but there was no one there. She dragged Goran to the far side of the bed.

  She kissed him and said, “Stay here.”

  Peering around the bed, she noticed a protruding clothes closet blocked her view of the bathroom door. Oric must have gone inside. She sprinted for the near side of the closet.

  Two more shots rang out, splintering the edge beside her.

  Alina turned the corner, her gun blazing. She ran into the bathroom to find Oric standing on the far side. He held a naked woman in front of him, his left arm around her throat. The other hand held a gun to her head.

  “Don’t come any closer. I swear I’ll kill her!”

  “Yes, I believe you will.” Alina simply adjusted her aim and shot his exposed right shoulder. Blood and bullet splattered the porcelain behind him.

  Oric yelped. He stumbled to the side, firing a shot into the wall. The woman screamed and ducked away.

  Alina shoved her out of the bathroom and said, “Run!”

  Alina never took her eyes off Oric. His gun still in his hand, he tried to raise it. She raised hers higher. Oric bowed his head and let his weapon clatter into the bathtub.

  Alina stepped forward and pressed her pistol against his forehead. Slowly, her finger tightened on the trigger.

  Chapter 7

  “Alina!”

  She turned to find Goran bracing himself in the bathroom doorway.

  “Don’t do it. Not now. We may need him to get out of here.”

  Alina turned back to Oric. She still held the gun to his forehead, pressing hard. Slowly, she let the hammer down.

  “You’re right.” She looked at Goran. “How did you get the handcuffs off?”

  “Spare key in my pocket.”

  “You better barricade the door. We’re going to have visitors in about one minute.”

  Goran nodded and left.

  Alina turned back to Oric. He was wearing silk pajama pants but no shirt. She grabbed him by the hair and dragged him to the foot of the bed where she dumped him on the floor. She retrieved the cuffs Goran had dropped and secured his injured arm to the bedpost. Only then did she put her gun away.

  Goran wedged a chair under the doorknob. “That will only hold them off a little. It won’t stand up to a frontal attack, but it will do for now.”

  Running footsteps sounded beyond the door.

  “They’re here,” she said. “Get ready.”

  She went to the bathroom and retrieved Oric’s gun. She tossed it to Goran. He checked the magazine then slammed the clip home.

  Someone tried the door. They backed off and kicked it hard. The chair held. They kicked it again. Still, the door remained firm. Then all went silent. It did not take long for the hotel phone to ring.

  Alina answered, “Yeah.”

  “Alina.” It was Chief Djuricic. “Seems you are now holding all the cards, but we have all the exits blocked. You cannot escape.”

  Goran stepped beside her. She held the phone so they both could hear.

  “What if I don’t want to escape?” she said. “What if I’m willing to die to kill him?”

  “Then we come in and make the best of the situation. If everyone dies, then so be it. I leave that choice up to you.”

  “I’m going to die anyway. I know that. Goran’s going to die, too.”

  “Not necessarily,” he said. “Just give us General Oric and you can go free. You have my word.”

  “Your word? What good is that?”

  “Ask anyone. Once I give my word on something, it is written in stone.”

  Goran nodded and whispered, “It’s true.”

  Alina covered the mouthpiece. “I still don’t trust him. There’s always a first time.”

  “Alina?” the chief said. “Alina, are you still there?”

  “Yes, I’m here.”

  “I’ll give you five minutes to make up your mind. After that, you will die.”

  The line went dead.

  Alina hung up the phone. “Well, what do you think?”

  “I think if we let him go, they’re going to kill us. If we don’t let him go, they’re going to kill us. Any way you look at it, we’re dead.”

  She gestured with the pistol at Oric. “Yeah, but at least we take him with us.”

  “That’s a big comfort,” he sneered.

  “Why don’t we ask them for a helicopter? It can land on the roof. Then we can get away.”

  “Might as well ask them for the moon. They won’t give us one. I know him. Now if we asked for a plane, at least I can fly that.”

  “You can fly a plane?”

  Goran looked at her. “That’s what I said, isn’t it?”

  “Okay, don’t get testy. This is no time to argue.” After a moment’s silence, she added, “Maybe there’s another way. What if we walk out with a gun to his head? They won’t shoot or I’ll blow his brains out. What do you think?”

  Goran nodded. “It’s a chance, a small one but at least it’s a chance.”

  “You stand no chance,” Oric said, holding his shoulder and grimacing. “You are both dead. Right now, my men are outside waiting for you. If you make it out of here, I will hunt you down and kill you myself.”

  “I’d like to see you try,” Alina replied. “You may walk out of this one, but I assure you the next time we meet you won’t.” She unlocked the cuffs and pulled Oric to his feet, then slapped the cuff on his other hand. Positioning herself behind him, she nodded at Goran.

  Goran yelled through the door. “We’re coming out! Don’t shoot. We have General Oric. I repeat, don’t shoot.”

  He removed the chair and opened the door. Police and Army personnel crowded the hall. Alina led the way, her gun at the back of Oric’s head.

  “This isn’t necessary,” the chief said. “I gave you my word.”

  “Consider this an insurance policy in case you change your mind.”

  “I tell you I—”

  Goran grabbed him and spun him around
, his gun to the chief’s temple.

  “Now see here, Bratislav. There is no call for this,” the chief moaned.

  “Sure there is. You promised not to kill her. You said nothing about me. Now, let’s move.”

  Backing up slowly, the four made their way down the hall. The troops followed.

  “Don’t!” Alina shouted. “Just stay where you are. The general and your chief will be fine. I guarantee you.”

  “What guarantee do we have?” one of the men said.

  “The same one the chief gave us. If he was honest, he lives.”

  The men stayed where they were while Alina and Goran backed their hostages further down the hall. Goran pushed the elevator call button.

  “Tell your men downstairs our arrangement,” Goran called out, “I don’t want any unfortunate accidents—and neither do you.”

  An officer palmed his radio. The bell sounded. Alina looked back.

  “Clear,” she said.

  The four entered the elevator. When the door opened, they stepped into a gauntlet of police and troops lining the way to the front door. Their guns were up, all aimed at them. Moving, always turning, the four made their way outside. Blood from Oric’s shoulder dripped down his arm and onto the white tile floor, lining their path. Blue strobe lights from a dozen police cars lit up the night.

  As they neared the car, Alina asked, “You still have your keys?” Goran nodded. “Let’s get in.”

  “I’m letting the chief go,” Goran said.

  “You’re what? Are you crazy?”

  “He held up his part of the bargain, now we keep ours.” He released the chief, who stepped away and turned on them, pistol in hand.

  “Let Oric go,” Goran said.

  Alina shook her head. “Uh-uh. I’m keeping my protection. You can do what you want with yours, but Oric stays with me.”

  She shoved her prisoner into the back seat and said, “You ride in back with him. Keep him covered. Toss me the keys. I’ll drive.”

  Goran got in and slammed the rear door as Alina slid behind the wheel. Revving the engine high, they peeled from the parking lot. A dozen police cars squealed in their wake. Goran waved the gun over his shoulder.