by S F Draven
I glanced up into the cloudy sky, trying to slow my breathing, but I couldn’t help the pounding of my heart that wanted to burst through the fabric of my shirt. I pulled my hair back to the nape of my neck, sinking down to the pavement beneath my feet, trying to appear more exhausted than I was. Once I caught sight of anyone that may have been working for Edik, enlisted to track me down, I’d have to run, pretend like I wanted to escape, and fight my way out until I simply couldn’t go on anymore. That would bring Edik an obscene amount of enjoyment, to see me squirm under his reign yet again, but I knew it was only going to be for a short while. I still had a lot of fight left in me, and when the time came, I had to remind myself that the goal was to get caught this time.
I could only imagine what Aleksandr must have been going through right now, having to sit back and watch from afar as I got snatched away from him. It was his worst nightmare, unfolding right before his eyes. I could feel his presence around me, even though he was completely out of sight. He promised to have eyes on me wherever they planned on taking me, and I took a deep breath, curling up on the cold concrete, awaiting my fate.
A few hours must’ve passed at least before I felt the first raindrop catch on my cheek, right before two large, meaty hands grabbed at me. They pulled away into the darkness, behind the buildings into an alley where we could be alone. I had no idea if the man who’d grabbed me had anything to do with Edik, or if it was just someone looking to take advantage of a young, lonely girl.
“Well, look who it is,” I heard his voice say, but it didn’t sound like anyone I could recognize. Fear was running through my veins, as I struggled to get out of his grasp, worried that I was going to have to face something far worse than death.
“W-What do you want?” Please! Please don’t hurt me,” I begged, a half-truth, but also laced with the hope that he was going to take me where I needed to go.
“We’ve been looking everywhere for you, Irina. Edik has had his men out there for days, searching every corner of the city for you, and he promised a very large reward once someone turned up with you. I suppose I’m going to be able to cash in on that, and don’t worry, when he’s done with you, I’ll find somewhere for you to go,” said the menacing man before me.
I tried to break out of his grasp, using up every ounce of strength I had left in me, but it was no use. I couldn’t get away even if I wanted to, and no matter how scared I was, I had to remind myself that I was doing this for the right reasons. I know you’re scared, Irina, but everything is going to be okay. Nothing would work with your grandfather if Edik doesn’t have you in captivity because there’d be no reason to pay for your release. This has to happen. You have to draw Edik out of hiding so that the man you love can finally gain the power he needs to give you a better life. The time is going to come, and I’m going to get my revenge if it’s the last thing I’m able to do, I told myself, feeling a sharp pain hit the back of my skull, as the world around me began to fade to nothingness. I envisioned Aleksandr on the other side of this, waiting for the right time to make his move.
I knew they were going to follow this man straight to where Edik was waiting for me, so that they could move on with the next phase of this operation. I’d spent most of my adult life being a pawn for Edik, doing all of his dirty work for him in ways I didn’t even want to recall, but this was the first time I was able to regain that power, and take a stand for my own sake. It was time for me to unleash everything I’d learned from Aleksandr, toying with the mind of a madman when I got face to face with Edik for the final time. I already understood that he wouldn’t be letting me out of his sight again, but I didn’t care. I trusted in Aleksandr, in all of the people I’d come into contact with since meeting him for the first time.
He was truly the most powerful crime boss the country had ever seen, because he knew what it meant to play his cards right. He learned to adapt, to turn the tables on his enemies, and he was fueled by anger and hatred for Edik in a way that reassured me I wouldn’t be in harm’s way for very long. Aleksandr was the love of my life, the man I wished I would’ve met before Edik because it would’ve saved me a lot of heartache. I was quite surprised to learn of how truly good Aleksandr was, despite being a part of a world that required such immoral acts. I was right there with him, and we both had our inner issues to work out, but the only thing we genuinely wanted was to do that together.
I belonged with him, and he belonged with me. We were about to have everything we could ever dream of, and I couldn’t let my fear of the unknown get in the way of the goal. Edik’s goal was to lead Aleksandr to his friend’s doorstep, watching while they rehash their troubles, creating a war that would rattle the crime world as we knew it. It was strange to learn that this war hadn’t been about me at all, it was about a considerable amount of money that a greedy man simply couldn’t live without. I felt like I was dreaming, drifting off to sleep like everything was finally okay, but I knew better. Even from the confines of my very own mind, I knew what was happening out there in the real world, but that didn’t stop me from picturing the life I’d always wanted.
I had to be strong, I had to hold out for the man who had put everything on the line for me, making sure that I was going to get the second chance I so desperately wanted. I needed him in a way I never needed anyone else before, and he showed me the way to truly rebuild even after the world around me had seemed to crumble. I was able to find myself again, revisit a life that I didn’t know existed where my grandfather was concerned. It was quite pleasing to learn that I had this uncontrollable will to do what was right despite being involved in such criminal activity. It was who I was, and I wasn’t about to abandon that just because I’d had such a hard time. The one thing that Aleksandr embodied was balance. He knew right from wrong, and he knew when to fight, and when to take a step back.
I didn’t know what I would’ve done if he hadn’t shown up when he had. I wondered what my life would’ve been like if I had to go on living in Edik’s shadow, waiting to be traded for a fortune. Still, I knew Edik well enough to know that was never going to happen. He was going to kill me from the moment that money was transferred into his name. I had no hope until Aleksandr showed up at that party, and it just so happened that he was taken with me. We embarked on a lifelong journey together when he rescued me from the hotel, and promised me that he was going to do whatever it took to put an end to all of this. It was strange to see that the time was fast approaching, and as I faded, I could only hope that all played out in my favor before it was too late.
My eyelids fluttered open to a presence looming over me, brushing the hair out of my eyes with such a gentle touch, for a second I believed it was Aleksandr. Though, when my mind finally came to, I realized who was staring down at me, and it was someone I’d hoped I was never going to see again. His eyes were hard to forget, as was the way he patronized me with every little gesture, no matter what it was. I hated the woman I became around him, so distressed, so filled with anger at the turn of every word to leave those vile lips. He’d played me for a fool for far too long, and I wasn’t going to allow him to get away with it a second time. My world would very well be at its end if he managed to get out of this alive, because I wouldn’t be able to go on knowing that I’d failed. It was up to me to play the role of the submissive lover, the one who wanted to crawl back into his arms, pleading with him not to kill me.
I could only hope that he wouldn’t see right through me, knowing well and truly where my heart sincerely belonged. With the way he glanced down at me, there was a shift in my body that left me rather confused. It was like I was receptive to him, regardless of what he’d done, and that told me that I was unfortunately conditioned to follow his rules. He’d made it so that I’d lose every part of myself the longer I spent with him, and it was like I was back to square one, with him watching my every move.
Chapter Nineteen: Aleksandr
I hated waiting around with such uncertainty, because every time I closed my eyes, all I coul
d picture was how much trouble Irina must be in. I was kicking myself for letting her convince me that this was a good idea, but there was nothing that any of us could do now apart from wait. I stood outside of the car, feeling the rain douse my skin as I felt for the gun in its holster, making sure that I was ready to shoot when the time came. We followed Irina’s attacker into the alleyway, watching on while he dragged her unconscious body back to the vehicle he’d been driving, stuffing her into the passenger seat before taking off. I tried to run to her, tried to save her from all of this, but Viktor and Jack both held me back, saying that everything was going to be okay. They told me that she was going to pull through, that she was strong enough to see this through until the end, but that didn’t stop it from hurting. I hated to see her like that, giving me a glimpse into what would happen if we didn’t get to her in time.
I reminded myself that I had to stay focused. I had a job to do, and Irina’s life depended on me playing this exactly right before Edik secured the upper hand. We searched the area, making sure that no one saw us coming. I pulled out my cell phone from my pocket, feeling it buzz between my fingers before I answered the unknown caller.
“Hello?”
“Aleksandr? Edik just checked in with me. He gave me twenty-four hours to give him the money before he takes Irina out for good. This better work, and I better not lose my granddaughter in the process,” he said, and I knew this was terribly difficult for him to sit back and watch after just rekindling their relationship.
“Do you have a location? I know where they’re holding her now, but I know they’re going to be transporting her once the exchange is set to be made,” I said to him.
“They’re taking her down to the pier, and I have a bad feeling about what’s going to come next,” he said, being transparent with me, even though I assured him that we were going to come out on the other side of this.
“I’m going to get her. Stay calm, and make sure you have what you need to make the exchange. Trust me, Edik Ostrovsky isn’t leaving the pier with a dime or a chance to harm Irina,” I said, and I could hear the relief in his voice. I was confident that we were going to do this, and I could tell that Viktor and Jack felt the same way. They huddled around me, allowing me to take the driver’s seat so I could make the trip myself. I knew how to get there the fastest, and we just couldn’t waste any more time.
I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach, something telling me that everything was lining up a little too perfectly. I wouldn’t put it past Edik to have a secondary plan in place, especially if he caught wind of what we were doing right under his nose. I decided it was best to divide the plan, make sure that we were able to cover all of our bases in case Edik was about to outsmart us all.
“Wait!” I said, behind the wheel, turning the engine off.
“What is it? We had the location, Aleksandr. What could you possibly be waiting for?” asked Viktor.
“I have a bad feeling about this. This is too perfect, and if I know Edik, he may have already figured out that we’ve caught on. There’s no way to be sure, but I think it’s best if you two head down to the pier. I’m going to call for backup and stick around this area in case I see anything suspicious. We saw them take Irina into that building, but she’s supposed to be en route by now, and no car has left the compound. I have an inkling that they’ve taken her somewhere on foot, and just to play it safe, I think you two need to head down to the pier yourselves,” I said, but both of them weren’t having any of it.
“Someone has to stay with you in case your hunch checks out,” said Jack.
“No. If my hunch is correct, that means that Edik sent his men to take care of Irina’s grandfather, and I’m not going to let him die because of all of this. Go to him, make sure that he’s okay and the money is still secure. When that happens, give me a call. I’m going to get Irina back, and take care of this problem the way it should’ve been dealt with in the first place,” I said, firmly.
“Be careful,” Viktor told me, placing his hand on my shoulder in support.
“I will. If everything is okay, and you don’t hear from me, come right back here. Got it?” I asked, instructing him.
“Of course we will, brother,” he replied, and I smiled at him before getting out of the car.
I looked on as Viktor got into the driver’s seat, getting ready to take off so I could be left alone with nothing but my firearm to go and get the love of my life. I promised to keep you safe, Irina, and I intend to do just that, I thought to myself, feeling the rain cool my heated skin, as the anger rose inside of me once again, reminding me of all the time we’d lost together because of Edik. If it weren’t for him, we would’ve already been well on our way to building a life together, no longer feeling the need to be on the run. That was something I wanted, something I had to have as soon as this was all over. I had to make sure that Irina never had to put herself in the middle of all of this danger again, because she deserved to live her life completely free of all worry.
With trying to build an empire as a crime boss, there were always going to be certain repercussions that I was going to have to face, but that didn’t mean I had to drag her into my messes. I promised myself to keep her far away from trouble when I finally had her back in my arms, because I never wanted to feel like that again. I hated being away from her, I hated not knowing what was happening, or if she was okay. The last I saw, she was being dragged away by a man who could’ve had his way with her. I was beating myself up about not following her on foot when I had the chance, begging her to find another way to get this done. I could’ve possibly just led her right into Edik’s pocket, and I was scared for a brief moment, that there’d be nothing I could do to get her back.
The area around me was silent, any sound near my position was drowned out by the torrential downpour of rain. I heard the thunderclap directly overhead, leaving me slightly flustered and confused, heading into the building I last saw them take Irina into. The man that had knocked her unconscious was met with a few of his associates, where they all collectively made sure that she wasn’t going to come to, before they could get her to the right spot. It was part of the plan to have her captured, but it still hurt my heart to see her in that condition, even watching from a few blocks away. I have to find out where that spot is before they move her again, because after that, looking for her is going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack, I thought, glancing at all of the large, empty buildings that would each be the perfect hideout. It would take ages to get through them all in search of her, and by then Edik would’ve probably received everything he wanted, and he’d disappear into the wind.
I wasn’t about to let that happen. If my calculations were correct, he was still going to have men going after Irina’s grandfather’s money, but once his men managed to get that off of him, he was going to kill Irina from an unknown location before anyone could stop him. It was up to me now to put a stop to his terrible acts of injustice. It was time for me to take over his reign, making sure that I didn’t end up a vile, ignorant, greedy man like him when this was all over. I knew that was never going to happen with Irina by my side, because she kept me grounded. She made sure that I thought through every decision I was about to make, and she simply made me a better man. She was the strongest woman I knew, putting her life on the line to make things easier on all of us, but I didn’t want to have her in the crossfire like that. I wished I could’ve had her directly with me, covering our tracks together like we always had. Though, I knew this was probably the only chance I’d get to corner Edik alone while his men were out doing his dirty work for him.
I ventured off into the building, feeling the water leak from the roof onto my exposed skin, while I tried to see through the darkness. I listened closely to see if I could pick up on any activity, but the entire place felt uninhabited. I was very sure that this was the place they had brought her to, so I continued searching around until I was certain there was no one hiding in the shadows. I worked from the top floor to
the main, trying to figure out how they managed to sneak her out of here without one of us noticing, but then it dawned on me that I hadn’t yet seen the basement. I broke the lock on the door, realizing that it had been locked from the inside, as I carefully tread down the creaky stairs, shutting the door behind me.
I couldn’t see anything in the dark stairwell, but I felt around for the railing to guide me to the very bottom. Once I got there, I saw a light coming from what appeared to be a tunnel, leading out into another building. I followed it, feeling the moist air struggle in my lungs, finding it increasingly hard to breathe the deeper I got. I tried to stay focused, reminding myself that I had to find Irina, make sure that she was okay, and steal her away from Edik’s grasp yet again for one last time. I followed the way of the tunnel for what felt like hours, before I came to an impasse, trying to see if I’d missed something. Before I had the chance to deliberate my next move, I heard a scream coming from somewhere behind me, so I began to run. I ran as fast as I could in the direction of the sound before I got to a door. I put my ear up to the wood, trying to make out the sounds that were coming from directly behind.
There I heard the laughter of a man who had thought he’d succeeded, that nothing else mattered, and he was finally going to get everything he’d desired since the very beginning of all of this. I reached down for the doorknob, realizing that it was bolted shut, so I did what I had to do to make an entrance, aiming my gun down at it, blowing it completely off of its hinges. I looked up to see Edik on top of Irina, hiking up her skirt, with a gun in his hand. Before I could think, I felt a shot pierce into my chest. I tried desperately to hold myself up, but it was no use. I fell to my knees, blood coating my fingers, while I felt a presence loom over my body.
