CHAPTER EIGHT

 

The procession consisted of two black Range Rovers, led by Peter’s personal black limousine. He insisted Ryan, Nick and Mario ride with him.

The three were dressed all in black. Combat wear.

Peter sat across from them with two of his men sitting on either side. Ivan was driving. It wasn’t common for Peter to go, but tonight was important to him. He needed to know who was leaking information. He wasn’t worried about being harmed.

First of all, he could take care of himself. Secondly, across from him sat two of the best assassins he knew. The younger brother was an added bonus.

Peter had met with the men beforehand and Nick Castile had yet to say a word to him since the introductions. He’d come to see that it was the way the man was. The younger brother was a different story he hadn’t stopped talking. Nick had spoken to Nick a few times and his answers were either a gesture or an indiscernible deep voiced whisper.

Two hours later the car turned down a dirt road. The ride was rough, showing that it was rarely used.

Finally Nick spoke. “Let me know when we’re within a mile.” It was casual, and his attention wasn’t even on anyone in particular. It was on his side arm as he was plugging bullets into the clip.

“Ivan?” Peter said over his shoulder.

“Yes boss,” Ivan answered that he’d heard him.

After about another half an hour, Ivan stopped the car. “Were about a half mile now.”

“Pop the trunk,” Ryan said before getting out followed by Nick and Mario. They started pulling long duffle bags out of it.

“What are you going to do?” Ivan said coming up beside them.

It was Ryan that answered. “Wait a half hour. Then go in. We’ll be set up by then.”

“What’s the GPS location?” Nick asked pulling out an electronic device from his pocket. Mario was busy strapping the duffle bags to his back.

Ivan reluctantly told him while watching the men silently and quickly get organized. Then he looked around at the blackness. “How are you going to find your way there? It’s black as hell out here.”

At that moment Nick took off at a run with Mario on his heels.

“What the fuck?” Ivan splayed his arms.

“A half an hour,” Ryan repeated before he disappeared into the blackness behind his friends.

“Boss!” he turned toward Peter who was lighting a cigar and leaning against the side of his limo. “No one can find their way through this terrain in the dark.”

“I wouldn’t underestimate them Ivan.” He took a long drag off of his smoke and looked at his watch.

***

“How many?” Nick asked.

The three of them were lying beside one another, Nick on his back facing the sky, and Mario and Ryan on their bellies, on a hill about five hundred yards away from an open field and Ryan saw that it was an old private airstrip. It looked like it had been abandoned at least two decades ago. There were a couple of planes next to a hanger that looked as though they’d seen better days.

“Five,” Ryan answered while peering through the night scope of his sniper rifle. “Two snipers in the brush on the far side of the meadow, and three on foot.” He pulled the trigger. There was a pop as the bullet exited the silencer. “Four.”

Nick chuckled and removed a silencer from his front pant leg pocket. He was screwing it on his handgun when another pop disrupted the silence.

“Three. They’re on foot gone in the building. The snipers are taken care of. You’re up.”

Nick pushed the earbud into his ear and rolled onto his stomach. “Mario?”

He was peering through a thermal scope that detected body heat. This was something that could see things that Ryan couldn’t with a night scope. “Three at the back of the building, inside now like Ryan said. There’s another big vehicle out of sight in the brush about four hundred yards behind the hanger with what looks like another two—no, three men. I’m thinking that’s our hijackers. Inside, there’s another half dozen men, most likely the drop—wait a minute—we got five bodies piled along the back wall.”

“Dead?”

“Yeah, pretty much. Heat signature is fading. It looks like twisted sister already took the coke, but is waiting to surprise daddy.” It was obvious they were tipped off about the shipment way ahead of time. Ryan was right about it being an inside job.

Nick backed out of sight and was gone into the darkness with barely a sound.

“I wish I knew how he did that,” Mario said in awe.

Ryan smirked keeping one eye peering through the scope.

“And here comes villain number two.” Mario spotted Peter’s convoy just coming into sight along the road.

As soon as the vehicles stopped, the doors slid open from the inside. The men in the Range Rovers exited and splayed out clearly showing that they were armed.

“Show’s on,” Ryan murmured. He and Mario stood up and rushed forward. Peter would be ambushed thinking he was meeting his contact for the drop.

They dropped in the grass about fifty yards off. He pulled out his phone and messaged Peter. Then, Ryan set up his rifle again and Mario picked up his binoculars this time. There was enough light from the open hanger doors that he could see what was going on. “Oh shit. Is that your girl?”

Ryan looked through his scope then dropped his head. “Fuck.”

“How—?”

“She must’ve tried to follow us. I don’t know what the hell she was thinking.” He peered through his scope again.

Anna’s men had gotten there first and taken out Peter’s drop men. He could see birthmark clearly but didn’t have a clear shot because he was the one with his fist twisted in Kat’s hair. His other hand held a gun to her head. Her eyes were wild and searching her father’s men. She was looking for him. Well, he could see her clearly and she was terrified.

Peter held up his hand so none of his men would shoot. Ryan couldn’t hear the conversation.

“Nick, they got Kat,” he said softly.

“Copy that. Distraction coming.”

“Mario.” Ryan’s voice shook but his finger was steady on the trigger of his rifle.

“I’m on it.” He got to his feet and rushed through the darkness toward the hanger. Toward Kat.

A few seconds after that the vehicle hidden behind the hanger blew up.

That’s all Ryan needed. While everyone else ducked and ran for cover, he was as steady as a rock. Birthmark twisted around at the sound as flames burst up through the trees behind the hanger. That left him exposed.

Pop.

Down went birthmark. He wouldn’t be getting up again.

Kat stood there in shock looking around as men started firing. Then out of nowhere came a man who jumped on her shoving her to the ground. “Stay down!” He got up on one knee and started shooting.

She was shaking so bad that she doubted she could stand again.

He reached down and grabbed her arm. “Time to move honey. Now!” he half dragged her out of the line of fire. Ryan was covering him from the field. Once around the side of the hanger, Mario shoved Kat behind him and reloaded.

She screamed as another man appeared beside her from out of nowhere. Turned out it was one of Ryan’s men. The one with the icy stare.

“No one’s going to hurt you,” he said calmly.

“How many left inside?” Mario asked.

“None. The girl isn’t there.”

Kat stared at him. He meant Anna. “My sister?”

He nodded, but didn’t speak.

“She wouldn’t be. She’d have people do her dirty work like when she tried to murder Ryan.” Somehow that made her angry again.

A man came around the corner, then fell to the ground dead. He was shot just as he lifted his gun.

The line of fire came from the darkness. Ryan. It had to be. She remembered the elite sniper rifle he had in the aluminum case. Well, now she knew what he used it for.

Suddenly, there was the deafening sound of helicopters.

Peter and his remaining men jumped in the limo and tore out of there.

“They won’t get far,” Mario said.

“He left me.” Not that Katya expected her father to save her, but seeing the reality of it, really hit home.

Nick covered his earpiece. Then lifted his head and pointed to the field. “He’s coming in.”

“H-he?” she stammered.

“Ryan.”

She followed Nick’s line of sight and suddenly saw him. Out of the blackness came a figure all in black with a rifle slung over his shoulder. He was jogging. She bit her lip. Although she couldn’t see it, she could feel the heat of his anger from where she stood. “Oh oh.”

When he came up to her he just stared down at her furiously. Then he cupped her head and kissed her hard. She could feel the relief flow through him.

He released her suddenly.

She lifted her hands. “I—”

“Save it. We’ll discuss this later,” he cut her off just as a helicopter zoomed overhead and landed in front of the hanger. He grabbed her upper arm and led her toward it. “Get in.”

“What? No!”

He shook her. “Dammit Kat, I’m not done here and you are in the line of fire. You could have been killed for christsakes! How the hell can I do my job with you running around like that? You were supposed to stay at the estate!”

He was angry and shouting at her. Well, it was probably due to the noise of the blades but he was still enraged. “I know—I was stupid, but—”

He looked past her. “Mario, get her the hell out of here!” He shoved her backwards toward him.

Mario didn’t hesitate and actually scooped her up carrying her toward the helicopter kicking and screaming.

Just then, Nick pulled one of the Range Rovers next to him screeching the brakes. Ryan hopped in the passenger seat. It spun around and sped after the Limousine.

Mario plopped her into one of the helicopters seats and when she tried to get out he actually had the nerve to handcuff one of her wrists to a bar on the inside wall.

“Are you kidding me?”

He sat beside her and shrugged. “Hey, I have my orders. The last thing I want to do is piss off my brother and his best friend.” He placed the headset on her head and one on his and pointed to the ear piece. “It’s better to speak through these.”

Well, she was done talking. She looked out the window as the copter lifted off the ground. The spotlight lit up the landscape below. There were a dozen men, that seemed to come out of nowhere and scatter throughout the grounds. “Who—”

“—They’re mine, Miss Nickolov.”

Kat looked across from her. All along there had been another man sitting there. She must’ve looked like an idiot fighting the way she was.

“It’s finally nice to meet you. I’m Ned.” He leaned forward and held out his hand.

She absently shook it. “Who are you?”

“I’m Ryan’s handler so to speak.”

“What’s going to happen to him?”

“He’ll be fine. Ryan can handle himself.”

“What about my father?”

“I’ve given orders for him to be taken alive. It’s not him Ryan’s after. It’s Demetrev.”

She turned her head to look out the window at nothing in particular. She should have known that Ivan would have murdered Ryan’s brother, but it was on the word of her father.

“Miss Nickolov?”

She turned her head to meet Ned’s eyes again.

“Your sister wasn’t there.”

She tilted her head.

“Do you have any idea where she would have gone?”

Kat shook her head.

He reached forward and patted her leg. “Don’t you worry. We’ll find her. We always do. Every airport, train station and bus depot is under watch.”

She didn’t know how she felt about that, all of this. Did she want her sister caught and tried for her crimes? Yes, she abused her, near killed her, and treated her with less than indifference, but was that the fault of her father’s loveless upbringing? Well, she turned out all right, didn’t she? And what about Ryan? Did he really want to be with her, or did he use her to get close to her family? She didn’t know anymore.

About forty five minutes later the helicopter landed on the roof of a building in the city center. She wasn’t sure where she was, but it didn’t matter anymore. Mario uncuffed her and actually took her hand to help her out of the copter. She accepted it because she wasn’t sure if her legs would hold. Things started to finally hit home and she was a nervous wreck. Ned led the way to a set of doors. There were two heavily armed men guarding them. One of them opened the door as they walked through. It led to a long hall, then into an elevator.

Once inside Ned spoke again. “Miss Nickolov, you are not under arrest, and we are not holding you, but we ask that you stay with us until my men return with your father.”

His voice was actually quite soothing, and calm. She knew that’s probably a practiced technique because these were not normal men and everything they did had a purpose. “That doesn’t sound voluntary.”

Ned smiled. “I’m strongly recommending it.”

“I see.” She didn’t have a choice. She leaned back against the elevator wall and shut her eyes. The ding of the doors made her open them again. Mario held out his hand and she stepped forward. It was like an office building layout. There was a long hall full of offices.

Ned led the way down the hall to a pair of double doors. “This is my office.” He opened one of the doors. “You are more than welcome to wait here. As soon as I have news, I’ll come and tell you.” He stepped inside. “There’s a mini kitchen behind that wall.” He pointed to an opening. “Help yourself.”

She never said anything as he left with Mario and shut the door behind him. She turned and walked toward the windows and ran a hand through her hair. What the heck has she gotten herself into? God, she hoped Ryan was okay!

She would hate for the last words they shared to be in anger. She’d never forgive herself. It was all her fault that she was there in the middle of it all, after he’d warned her to stay in the house.

She’d returned to her room after the three went down the hall to her father’s office and saw Ryan’s keys on his bedside table. She snuck out one of the servants entrances and climbed in the jeep watching the men pack the trunk of the limousine a short time later. When it went through the gates, she followed them at a distance. Unfortunately she lost them at a set of traffic lights. A black truck pulled up next to her, the passenger got out and rushed her door. Before she knew what was happening she was staring down a barrel of a gun.

“Move over.”

Terrified she obeyed. It was that man! The birthmark.

The truck sped off and he followed driving Ryan’s jeep. She scratched him and he hit her—hard. That’s the last thing she remembered until she was woken up with a hard slap. He twisted his hand in her hair and hauled her out of the jeep just as the hanger doors opened. She cried out as he dragged her toward men waiting outside the doors. Oh my God, it was her father! He looked just as shocked as she did.

“What the fuck!” he pulled a gun

Then an explosion. So loud it hurt her ears.

She closed her eyes and felt the man holding her recoil and fall backwards releasing her. It was then she realized he was shot. Next thing she was tackled from the side. The man came out of nowhere as bullets whizzed over her head. She curled up into a ball and screamed.

Now, as she stood looking out over the lights of the city through the window of Ned’s office, she wondered about her future. She had fear over never seeing Ryan again, whether he survived or still wanted her. Her father would most likely be in a cell for the rest of his life, and her sister was gone somewhere.

Funny, what hurt her gut and heart the most, was not her family. It was not knowing exactly what she was to Ryan. She was amazed that she could feel so detached from her own blood. Was that cruel of her? She reached up and wiped away the tears that started to fall.

She could start over again. She had some strength in her. The last few weeks proved that to her, and Ryan taught her how to tap into it. Well, if she walked away all alone, she still had those things.

Just then the doors opened and she spun around to see Ryan walk in. He was removing his gloves and she saw that he still had a rifle slung over his shoulder. That told her something. He didn’t stop to remove it. She was his first priority. She stood there wringing her hands as he finally reached up, and swung it off his shoulder laying it across a large conference table. Then he turned and looked at her. His expression still looked angry.

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” he finally said. He may have been irate towards her but he was also severely relieved.

She sobbed and rushed toward him. He gathered her in his arms and held her tight.

“Jesus Kat, you are seriously trying to kill me.”

She shook her head.

“I died when I saw you there.” His arms tightened around her.

“I’m so sorry.” She sobbed. “I honestly wasn’t going to follow you all the way, I just wanted a sense of the direction, but then—“ she sobbed “—then everything went wrong!”

“I’ve told you from the start. You need to listen to me.”

“I know! I screwed up.”

“Shush. I hate to see you like this.” He tilted her head up to face him. “Are you hurt?” Her face was wet with tears and he felt his heart constrict. Yes he was in a rage, but he managed to calm down since then. What the hell was she thinking? She’d scared him like nothing else in his entire life. He knew she was traumatized yet again, and having him rant at her for an hour would serve no purpose.

“No.”

He looked around. “Have you been by yourself the whole time?”

She nodded.

He cursed. “Damn sometimes we can be so unfeeling.”

“Are you angry?”

“Very.”

She swallowed.

“You can make it up to me later. I’m just relieved you’re okay.” He smiled. “Let’s sit down.”

“Why?”

He pulled her over to a white leather sofa and coaxed her down beside him.

“Ryan, you are scaring me. I know that look. Something’s wrong.”

“I just want to let you know what happened.”

“Is everyone okay? Your friends—?”

“They’re fine.” He reached up and moved a stray hair off her cheek. “I’m sorry babe, but we found your sister.”

“Why are you sorry?” An unusual chill moved through her. Tears formed in her eyes. “Ryan? She—she—” she choked.

“Keep it together, I have to get this out.”

“Oh God!” She took a few deep breaths, then nodded to let him know she was ready.

“It appears your sister made promises to Ivan. When she didn’t fulfill those, he murdered her.”

“I-Ivan was the traitor? What did she promise him?”

“You, babe. She promised him you.”

She was taken back. The tears stopped and her eyes narrowed as she was trying to absorb what he was saying. “She what?”

“Ivan was leaking information to your sister in exchange for you. I told your father to only tell one man where the drop was to be made tonight. That was Ivan. He didn’t want to believe me, but went along with it.”

“She…he…neither one of them had that right!” She stood abruptly. “What kind of family did I have? Twisted—sick!”

He stood up and gathered her into his arms. “I’m sorry Kat.”

She buried her face in his chest and wept.

“There’s more.”

“Oh God.”

He breathed deep. He felt her pain. She had no one except him. She didn’t deserve this. No one did.

She finally pulled back and looked up at him. “Tell me the rest.”

“Sit down again.”

She turned and sat back on the sofa folding her hands on her lap. “I’m ready.”

This time Ryan pulled a chair directly in front of her and took her hands in his as he sat down. “We chased them down—your father and Ivan, and caught them at the end of the dirt road just before the highway. Your father shot Ivan in the head before we had a chance to take him into custody.”

“I hope he rots in hell,” she said harshly while wiping tears off her face with the back of her hand.

“Me too.”

She paused and looked at him. The pain her family caused this man was more than she had to deal with. Her heart went out to him. “Yeah, you too.” She smiled. It was bittersweet.

“But with Ivan gone, we’ve lost him as a turncoat.”

“Against my father.”

“Yes.”

“And the same with Anna.”

He nodded.

“How did you know about Anna’s promise then?”

“We also captured two of Anna’s men. The rest are dead.”

“Oh. So you don’t have anything on my father then?”

“We have enough Kat. He’ll go to a dark cell, skip a trial, and no one will know what happened.”

“But what about his bid for governor?”

“This is the way we work—there’ll be an accident and his remains will be found at the bottom of a cliff in one of his fancy cars. Yet, he’ll live. The agency needs him and his government contacts, but he’ll never see the light of day again. That’s the truth. That’s all of it.”

“Is that what you want?”

“I wanted the man responsible for my brother’s death. Demetrev is dead and your father will be out of the drug business for the rest of his life. I’m surprisingly okay with allowing him to live.” He took her hands again and met her eyes. “He is your father Kat. I know you don’t want him harmed.”

“Even after all he’s done, no, I honestly don’t, but what is wrong with me?”

“We always love our parents no matter how evil they can be. It doesn’t make you disturbed Kat, it makes you compassionate.”

She looked away in thought for a moment. “Can I see him?”

“Yes,” he answered hesitantly.

“Now?”

“Yes, but straighten yourself up first.” He stood up. “Ned has a private bathroom behind that wall over there. Go wash up and be strong. You must understand this too. You can never see him again.”

She nodded again, got up and walked towards the restroom.

Ryan watched her with concern. She shut down. It was too much and she’d already been through hell. It seemed like every one of her family members, used, abused, and discarded her. Yet, she was worth so much more than they deserved. It was a miracle that she wasn’t a mental mess.

***

Ryan slid a card on a lock beside a solid painted metal door. Then he placed his hand on the scanner above the card lock. The red light changed to green. He took her arm, opened the door, and her led into a room that had one way glass. There were half a dozen people in there, all men. Ryan took her arm and led her over to the viewing window without saying a word to any of them. She could see her father sitting at a steel topped table and Ned, sitting across the table from him. One of her father’s wrists was handcuffed to a metal loop welded to the table. He looked angry and unimpressed. Another man, in a dark navy suit, white shirt and matching tie stood in the corner with his hands clasped together. He was a big man, and right then she knew he was armed.

Her father’s hair was in disarray, his suit was dirty and torn in places. It would have made him angry. He was big on appearances. He had a bruise over his right temple.

“You’re sure?” he asked.

She nodded.

Ryan tapped on the glass.

Ned stood up and went to the adjoining door, opening it. When he saw Ryan and Kat he stepped aside.

“I’m right here if you need me,” Ryan reassured.

“I’ll only be a moment.”

Peter was surprised to see his daughter step through the door. “Katya?”

“Father.” She walked in and took the seat Ned occupied a moment ago.

“What are you doing here?” He glanced at the man in the corner, then at Ned who shut the door.

“Mr. Casey brought me here.”

“That fucking traitor!” He spat pulling on his cuffed wrist.

She remained calm completely unmoved at his burst of temper. She was used to it.

“You betrayed me too, didn’t you?”

“No. I wanted to see you brought down, because of the people you’ve hurt, but I didn’t betray you. I didn’t know anything. However, I certainly didn’t stand in the way when I found out why Mr. Casey was there.”

“You lying bitch! Look at me! Look what you’ve done!”

“I’ve done nothing to you. But if you want to get into it. I’ve been beaten, held at gun point, sold by my sister, and lusted after by your most trusted man. Did you know Anna was still alive, that she’d planned all of this and told Ivan that he could have me in exchange for information? This was all because of who you are. Do you honestly think I’d support your run for governor after I found out you were responsible for my pain. I would have shot you myself.”

He stilled and his face fell.

“That’s what you created papa. A house of monsters. Is it true you killed my mother?”

He leaned back in his chair and glared at her.

“You don’t need to say anything. I can see it in your expression.”

“She was a cheating whore!” He leaned forward. “Just like you.”

“This is the last time you will see me.” She stood up. “I hate you, but I won’t let that run my life because you will be rotting in a little cell while I live my life out from under you, and I will live! You can’t take that away from me. I will have children and they will never know your name. So I’m going to forgive you because this is the last time I will even think about you.”

“You—“ he stood up abruptly “—selfish bitch!”

The man in the corner intervened and shoved him back in his chair. “Keep your ass glued to the chair Mr. Nickolov or I’ll bolt your feet to the ground.”

“Goodbye,” she said softly and turned around just as Ned opened the door. She walked by him towards Ryan while her father’s screams of rage followed her. Ned shut the door to cut them off.

She stopped in front of Ryan and looked up at him. “What now?”

He stared back down at her. “What now? Anything you want. You’re free.”