*Lola grinned at the two men in the huge master bathtub with her. All the taps in the room were turned on and the sound of running water echoed against the walls. It was big enough for four people but Jake and Andre were big men and left hardly any room for her to stretch her legs. As it was, Jake had his possessively over hers, making sure no part of her body touched Andre.
Andre just laughed and winked at her.
“Jake doesn’t want to share me,” he informed her.
She’d laughed at that, curling up closer to Jake. It felt so good to be with him again. She’d missed him desperately. How could one miss another so much so quickly?
“I don’t want you to catch his cooties,” Jake said, then leaned back against the tub, one hand massaging the back of her neck.
“I’ve convinced Ivan I can’t wear a body wire because I’d be naked and that you two love showers. The cell phone he provided has a special GPS that sends a signal to his men so he’ll know exactly where we’re going.”
She’d written a note to let them know Ivan intended to use some kind of laser microphone to catch their conversation when they were traveling. Jake seemed prepared for this. Just in case, it was already in use, he’d led them into the big bathroom where they’d stripped down as they pretended to be enjoying themselves. Music blared out from the bedroom. Meanwhile, the few people who appeared to her to be Andre’s employees sat near the windows, talking and laughing. To any eavesdropper, it would sound like another party going on in the place.
Jake nodded. He kept his voice low. “This room has rippled window panes to make it tough for bouncing airwaves.”
Of course, the running water added to the distortion. Still, they delivered any important messages in mock whispers.
She couldn’t help but feel impressed at how prepared Jake was with the whole operation. She wondered whether this location was a CIA safe house, which would explain all the enhanced tech features. She glanced down at the few pages handed to her, protected with plastic. A short script and some details of their journey ahead.
It wasn’t too different from the plan she and Ivan had laid out. She was to “persuade” them to help her out of Mariupol by falsifying papers. She was desperate to get back to her sick relative near Donetsk, exactly where they’re heading. If they were to refuse her, she was to drug them and Ivan and his team would take over the questioning, after dispensing with the other partiers in the apartment. Option B wasn’t a good one, since the objective was to be led to or near the weapons pick-up point. Of course, Lola knew Plan B wasn’t going to happen, anyway, but she went along with the preparations of which drug to use on her “targets.”
“We’re going to be busy, darling,” Jake said aloud, “because we’re going back to fighting. We can get you out of here but we have a timetable. We have an important errand to do on our way.”
“Oh, can’t you take me with you there? I’ll be quiet and will stay out of the way.” She smiled naughtily up at Jake. “Think of all the fun on the way there. Me, between the two of you.”
Andre snatched her papers from her and glanced at the notes. “Nothing about this in here,” he stage-whispered, mockery shining in his eyes.
Lola just rolled her eyes and sunk lower in the tub. “Let me persuade you now,” she breathed out in her best Marilyn Monroe voice and put her hand between Jake’s legs. He was wearing his underwear but the bulge was hard and ready. She slipped her hand inside.
Jake bent his head and kissed her on the forehead. “That’s very naughty.”
From the other end of the tub, Andre sighed. “I’m being ignored,” he protested loudly, then stage-whispered again. “I can add to the script too!”
Lola stuck her tongue out at the other man. She felt very comfortable with his teasing. She slowly worked Jake’s erection in her hand out of his underwear.
“We need to pass some time,” she whispered, then said in her normal voice, “Watch first, then…maybe you’ll agree to take me along.”
Jake hadn’t said anything at all so far. She grinned up at him and added, “Hmm. Won’t you take me?”
“Good Lord Almighty,” muttered Andre, standing up and climbing out of the tub. “You two are killing me.”
She watched him as he strode wet and half-naked out of the bathroom, yelling at them, “Hurry up. Yo, where are my women? I want some sexy ass right now!”
The door closed behind Andre, leaving them alone.
“He’s not pissed off, I hope,” Lola said.
“Nah. He’s gone off to sex up two of his lovers. Typical Andre. Continue,” Jake ordered softly, persuading me to take you. I am the main driver, you know.”
Lola pulled the lever that let the water out of the tub. “Well, then,” she said, looking at Jake’s hot body slowly being revealed by the disappearing water. “I think my mouth will start persuading you now.”
Persuading Jake ought to be a full-time hobby if they ever got out of this alive. Tasting him, watching his body tightened under her ministration, feeling his control snap and taking him over the brink. It had never been this intimate, this satisfying.
“I’ll take you,” he told her huskily. “I’ll take you anywhere you want.”
She found out later he meant to keep his promise in many ways. While drying her off later, he bent her over and took her hard and fast. And then against the bedroom door, while they were dressing. She couldn’t get enough of him. She wanted him inside her, touching her intimately, and most of all, she wanted to come with him thrusting hard and fast into her. It drove both of them into a frenzy.
When they walked out together, Andre was waiting for them on the couch, still half-naked. A topless woman was curled up against his lap, asleep. His hand was inside her short skirt. Another was also dozing, sitting on the floor between his legs, using his thigh as a pillow.
He shrugged at them. “I had to keep busy,” he explained. He was totally at ease, like a man used to orgies.
Lola just laughed.
“Party over,” Jake announced. “It’s time to get back to work, buddy.”
*
The ride out of Mariupol was smooth but once they reached territories being fought over by pro-Russian and Ukrainian forces, they had to negotiate through several checkpoints. The road to Donetsk was a lot rougher, with the smell of gunpowder and smoke in the air.
Jake had all the necessary papers ready for both him and Lola. As usual, Andre and his people were prepared, even calling the security at the checkpoints by their personal names. Questions were asked about any new fighting. There might be a truce, but there were still pockets of bloodshed.
“Sergey Prokofiev International Airport,” one of the guards told them, shaking his head. He accepted the cigarette from Andre. “Not good. The 80th Paratrooper Brigade has been trapped there since the old terminal fell. I heard through friends the Russians are in there killing them one by one.”
Jake frowned. “The elite 80th? Any rescue missions ordered?”
“They’re surrounded. There are Russian weaponry flying above and moving around them. They’re done for.” The guard shook his head again. “You say the young lady is heading to Donetsk. Are you sure, miss? I don’t think this truce is going to last very long, I don’t care what those politicians are yammering about behind closed doors.”
“Just close to there. I have to get to my sick aunt,” Lola explained. “She told me they’ve already bombed some chemical plant in Donetsk and she’s just too ill to get away on her own.”
The soldier laughed. “Ach, that was us, bombing the crap out those rebels. We were just exchanging artillery fuck-yous’, miss.”
“So damn sure the ceasefire agreement won’t hold, eh?” Andre asked.
The man spat. “Our men are trapped in there. We’re just waiting for more firepower and then we’re going in and getting them out. You get your aunt out, miss. Best of luck.”
They saluted and went through the checkpoint.
Lola pointed to her cell phone on her lap. “Ivan can’t hear but I’m sure his men are tracking our way around this territory. Where are we heading, anyway? This isn’t the direct road to Donetsk.”
“Scenic route,” Andre replied.
Jake looked out the window. This was once a beautiful scenic drive, weaving through lush forests and valleys. Much of it had been destroyed by tanks and bombs.
“A castle,” he told Lola. “An enchanted castle. Everyone should get married in one.”
Her face flushed and she looked out of the window. “You keep making these marriage hints,” she said, softly.
Was his bold, sexy spy blushing because he wanted her as a bride? He found the idea even more enchanting.
*
Lola traced her new name on the false papers. Ivan hadn’t bothered to ask what name she would be under, hadn’t even considered that an important factor in his determination to locate the weapons and get them out of the hands of the “Ukis,” as he called the Ukrainians. Only she and the two men on this crazy road trip knew.
The look on Jake’s face right now gave her butterflies in her stomach. Marriage. She couldn’t even think about it without behaving like a schoolgirl. So she changed the subject.
“Are you as sure that the Minsk Protocol won’t stand as that trooper predicted?” She asked. “Maybe the fighting will stop.”
Okay, probably not. After all, her side was smuggling in weapons across the border through an aid convoy. Andre shot her one of his now-familiar cynical glances that lit up his eyes with mocking laughter. She made a face at him.
“Let’s hope it does,” Jake said. “We can do our part and delay the battle. That’s all we can do. The rest….”
She studied her man as he grew quiet. He’d told her the job, as he liked to call it, had been weighing on his shoulders the last year. He’d started his career in Intel to stop terrorist violence against his people, to protect innocent lives. Now, it was short term “tasks” for international groups and political players who were brokering power. She’d understood. This wasn’t the war he signed on to.
For herself, there was no choice before. She’d been taken from her family and trained, had grown up in an environment that wasn’t particularly hopeful. Do it and your family would be fine. That had been her first encounter with the bartering of favors. Slowly, her life had turned into a series of orders, which she’d followed because at least she was traveling and seeing new things. But, after a while, even that hadn’t stopped her from feeling empty inside. Until Jake. And now, there was another choice. And maybe, even marriage. She allowed a little smile at the thought of herself wearing white and holding flowers.
“We should be there soon,” Jake interrupted her reverie. “We’re stopping there long enough to let Ivan think we’re loading up. I’m sure that would give his GPS a definite location and he’ll be sending men after us and our truck.”
Lola nodded. “Yes, seizing the truck means adding to his arsenal. The rebels would love some American weapons.”
“Yeah, you should be far away from here by then since we’re taking the truck the opposite direction,” Andre said.
“Will you be okay?” Lola asked, worried.
“What, you suddenly care for me, sweetheart?” Andre grinned. “We’ll be fine. The truck is made to drive by itself, like one of those new cars.”
“Oh,” she said. Self-driving military truck—that was new.
“It’ll be mounted with automatic weapons,” Jake explained, “and at the right time, it’ll explode. No weapons for Ivan. It’s all been arranged, Lola. Bodies, news items, everything. I’ve taken care of the details. I’m the contractor, remember? I deal with of all that stuff for a price.”
Lola nodded. Jake certainly had thought of everything to cover their tracks. She must remember to ask him how much money this had cost him. She wanted to pay her half of it.
“Meanwhile, I’ll be headed to where I’m sure Ivan’s awaiting the arrival of his convoy. The delay at the first checkpoint should be starting the moment the first truck tries to go through. By the time I reach him, he should be getting that news. I have a few embedded agents who will brief me about the situation,” Andre added. “I’m sure he will be a pretty frustrated guy for a while.”
Lola mentally crossed her fingers at that summation. Ivan hadn’t struck her as someone who would patiently wait for things to happen. From watching him yesterday, it appeared he and his team of “vacationing” troopers were eager to continue disrupting the peace process by aiding the rebellion. However, if it’s a delay that NATO wanted, then perhaps her role to help avert outright war wasn’t a bad thing.
Andre made a turn down a rugged stony road, driving around a man-made column of bricks. Lola caught her breath at the sight of the castle rising upwards, its turrets jutting out atop magnificent old trees.
“Ohh!” That was all she could manage as they drove up the long driveway. It was hidden away on the hill, like a fairytale castle.
“We’re going around the back. There might be a few tourists in front but I doubt it, what with the unrest in the country,” Jake said. “We need you to move around with the cell phone while we get the other truck ready and then we can tuck that in it. Andre and I are going inside to pass on some communiqué. Do you have to call your handler?”
“No. All is set, he said,” Lola told him. She looked at her phone on the seat. “It won’t take him long to get the coordinates once the signal settles. My orders were quite clear. Stay in the truck when the weapons are being loaded to make sure that is the truck and to keep you guys distracted.”
Jake smiled at her intimately. “You’re doing an excellent job with the distracting. Give Andre a few minutes in there to make his call, then come on in. I’ve something to show you inside.”
“All right. I’ll take the phone for a walk.”
Lola watched the men disappear behind a huge oak door. She pulled at the knot on her scarf, loosening it from her shoulders, before sliding out of the truck to stretch her legs. Slipping the phone in her pocket, she took a quick walk around the old fountain nearby. There were hundreds of coins at the bottom. What would she wish for? Love? No, she got that. Safety. She groped around and pulled one out of her pocket, almost dropping the phone in there. She rolled her eyes at her carelessness and was about to put it back when she noticed the pulsing red light flashing.
It hadn’t done that before.
Her breath caught as realization dawned. Bits of conversation zapped like lightning through her mind, things which she had missed during the run-through with her handler.
Ivan wasn’t waiting for the weapons. He didn’t want the weapons in Ukrainian hands. The word he used was “destroy.” And, she realized now, he didn’t have to wait for the weapons to be in his hands to achieve that.
She threw the phone into the fountain and started running toward the castle.
“Jake!” She screamed, her heart dropping like a fifty kilo weight around her ankles. She stumbled, got back up and raced towards the door. Everything was happening in slow motion.
“Jaaaaake!” Her scream echoed in the courtyard, in her head, in her heart.
*
“What is it?” Jake asked. Andre was frowning and asking odd questions as the talked on his satellite phone. “Bad news?”
“Not sure. My inside man reported that Ivan hasn’t moved his position, meaning they’re still hanging around near their secret base just outside Mariupol. He should have gone off to Donetsk by now to sign papers as the convoy arrives. Also, I thought he would send some men out in the field as they follow our GPS signal and stay close enough until we have the weapons. They’re no-fucking-where close to us at all.”
“Huh. Any theories? You think they aren’t buying we’re decoys?”
Andre shook his head. “Can’t tell. My delivery isn’t until tomorrow after our little play-acting is over, but I might change the date. But what the hell is Ivan up to? He’s definitely the guy needed to run that operation back at Donetsk and if he’s late, that humanitarian convoy would head off to the next checkpoint and he’d lose his hidden cargo. I know he doesn’t know the UN is going to delay his timetable by parking and searching those trucks for as long as possible.”
Jake glanced at his watch. There wasn’t much time to make new plans. “So what is all that GPS about? He wanted to keep tabs on Lola and us and…”
They both arrived at the same conclusion and mouthed it out together.
“Missile!”
At the same time, from outside, Lola’s scream rang out.
“Lola!” Jake ran toward the door separating them. “Andre, warn the others!”
“Head for the back!” Andre yelled back. “Everyone, go down to the cellars. Or the dungeon! Get down under the damn castle!”
Jake didn’t have time to look back. He flung the door open and found Lola on the threshold. He dragged her inside.
“GPS is for tactical attack now,” she panted out, trying to explain.
Jake pulled her along behind him. “Hurry, hurry! Come on, we’ve got to go down to the old dungeons.”
They scrambled after the few agents who had been there to help. Andre was at the top of the opening.
“Move!” he yelled at them.
They all dove down the crumbly flight of steps. The loud crash of iron-cast door followed behind them. Everyone ran as fast as they could.
“Move, move, move!” Jake ordered. “We need to get behind the second door! Hurr—”
A huge blast interrupted his words, shaking the castle to its foundation. There was a huge whoosh of air as they reached the second door. Most veterans knew what that was. Backfire.
Jake pushed Lola through. He could feel the heat coming down like a hurricane. Lola turned and grabbed him by his shirt, refusing to let go. Someone behind them screamed as he became the first victim.
Andre slammed the heavy iron opening shut. Jake pushed Lola onto the ground and covered her body. A huge sonic boom sounded and the metal door groaned and bent ferociously. A huge bolt flew out. Someone else screamed. Jake kept Lola under him, protecting her with his body. What felt like a huge wave of heat pushed against his back.
Don’t let her get hurt. Please don’t let her get hurt.
*
It was dark and hard to breathe. Lola coughed and tasted grit in her mouth. Dungeon dust and some horrid bitter blend of smoke, fire and debris. She coughed again, trying to lift her head higher, but Jake was heavy and not moving.
Not moving. Panic assailed her again.
“Jake!” She croaked out his name, choking from lack of air and dust. He didn’t move. The panic grew full-scale. She tried to turn, squirming and pulling, inching herself out from the weight on her, calling his name over and over.
Finally, he stirred and groaned. “I’m okay,” he said. “Just knocked out for a moment.”
“Listen up! Get up when you can,” Andre called out from somewhere to her left. “It won’t take long for the authorities to arrive. Those of you who are capable must take charge. Petrov!”
“I’m alive,” a voice called out.
“And able?”
“Yes.”
“You have to round up the uninjured. Someone check on those who are down.”
“I will,” Jake said, slowly getting up. He bent and helped Lola. “Are you all right?”
She couldn’t see his face in the semi-darkness. “Yes,” she assured him.
“Oh, no, you two come with me,” Andre ordered. “We’re getting the hell out of here before the media descends and the melee starts. Petrov, you know what to do!”
“Yes, sir!”
Andre was suddenly in front of them, holding a lantern. “You two aren’t injured, I hope. I need you able and running. We have to get away now.” His voice was crisp, a far cry from the mocking tone he always adopted. “I have a delivery to oversee. I have a beef with that fucker Ivan now. He thinks he could just bomb a castle and get away with it? Did you fucking know about this, Lola?”
She shook her head, then realized he couldn’t see her. “No.” Her voice was still hoarse from swallowing dust. “I truly thought he wanted to get his hands on the weapons for himself. The advantages of showing off UN weaponry while both sides are talking are too great, and our side would have a better control of the negotiations. But Ivan isn’t one for negotiating, I suspect.”
“I guess not. Fucking guy just about started a war all by himself,” Andre said. “Jake, we have to go to Plan B.”
“All right,” Jake said, by her side, his voice low. He whispered in her ear. “We’re out of here. With our new identities, no one will say anything. The old Jake and Lola have been killed. Are you ready for the next step?”
Lola stared up into his shadowy face. It was now or never.
“I love you,” she said, simply. “I’ll go anywhere with you.”
She came so close to losing Jake. Her own life meant nothing without him. Besides, it was quite clear that she had just been thrown away by her side, used as a sacrificial pawn for their next big move. She wasn’t bitter. Far from it. They’d just set her free.
He hugged her to him and she breathed in his scent and his heat. She didn’t ever want to be parted from him. She squeezed him hard.
“We aren’t out of danger yet,” Jake said, quietly. “I tried to cover every possible angle while getting the job done, but didn’t think of this one. If the missile had hit with you out there…”
His arms around her grew tighter, as if he would draw her inside his whole being. She understood how he was feeling. It had almost been over.
“I’m alive,” she whispered. She ran her hands across his back and started. “Why is your shirt wet? You’re bleeding!”
“Really?” Jake released her, looking over his shoulder. “It’s not hurting.”
Guiding Andre’s hand so his lantern would give her better lighting, Lola stepped around to examine Jake’s back. Andre whistled.
“There’s a rip in your shirt, bro,” he said. “Don’t move.”
Lola carefully lifted the red-soaked material. She could see raw skin here and there but there weren’t any deep injuries. The tightness in her throat eased a little.
“I don’t see any puncture wounds,” she said. “It’s more sticky than wet, like your blood is drying.”
“I think the heat from that missile burnt part of the shirt off his back. Look, the material is scorched here and there.” Andre lightly pressed in a couple of spots and nodded as Jake reacted to his pats. “Yeah. Lost a few layers of skin like a bad sunburn, bro. Lucky bastard.”
Lola shivered. It could have been worse. Losing Jake while he was protecting her. That would have been unbearable. She covered her mouth to contain a small sob.
“Shhh.” Jake turned. He took her hand in his. “I’m alive. I love you so much I’d do it all again.”
“Okay, love birds, it’s been a blast, but let’s go, hmm?” Andre urged. “This old place has some tunnels dug out of the dungeons in World War II. Follow me and you two can do all that kissing stuff once you’re outside away from here. There’ll be a fuck-load of people descending here very soon. We need to implement our plan now.”
“We’re right behind you,” Jake said. “Ready?”
Lola looked up. To her, his smile seemed to light up the whole place. He was her knight in shining armor, rescuing her from the dungeon that was her life. She smiled back radiantly.
“Ready,” she replied, giving his hand a tug.
They walked out of the chaos without looking back. Nothing behind them, everything ahead.