Downswing Page 7

  The entire second floor of the building was going up in flames.

  I looked to the terrace that I knew to be Emilia's and I made a move to run towards it.

  "Oh, no, you don't."

  A click sounded, and I looked back to see a gun pointed at my face by the mad, blonde woman driving the van. She smiled pleasantly at me.

  "Get in the van, Viktor."

  My lips drew back in a snarl, even as more gunfire started, aimed right at the van. The blonde woman, while still pointing the gun at me, gave a large sigh and then pulled a small remote from her pocket. Pressing the button on it, a large boom sounded, and guards went flying as the attached garage housing all the vehicles was blown to oblivion.

  "We'll be late picking up Emilia if you don't get in the van."

  I gaped for a moment at the blonde woman I recognized as the doctor's assistant, before I obediently climbed into the vehicle. We were all launched against our seats and the door was still wide open as she put her foot on the gas and sped away from the house.

  "Kiernan, counter attack, if you please." The blonde woman said calmly, driving with one hand, speeding down the dirt road that led away from the house, and firing her pistol out the window with the other. I checked the clip on my pistol, noted how many shots I had left, and moved forward between the two front seats to allow Kiernan to slide over into the open van door. He pointed his rifle with deadly accuracy at the guards that were running after us, but soon leaned back inside the van.

  "Seems we have a few jeeps on our ass."

  "I'll handle that." Jazz climbed her way over the middle seat, landing in Kiernan's lap. I watched as she pulled a small, red box from her bra, kissed it, then threw it at a large oak tree that we were driving past.

  "Shoot it."

  Kiernan aimed, fired, and the box exploded, blowing out the trunk of the tree. The tree fell over to land on the road, blocking the path off. All of us watched through the back window as the jeeps slammed into the tree, flipping over, effectively cutting off the chase.

  "Och, Jazzy. I just fell in love all over again." The Irishman bellowed with laughter, and Jazz launched an elbow into his stomach.

  "Well done, mates. Very effective." The blonde woman still calmly smiled, whistling as she drove like a demon down the narrow dirt road. The Pakhan's compound was nestled deep in a heavily wooded area, on a plot of thirty acres all owned by Korol. The only way in or out by vehicle was the narrow dirt road, that effectively cut off all outside forces that tried to make a mobile movement against the house.

  And I helped design it.

  I looked back towards the house, and though I couldn't see the towering mansion, I could see the reflection of the flames against the sky in the distance. I had advised against the cedar furnishings that Korol had loved so much just in case of this very scenario and felt a rush of satisfaction at the place going up in flames so quickly.

  Serves you right, fucker.

  Jerked back to the present, we came out to the main road, and Smith, the doctor's assistant, slammed on the breaks. Two more vans were waiting on the side of the road, and I saw the doctor's small, portly body standing outside one of them. He jogged up to the driver side window, and looked inside, his eyes frantic.

  "Wh- Emilia's not with you?!" Doctor Pavel addressed his assistant, and I frowned fiercely at the question.

  "No, Doctor. She had a few things to take care of." Smith smiled pleasantly at the doctor, reaching out the window to pat him on his head. The doctor fell back, sputtering.

  "We have to move! The main house has already called in back up! How could you leave Emilia behind, Smith?!" The doctor shouted, his face a mask of rage. The assistant blinked at him, as if surprised he was yelling at her.

  My gun was pressed against Smith's temple in less than a second. Rage laced every word as I spoke quietly into the assistant's face.

  "You said we were picking her up. Where the fuck is she, Smith?"

  The assistant turned to look at the barrel of my gun, and merely smiled.

  "Wait, what's that?!" Kamili shouted from the back seat, pointing to the woods from where we had just emerged.

  A rustling was heard in the trees, and we all pointed our guns out the van door and open windows. I watched, my body tensing for a fight, and waited while my breath completely stopped.

  We all watched in utter shock as a woman, dressed in nothing but a bra and panties, came flying out from the trees. Long hair billowing in the wind behind her, she stumbled into the road and began running full force in our direction.

  "EMILIA!"

  I was already on the move, running to catch Emilia as she flew through the air, and crashed into me. I held tight, the force of her body making me stumble and slide back, but I kept my feet firmly planted and forced myself to stay standing.

  Breathing heavy, I fell to my knees with her clutched safely in my arms, and brought my head down to rest on the top of her head. She was panting for air against my chest, and she clutched me back tightly. She was a mess, with open wounds and blood crisscrossing across her body, and her breathing ragged at best.

  We sat like that for a full moment, and I soaked in the feel of her warm and alive, and finally in my arms.

  "Viktor."

  I lifted my head, so did she, and our gazes melded into each other.

  Emilia smiled weakly up at me, chest heaving.

  "What a beautiful morning for watching the sunrise, huh?"

  "FAT GIRL, MOVE YOUR ASS!" Meiling screamed from the van, and all the vans started up, engines revving.

  I came to my feet, carrying Emilia in my arms to the van. I looked down at my angel, garbed in nothing but bra and panties, beautiful body bruised, throat still lined in red with blood dripping down, and face marked from branches slapping into it, and felt a rush of warmth flood my chest.

  We climbed into the van, shut the door, and settled in.

  "Buckle up, chaps! It's going to be a long ride." Smith smiled pleasantly at all of us before slamming her foot onto the accelerator.

  Chapter Eight

  Full House

  Flames danced in the night, consuming the once proud mansion that Korol had spent years building. Sergei, captain of the dungeon guard, sat in the grass in front of the mansion, shock permeating through his entire being. He simply watched sluggishly as the surviving guards took hoses and doused the mansion in water as best they could to combat the hungry fire.

  "Captain."

  Sergei looked up with an expression of pure disbelief and fear at the guard standing above him. It was one of the guards that had been stationed outside the house in case of an escape attempt by Emilia. He was holding a satellite phone, and had it extended with a grim expression to Sergei.

  "Korol is asking for you." The guard also had a shell-shocked look on his face, but it was mingled with sympathy for his captain.

  Sergei swallowed, closed his jaw, and took the phone. He held it to his face, and waited.

  "Sergei."

  Korol's voice seemed to echo through Sergei's brain, and helped eliminate some of the fog that was clouding his rational thought.

  "Korol, I… I…" Sergei stuttered, unable to fully form sentences.

  "Where is Emilia?" Korol's voice was quiet, a sure sign of his fury.

  At the mention of Korol's woman, Sergei's eyes widened again, and his breath came out in hard, wheezing gasps. It took four attempts to get words out of his mouth.

  "Korol, who… who… who is she?" Sergei's voice trembled, and he stared into the flames as he recalled the events of the evening and the woman who had orchestrated them all.

  "WHO DID YOU BRING TO RUSSIA?!" Sergei screamed into the phone, his hysteria and shock overtaking him completely. He threw the phone at the guard, grasped his knees to his chest, and tucked his head down. He rocked himself, seeking comfort, and sobbed incoherently.

  The guard who had taken the phone call swallowed in terror and held the phone to his ear.

  "I'm sorry, Korol. The
captain, he… he is in shock."

  "What the fuck is happening? Why did he ask about Emilia like that, where is she?" Korol's voice was growling into the phone in quiet fury and the guard flinched, gulping down his terror.

  "Korol, Emilia escaped with the help of some members of the household. We caught one of the maids who helped her and are interrogating her now. It… it seems like Emilia has been planning this for quite some time."

  Silence reigned supreme on the other end of the line, and the guard flinched as if he had been slapped. He continued, stuttering helplessly.

  "I-I-I do not know the full extent of her betrayal yet. But… the captain… he said he saw what happened to the guards inside the house. That is why he is in this state."

  "The guards?" Korol growled, and the guard started shaking, though not because of Korol or the present situation. He, too, stared into the flames and quaked in terror at what Sergei had revealed to his staff.

  "He… he said that the guards on the second floor were locked inside their rooms after being drugged and all burned alive. But… but the guards on the first floor were dead before them."

  "How?" Korol was in full interrogation mode, but the guard barely heard his questions. He was consumed with shock, panic, and terror as he stared into the flames, and his voice echoed every single one of his emotions.

  "They… they were all drugged, even the ones on the main floor. They were…murdered. One by one, their throats were slit. After they were drugged. They… all bled out before any of us knew. I-I-I knew it was quiet but before we could check on them, the smell of smoke distracted us, and everything went up in flames so quickly. They all… they all died. They didn't poison anyone, she wanted them to suffer, she wanted them to burn-"

  "She?" Korol's voice was a whisper and permeated through the guard's hysteria for a brief moment. The guard looked down at his captain, Sergei, and the crying man's form rattled him once again.

  He stuttered his response to his master.

  "Emilia. She… she set the fire. She slit more than ten of our comrades' throats on the main floor before escaping. She-she-"

  "What the fuck are you talking about? Emilia couldn't have-"

  "Captain Sergei witnessed the entire thing. She made him watch."

  Silence reigned at the guard's soft words. The fire consuming the mansion slowly started to die down, and order began to return to the yard as guards began preparations to mobilize. Everyone surrounding the guard that was on the phone with Korol quieted and merely stared, their shocked gazes taking in the still sobbing Sergei and the guard whose shock was clear to all.

  "This cannot be." Korol's voice was but a whisper.

  "That is why, Korol, my lord, Sergei asked…" The guard whispered back into the phone, his voice shaking with terror.

  "Who did you bring to Russia?"

  • • •

  Viktor

  "Here we are, chaps. Home sweet home for the next two days."

  The vans had stopped at a large cabin deep within the wilderness, five hours from Korol's compound. I looked down at the woman still clutched firmly in my grasp and frowned at the uneven breaths coming from her. She had passed out almost immediately after climbing into the van and Meiling had blessedly found a stray blanket in the back to wrap her in.

  "Everyone inside, now. We'll start treatment on those who need it. Ah, and absolutely no sudden movements outside, yes? There are approximately thirty highly trained snipers with their scopes fixed firmly on this house. They will not hesitate to shoot any who make a sudden run for it." Smith explained in a cheery tone, opening the van door for everyone to get out.

  I stepped out slowly, my eyes scanning the wooded area. I couldn't see a single person, though my sense of danger was on full alert, and I could feel numerous eyes on us. The other convicts could sense the same, and we all did as instructed, filing slowly into the cabin.

  Once inside, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, save myself, and followed Smith toward a large living room area with several couches and chairs. Ludo rushed over to me, his young face scrunched up in concern, and laid a hand on Emilia's head.

  "So, doctor, are we to be prisoners of MI6 now, Britain's secret service? Helped us escape one prison to go to another?" Kiernan was the first to pose the question, but all the convicts looked at Doctor Pavel and his assistant Smith, for an answer.

  "Well played, dear boy. I am of course a section chief for MI6 and have been gathering information on Korol for the past two years. I went undercover after I met this handsome bloke and asked to be his assistant." The leggy blonde hugged the short, portly Russian man close, and he sputtered, frowning severely at her. She just laughed, then straightened once more.

  "Actually-"

  "Doctor," I interrupted, not interested in the slightest at the answer. I addressed Pavel, who was also looking at Emilia with concern. "Where can I take Emilia so you can treat her wounds?"

  "Right this wa-"

  "Not so fast, D'yavol. Emilia's wounds are not life threatening and I want everyone to hear the answer to Kiernan's question, so we can plan accordingly. We need to get as far away from here as possible after forty-eight hours, and I need to know what arrangements to make in order to do that."

  Smith looked at me coldly, and I sneered at her.

  "I still have my gun, Smith. If I must, I'll kill you and have Pavel treat her anyway."

  Smith smiled slowly, drawing out her own gun, making all the convicts reach for their weapons. Her next words cut off all movement instantly.

  "If you think outside is the only place there are guards stationed, you are sorely mistaken. You happen to have more than just my pistol aimed at you right now. And I'm not too sure Emilia would survive the ensuing gun fight if one were to commence simply because you were too impatient."

  I growled my protest but sat down on the nearest sofa all the same, Emilia still clutched close to my chest.

  "There's a good chap!" Smith chirped happily. She opened her mouth to speak, but paused, her head tilted slightly to the left. She pressed her middle finger to her ear, and I noticed the small, transparent plastic piece there for the first time.

  "Ah, how devilish. Tell her the coordinates. Miss Fox will decide the rest."

  "Who are you talking to, lady?" Kamili was standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at Smith. Roy shushed her immediately, standing very close to the young girl. Roy’s shoulders were stiff, and his eyes never paused as he scanned the interior of the cabin.

  "Never you mind, darling! Now, back to the matter of your freedom."

  Smith took a deep breath and then shrugged her shoulders, smiling broadly at all of us.

  "You will not be held by the British government at this time, and you will be offered safe passage, with a small amount of cash, to whatever destination you would like. This detail was worked out with Emilia and myself before the big escape."

  "However," Smith continued when everyone made a disbelieving noise, her index finger held in the air. "The term that I set in return for helping everyone escape was Emilia Fox helping the CIA and MI6 bring justice to Zakhar Vasilek, otherwise known as Korol. Along with her assistance in monitoring and perhaps even dismantling a few other troublesome organized crime groups across Europe and the UK."

  "WHAT?!" Kiernan, Jazz, Meiling, Kamili, Ludo and Silas all yelled in unison. Masamune, Fritz, Cin and Roy all stared down at Emilia silently, their stoic stares giving nothing away.

  I clasped Emilia to my chest tightly, turning her ever so slightly away from Smith as objections started flying across the room.

  "Ye can't do that to her!" Kiernan's accent was thick with emotion as he protested.

  "The mongrel is right, she is not suited for a life of espionage and war." Jazz tsked, her disgust at the very idea clear.

  "Mongrel? Why, ye little bit-"

  "Non, she cannot do this. The very idea is ludicrous." Silas stated, looking to Cin for confirmation, but the shirtless man merely narrowed his eyes on Emilia. />
  "Fat Girl not ready for mafia wars, stupid English lady. She's too… too…" Meiling chimed in, her hands clasped into tight fists at her sides, fighting for the right word.

  "Pure."

  The single word cut off all other objections, and it came from Fritz, the usually silent German mercenary. He took a step forward, and Smith smiled at him, though I could see several red dots appear on his chest and two on his forehead. The convicts tensed while Fritz stopped all movement, holding his hulking frame perfectly still for a long, tense moment.

  He suddenly sighed, sitting down on the plush chair closest to him. The red dots disappeared, and everyone relaxed a fraction.

  "She is far too pure for this, not to mention she has no formal training. She was not born into this life, she has not been raised in it, she simply does not have the stomach for it. What are you and your superiors thinking, Jane Smith, Ringmaster of the Back Yard?" Fritz spoke with a slight German accent, but his deep voice and direct eyes spoke of an intelligence that few had guessed at.

  Smith's eyes widened, and she merely gaped at Fritz for a long moment. She suddenly burst into laughter and smiled widely.

  "Well, now, Fritz, my good chap. I suppose being wanted by most of the world's Intelligence agencies isn't unfounded in your case. There are very few who know me by that name. Very impressive. A little frightening, if I'm being frank, but impressive all the same."

  "I don't care who the fuck you are, or who the fuck anyone in this room is, for that matter. All I know is that if that girl bought my freedom with her own, I can't just go on me merry way, now can I?" This came from Kiernan, who then plopped down on the sofa beside Fritz and let his head fall against the back of the couch.