“Shut up. You come with us,” he snarls, yanking me forward.
I do my best to steady myself before we get too far away from the exit Natasha and I need. This will only get harder if we get out of range of the exit we planned to take. I suck in a breath before I throw my elbow into Kodiak’s balls and take off running.
“Let’s go, move, move, move,” I say to Natasha.
I push forward as fast as I can. Doubling back toward the room they’d kept us in. We turn the first corner but don’t get much further before he grabs Natasha by her hair and shoves his gun into the side of her head.
He turns the gun on me. “I kill you where you stand,” he seethes, cocking the gun back.
“No,” I shout.
I rush forward and block Natasha with my body. He points the gun into my face as I shield Natasha.
Misha
You want war, you build army. I respect what LaSalle aims to do. This is why I help.
“Would you like another drink, my friend?”
I look around this office in disgust. He sits comfortably in his leather chair, offering me a drink. His desk is handcrafted, I can tell, I’ve had one made by same artist.
Smug son of a bitch. I know what lies beyond these walls. The balls to bring me here tells me this piece of shit knows not to fear me. Lesson he will learn hard way.
I don’t like business my father and his sisters are in. It is not the way to do things. I don’t sell little girls and boys for profit.
I want to blow this vile place up and be done with it. However, I need to help LaSalle get those people out of here first. I’m not quite devil they make me. Tonight, I prove.
“Da, more vodka,” I say to bastard sitting across from me.
Dead men don’t need names. I have forgotten his because it’s not necessary. I don’t like him. He thinks I’m stupid.
“I’m so glad you could come, Misha. I think we can build lucrative business together,” he says.
“But this is gun and ammo business, da. These rumors about selling babies, it’s lie?”
“Da, da. I am not in the business of selling people. You shouldn’t believe everything you hear.”
I nod, but I know lie when I hear. It’s written all over his face. He sells women, girls, and boys.
Nate and his team have been watching this place for two weeks. Tonight, they plan to take truck load of women and boys to auction. Too bad that truck will never make it.
“Do you mean to insult me?” I say and lift a brow.
“Net, I mean you no insult, my friend.”
I glare at him. He has no idea that Bobby is private buyer that has been purchasing from him for almost year now. It was one of the things LaSalle asked me to set up for his brother to nail this prick.
“Da, I think you mean to insult me,” I say.
“Net, my friend. Not at all. In fact, I have gift for you.” He looks over my shoulder. “Iosif, bring gift.”
The asshole that must be Iosif goes to rush from the room. When he pulls the door open, the sight before me nearly makes my head explode. I raise to my feet so fast, the chair I’d been sitting in falls to the ground.
“What is this?” My voice thunders through the room.
Bastard whips his head toward door. I’m seething as I watch girl guard another with her body. There is fucker holding a gun to her head. He grasps her arm and pulls her toward his chest. She’s not the younger of the two, and young like some girls I’ve seen in surveillance pictures.
“Kodiak, take your friends home. You and all friends leave, now,” this bastard behind me spats.
For a split second, confusion crosses Kodiak’s face. Catching on to his boss, he begins to tug the girl away, nodding for other to follow. She tugs free and rushes toward me.
“Wait,” she calls.
“I said shut your mouth,” Kodiak growls, grabbing her by the arm to pull her out of my sight.
I turn to this lying sack of shit, then back to the open doorway. “Bring them here. I want to ask questions,” I demand.
It is clear they are both unhealthy as their bones jut out in their faces. Although there are signs that curve once were there in the old girl, her body is well on the way to rail thin. Her clothes hang loosely from her.
Then there are her eyes. Her eyes are haunted and sunken. She seems to protect right side with one arm even as she tries to protect friend.
“They are nothing. Don’t worry.”
“I said bring them here.”
“You are worried about nothing. They are nothing. Let Kodiak handle his personal life. Those two fight like this all the time. He has temper. She and little sister will be fine.”
“In that case, Kodiak. You bring me gun. Now,” I say firmly, daring him to defy me.
He looks between Iosif and his boss. Iosif gives him a nod that I narrow my eyes at. I go to reach for my knives, but Kodiak hands gun to Iosif who hands gun to me.
Before I can say another word, Iosif rushes out and slams the door shut behind him. I turn to this fucker as I place gun down and lean onto his desk. I will not be ignored.
“Please, Misha, don’t overreact. This is nothing, my friend. Let’s have drink.”
I stand up straight and fold my arms over my chest. “Show me your operation. I want to see guns and factory. Show me top to bottom. Thirty million is on the line, da. Show me where my money goes.”
He turns white as a sheet. Wheels turn as he tries to give me answer. Answer that he does not have. To show me factory is to reveal lies.
His face cannot mask his anger. Reaching for the walkie talkie on his desk he walks toward window away from where I am, out of range to hear. Murmuring orders into device, he keeps his back to me.
“My second in command will walk you through. I have business to tend to. I will meet up with you,” he says when he turns back to me.
I go to protest, but phone in pocket buzzes. I retrieve from jacket. It is signal; they are loading truck. Truck that we’ve come for.
I clench my teeth. If they are loading up, what have they done with girls I just saw. I want to make sure they’re on truck.
“Why not tell Kodiak and friends to join me?”
“I’m sure they are gone. Come, you want a tour. We will get you tour.”
Roni
I can’t believe how close I came to my own death. And still, I’ve failed. I failed to get us all out of here. Panic raises as Iosif grabs me. He snarls in my face, looking as if he’s about to strike me too.
“I’ll take her. Get that one and others to cars for transport.”
“We are waiting for last of them to get to room,” Kodiak replies.
“No time, any that have not gotten to room go to truck. If they don’t make truck, they die.”
I gasp. Immediately, I think of Torque. If he doesn’t get away, if they catch him, they will kill him.
Kodiak looks pissed as he slides his gaze to me, but he nods, grabs Natasha, and turns away from us. Iosif starts in the opposite direction of Natasha and Kodiak.
“No,” I cry out.
Iosif tightens his grip. “Don’t test me,” he seethes while listening to someone speaking low over his walkie talkie. Once again, we’re going away from the escape exit.