CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
YURI
After knocking Andrey out, I thought about my Ma or Mikhail coming home to a scene. I won’t do that to them, not after everything they’ve gone through. Pap, Viktor, and Jeremie are all looking at me, waiting to see what I’ll do next. Scanning the apartment, I see a roll of duct tape on a side table and grab it to bind Andrey’s wrists and then tape his legs at the ankles.
“Right, let’s get this started. I’m done giving this asshole the benefit of the doubt.”
“Where do you want to take him?” My Pap asks.
“Let’s go to my apartment.” I suggest.
“Wouldn’t the basement be better?” Viktor asks.
“I want him to see me clearly when I talk to him!” I say.
“Ok, cool. What do you need me to grab?” Jeremie asks.
“Let’s go with the usual supplies, plus the suspension kit. I want this pig strung up!” I bite out.
“You got it!” Jeremie says and heads for the basement.
Pap leads the way as Viktor and I drag Andrey to the elevator and head up to my apartment.
Once we’re inside I toss Andrey to the floor, his limp body landing with a thud. I take in the sight of my once peaceful apartment and sigh, resigned. How many times had Andrey and Maxim been over for nights of beer, pool, and planning? Frustrated, I move the coffee table so it’s out of the way and head to the kitchen, grab a chair and bring it to the center of the living room. I haul Andrey up by his arms and toss him over my shoulder then slam him down in the chair.
Pap and Viktor walk around Andrey and each take a seat at one of my black, leather armchairs. Pap watches me as I move through my apartment. I’ve seen my father interrogate plenty of scumbags over the years, but I’ve never been in charge of one on my own before. It’s weird that my first interrogation will be with someone I once considered a friend. That’s life though.
Since Andrey is still out, I don’t bother tying him up. I head to the windows and close the shades. No one can see us this far up, but better safe than sorry. I walk over to the lighting console and brighten up the gloom so I can see what I’m doing. So Andrey will be able to see everything !
I enter the kitchen and open the refrigerator with no purpose in mind. I stare blankly at the shelves for a few heartbeats and then shut the door, walk back into the living room, and sit on the matching black, leather couch.
“Are you sure about this son?” My father asks.
“Yes.” I say assuredly.
“Okay, you want me to lead?”
“No, I can do this…” I hesitate for only a second, “for Daniil, Alek, Charlie and Max.”
Jeremie walks into my apartment with two large duffel bags slung over each shoulder.
“Fuck, man, What did you get?” Viktor asks, raising his eyebrows and looking at the duffels.
“Well I wasn’t sure what Yuri wanted, so I just grabbed a little of everything.” he says, dropping the duffels on the floor causing a minor earthquake. He kneels down, zips the first one open, and starts pulling items out. He unpacks a folded plastic tarp first, “Thought you’d want this so your floors don’t get fucked up.” he says.
“Good idea.” I say getting up and walking toward Jeremie, “Viktor, come help me spread this out.”
“You got it!” he says.
We get all the supplies laid out on the coffee table that I moved, and start putting together the suspension kit when Andrey starts to wake up. He groans and looks around the room, startled. He looks at his duct taped wrists and then down to his feet. We make eye contact and he starts to stand, but Pap was already getting up from his chair and walking over to Andrey. He placed both hands on Andrey’s shoulders firmly, and pushed him back down into the chair. I’m not sure what Andrey thought he was going to do, hop away?
“You’re going to sit right here!” He demands, “Don’t move a muscle. We have some questions that need answering!”
“Yea…” he says in a high pitched, breathy voice, “You got it boss.”
Pap gives us the time we need to finish setting up the suspension kit that Konstantine designed a few years ago. He commissioned a few companies to see who could create his design best. It all came together, and now we have a portable, durable, and strong device that makes it so we don’t have to destroy our ceilings every time we want to suspend someone for questioning.
As we finish putting the system together, I keep looking over at Andrey. He’s scared shitless, but I can tell he’s trying to act tough. He’s seen people be questioned in this thing, but I doubt he ever thought he’d be attached to it.
Once everything is ready, I storm over to his chair, Pap backs up, and I grab Andrey by the back of the head, getting a fist full of his hair, and pull him over to the hanging system.
“Listen man, you don’t have to do this! I don’t know what you think I’ve done, but you don’t have to treat me like some low level asshole.” He says, holding his bound hands up in supplication.
“You are a low level asshole Andrey, this is what you deserve!” I growl out as Viktor and Jeremy each take hold of Andrey’s shoulders, steadying him under the X shape that houses the wire hanging down the middle of the iron bars. Andrey looks up and whimpers like a child.
I grab a pair of heavy-duty handcuffs, place them around Andrey’s wrists, and tighten them until he lets out a cry. His hands are still duct taped together, so I make sure the cuffs won’t slip off. Then, I lift his hands and clamp the cuffs to the suspension system. Viktor quickly pulls a rope off to the side and hoists Andrey up until his toes barely touch the floor.
“Really, Yuri! This isn’t necessary. I’ll answer all your questions. Please man, I’m your friend. You don’t want to do this.” he pleads as I get him secure.
“I need you to be honest with me, Andrey! How long have we been friends?” I say as I tie his legs together at the knees and ankles.
“Te- Ten years,” he says stuttering, “Just let me down, and we can talk.”
“Let you down? Why would I do that? This is much more beneficial and quicker too.” The look on his face is priceless. He’s shocked, confused, and pissed.
“Boss…” Andrey pleads looking at my father, “You’re just going to let him do this?”
“Yup.” My father says matter-of-factly.
“The boss and I have been talking while you went on your little drive, ” I say, placing air quotes around the word and walking in a circle around my friend , “and we’d like you to a few loose ends for us.”
“Sure, sure. I’m sure this is all just a big misunderstanding,” he says nervously.
“Right… a misunderstanding,” I scoff. “First, I’d like to know how Nico and his men found out where Daniil would be.” I say calmly walking around him, “Only a select group of people, including you, would have known his location and his backup plan.” I say trying to lull Andrey into a false sense of security.
“How would I know? I was with you, remember? How the fuck would I know how they found out? And I wasn’t the only one who knew, you just said so!” He defends.
I stop right in front of him and look him right in the eyes as I say, “Right…Right… Well, how about our two locations being compromised for trades? After Daniil was hurt, we tightened security, as you know , and the circle of trusted people with sensitive information got smaller…you were still part of that group…seems like an awfully odd coincidence, don’t you think?”
“Not really…” he says defensively. “Again, I wasn’t the only one who knew. You, me, and Maxim all knew about Daniil and those meeting spots,” he says laughing nervously.
I walk over to the coffee table and take my time scanning over each implement with my fingers as I look for a pair of pliers, “Hey Viktor, take his shoes and socks off for me, will ya?” I ask as I keep looking.
“Wh- What do you ne- ne- need my shoes and socks off for?” Andrey stutters and kicks out with both feet trying to prevent Viktor from accomplishing his task.
“I don’t think you’re being honest with me, friend . You just accused me of ratting on my own father!” I say furious. Narrowing my eyes, I stalk toward him. “Jeremie and Viktor, lift his legs for me”
“You got it!” Jeremie says, and they both move forward, grab Andrey under the knees, and hoist his legs high in the air.
“Yuri, wait… please… I haven’t done anything wrong!” he shouts.
“I highly doubt that,” I say, “Ever since you started complaining about how I am running the jobs I’m given, I’ve known something was up. You have been more concerned with your own place in the family …” I say walking closer and grabbing his big toe.
He’s thrashing around, but between the handcuffs and Viktor and Jeremie, he’s not going anywhere. I grip his big toe right at the base of his nail, and jam the bottom tooth of the needle nose pliers under his nail causing him to shout. I move the tooth along the tip of his nail and jam it into the flesh underneath. Then I clamp the top tooth over his nail, pull and wiggle, pause, pull and wiggle, just to see the color drain from his face. and yank, hard, and pull his toenail clean off.
He starts to scream and I’m glad Pap made sure to soundproof all of our apartments. Blood starts to drip from his toe. I toss his toenail to the floor and grab his other big toe.
“Are you going to tell me what you know?” I ask, “Or are we going to continue like this?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” He shouts.
“Let’s continue then,” I say, “If I have to rip off every one of your toenails for you to tell me how Nico’s men knew not only how to find Daniil, but could learn the location of our meetings…” I pause, take a deep breath and motion for Viktor and Jeremie to put Andrey down. I want to look in his eyes when I say this, “If you don’t tell me how someone FOUND OUT WHO THE FUCK MY brOTHER IS, I’ll take your toenails, then your fingernails, and I won’t stop there!”
“Yuri, I swear! I had nothing to do with any of it!” He says, but I’m not convinced.
“Andrey, Andrey, Andrey,” I sigh, not wasting time, One by one I peel off his toe nails. He screams, blood drips from his toes, but he’ll live.
“Fuck you!” He seethes, “I had nothing to do with your brother being attacked or Charlie’s disappearance. So FUCK OFF!” he shouts.
“Hm…” I say, rubbing my chin, “I didn’t say anything about Charlie disappearing?”
He goes pale and I know I’ve got him! Stuttering he says, “You… You texted me…You said she went missing…”
“No! I said she stormed off!” I shout!
“Well, I just assumed that she was missing, since she’s not here…” he babbles.
“If I had FOUND her… don’t you THINK I’d have SAID something?”
“I… I don’t know…”
“Where is Andrey?” I ask walking closer to him. At first I thought she just stormed off and was somewhere safe, seething mad. But now? “What did you do?”
“Fuck… YOU!” he shouts.
We’ve been at it for nearly twelve hours and have nothing to show for it. I’ve called to check in on Mom and Alek a few times and there’s no change. Mikhail had to run out and get mom food because she refuses to leave Alek’s side until he wakes up. I’m so pissed right now! I wish I could do something other than sit here waiting for answers!
I thought Andrey would crumble quickly, but for some fucking reason, he won’t give in. He must be holding out for something. Whatever Nico and Dominic promised him, I need Andrey to realize they used him and his time is up!
He’s hanging by his wrists in my living room. His hands and feet black and blue from the removal of all his fingernails. He hasn’t had any food or water and even though he’s begged, I haven’t let anyone tend to his wounds.
After we separated him from his nails, I needed a few moments to regroup. I talked with Konstantine to see if he could get me any physical evidence to connect Andrey to Nico or Dominic. So far, nothing. I need to know what promises they made to Andrey before it’s too late for Charlie.
I need answers NOW!
I walk over to Andrey, grab him by his hair and force him to look at me. One of his eyes is swollen shut, his lip is split, and I’m pretty sure I broke his nose when I stomped on his head yesterday. He looks like shit, but I don’t care.
“Andrey!” I shout, and he startles, “Have you had enough?” I ask.
“Fuck… You…” he whispers.
“I guess not…” I say, dropping his head walking over to the coffee table. I’m running out of time. If Dominic has Charlie, she’s running out of time too. I don’t want to think about what he could be doing to her! “You’re going to start talking Andrey!” I say as I grab a knife, “One way or the other, you’re going to tell me everything you know! Why not end your suffering? Do you really think I’m going to let you out of here alive so you can ride off into the sunset with Dominic? What did he promise you? Huh?”
“He’s treated me with RESPECT, unlike you!” he finally admits.
“Oh, really?” I say, “and how has he done that? Looks to me light he fed you to the wolves!”
“Shut the fuck up Yuri! You don’t know anything!”
“You may be right, but at least I’m not a gullible asswipe like you!” I laugh.
“He’s going to tear Charlie up and send you back the pieces! So I’d stop showboating if I were you!” he growls.
I launch myself at him! I punch him in the gut so hard he starts to swing back and forth. I’m almost knocked over by him as he swings toward me, but I quickly move out of the way.
He coughs, spits blood and starts laughing. “I’m not gullible!" You’re the one who let a bitch control you!”
I grab him by the hair again and yank his face up, wrenching his neck back. I shove the knife under his chin, he gasps, and I push ever so gently until I see a bead of blood peek out from under his skin.
“You’re such an idiot Andrey!” I laugh, “Charlie wasn’t controlling me and I wasn’t controlling her! If you ever had a girlfriend, you’d know that! Now, you’re going to tell me where Dominic has Charlie or I’m going to start cutting off body parts, one… by… one…”
I move the knife from his throat, drop his head and grab his ear and slice! Blood sprays, he shouts, and I throw his ear on the floor by his nails. I walk over to his other ear, grab it and lean in to whisper, “Have I made myself clear?”
It didn’t take long after losing his ear for Andrey to break down and tell me everything. Pap was furious and almost killed Andrey right there after hearing that Andrey was the one who told Dominic about Alek and Mikhail. I guess he’s known about me for a long time but didn’t have the balls to come after someone his own size. Luckily, Viktor and Jeremie were able to hold Pap off and convince him to go with them to talk to Konstantine.
They’ve been gone for about an hour, and unfortunately, Andrey passed out before telling us which room Charlie was being held in, but I plan on rousing him soon.
It won’t take long to put together a group of guys to head over and storm the place, but we don’t know if Dominic and Nico have a hoard of guys over there or if it’s just Dominic. I’m not about to rush in and make the same mistake my Uncle Boris did all those years ago.
We’re going to be smart about this. The plan is to scope out the building and see if there are any of Nico’s men on the lookout. Once Konstantine finds blueprints, we’ll have a better understanding of where Dominic might be holding Charlie in case Andrey doesn’t come to.
One thing working against us is the fact that the building is under construction, so the blueprints might not even be helpful. Konstantine is seeing if he can hack into the contractor’s email and get the building plans so we know where we’re going.
An hour has passed. I got Andrey to wake up and give me a few more details, but I finally decided to head over to the gym and meet up with Pap and everyone. He’s organizing a group of ten men, including himself, me, Viktor, Jeremie, and Maxim to head over to the building.
Konstantine gave us as much information as he could, so I feel confident we’ll be in and out in under an hour with Charlie safely in my arms. I’m clinging to hope. That’s all I can do at this point.
Once I reach the gym, I make my way through the building and find everyone waiting by the large ring.
“Are we ready?” I ask as I walk toward my father.
“We’re all set!” Viktor announces.
“Alright,” I say, “Let’s go!”
We drive over to the run down office building and discuss who will be entering by which entrance. It’s not a large office building, by city standards, but it’ll still take time, time we don’t fucking have, to find Charlie and Dominic.
Maxim and Konstantine were looking at local security cameras and saw Andrey and Dominic bring Charlie in. No one else entered or exited the building in the last twenty-four hours other than Andrey, so we’re pretty confident it’s just Dominic in there with Charlie.
He’s such a fucking idiot! Not that I’m really complaining, his stupidity will make this job easy. Pap wants to bring Dominic back with us to the club and interrogate him to see what Nico’s role in all of this was, but if he laid a finger on even one hair on her head, he’s dead. We can deal with the fall out with Nico later. I don’t give a fuck!
We make good time and arrived at the office building in thirty minutes. Maxim and I go through the south entrance while Viktor, Pap, and Jeremie take the North. Pap’s other men split up and take the perimeter in case Dominic tries to run.
The door is locked, but Maxim kicks it down with little effort. The bang when the door hits the wall is the only warning Dominic will get that he’s got company.
Konstantine was able to hack into some emails and we used the plans to help us map out our search. Maxim and I go straight for the kitchen. That’s the most logical place, in my mind anyway, for Dominic to take Charlie. We make our way through half torn down drywall and exposed beams and enter the kitchen guns drawn.
We search, but there’s no sign of Charlie. Fuck!
“She’s not here!” I seethe.
“We’ll find her!” Max encourages.
“Ok, let’s go check out the surrounding offices. Maybe he’s holed up in one nearby.”
We search for ten or twenty minutes with no luck. We’re wandering around this dark, shell of an office building, and I’m starting to get pissed off.
“Where the fuck is she?” I say through gritted teeth.
“Shh…” Maxim says, “Did you hear that?” We both go deadly quiet.
Then I hear it. A scream. Charlie! I barrel toward the sound of her voice and crash through a closed door. Maxim right behind me.
I see Charlie on her hands and knees and Dominic with a bloody knife in his hand.
“You’re going to wish you never laid eyes on her!” I shout at Dominic. His eyes go wide with fear and he turns to run. I make to go after him, but Maxim stops me.
I turn around to see Charlie’s prone body on the floor.
“She’s hurt bad, Yuri. You should take her and go. She needs a doctor, NOW!”
I growl in frustration, “Fine! But I want him dealt with. We’re not wasting another minute on his worthless life!”
“I’ll take care of him. You get her and get out of here!” He says.
I pick her up and cradle her in my arms. I hold her tight against my chest and whisper in her ear, “Don’t worry. I’ve got you Malyshka ! You are safe!” and sprint for the nearest exit.