Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Five
Z eidler left the door open. Anna drew her cape about her and followed Captain Fedorov out of the room. She felt something brush against her ankle as a rat scuttled out of sight and they made their way up a narrow staircase to the street. They came out on an embankment and the captain hailed a passing droshky. He gave her a hand to get in and was about to join her when a figure stepped out of the shadows.
‘You may leave us, captain. I’ll escort Mademoiselle Brianski home, thank you.’
Boris Renin walked purposefully towards them and Anna felt her blood run cold.
‘But General Zeidler asked me to take her home,’ the young officer protested mildly.
Renin waved him away. ‘I explained to him that Miss Brianski and I are betrothed. The general thought it more fitting that I should escort her.’ Renin took his place in the droshky. ‘Run along, old chap. You’re off duty. Go and have a drink.’
‘Don’t listen to him, captain! We’re not—’
She was silenced as Boris Renin grasped her wrist, twisting it painfully. Captain Fedorov touched his cap and strode off. His lanky figure disappeared into the night and Anna tried to control her fear. Boris Renin was a parasite who lived on the blood of others. He wouldn’t dare do her any harm but she did not underestimate him. Panic sharpened her senses and she was as keen-witted as she had been in her life. All her instincts told her to play for time, but they had only been on the cab a few minutes when Renin ordered the driver to stop, gave him a tip, and insisted they alight.
The driver muttered a curse as the droshky trotted off. Renin’s lips parted in a humourless smile. ‘I’ll walk you home from here. We need to talk, my dear.’
‘I can’t walk in these shoes…’ Anna’s voice died as Renin took her arm, forcing her to go with him.
On the other side of the street, lamps sent wavering shadows gliding along the walls. Windows were open and people awake but the sound of the river was too loud for anyone to hear them. She was alone with Boris Renin. God knew what he had in mind! Rubin and Anastasia would have gone to find help by now, she thought frantically. They would be searching for her. But how would they know where to begin? She could be anywhere in the city.
‘You’ve miscalculated badly.’ Renin raised his voice above the roar of water. ‘Don’t think you can make a fool of me and get away with it.’
‘I’m shocked you think so badly of me.’ Anna kept her voice as steady as she could. ‘How dare you make such a terrible allegation?’
‘Don’t try to fool me, Anna Ivanova. Count Bulgarin’s not here to defend you now.’ For a moment Anna lost concentration and Renin sensed his advantage. ‘Where did he go, I wonder – to spend the night with his Romanov mistress?’
They had stopped beneath a lamppost and Anna shut her mind to his words. She saw the rapid movement of his eyelids and drops of spittle at the corners of his mouth. His expression was cruel and agitated so that he almost looked unhinged.
‘My mother’s waiting for me, Boris.’ For the first time, she called him by his given name. ‘I should have been back hours ago.’
‘I’ll take you home when you’ve given me what I want.’ With a sudden swift movement, his arm encircled her waist. ‘You’ve ruined your chances of making a good marriage, but I won’t be disappointed.’
She must get away from him! But where could she run? Her thoughts were in her eyes and Renin leant on her with a suddenness that made her shrink back. He was half-smothering her with the weight of his body, his face above hers, his eyes narrow and flinty.
‘Once I’m through with you, I’ll get the original drawings, even if my men have to tear your home apart.’
‘It won’t do you any good. They’re all in my head! ‘Anna shouted at him. ‘I can recreate them whenever I want. You’ll never destroy them.’
Renin’s expression contorted in fury. His lips drew back, baring his gums, and Anna thought he meant to pick her up and throw her in the river. For an instant she imagined the flash of her blue dress vanishing in the current.
‘Everyone heard you at the theatre. They’ll know it was you who kidnapped me—’
‘On the contrary, you’re under the surveillance of the Third Division. General Zeidler’s responsible for your welfare.’
Renin made a grab for her, and Anna lashed out with her fists with a force that made her knuckles wrench. She punched him in the face and saw blood spurt from his lip. She tried to hit him again, but he caught her arms, pushing her backwards until her spine was pressed against the embankment wall. Later, much later, she would remember the assault in terrifying flashes, distorted by its ferocity. Renin had one hand around her throat, half-strangling her, the other at the neckline of her dress. There was a ripping noise as the muslin was torn open from neck to waist. He was fumbling between her breasts, and horror made her scream, a high, unnatural scream that pierced the clear night air. As his hand went over her mouth, she bit his fingers savagely and screamed again.
‘Damn you, filthy bitch!’ he swore, using his knee between her thighs to force her legs apart. Maddened with fear, Anna clawed at his face and he slapped her hard across the cheek. ‘It’s time you learned—’
Whatever he was going to say was lost in an explosion of gunfire. There were more shots and Renin leapt back. He let her go, bending double and staggering as he began to walk away. After a few paces, Anna saw him stumble. The air was thick with gun smoke, but she sensed shadowy figures gathering to her right. Boris Renin was kneeling with his head bowed. Then, as if in slow motion, he pulled himself up and turned towards her.
‘Stop!’ Anna heard Nicholas shout as he hurled himself forwards. From the corner of her eye, she saw a belch of red flame seconds before the bullet smashed into her leg. White-hot pain tore through her flesh and she crumpled to the ground.
Nicholas was kneeling beside her, his hands under her arms and lifting her into a sitting position. With curiosity she noticed a large inky stain on her skirt and wondered if it was blood. Someone covered her with a cloak, and she thought she made out Michael’s voice, then Nicholas’s.
‘Over here! Be quick about it!’
Something hard was pressed on her leg and a muffled scream came from her throat.
‘We have to stop the bleeding, Anna. There’s a carriage on its way. We’ll get you to a doctor as soon as we can.’
She tried to protest but her jaws wouldn’t open to speak. Darkness crept across her vision. There was a whirring in her ears. Her bones were dissolving. She closed her eyes and random thoughts filled her head … dancers in the ballet … beautiful music. Nicholas had been at the theatre. He had left her to be with Elizaveta. Her heart seemed to fold within her, the pain as intense as the pain in her leg. She was so tired … so tired…
‘Open your eyes, Anna! Don’t lose consciousness.’
‘Why?’ Anna forced her lips to form the question, not knowing if she spoke or not.
She opened her eyes a fraction and saw Nicholas’s tense face.
‘If you fall asleep, you may never wake up…’
But she didn’t want to wake up. She wanted to sleep and dream of the ballet. They were hurting her, strong arms lifting her up and carrying her, her head dropping over Nicholas’s shoulder like a child. Why couldn’t he leave her alone? She was pressed against him as the carriage rattled over the cobbles, every bump and lurch making her groan and whimper.
‘Please, Annushka! You must stay awake.’
‘Why?’ she asked again. This time there was no sound.
‘Concentrate on what I’m saying. You were right about Boris Renin.’ Anna tried to turn her head towards the voice but her muscles refused to respond. Her body no longer belonged to her; only her ears functioned.
‘I needed Michael Pavel’s help to have him investigated. I was with Pavel when Rubin and Anastasia came. Thank God we found you.’
Anna’s eyes moved beneath their lids, but they were too heavy to open.
‘Hold on. Don’t leave me…’
An invisible force was dragging her down and Anna heard him as if from under the water. She was floating on a warm, calm sea. This was how she had felt when she was a little girl. Nanya used to sing to her until she was almost asleep. Nanya was with her now and she was slipping into unconsciousness. In a moment, blessed sleep would envelope her. Then someone took Nanya’s place. His voice was close to her – so close that she felt his breath moving over her face.
‘I won’t let you die, lyubimaya. Do you hear me? I’m not going to lose you…’