Chapter 24 - Pippa
It’s dark in the van, and it takes a sharp turn. I get rammed to the side.
“Who are you?” I ask, trying to sit upright. “Look, you won’t get away with this, I swear.”
But my words fall on deaf ears as the man closest to me, his face a mask of indifference, roughly grabs my wrists and binds them with coarse rope. He then proceeds to place a gag over my mouth. The smell of stale cigarettes and sweat fills the cramped space, making my head swim. Panic bubbles in my chest, threatening to spill out in a muffled scream. I clench my jaw, refusing to show my fear.
We drive for what feels like forty-five minutes. There seems to be traffic outside, and I feel my heart drop to my stomach. If only this van had windows. There are people out there, going on with their lives, while I’m stuck in here, bound and gagged.
Memories rush back from my last kidnapping, the trauma reliving in my mind. Yet, this feels different. These men seem more dangerous.
Lev was harmless. Is harmless. He’s got a kind soul, a pure soul. This time, I don’t know what monsters I’ll be facing.
This can’t be happening to me… again.
***
After what feels like an eternity, the goons yank me from the van, their rough hands gripping my arm as they drag me out. The sun is setting now, and I look around absolutely petrified. We’re in what looks like an abandoned loading dock of some sort. There’s a fence around the perimeter, and no cars in here.
I turn my head left and right, looking for Anoushka. Another van pulls in. I stop, fighting against the goons who are trying to steer me toward a garage door. I need to find Anoushka.
The van comes to a stop. Men exit and open the back door. They push Anoushka out.
“Anoushkaaa!” I try shouting, but my voice comes out muffled. They grab Anoushka and bring her to her feet. I look at her knees. They’re bleeding from where she grazed them when they threw her out of the van.
She looks at me, frenzy-eyed. I strain against the hold of the goons, desperate to reach Anoushka and make sure she's okay. The fear in her eyes ignites a fire in my chest, and I refuse to let them keep us apart. "Let her go!" I manage to shout through the gag, my voice hoarse but determined.
Anoushka's eyes meet mine, and in that moment, I see a mix of relief and worry flicker across her face. She knows we're in deep trouble.
They drag her in my direction; her hands, bound in front of her, reach out toward me, a silent plea for help. The goons laugh at our futile attempts to resist, enjoying the power they hold over us. Rage boils within me as I watch them mistreat Anoushka, and something inside snaps. With a surge of adrenaline, I wrench myself free from their grasp and charge toward her, ignoring their shouts and attempts to restrain me.
I reach Anoushka’s side and realize how futile my move is. With my hands tied, I’m good for nothing. Tears come to my eyes, and Anoushka shakes her head at me, telling me not to cry.
The goons grab me, and together, they shove Anoushka and me forward through the garage door.
We enter and it looks like some kind of hideout. The damp air clings to my skin, carrying the unmistakable scent of briny water. I glance around, searching for a clue to our location. Are we near the river? How far have they taken us?
We stand there and a sound of a shutter opening draws my attention. I crane my neck, and my knees begin to tremble… Lenny.
"Welcome to your temporary accommodations," Lenny sneers, his eyes gleaming with malice as he slowly walks toward us. "I hope you like it because you two are going to be here for a while."
Neither of us says a word, gagged as we are. He motions at his men to remove the rags from our mouths.
As the gag is removed, I draw in deep gasps. Anoushka coughs and splutters. My tongue feels heavy, drained.
“Hello, Pippa,” Lenny comes and stands in front of me. “My house has been a mess since you never came back.”
My eyes narrow at Lenny's smug expression, and I clench my jaw to contain the fury bubbling inside me. “What do you want, Lenny?” I ask through gritted teeth.
He leans forward and grabs my chin, peering into my eyes. “Revenge,” he hisses, just like a snake.
"Leave her alone!" Anoushka yells, her voice dripping with disdain as she walks closer to me. The men hold her back. "You think you’re going to get away with this?”
"Ah, the ever-feisty Zolotov sister," Lenny retorts, his lip curling in disgust. "You know, your family has caused me nothing but trouble. If they would've just let the embezzlement issue go, none of this would've happened."
I can't help but roll my eyes at his pathetic attempt to justify his actions. "So, what, you're blaming them for your own criminal activities? That's rich."
"Rich is what I needed to be," he snaps, anger flaring in his eyes. "I had gambling debts to pay off, and the only way to do that was to take what I could from the Zolotovs. They were never supposed to find out."
"Gambling debts? Seriously?" Anoushka snorts. "How cliché can you get, Lenny? You really should work on your villain backstory."
"Shut up!" he shouts, turning to face Anoushka. To my horror, he slams a hand across her face. The slap echoes through the room and Anoushka falls to the ground, clutching her jaw.
“Anoushka!” I scream, running to be by her side. I crouch on the floor, my hands still tied behind my back. My heart tears for her. I wish I could reach out and caress her pain away.
She sits there, stunned, not moving. Lenny’s goons come and grab us both, bringing us back to our feet.
“You bastard,” I scream, turning back to Lenny.
Lenny looks at me, surprised. "I thought you were the sweet one, Pippa,” he tuts. “But since you seem so upset, I might as well explain it to you. You don't understand the kind of pressure I was under. You don't know what it's like to owe money to dangerous people. People who would do anything to collect."
"Sounds like a personal problem," I mutter, unable to resist the urge to poke at his already bruised ego.
“Well, it was. But since the Zolotovs made my business their own, I think it’s time I involve them now, don’t you?”
Anoushka and I exchange glances, petrified of what he might say next.
Lenny smirks, looking between Anoushka and me as if we're prizes he's just won. "You know what? I think I've got a plan." He paces around us like a predator circling its prey. "I'll use little Anoushka here as a bargaining chip," he says, grabbing her arm roughly. "The Zolotovs will pay anything to get their precious sister back. For each day they don’t agree with what I want, I could take a finger, or a toe. If they really make me wait around, how about her tongue?"
My blood runs cold at the mere mention of Anoushka being harmed. "How dare you!" I scream, struggling against my restraints. "Touch her again and you'll wish you never set foot in this country!"
"Well, that's the spirit, Pippa," Lenny chuckles. "I don’t think you really have much bargaining power here, do you?” He eyes me up and down.
"Let Pippa go then," Anoushka demands, her eyes blazing with fury. "She has nothing to do with this."
"Fine by me," Lenny shrugs. "I don't need her anymore. Never did. The poor girl was innocent all along. Just a cleaner in my house. Take her out of here," he orders his men. “By the time she reaches the Zolotovs, we’ll be out of here to our next hideaway as is.”
My heart races as I realize I'm being offered my freedom. But can I really leave Anoushka behind with this maniac? No! I can't.
"Wait!" I shout just as one of Lenny's goons grabs my arm to escort me away. "If you want to use Anoushka as leverage, you'll need me too."
"Excuse me?" Lenny raises an eyebrow, clearly annoyed by my interruption. "Why the hell would I need you?"
"Because I'm the only one who can convince the Zolotovs to pay up," I say, trying to sound more confident than I feel. "I know them better than anyone. Without me, your plan is doomed to fail."
"Nice try, Sweetheart," Lenny scoffs. "But I think I can handle it from here."
"Really?" I challenge, stepping closer to Anoushka, placing myself between her and Lenny. "Take a good look at me, Lenny. Do I look like someone who's scared of you? Because I'm not. And neither are the Zolotovs. If you want their money, you're going to have to go through me."
"Are you insane?" he snarls, his anger now directed at me. "You should be grateful I'm letting you go."
"Grateful? For what? Being kidnapped and dragged into your mess?" I retort, my own anger flaring up. "No, Lenny. I won't leave Anoushka behind."
"Enough!" Lenny roars, raising a hand as if to strike me. But I don't flinch; I won't give him the satisfaction.
“I said I won’t go without her!” I say again, through gritted teeth, keeping a leveled voice.
I take a deep breath, planting my feet firmly on the ground, ready to stand my ground against Lenny. I can feel Anoushka's presence behind me, her hand gripping my arm in support. For the first time since this nightmare began, I feel a flicker of hope.
"Is that your final answer?" Lenny sneers, his eyes narrowing as he assesses our united front.
"Absolutely," I reply, my voice steady despite the pounding of my heart.
"Pathetic," Lenny spits, taking a step toward us. Just then, to my horror, Lenny snaps, pulling a gun from his waistband. My breath catches in my throat, but I refuse to let fear control me now. "You want to be a hero so badly, Pippa? Fine. Let's see how brave you are when staring down the barrel of a gun."
"Wait!" Anoushka cries out, but I shake my head, silently urging her to trust me. If we waver now, Lenny wins. There’s no point in both of us dying.
"Goodbye, Pippa," Lenny growls, raising the gun to aim at my head. Just as my vision narrows, focused solely on the cold metal inches from my face, a sudden commotion erupts outside the hideout.
"Boss!" one of Lenny's men shouts, bursting through the door. "They're here!"
"Who's here?" Lenny demands, his grip on the gun faltering. I seize the opportunity to step closer to Anoushka, shielding her as best I can.
"Them," the man pants, eyes wide with fear. "The guys you owe money to. The mafia!"
"Damn it!" Lenny curses, torn between dealing with us and the new threat. For now, it seems we've been granted a temporary reprieve from his wrath, but our situation is far from resolved.
"Get them out of my sight," Lenny barks, gesturing at me and Anoushka. "I'll deal with them later."
"Come on," the man orders, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from Anoushka. I fight against him, unwilling to be separated from her. "You can't do this!" I protest, digging my heels into the ground.
Just then, gunshots echo around us, as the two groups face off. The man holding us lets go, moving positions to defend himself and his people.
I instinctively motion at Anoushka to run behind some crates. Bullets whizz past us, their lethal intent is evident in every metallic whine. We're caught in the crossfire, and it seems our likelihood of survival is dwindling with each passing moment.
We both run and hide behind the crates. Once we’re relatively safe, Anoushka turns to me. "Are you trying to get us killed?" she hisses, her voice barely audible above the din of gunfire. "You should've taken Lenny's offer."
"Really?" I retort, ducking lower against the shipping container. "That's your concern right now? I couldn’t just leave you behind, Anoushka!”
"Is this really the time for your self-righteousness?" she snaps back, her fear transforming into anger.
Just then, a bullet whizzes past my head, leaving a hole in the crate. I turn to Anoushka, wide-eyed. “We need to find better cover,” she hisses, pale in the face.
We both still have our hands tied, but that was a close call. "Fine," I say, swallowing my pride. I can admit when I'm wrong. "Let's go."
We move from one makeshift shield to another, narrowly avoiding stray bullets. As we reach a door that looks slightly ajar, I hear the sound of heavy boots approaching. I creak it open just a little with my shoulder and peer out cautiously, only to be met with the barrel of a gun.
"Get up!" the man barks, his eyes scanning both of us. "You're coming with us."
"Who the hell are you?" I demand, pushing away his weapon. "And why should we go anywhere with you?"
"Less talking, more walking," the man growls. His accent, it’s more Russian.
He’s not one of Lenny’s guys. This is not the Italian mafia. They’re in there, fighting it out.
I look around and notice his men. They all wear uniforms like they belong to a group or something. Whoever this third group is, they’ve made our lives a lot harder. Anoushka and I exchange looks, reading each other’s minds. We have no idea who these people are, and how dangerous they could be.
Who the hell is kidnapping us now?
The man grabs Anoushka’s arm and pushes her forward.
“If you hurt her, I swear—" I begin to shout. Someone grabs my arm and pushes me forward, interrupting me along the way. "Save the threats for someone who cares," he says.