Kill on Sight #2
In front of the heavy steel door, he held up the flowers to the peephole and rang the bell.
He could hear voices. More than two people…
he put his ear to the door and heard the sound of someone being hit.
His heart fell. He rang again. He heard two men talking, but couldn’t make out what they were saying.
Only that they were angry. He rang again, several times, still holding the flowers in front of the peephole.
He heard Jessie’s voice in his ear: “Stay calm. You can do this.” He nodded with his ear still on the door and heard an angry, “Shut up!” and another slap.
He rang the bell several more times. Then a voice came from behind the door that dropped his heart to his feet. “Who is it?”
Following his script, he answered, “Flowers for a Miss Tatiana. Hurry up, man! I have more deliveries already.”
“Leave them,” said a man’s voice.
“Oh, hell no! I need a signature… and my TIP! I ain’t leaving!” Jessie’s voice in his ear told him to ring it repeatedly.
“Fucker!” the man’s voice yelled. “Fine, but no fucking tip for you, asshole!”
The door cracked open, and his heart fell further.
“Victor? What the fuck are you doing here?”
Victor didn’t wait for Jessie’s cue. “Peter? What the hell are YOU doing here? Where’s Tatiana?”
Half-naked, Representative Peter Queen tried to push Victor into the hallway away from the door.
“Don’t let him push you out. Push your way in NOW!” Jessie yelled.
With all his strength and anger, Victor pushed his boss hard, sending him flying back into Tatiana’s apartment.
And Jessie was right. His heart felt crushed.
Tatiana lay naked, spread-eagled on the floor.
She was chained up, and a man he didn’t know was naked standing over her.
People were yelling at him from all directions, but all he could see was Tatiana's flawless body was covered in bruises, cuts, and swelling.
Her eyes were staring back at him in utter shame.
A voice in his ear was speaking softly: “She will be ok. She will be ok. Time to act.”
A New York-accented voice bellowed at him. It was the man who was standing over Tatiana. He was going for his clothes, as his boss, Peter Queen, was yelling at him and also at the man running for his clothes to stop.
“Open the blinds, Victor,” came Jessie’s voice. Ignoring the man rummaging through his piled-up clothes, Tatiana, and his boss, he walked to the blinds and opened them.
“Victor, what the fuck are you doing?” Peter Queen yelled as the last remnants of sunlight streamed into the room.
Victor turned and saw that the Irish man had a gun in his hand. Tatiana started to scream as she looked on in horror as the Irish man pointed his gun at Victor.
“Stop! Sean, stop! He works for…”
Everyone turned in surprise as Congressman Peter Queen crumpled to the floor in a gasping heap.
Then Victor saw a muzzle flash, and the man called Sean spun to the floor with a scream.
Standing in the doorway was Jessie. In her gloved hands were two small, silenced automatics, both their muzzles smoking.
Then, with astonishing speed, she moved like a flash through the apartment, securing the two severely wounded and groaning men.
“Victor… help Tatiana. Please,” Jessie asked calmly.
It took a moment to register, but when it did, Victor rushed to Tatiana.
He could smell urine all over her, but he didn’t care.
He got her unchained and was helping her to her feet when he heard Jessie speaking what sounded like perfect Russian to Tatiana.
He stood there holding Tatiana while both of them looked at Jessie in shock.
Then Tatiana began speaking in Russian. At first she seemed confused, then she became animated. He had no idea what was being said but listened to the tone of their conversation.
“Hello, Tatiana,” Jessie said in Russian.
“Do… do I know you?” Tatiana replied back in Russian.
“Yes. Yes, you do. I am so sorry…”
“Sorry? For shooting these two assholes?” she asked, confused.
“No, my sister, for having to leave you aboard that stinking Turkish ship.”
Tatiana covered her mouth in shock as more tears stained her cheeks. “Anastassia? Is it really you?”
“Yes. I have come for you and brought a friend to help you.” She pointed to Victor. “He really is a good man.”
“I—I don’t understand. Danny… he will find me… he—he will peel the skin off of me! I’ve seen him do it to other girls!”
The man named Sean began yelling, and Jessie placed her hand over his mouth and nose and shoved all her weight down on the bound, injured man’s face.
“That is why I am here, my sister; you will not have anyone to fear. I will switch to English now.” Jessie looked at Victor, then at Tatiana, while Sean was struggling to breathe.
“These men were going to kill you, Tatiana. Why? You see the fat, scared one there?” Jessie pointed her gun at Peter Queen.
“He can’t get it up unless he hurts women.
Am I right, Tatiana?” She nodded. Jessie released her hand from Sean’s mouth, looked down at his pain-riddled face, and said, “Shhh,” as she pointed her gun in his face.
“What are you going to do?” Victor asked in a near whisper.
“You know already, but first I need intel…”
“Why? Why you help me and do all this?” Tatiana asked.
Jessie turned to her. “Because this man here…” She walked over and kicked Peter Queen in the ass, “… and Danny Spillane are the reason why we were on the slave ship.” Jessie’s eyes began to widen as her voice got louder.
“This fucker likes redheads. He paid for me! He paid to make me a whore, then kill me because I was a redheaded virgin!” She kicked him again, then again, as he cried out in pain.
“You fucker… I’m not done with you yet.”
“Please! I—I didn’t know!” Peter pleaded through his pathetic sobs.
“Victor! Did you know your boss here supported the IRA terrorist group in Ireland? This fucker even hosted them here, in fact…” She pointed at Sean.
“He is their new fucking leader!” Jessie spat on Peter and pointed her gun down at him.
“He also deals with… with the Russian government and mob for girls and weapons! Though he thought he could get away with not paying…” Jessie held her head for a moment and shook it.
“Veronica, not paying for what?” Victor asked.
“Who is Veronica?” Tatiana asked.
“She is…”
“No, she is Anastassia.”
Victor shook his head in confusion.
“He—he was supposed to pay for… for girls, explosives, and help with his election… he didn’t do it.”
“No! No! It was Danny!” Peter Queen squealed. “He told me not to put through payment to Ivanov! I swear! Ivanov is dead anyway! You don’t have to do this! Please!” Peter whimpered.
Jessie shook her head as the voice in her head told her to make Peter Queen and Danny pay. She pushed it away and stared at Tatiana for a long moment, as the two men moaned from their injuries. “Victor… take Tatiana and help her get cleaned up. Now.”
Victor directed Tatiana to the shower while looking back and watching Jessie. Something was wrong with her…
“Peter Queen… where is Danny?” Jessie asked quietly in his ear.
“He—he is here… here in Hell’s Kitchen. Underground. The storage shop down the way… go inside and take the elevator down.”
“How many men?”
“I—I don’t know. Four? Five?”
“Where does he take his meals?”
“Oh… Murphy’s Pub. He goes in the back way…” Peter saw the .22 coming up in her hand. He gasped and sputtered. “Y—you can’t kill me. I’m a US Congressman! You have to know that! They will find you!”
“You ruined my life, you piece of shit. I can hear Ivanov saying it in my head over and over every fucking day of my life… so now I will ruin your life.” Jessie stood up, and before Peter Queen could say another word, she shot him in the chest. She watched the shock register on the man’s face, then heard the gurgle in his throat.
His face went pale, and then he choked on his last breath.
Jessie placed her second gun in dead Peter’s hand, adjusted her aim, and shot a wide-eyed Sean O’Brien in the neck. He died quicker than Peter Queen had.
Jessie walked over to Sean’s body, wiped the gun down that killed Peter, and placed it in Sean’s left hand, and untied him. She waited for the relief that didn’t come.
“Veronica… you killed a US Representative?” came Victor’s voice quietly behind her.
“He deserved it and more. This has been going on for years; he’s part of a group of degenerates. But I’m not done yet.”
She turned and locked eyes with Tatiana. “We made it out. The other girls didn’t.”
She watched Tatiana shake her head. “Not all! They take nine other girls off the ship when it break down. I can no have babies. Other girls are on baby farm.”
“What?”
“Yes, is true. Girls forced to have baby from donor. Big money. Some… some baby are for parts…. I hear them say.”
Jessie’s eyes widened, and she fought for control.
“Will you kill Danny?” Tatiana whispered worriedly.
Her words helped her regain her calm. “Count on it.” Jessie pointed at Victor to leave the room.
Quietly, he disappeared into the bathroom.
Jessie motioned Tatiana close. She hugged the girl and looked deep into her blue eyes.
“You can trust Victor. He is a good man… you helped him find himself. Now, in return, he can help you, if you let him.”
Her swollen lip quivered. “I like him from first time I see him… but, but he—he see what they do to me… I am ashamed.”
Jessie grabbed ahold of Tatiana’s shoulders and shook her. “Do not be ashamed. It was never your choice. You did what you had to do to survive. Do you understand me?” Tatiana nodded. “Trust him and help him be a better man. You deserve a good man and a good life. Now, go wait by the door.”
Jessie walked into the bathroom and saw Victor staring at himself in the steam-covered mirror. “What do you see?”
“I—I don’t know…”