Chapter Thirty-Nine
Ava
Gleb spoke over the intercom in a gentle voice, “Hello, and welcome to Moscow.”
I blink my eyes awake to Roman standing over me, watching.
“How long have you been watching me?” I pull my knees to my chest and rub my eyes.
“Not long, Cottontail.” He hands me a cup of coffee, “We just landed. We will go rent a car and then get some real sleep.” The undersides of his eyes are developing slight purple hues and I could tell it was from his lack of sleep. He pushes through, smiling slightly as he bends down, placing my shoes on the ground in front of me.
The pit opens as Gleb walks out with a solemn face. Not the usual uppity attitude he had when we met him, but I bet he is just as tired as us.
I set my coffee down, and I slip on my checkered Vans Nikolai threw in the bag for me. “Thanks for flying us,” I say as Gleb walks past.
The latch to the door unlocks and he slowly lowers the stairs, “Yeah, uhm. My pleasure.” There is sweat beading on his chin, and his hand shakes a bit at his side.
I take Romans hand and pull myself behind him as I stand. Something felt off and I wasn’t sure what it was, but my gut was telling me there is.
Roman kisses my head, “Everything will be ok. It’s snowing outside, but it is beautiful.” He unlatches from me and grabs the bag. He changed back into his black hoodie and I could see the bulge of the rabbit mask in his front pocket. He slips on his leather jacket and hands me one, “Nikolai put an extra one in there for you.” I shuck the jacket on in silence.
“Ladies first,” Gleb says, giving me a weary smile.
I nod at him as I walk out onto the steps. The air is cold and a light layer of snow covers the ground. The afternoon sun barely peaks through the clouds as I listen to the silence, muted from the snow. I walk halfway down the stairs and turn to see if Roman is behind me but he stood at the top, saying goodbye to Gleb. I continue to the last step, almost falling on my face from the abrupt commotion behind me.
Gleb throws a punch to Roman’s face. Blocking a second blow, Roman punches Gleb in the stomach.
“Roman!” I shout as I grab onto the narrow handrails. Who am I fucking kidding though, my screaming is useless as they continue to beat their fists into each other. Confusion strikes again in me, pushing me into a panic. My chest closes inward as I look around to see if anyone can help. I only see a few small planes and a building with no windows ahead. It’s desolate.
I start up the stairs to help Roman, but when I see Gleb pull out his gun I halt myself. I feel like everything is moving so fast in flashes, slowing down the movements as my body drops into a loop, pulling me downward into a black haze and placing me back where I am.
Over and over and over, we go .
Roman knocks the gun from his hands as Gleb punches him against the temple. Blood from Roman’s nose sprays in the air, landing on the snow below the stairs as he falls to his back. He tries to pull his gun out of his holster but Gleb stomps his hand against Roman’s torso, twisting his foot. I start to run up the stairs again, but when I do my legs go out from underneath me and all I can feel is the cold metal against my head.
Roman’s voice is all I can hear, “This is between us!” he calls out, but everything distorts into a wobble as someone drags me against the frozen pavement.
The person flips me onto my back and I freeze.
Stepan.
“Hello,” he says, and places a white rag over my mouth and nose. I struggle against him to get away, punching, kicking with whatever sense of direction I have left. I look at Roman, letting fear win, as Gleb’s movements slow as the world tilts. He punches Roman’s face once more and shoves him down the stairs.
His body crumples onto the snow-patched pavement as my body sinks into itself, fading into a comforting darkness.
Roman
Roses and time, blood and love, smiles and tears, fear and fortitude. The curves of her face, the heart on her sleeve, lost and finding a way. The sway, the depth and the treasure she holds within herself. Ava smiles, flickering into screams for help.
I jolt up and groan from the pain, “Fucking shit Stepan.” My eyes are swollen but luckily I can still fucking see. I rub my busted lip as I slowly lift my jacket up. My nose flares from the pain as I check my bandage under my hoodie. Surprisingly, it was still fucking secure after what Gleb did.
That fucking bastard blindsided me.
I move my legs and arms to check for broken bones, but the only thing I can feel right now is my heart sinking, billowing upward into pure rage.
I will fucking find her. I have to find her.
I take a cigarette out of my pocket and light it. I look around, but nobody is around except for a few vacant planes. The evening is fucking cold and my hands feel frozen as I stretch my fingers outward and inward. Dry blood cracks along my nose, chin and neck, creating a red line down the center. I wipe off my face the best I can with my hand and sleeve as I slowly stand.
Pacing, I contemplate where he would take her. The pain starts to dwindle as the adrenaline pumps in my veins, coursing hate.
I pull out my phone to text Nikolai.
I found him. He took Ava. Gleb was an insider with them or they got to him .
I know he was hired to kill me but I am surprised Stepan didn’t wait around to make sure I was fucking dead. Unless, he is baiting me. He wants to make her suffer and he wants me to know how.
I fucking knew it. He must have called them when Sarah asked him and they got on the first flight out.
I know where he is.
There is an old warehouse Stepan and I would play in when we were kids. He wants me to find him, and I know that is exactly where he would take her. We would pretend that it was our home in a make believe world. A club house that was ours , and nobody else's, no matter how many times our father would beat us and tell us that the only people with imagination were the weak .
I don’t know who will be there with Stepan, but it doesn’t matter much at this point. I will stop at nothing.
Walking to the building, I pull out my Glock to check it and place it back in the holster. I need a car, but there are none as I make it to the front of the small airport. I crunch through the snow as flurries start to fall onto my cheeks, smudging the dry blood.
I walk to the small road and unlock my phone to check my location. A tiny silver car drives toward me as I move toward the center of the road.
They stop and roll down their window. “Can I help you?”
I walk to the driver’s side. “I need a ride. It takes about twenty minutes to get there.”
The man looks at me and shakes his head, “No, Sorry.”
Something primal ignites in my throat, “Get out of the fucking car,” I say as I reach for my gun. “Now.”
The man throws his hands up as I keep my hand on the grip.
He keeps his hands up as he exits, “I…I… don’t—”
“ —Is your information in here?” The man nods as I sit and close the door.
My knuckles are white as I peel off from him, not looking back. He will get the fucking car back, but right now I only care about one thing. My left eye is barely open but I push the tiny car to its limit.
I take out my watch.
9:13 p.m.
I hope I'm not too late .
My chest feels like it’s on fire as I scream, punching the steering wheel. I pocket the watch and tap my fingers into a tick on the plastic armrest. This anger and terror feels like how I felt when I found my mother laying there, dead. I should have killed my father then. His sickness was too easy on him. I should have fucking shot him when I had the chance. But I was just a kid.
Stepan was just like him . He will never see daylight again after tonight.
The warehouse is the same as it was when we were kids. It is hidden between the other empty warehouses on a ghost of a street. Large wooden boards line the outside, covering the busted factory windows and the concrete bricks litter with a few spray-painted choice words. A light post shines a white light onto the entry door, but other than that it was bleak under the cloudy night.
I close the car door, checking for my clipped knife in my front pocket, and press-check my Glock as I slick my hair out of my eyes. If there was any pain from the movement, I couldn’t feel it. Black sludge of adrenaline pumps through me like oil, coating any softness My Sweet Rabbit has given to me.
I kick the door open to the large room, splintering the rotting wood. My steps are slow as I enter and look around for anyone. Old crates line the sides, creating black spaces behind them, as others scatter in front of them. One beam of fluorescent light pierces through the pitch black, revealing My Sweet Rabbit bound with ropes to a chair in the center.
She hunches over slightly, covering her face with her hair. Blood stains the rope around her wrists and small crimson splotches trail the dusty cement around her.
I take my Glock and position it against me as I fold my arms in.
Where is everyone?
I point it ahead of me as I stealthily make my way to Ava. I look over my shoulder as I kneel in front of her. Her head bobbles as she lifts her chin level with me, “Roman?” she whispers with a crack. Her eyes are wet from crying and heavy with exhaustion.
I press my hand on her cheek as she nuzzles it. “Let’s get you out of here. I thought I lost you, Cottontail. I can’t have that,” I say as I choke on the last word. “Where is everyone, do you know how many?” She has a bruise forming on her cheek and around her throat as my eyes check for wounds.
She slurs a bit, “Two,” she licks her chapped lips and inhales, “Roman I… I can’t believe you came for me.”
I kiss the top of her head as I stand, “Of course I did but let's get you out of here.”
I kneel behind her as I start to undo the knots, “Good thing is, these knots were not very well done. Wouldn’t expect him to do anything right, or good though. Right?”
She giggles slightly, “No, not from him.”
My heart warms from her sweet voice as I keep my focus on the ones around her ankles. I look around as I undo the last knot, but I don’t spot anyone. She sighs with relief as she rubs her hands over the sore spots.
As she turns to me, cold metal presses against my temple.
I keep my eyes on hers, “Run, Sweet Rabbit.”