“Do you want me to get Ilya?”
“ Nyet . This you can do on your own.” He was throwing her a bone, allowing her to show some initiative while at the same time giving her a break from his nephew. He hoped she appreciated it. “Call me back when you have something concrete.”
He hung up.
* * *
Heather gasped as ice water hit her in the face. Her hair, face, and front were drenched and as she sputtered, a harsh white light blinded her. When she jerked against the zip-ties, needle-sharp pains sliced through the numbness in her arms and legs. She choked back a cry of agony and fought not to panic.
“Hello.” The light receded and as Heather blinked, the figure holding the flashlight wobbled into focus. It was the Russian woman. Svetlana. She was wearing a sweatshirt and black leggings, and her hair was pulled back. She wore no makeup and Heather was surprised to see how young she looked. Her age, maybe. And naturally pretty. Heather was in some kind of cell, like in a prison, with vertical metal bars. She could see stacks of boxes. Something stank like sewer water. A creature chittered in the dark.
Rat , she thought, gooseflesh rising along her arms. She tried to lift her legs off the ground but they were restrained against the chair.
“Please untie me,” Heather said. “This hurts so much and I’ve already sworn I won’t run away.”
“Shut up.” Svetlana aimed the flashlight in her eyes again. “Now, listen. Where is jacket? Your sister does not have. We have sent new people back to apartment. If they find, I shoot you. Through your eye. For lies.”
“ What? ” Heather cried. “Are you kidding?”
Her answer was a sharp slap across her face. Her head snapped back. Yellow dots exploded behind her eyelids and she heaved, sick to her stomach. Svetlana threw more water at her. Heather was so dizzy that for a moment she thought she’d fallen sideways again.
“Do I seem joking? Where is jacket?”
“She said she was going to pack it!” Heather cried. “We were talking about it because she was worried about getting my rash, and Vincent told her it was fine. If she left it behind I’m sorry! I had it but I gave it back to her!”
“You were Suresh girlfriend. He tell you about chip.”
“No!” She winced, pain and fear firing every synapse. She was shaking so hard her ribs ached as if they would crack. She didn’t want to know about any of this. The less she knew, the better. If she knew too much, they’d kill her.
“Wait,” she said, as Svetlana prepared to hit her again. “ Wait. She packed it. Of course she doesn’t have it.” She heard herself. She had one more chance not to lead these people to Cat. But Cat was her only hope, her lifeline. And there was Vincent, her beast brother-in-law. He’d tear these people apart—literally—if they came after him and Cat.
“What you are saying?” Svetlana demanded. “Packing is in suitcase! Suitcase is in hotel room! Chip is not there!”
Heather nodded, trying to think straight. It felt so wrong to tell her. But she couldn’t figure out what else to do.
“There was a special s-s-s-service.” Terrified, cold and wet, she was stammering. “Please, can’t you untie me? I’ll tell you. It hurts s-so much I can’t even think.”
The woman frowned. “Ilya will see.”
“S-so? Is he the boss of you?” Despite the horror she had witnessed, Heather had had the presence of mind to watch her captors. They didn’t like each other. Each was vying for control.
Svetlana balled a fist and Heather braced herself for a lot of pain. But the punch did not come. Instead, Svetlana left her alone. What if she had gone to get a gun? What if she was going to shoot her through the eye here?
Oh, God, oh, my God. Heather went blind with panic. She jerked on the zip-ties and squeezed back hot tears.
The woman returned. She was holding a knife and as before, Svetlana cut the tie that bound her wrists together. The pain as the blood rushed back
“ Nyet . This you can do on your own.” He was throwing her a bone, allowing her to show some initiative while at the same time giving her a break from his nephew. He hoped she appreciated it. “Call me back when you have something concrete.”
He hung up.
* * *
Heather gasped as ice water hit her in the face. Her hair, face, and front were drenched and as she sputtered, a harsh white light blinded her. When she jerked against the zip-ties, needle-sharp pains sliced through the numbness in her arms and legs. She choked back a cry of agony and fought not to panic.
“Hello.” The light receded and as Heather blinked, the figure holding the flashlight wobbled into focus. It was the Russian woman. Svetlana. She was wearing a sweatshirt and black leggings, and her hair was pulled back. She wore no makeup and Heather was surprised to see how young she looked. Her age, maybe. And naturally pretty. Heather was in some kind of cell, like in a prison, with vertical metal bars. She could see stacks of boxes. Something stank like sewer water. A creature chittered in the dark.
Rat , she thought, gooseflesh rising along her arms. She tried to lift her legs off the ground but they were restrained against the chair.
“Please untie me,” Heather said. “This hurts so much and I’ve already sworn I won’t run away.”
“Shut up.” Svetlana aimed the flashlight in her eyes again. “Now, listen. Where is jacket? Your sister does not have. We have sent new people back to apartment. If they find, I shoot you. Through your eye. For lies.”
“ What? ” Heather cried. “Are you kidding?”
Her answer was a sharp slap across her face. Her head snapped back. Yellow dots exploded behind her eyelids and she heaved, sick to her stomach. Svetlana threw more water at her. Heather was so dizzy that for a moment she thought she’d fallen sideways again.
“Do I seem joking? Where is jacket?”
“She said she was going to pack it!” Heather cried. “We were talking about it because she was worried about getting my rash, and Vincent told her it was fine. If she left it behind I’m sorry! I had it but I gave it back to her!”
“You were Suresh girlfriend. He tell you about chip.”
“No!” She winced, pain and fear firing every synapse. She was shaking so hard her ribs ached as if they would crack. She didn’t want to know about any of this. The less she knew, the better. If she knew too much, they’d kill her.
“Wait,” she said, as Svetlana prepared to hit her again. “ Wait. She packed it. Of course she doesn’t have it.” She heard herself. She had one more chance not to lead these people to Cat. But Cat was her only hope, her lifeline. And there was Vincent, her beast brother-in-law. He’d tear these people apart—literally—if they came after him and Cat.
“What you are saying?” Svetlana demanded. “Packing is in suitcase! Suitcase is in hotel room! Chip is not there!”
Heather nodded, trying to think straight. It felt so wrong to tell her. But she couldn’t figure out what else to do.
“There was a special s-s-s-service.” Terrified, cold and wet, she was stammering. “Please, can’t you untie me? I’ll tell you. It hurts s-so much I can’t even think.”
The woman frowned. “Ilya will see.”
“S-so? Is he the boss of you?” Despite the horror she had witnessed, Heather had had the presence of mind to watch her captors. They didn’t like each other. Each was vying for control.
Svetlana balled a fist and Heather braced herself for a lot of pain. But the punch did not come. Instead, Svetlana left her alone. What if she had gone to get a gun? What if she was going to shoot her through the eye here?
Oh, God, oh, my God. Heather went blind with panic. She jerked on the zip-ties and squeezed back hot tears.
The woman returned. She was holding a knife and as before, Svetlana cut the tie that bound her wrists together. The pain as the blood rushed back
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