CHAPTER 59 — ZEDEKIAH GREEN

I take Faina to a hidden passage in the ground that will take us out of our mansion, leading us through an underground tunnel to a cabin meters away, hidden in a forest that is difficult to access for those who don't know the trail.

— Is that what I'm thinking? — he asks, smiling as I open the door that reveals a staircase.

— Yes, that's exactly it — I reply, nodding my head and starting to walk down the steps. — This tunnel was built decades ago by our ancestors for emergencies, a secret exit. It will take us to a safe distance from the house, to another one, much more hidden than this one. A cabin, where we can stay for a while, until everything calms down. — I lock the basement door from the inside and turn on my cell phone flashlight, illuminating the narrow path that will take us out of there.

— It's a good thing I'm not claustrophobic because otherwise I wouldn't be screwed. — She says, walking in front of me.

— Lohan is. — I say, and she looks at me in surprise.

— I didn't know that.

— You still don't know much, flower.

Faina follows me, her eyes shining with curiosity and excitement. With every step we take, the environment becomes cooler and damper, with the distant sound of water drops echoing off the stone walls.

— It's incredible to think that all this was here the whole time, and I never knew — she comments, her voice reverberating in the narrow tunnel.

— There are many secrets in this mansion — I say, with a slight smile. — And this is one of the best kept.

After several minutes, we finally reached the end of the tunnel. I push a wooden door that creaks open, revealing the cozy cabin lit by rays of sunlight filtering through the dusty windows.

— Stay here; I'll check upstairs first. — I say, passing her with the gun in hand, and go up the stairs.

The cabin is dark. Holding the gun in one hand and the cell phone with the flashlight on in the other, I examine every corner of the small cabin. Even outside, realizing that we are safe. I hurry back to her.

— He comes. — I extended a hand to her, helping her climb and lock the trap door.

— Wow — exclaims Faina. — Sounds like a perfect getaway.

— It is indeed — I agree, feeling relieved to see that the place is still in good condition. — Here we will be safe, at least for now.

She approaches a bookshelf full of old books and curious objects, examining everything carefully.

— You know, there's something magical about this place — he says, with a dreamy smile. — As if we were in an adventure story.

“Maybe we are,” I reply, with a twinkle in my eye. — And this is just the first page. — See, you didn't discover everything, flower. — I wink at her.

She goes to one of the windows, observing what is outside. What she sees are simply grass and trees.

— There's nothing out there, just vegetation. — he comments, analyzing the environment in which we find ourselves.

— Yes. We are five hundred meters into the forest, very far from our house. It's impossible to get here by car; the only access is on foot, which takes more than two hours. Furthermore, it is necessary to find a trail, which is quite hidden and difficult to access. — I take out my notebook, connecting to the warehouse cameras.

We are finally in hiding, but what comes next is still a mystery.

— We have to tell them we are here. — she says, sitting next to me, after looking for the switch around the house and turning on the lights.

— No. It's very risky; our phones could be tapped. Any interactions with them at this time could reveal our location, as well as theirs, to those who are chasing us. — I refocus on the screen in front of me and see Luther in the east warehouse by camera A3, while Noah is in the west warehouse by camera A15. They are fighting and shooting at our enemies, but there is no sign of Pakhan and his Brigadeir.

Faina also looks at my laptop screen, seeing the same thing as me.

— Shit. We were supposed to be there fighting too, Zedekiah! I'm not going to stay here just watching. — She gets up, starting to walk from side to side — Who could have invaded our house? It's not really my father's style.

— I don't know. I'll connect the camera from there. — As she says this, she approaches me again, fixing her gaze on the screen in front of us. We rewind a few minutes and watch.

— It's my father and Vladimir. — she comments, recognizing both of them through the camera — His appearance in the warehouse where the drugs were kept was just a distraction; he wanted you guys to leave the house to surprise me alone.

—And how were they so sure that you would be at home instead of being with us in the warehouses? I ask.

— They think I wouldn't take any risks because I'm pregnant, considering the time and the possibility that my belly is already too big.

— I am not convinced that's the real reason. — I direct my gaze again to the camera in the house — They are after something more, besides you.

The two Bratva bosses search the offices of our house, breaking safes and knocking down everything they find in their path, while their henchmen do the same with the rest of the house. Without finding anything, neither us nor Faina, and without knowing what else they were looking for, they abandon our house, and their henchmen set everything on fire.

— Sons of bitches! — I punch the ground angrily — I'm going to kill these bastards when I lay my hand on them.

—What do we do now, Zedekiah? We can't just sit here and watch our house go up in flames. — she says, with tears in her eyes.

— We can't go back there, Faina. It's too dangerous, I won't risk you and our children. — I pick her up and hug her.

A few hours passed and now we're on the couch, Faina cuddled up to me, dozing off. She has been doing this a lot since entering her third month of pregnancy. In the bedroom, it looks like her belly has grown immensely.

I still have my notebook on my lap, and during the two hours we've been here, I've watched my brothers move from one warehouse to another. There is no sign of Dostoevsky or our “grandfather-in-law.” It seems like they are trying to wear us down before taking action and attacking us.

Faina stretches, stretching out next to me, and soon starts rubbing her eyes.

— Everything is fine? She asks, looking at the screen, noticing that I dozed off for a few minutes while trying to adapt to the surrounding situation. — Damn! Shit! Shit! Shit! — She jumps up from the sofa and goes to my backpack, taking the weapons and placing them in the waistband of her jeans that fall too low on her waist due to the pregnancy.

When I look at the screen, I can visualize what she witnessed: Heros falling to his knees, a dark mark on his chest visible through his shirt, as his hair is pulled hard by Petrov. Next to him, Luther is lying on the ground, with dark stains on his leg and abdomen that contrast with his clothes. Dostoevsky is standing in front of him, pressing his foot to the wound on his thigh.

Damn!

I look back to realize that Faina is no longer there and the trap door is open.

Holy shit, Faina!

I leave everything, grabbing a gun and going after her.