Chapter 109 Anya
The men took me to Gorky Park in the early morning.
"Where is Nikolai?" I asked as we pulled up.
"He is waiting by the fountain. Just like we told you."
I got out and looked around. The park was empty. Fog hung heavy over everything.
"I do not see him." I whispered, looking around.
"He is there. Just walk toward the fountain. You will find him."
Something felt wrong. But I was too desperate to see Nikolai to listen to my instincts.
I walked through the fog toward the fountain.
"Nikolai?" I called out. "Are you there?"
No answer.
I reached the fountain. It was empty. No Nikolai. No guards. Nothing.
Footsteps echoed behind me. I spun around.
But it was not Nikolai.
It was a woman, probably in her mid-fifties. She was well dressed. Her blonde hair was pulled back severely. Her eyes were cold.
"Hello, Anya," she said. "I have been waiting to meet you."
"Who are you? Where is Nikolai?"
"Nikolai is not here. And he is not coming."
Fear shot through me. "What did you do to him?"
"Nothing yet. But that could change. It all depends on you."
I backed away. "I am leaving."
"I do not think so."
Men emerged from the fog. The same men who had brought me here. Plus more. At least six of them. They were all armed.
I was surrounded.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
"My name is Katya. And what I want is very simple. I want everything Nikolai has. And you are going to help me get it."
"I will never help you."
Katya smiled. "You will. Because if you do not, Nikolai dies. And it will be very painful."
"You are lying. You do not have Nikolai."
"You are right. I do not have him. Yet. But I will. Viktor is dealing with him as we speak."
My legs felt weak. "No."
"Yes. Unless you cooperate. If you do exactly as I say, I will call off Viktor. Nikolai lives. You live. Everyone is happy."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Call Nikolai." She handed me a phone. "Tell him you are safe. Tell him to sign over everything. That if he does not, you die."
"He will never believe me."
"Then make him believe. You love him, do you not? Then convince him."
I stared at the phone. Every instinct screamed at me not to do this.
But if Viktor really was trying to kill Nikolai, then maybe I could warn him.
I took the phone with trembling hands.
"Good girl. Now dial."
I dialed Nikolai's number with shaking hands.
It rang once. Twice. Then he answered.
"What?"
He was alive.
"Nikolai?"
"Anya! Where are you? Are you safe?" He said in one breath.
"I am..." I looked at Katya. At the gun she now held pointed at me. "I am with someone. Someone who wants to talk to you."
Katya grabbed the phone from my hand.
"Mr. Markov. I have something that belongs to you."
She walked away speaking in low tones.
The men grabbed my arms and dragged me toward a van.
"Wait. Where are you taking me?"
"Somewhere safe."
They threw me into the back of the van. The doors slammed shut.
The van started moving.
I sat there in the darkness trying not to panic.
The van drove for what felt like hours.
Finally it stopped. The doors opened.
We were in an abandoned warehouse. The windows were broken.
They took me to a small room in the back. It had just a cot and a bucket.
"Make yourself comfortable. You are going to be here for a while."
The door slammed shut. I heard a lock click.
I was left alone.
I sat down on the cot and put my head in my hands.
Hours passed. Maybe days. I lost track of time.
They brought me water once and a stale bread. But I could not eat.
The door opened. Katya walked in.
"How are you holding up?"
"Go to hell." I hissed.
She laughed. "I need you to make another call. Nikolai is being difficult."
"No."
"Excuse me?"
"I said no. I will not help you. Kill me if you want. But I will not be your puppet."
Katya's smile faded. "You think I am bluffing?"
"I think you are desperate. Otherwise you would have killed me already. You need me alive."
Katya slapped me hard across the face.
My lip bursted.
"Watch your mouth. I may need you alive but I do not need you comfortable."
She turned to the guard. "Bring the tools."
My blood went cold. "Tools?"
"I need Nikolai to understand I am serious. What better way than to send him a piece of you?"
Terror flooded through me. "No. Please."
"Too late." She hissed.
The guard returned carrying a metal box.
Inside were knives and pliers.
"Hold her down," Katya ordered.
Two guards grabbed me, forced me onto my back and held my arms.
Katya selected a pair of pliers.
"Let us start with something small. The pinky finger."
She grabbed my left hand and positioned the pliers around my smallest finger.
I screamed, struggling against their grip.
"You bitch!" I screamed, looking into her eyes. "Nikolai will kill you for this."
"Maybe. But you will not be alive to see it."
She started to squeeze the pliers.
And then the warehouse exploded.
The walls shook. Gunfire erupted from everywhere.
The guards released me and ran for the door, their guns raised.
Katya dropped the pliers and pulled out a gun.
"What is happening?" She shouted.
The door to my room burst open before anyone could reply.
And there stood Nikolai.
His face was covered in soot and blood. He held a gun in each hand.
"Get away from her," he said to Katya. His voice was cold and void of every emotion.
Katya raised her gun and pointed it at my head. "One more step and I kill her."
Nikolai looked at me. Then at Katya. "Lete see you try it."
The lights went off, plunging everywhere into complete darkness. Then a gunshot ran out.
I heard a loud thud like a body falling to the ground.
But Katya was still standing. She was still holding me with the gun still pressed to my head.
Nikolai?
"Nikolai!" I called at the top of my lungs, but there was no response.