Chapter 87

I found myself back at Goddess Divine. It felt like a lifetime ago that I’d stumbled my way, nearly dead, to this one spot. The only sure spot I knew the Russians had taken over this close to the neutral border. Marek wasn’t happy as he led me in, especially since it was two in the morning but he got a call we couldn’t ignore.

The bouncer let us through without a word from Marek and we stepped into the loud and dark club. I slowed, falling behind as I looked into the main area of the club. It was dark but there was nothing seedy about it. It lived up to the name Goddess Divine. It had a more ethereal feel, with how the dark drapes were coming down from the ceiling and how the room seemed to flow like water. Maybe it wasn’t a goddess of light but one of darkness, still divine, still beautiful but nothing heavenly.

Aleksei used to describe the club to me and the fact that it was his favorite. He promised he would sneak me out one night and we would go dancing. A promise that would never happen. When Marek said he was headed out, originally he wanted me to stay. It was two in the morning and I understood but when he said it was at Goddess Divine and it was regarding the mercenaries, I needed to go. It wasn’t a matter of want.

A hand slipped down my back and I looked up at Marek. He wasn’t looking down at me, but out into the space where people were packed in, dancing the electronic music. I looked back out at it as well and smiled.

“He told me he would take me. That we would sneak out and not tell you.”

Marek snorted. “Sounds like him. He wouldn’t get very far.”

“Maybe. It is nice, he just made it sound way better.”

“He tends to do that. Come on. The basement is this way.”

I nodded and let Marek guide me down the hall and a door opened with stairs heading down. It didn’t seem like the best place to be holding someone that could have information. It was small, loud, and cleaner than I would have liked. There were four other guys at the cells and then a few standing in what looked like a little break room.

“When did you get him in?”

“About three hours ago. He was doing some surveillance on us. Him and three other guys.”

I frowned. “The other three?”

“Got away, Atamansha. We tried to nab them but they were practiced. Took all their stuff. We only managed to get him by getting a bullet in his foot.”

Walking over to the cell, I squatted down at the bars. The guy was sitting on the floor against the back of the building. His eyes were closed but I could tell he wasn’t sleeping. He was listening, most likely to everything around him.

“Can we have the room?” I looked up at Marek.

He stood there for a moment and before he started to shake his head, I smiled. “Please.”

“Clear out.” Marek’s one command emptied the whole area in a second.

Still, Marek stayed with a hard look on his face. I held out my hand and he slowly walked forward. The keys to the cell were placed in my hand but Marek didn’t let them go.

“You don’t need to do this, zhena. I’m not asking you. I can easily go in there for you.”

“I know. I’m not asking, either.”

Closing my hand around the keys, I stood up and opened the door. The dumbass thought that would be a good moment to try and run but Marek moved quicker. Marek’s fist connected with his stomach so hard that it lifted the mercenary off the floor for a moment. Once his feet hit the floor again, he stumbled back as he clutched his middle. Breathing seemed a bit hard as he doubled over.

Stepping in, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. This one could easily have been at the end of the gun pointing out of those trucks. The smell of the fire and gas invaded my head but I quelled it. Opening them to see the thing in front of me that would give me answers. Give me the revenge I was looking for.

“A chair, Marek.” My voice dropped and I waited until a plastic folding chair was passed to me through the doorway.

I took it and dragged it on the stone floor until I all but threw it at the guy. My head cocked to the side as he took it almost immediately, sitting down. This one was a dumb one. Taking something that was giving to him by the enemy without second thought. Smirking, I pulled out a pack of cigarettes from my back pocket and a lighter.

“Smoke?”

The guy chuckled, his breath finally a bit more steady to speak. “Sure. I could use one.”

I nodded and passed him one, lighting it for him and watching him take a few puffs.

“So how is this going to go? You try to talk to me, I don’t give you anything, and then you send in your big muscle man to beat me up? Then try again and then by morning you realize I’m not going to talk and either let me go because you know people will be looking for me or you’ll kill me.”

Smiling, I shook my head. “Not exactly.” I nodded to Marek. “He’s not here for you.”

The guy took the cigarette out of his mouth. “W-what?”

“He’s here for me. So that I don’t go too far. Because you see…I lost someone. Someone precious to me. A friend. I haven’t quite…figured out how to mourn him yet.” I tilted my head to the side, regarding the mercenary. “The only thing I really know how to do…is revenge.”

He shifted in the plastic chair, making it groan. “Revenge won’t bring your dead friend back.”

I took a deep long breath. “Fair enough.”

Pausing for a moment, I reached back and pulled the knife from the holster I had around my thigh. Spinning it in my hand for a moment, I surged forward and jammed it into his shoulder. The cigarette fell to the floor as the guy screamed. I’d put so much force into it, the chair was now leaning against the back of the wall. My face was not even a foot from his, staring into his eyes, waiting for them to find mine.

Once they did, I smiled. That hope. The show of kindness. The act of giving someone something. Every time. It gave them a sense of security. Not to mention who I was. The face of a young girl. The smile and the fact that I was in a crop top and some jeans. All of them. That hope building up. Thinking they were going to get out alive. I loved watching it all drain from their eyes as they realize.

“T-the fuck!”

I moved forward, sitting on his lap as I pulled out another knife and licked my lips. Trailing the knifes tip down his jaw, his eyes widened and I could see him start to shake his head.

“No?” I pouted. “No…what? Are you into guys? Would you it rather be my muzh on your lap? He’s a bit heavy but he’s far gentler than I am.”

“Who the fuck…you’re not…you’re not getting anything out of me.” He was stuttering now and the fear was making his legs bounce.

Tsking, I shook my head. “You see. You’re asking the wrong questions here. Not that you’re the one who should be asking. That’s my job. But I’m always happy to answer a few questions. You won’t be alive to give anyone what you know.”

The mercenary laughed nervously. “Why would I tell you anything if you’re just going to kill me?”

“Because you’re a good little boy. And good little boys get rewards for answering questions. But bad ones…” I jammed the knife into his other shoulder and he tried to buck me off. “Bad boys bleed much more.”

“No…please…please…the fuck…what do you want to know? My name?”

Throwing my head back, I laughed. “Your name? I don’t give a shit about your name. We can all you little prick.” I moved my hips on his lap. “I mean, you know why. But I don’t give a shit about your name.”

“O-okay. W-what…w-what do you want?” He was shaking like a leaf.

I trailed my fingers down his chin to his shit. Grabbing the collar, I tore it open down to his naval.   Pulling out another knife, I drew a squiggly line down his chest, watching the blood barely bead up under all his hair.

“Were you in the truck when you shot up our SUV?”

His chest was heaving. “I…I…”

My eyes slowly looked up to him. “Do I need to repeat the question? I really don’t like repeating myself.” The tip of my knife went a little deeper this time as I moved down his chest.

“N-no! I…Yes. I was there. I was there!”

Smiling, I nodded. “And…were you the one who pulled the trigger?”

“N-no…no, no…it was…it was leader. He’s the best shot…I wasn’t...I was in the truck ahead of him.”

Leaning back, I leaned down and grabbed the box of cigarettes that dropped on the floor. Slipping one out, I placed it in his lips and lit it for him. He took a puff from him, his shaking decreasing.

“See. Good little pricks get rewarded.”

The fear in his eyes was delicious. I gave him a moment before I pulled it out of his mouth and tapped the ashes on the floor.

“Now, you’re going to tell me a few more things, aren’t you, little prick?”