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“So, why didn’t you just return tothisboss once you escaped? Or is that classified too?”
I grinned at his humor. “No, Your Honor. But I wasn’t exactly in a position to get home.”
“And why not?”
“Because I was in Russia being held by an oligarch. He was former KGB.”
The judge rested his chin in his hands as he stared at me. “I think I’m going to need to hear this.”
“So do I,” the prosecutor said.
“Well, it happened after the job. I was floating in the ocean?—”
“Why were you floating in the ocean?”
“Because I escaped and…that’s all I can tell you.” The judge rolled his eyes, so I continued. “Like I said, I was floating in the ocean when I was picked up by a Russian vessel. When they figured out where I had come from, I was immediately taken to the mainland. The man I met that day was very intimidating, but I knew I could escape given enough time.”
20
FNG
Somewhere off the Russian coast.
Approximately 14 hours, 22 minutes, and 16 seconds after the failed mission…
Relief was in sight,but I knew it was short-lived the moment I heard their accents. Russians. This wasn’t good, but at least I would be out of the ocean, even if I did have a bullet in my head twenty-four hours later. There was only so long a man could float around in the ocean.
They yelled at me as I was dragged by my arms out of the water. I allowed them to pull me across the dry land and toss me down just outside a house. I was shivering from the cold I still felt deep in my bones, but the moment he stepped in front of me, I knew I had bigger problems.
He was every bit as intimidating as I imagined a Russian to be. Tall and muscular, he was heavily tatted and just as mean looking. The orange glow of his cigarette lit his face just enough to see a thick mustache. I knew then I was in trouble. There was no one coming to help me, and even if by chance someone showed up, how was I ever supposed to get out of here alive?
“You are trespassing,” the man said.
“Technically, only because you pulled me from the ocean,” I said, hoping he would see reason.
“You come on my property uninvited.”
“Again,” I said, trying to stop my body from shaking, “I only came on your property because I was dragged out of the water.”
The man stepped forward, tossing his cigarette on the ground beside me. He stomped it out with his boot, then motioned for the men to pick me up. He turned on his heel and started for the house. I had a sinking feeling in my gut that this was not going to end well.
The doors opened and I was dragged into the back of the house through the kitchen. I saw the door standing open that clearly led to the basement and felt my heart kick up just a tad. Once I was down there, I’d never be seen again. I might not be able to die, but I could be tortured until I ended up in a bed, unable to communicate in any way.
I frowned when we passed the door and headed through the house to a very nice living area. Was he going to kill me right here where he watched TV? But instead, I was placed on his sofa—his very nice and expensive sofa. I immediately stood up and the man turned to me, his eyes narrowing on me.
“You no sit?”
“I couldn’t. I would ruin your furniture. I’m soaking wet.”
He waved me off and turned to pour himself a drink. “It is just couch. Sit.”
I glanced back at it and decided what the hell. If I was going to die, I might as well be comfortable first. He walked over to me, handing me a glass of what appeared to be vodka. But how could I be sure? Just one drink and I would be dead. No blood needed.
He held up his glass and said some kind of toast, then threw back the contents of his glass. When I didn’t immediately drink, he narrowed his eyes at me.
“It is rude not to drink. You drink. You get warm.”
Well, when he put it like that…yeah, it was still a bad idea to drink just so I wasn’t seen as rude, but what other choice did I have? I downed it, knowing that if it killed me quickly, at least I wouldn’t have to be tortured. I winced at the burn, but quickly felt it warming my body.
