Blue Blue Eyes: Crime Novel (37 page)

”What about your mother?” Nikki tried sounding neutral but her shaky voice exposed her. She hoped he wouldn’t notice it...

”Mum...she was really as guilty as him. Don’t think she did a bloody thing to help us. The only thing she cared about was where her pills were so she could flee into her world of drugs and denial. But finally she got daddy’s medicine too. He beat her to death.”

Hell to grow up with such an animal as a father. She didn’t know what Theo and Petros had been through but she knew what Stefan had done to her and the kids. That was something that Nikki didn’t wish even for her worst enemy. Nobody should have to be scared in their family. Without warning Theo screamed out his anguish and his look became dark as the night. A few seconds later he turned into the same devil as his father. Nikki who had been lying there flexing and trying to get out of the leather straps got so scared that she too started screaming.

”Shut up you bloody cop. You have no right to shout at all.” Theo once again picked up the scalpel. Slowly rose and with a face like a possessed demon went up to Nikki.

She continued screaming hysterically like a tortured piglet and then felt how Theo took a hold of her naked foot. She twisted as much as possible but without results and soon she had cramp in her whole foot. Suddenly Nikki felt a burning pain in her big toe and then she fainted. Theo continued methodically cutting along the big toe’s nail while the blood was making puddles on the concrete floor.

”Then we just have to loosen the other nail as well”, Theo said at the same time throwing a bucket of cold water over Nikki. ”I want you to be awake you see, because otherwise it’s not fun .” He took the scalpel and put it under the other big toe’s nail and started sawing down to the root.

Nikki screamed and screamed. The pain she felt was a reminder of her years with Stefan. She gasped for air and felt the fear of death quickly choking her.

”Then I’ll just loosen this nice little nail and then I’ll let you breathe for a while.” Theo smiled happily, put the knife under the toe-nail and carefully loosened it.

”Look”, he said fascinated and showed the bloody bit lying and dangling on the edge of the knife. ”Isn’t it beautiful?”

Nikki felt the nausea welling up inside her and she threw up. She closed her eyes and turned her wet face to the side so as not to suffocate while Theo grabbed her head.

”Look, I said.”

Nikki lifted her eyes and vomited again when she saw her bloody toe-nail with pink nail-polish on the edge. The sympathy she had just felt for the man was gone and she wished he would leave her alone. Can’t somebody find me soon. Please, she was begging silently.

”That’s it, that was the second nail, now there are only eight left to go.” Theo laughed out loud while grabbing the other toe. His eyes were wild and he seemed to be the devil himself.

Nikki screamed all she could, she was dead scared. She felt the blood pouring between her toes and closed her eyes hard. Was she really going to die here? Was this her lot in life?

”I really scared you there.” Theo grinned viciously and messed Nikki’s wet hair. ”Do you know what I actually do with curious people?” Nikki didn’t want to hear the answer so she remained silent.

Theo went back to the black bag and started looking in it. Meanwhile Nikki opened her eyes and started repeating the exercises. She flexed all the muscles in her body and relaxed. Flexed and relaxed. Affirmed and begged the superior authorities for somebody to save her. A few minutes later Theo returned with a chisel and a hammer in his hand. He had an evil look on his face and the fear Nikki now felt could not be described. The pictures of the victims’ empty eyes danced in front of her and she was breathing with difficulty.

”OK then let’s see what we can do. I think I’ll try something out which my father did to me. I will never forget that pain.” His voice was thick and Nikki didn’t know what to do. She opened her eyes which were full of fear widely and saw how Theo sat down on her stomach. She wriggled as much as she could until her muscles were screaming with tiredness and her hips almost dislocated. Her panic was building within her. She was absolutely petrified. Theo just continued smiling, and let her be overtaken by panic.

”OK, I’ll start from below, are you ready?” He lifted the hammer and carefully aimed with the chisel.

It took a few seconds for her tongue to be loose from her palate and her scream sounded inhuman. Then it all went dark and Nikki fainted from the horrible pain. Theo got up and once again filled the bucket with cold water. He enjoyed seeing the fear in Nikki’s eyes when she woke up from the cold shower.

”How was that? I think we’d better continue with another one, or what do you say?” He gave her an evil grin and raised the hammer. The second shot came as a shock and she lost consciousness again.

”Hello, I want you to be awake so as to experience what pain is, you curious idiot.” The hatred was extruding like sharp knives from his eyes while he tried getting his victim awake. Then he emptied the rest of the bucket over Nikki’s face and slowly she came too. Theo smiled at the damage. He had once again managed to recreate what his father had done to him.

”What do you say, isn’t it better if we take another rib?” Nikki was panting loudly. She could hardly think clearly since the excruciating pain was pulsating in her body. ”Might as well get it done”, she said panting. Theo stopped in the middle of a blow and looked at Nikki in surprise. ”What did you say?”

Nikki gathered up her courage to play along while at the same time almost fainting from fear.

”Why don’t you take them all.” Her pulse was beating so fast her field of vision was blurred and Nikki hoped that Theo would fall into her trap.

He shook his head not really understanding and put the hammer down. ”No, we are not going to have that kind of fun. Do you really think I’ll do something you ask me for?” Theo shook his head without understanding and pondering went up to the black bag. Nikki breathed with relief. She had won time but knew it was limited. Soon it would be too late. Was there really nobody missing her? Not even her colleagues at the station? She listened carefully but couldn’t hear any sirens or sound of traffic at all. It was quiet. Quiet as in the grave. The tears started pouring down her cheeks and she started crying without any control.

”Ah, stop that nonsense.” Nikki didn’t care. She cried even more.

”You’ll see, or rather you might never see again after this little game. Are you ready?”

Theo’s laughter echoed in the empty building and Nikki looked up with red, swollen eyes. The tight leather straps had rubbed off the skin on the inside of her wrists and the taste of blood in her mouth was tangible. The only wish she had was to be saved so she could go home to her children and safety again. When Theo took out different pliers Nikki wanted to sink through the floor. She tried not to hyperventilate but her heart was beating so hard and she lost control.

”Stop it, nobody hears your bloody primal screams anyway”, Theo said and squatted behind Nikki. She started wriggling as much as possible but he was much stronger and closed his legs even harder around her head. Nikki continued screaming until she felt a good slap burning her cheek.

”Maybe now you’ll shut up for a while.”

Nikki looked into Theo’s mad eyes and when he laughed she couldn’t stop staring at his crooked yellow teeth. Pictures of Dracula started circulating in her head and once again she started screaming when she saw the rusty pliers in front of her eyes and the fear of death held her in an iron grip. Petrified she shut both her eyes as much as she could while she felt how Theo’s knees pressed even harder around her head.

The man’s chubby fingers were all of a sudden fast despite three of them being wrapped around with bandages. He forced one of Nikki’s eyelids open without a problem and then she felt the cold blade of the metal against her cornea. Now I am going to die. A second later a gun-shot rang out in the air. Nikki screamed like a wild animal and then everything went silent apart from a high frequency ringing in her ears. Was she alive or was she dead? She didn’t know. The pressure over her head eased up suddenly and when Nikki opened her eyes she saw Theo falling to his side with his hands on his stomach.

A puddle of blood was growing larger on the concrete slab. In the corner of her eye she suddenly saw a shadow approaching and when the motorcycle guy dressed in black showed up all her nerves tightened up in a hard knot. She tried screaming but couldn’t. To her surprise Nikki saw that the stranger put his gun back in the holder before approaching her.

”No don’t touch me. Please.” The voice was weak and she pushed the words out. Every breath was - agony and Nikki supposed that one of her lungs was punctured.

”Calm now, just stay calm”, the man in black said quietly and started removing the leather straps.

Nikki recognized the square face surrounded by messy black hair. She would have called him handsome had it not been for him having scared her for several days as well as for his teeth. It seemed as though somebody had thrown them into his mouth.

”Who are you?” Nikki panted. She felt with the fingers over her red swollen wrists, it hurt and her fingertips turned red. She tried raising herself up on the elbow but the pain from her ribs and her groin prevented her.

”Stay lying down until the ambulance comes.” The man gave Nikki a warm look before continuing. ”Sorry if I have scared you, it was really not my purpose, the opposite actually.” He pulled down the zip on the jacket and eased the scarf around his neck. ”According to David’s suggestion I’ve been your shadow the past few days. My name is Xristos and I’m David’s colleague but I’m stationed here on Cyprus.” Nikki studied the muscular man and couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

”What the hell does David have to do with this?”

”I think you’ll have to ask him about that. I’ve just obeyed orders by keeping an eye on you. How are you, what are your injuries?” The gun shot came from no-where and Nikki saw the man in black collapse holding his leg.

”Police! Drop all weapons and stretch up your hands!” Nikki heard Carlos’ sharp voice and saw him coming closer with the gun pointed at her.

”Carlos?” Nikki hissed in surprise while seeing how Xristos was bleeding a lot from his thigh. ”Don’t shoot!” How the hell could the idiot shoot first without warning, is he completely mad? Nikki sighed out loud and then collapsed on the concrete.

”Stay put or I’ll shoot.” Carlos ungracefully went up with the gun still pointing at Xristos and quickly put on the handcuffs.

”Call an ambulance”, Nikki said with great effort. ”He’s a friend, and bloody put away the gun.”

Nikki heard the sharp sound of sirens and the next minute a police car skidded in front of the skeleton of a building. Sam and Daphne quickly jumped out of the car and ran toward Carlos with their guns ready.

”Everything is fine, you can put down your guns”, Nikki tried shouting but the pain from the broken ribs made her voice sounding like a whisper.

Sam arrived first. Strangely enough Nikki felt tears welling up in her eyes when she saw him. She closed her eyes and was engulfed with a strange happiness. Sam looked at her intensively while he leaned with his face next to hers and stroked Nikki over her wet dishevelled hair.

”Shit, how injured are you?”

Nikki made an effort, licked her lips which desperately needed some moisturizing. ”Some broken ribs only, but please call an ambulance. I don’t know if my lung’s been punctured too, but we have another two injured.”

Sam did as told while looking around.

”Can you sit up?”

Nikki heard Sam’s voice from far away. She was dizzy and her head felt as if it was full of air. The thoughts stopped abruptly and she fainted.

”Damn it, Nikki.” Sam’s voice was shrill and he tapped her lightly on the cheek. A confused look appeared on Nikki’s face as she opened her eyes again. She felt cold and her teeth clattered.

”Thank goodness.” Sam smiled worriedly. ”Don’t move, the ambulance will soon be here.”

Carlos stood next to the two injured men and smiled crudely while Daphne had tied the scarf hard around Xristos’ thigh.

”He’s bloody bleeding to death, don’t just stand there but do something. Use anything to apply pressure so you can stop this bleeding.” Daphne looked at Theo who was all white-face. He had lost a lot of blood and was already unconscious.

”Like hell will he get any help”, the Chief answered reluctantly.

”He might as well bleed to death. It will cost society less than if he survives.”

Daphne looked at her boss without understanding.
I can’t make it, how bloody stupid can you be.
”Carlos, just do as I tell you. Take something and hold it hard against his stomach.”

Carlos smirked. ”Darling, since when are you above me really? You just shut up and obey my orders. Understood? If he’s behind Nikki’s condition then he’ll taste his own medicine.”

Daphne thought she hadn’t got it right. Since when did Carlos take Nikki’s side? Irritated she hurried to Theo, tore his shirt and crumpled it up to press it hard against his stomach.

”But don’t you bloody hear me? He’s not to be helped.”

”We might lose him if we don’t help. Since when did we become executioners? We don’t have any right to condemn a human being to death!” Daphne was shouting. She was extremely angry.