Threat: Follow up to Stranded but not Alone (Dragoslava Connection) (28 page)

Don’t kill him
.

“Mikhail, I got this, go find your woman.”

~~~CB~~~

Simone came barreling from the kitchen sliding into Seth at the end of the walk. “Honey, everybody stop,” she announced, waving a picture frame through the air. “Glenda’s not who we think she is. Look at this old picture of the winter games.” She held a framed shot of the patrons from years ago and one from today. “Glenda came in saying she was getting something of Bethany’s for a search dog. She lied. Everything’s gone.”

“Talk fast Simone, I have to go,” Mikhail forced dancing on the balls of his feet.

“Can you wait a second? Guys it’s important.” Mikhail vibrated and waited. “On her bed was an empty syringe marked Botox, a satin bag with needles and a vile of Novocain. Also here in the picture, the woman next to Mikhail a few years ago?”

“Nina…my ex, she moved to Switzerland…was in an accident and left the company. She never came back.” He stretched his neck to look after the truck getting away. “Simone come on what am I looking for?”

“Just look…I took this the other day. Those eyes and those eyes,” pointing to Glenda and Greg. “They’re family. Now look at your ex Mikhail… same eyes.”

“She had plastic surgery,” Seth announced what everyone else was thinking. “Glenda is Nina, the woman Mikhail dated two years ago.”

Mikhail felt blood drain from his face that he couldn’t see her under all the changes. Those eyes…her red roots she kept bleached…how did he miss it? “I bet she’s working with Mark. We dated for a few weeks and when the diversity program started, she asked if I could send her back to Switzerland where her family’s from. She thought I was going to propose when I sent her out there.”

Seth gave him a hard stare. “You couldn’t see it was the same woman?”

He didn’t need this right now. “Don’t start with me on this. This is about me screwing around with a new woman every week. I gave that up, Seth.”

“Brother I got your back, but you went through women like paper towels for a while there. Maybe that’s why you didn’t recognize Nina.”

Reality was a bitch in ski jacket.

Mikhail pushed back the truth then said, “I see Bethany and that’s all I want right now. Nina resigned after the car accident, and we lost contact. She left all her clients in a lurch; I had to deal with the backlash. Mark contacted her to do an exit meeting and that was the end. I never heard from her again.” He hesitated, thinking back on the year. “That’s when the animosity from Mark started after my rank change when grandfather went into semi-retirement then a few months ago when the program started to show a profit.”

Seth said, “Nina, Glenda whoever she is wants Bethany dead. Let’s find her before it’s too late.”

At the sound of a truck’s engine, every head turned to see a black SUV roar down the mountain road, snow spewing from the back tires.

Mikhail shouted, “Forget the barn. That’s Mark’s truck, and I’ll bet Bethany’s in the back. Crazy get the horses on the trail. Go—go—go.”

“He won’t get away with your woman,” Crazy shouted slapping him to rush to the horses, getting on the back. He bounded over to those still standing with their horse. A thundering cloud of hooves and snow poured down the mountain.

Inside the chopper, Mikhail put on his headphones directing the pilot. “Follow that SUV down the mountain.”

“Roger that,” he answered, and the chopper rose off the ground in a whirl of snow. It cleared the trees and followed the mass of horses thundering down the road.

The night grew darker as they left the lights of the chalet. The truck came into view.

Mikhail waved a hand manically through the air.

“Get in front of the SUV and make it stop. I don’t care if you set in on the roof, my woman’s in there,” he shouted, clutching the microphone strapped to his face. What were they doing to Bethany? Pain cracked through him, flames burning up his heart. He had to find his woman.

Seth tapped his shoulder, getting his attention.

He followed his hand indicating snow flipping through the air to his left. Crazy’s big horse walked down the SUV hugging the curves of the mountainside, snow, like white fire burning through the forest, clearing a path, jumping over berms and hills. Mikhail’s heart thudded a merciless pressure behind his chest. The SUV bent the air, hurdling off through a narrow path the chopper would never find, ducking between the pines. Crazy followed.

The crowd of his employees right behind him rushed down the snow-covered forest in a mad rush of hooves. Then he saw it. He felt it. Felt his common sense slipping from his mind and terror grinning over his shoulder standing at his back with a rifle ready to carry him into the fire for his woman.

He shot a look as Seth now pointing to the ground, began cursing out into the air. “Dammit Sim…what are you doing?”

Simone tore up the landscape plowing through the snow hunched over her horse, passing the others coming up alongside Crazy.

Pride crushed Mikhail’s heart. His family was fighting by his side.

Snowmobiles flooded the forest in a rush of hums and buzzing and glowing lights.

A threat of an avalanche loomed from the surrounding mountains.

“Get me down there, now!” he shouted, struggling with his seatbelt. His baby was out there. Visions of Simone being tortured last year filled his mind, blinding him to right or wrong. All he knew was he had to get down there. He couldn’t survive without his Bethany.

The chopper swung around and got in front of the SUV.

The forest opened. The chopper dipped, hovering closer to the SUV, blinding it with a tornado of white.

“Stop that truck, hurry up!” Mikhail shouted. “I don’t care how.” He couldn’t breathe. Didn’t need to. He just needed to get to Bethany.

The chopper rose high above the grove of trees and settled in the air low enough to make the truck swerve. He shone his flood light over the SUV. It glowed through the haze of flurries covering it now.

The truck swerved, banking hard to the right, and Mikhail’s heart hurt. Black metal rolled and bounced over on its side, the sound of glass blowing out of the windows and metal slamming against the ground echoed through the mountains.

Tires in the air covered in snow and grass. Glass shattered, spraying out over the blanketing snow. Tumbling, it rolled to the edge of the ravine, rocking on its side precariously close to the river. Any minute it would slip into the icy water drowning Bethany.

No!

“Down—down—down—now!” he shouted taking off his seat belt. He bolted from the chopper. Pulling the gun from his waistband, he started down the slope digging his heels into the snow for purchase. Seth followed and chased a large figure limping out of the driver seat, ducking into the shadows.

“Go get your woman. I got this,” Seth tore off into the forest, pulling the gun from his back.

Darting glances around the truck, Mikhail shrugged off his coat to lay over the broken glass in the window. He swung around hearing a familiar voice. Simone

“Bethany okay?” she said eyes bright in the chopper light slicing through the darkening forest.

He slung a hurried glance in her direction. “Simone get out of here! It’s not safe on the edge.”

“Like hell I am. Where’s my husband?”

A shadow filled in behind her. “I got her covered,” Crazy’s voice filled the air. “Mikhail I got this. Come on Simone, he went after the driver.”

She took off running.

Mikhail crawled over to the window closest to the ground, rocks stabbing him in the hands and knees hidden in the snow.

Soft moans hit his ears, but they weren’t Bethany’s.

Glenda!

The SUV swiveled on its roof. At the back window, he peered inside. Bethany lay unconscious between the door and the seat. Mark on top of her and Glenda slumped against the window...moaning, blood splattered over her face.

He climbed over glass on the driver’s seat that was tearing into his legs through the jeans and his hands through the gloves. With each step the truck rocked, the back end rising off the ground.

“Mikhail, I knew you’d come for me.” Glenda squeezed out dragging herself over to him at the door. The truck rocked back and forth.

“Stop moving. The truck could slide over.”

She kept crawling. “We don’t need her Mikhail. You and I were going to be the next mogul couple for Heinemann’s. We were going to be rich.”

Dismissing Glenda, he kept after Bethany to wake up. “Bethany wake up, baby. C’mon, get up,” he shouted.

Glenda came closer. The truck rocked.

Mikhail reached in shoving Glenda to the side. He had to get Bethany out before it slid any further. He got a hand under Mark while Glenda was still tugging on him to get out.

The truck slid.

He halted. Mark’s eyes opened.

Someone pulled at his leg. He shot a look around to see one of his instructors. “Hold my feet. I have to get Bethany out. When I tell you pull me out.”

“Okay.”

Glenda crawled out of the truck and took off down the hill.

“Somebody stop her,” he screamed, running his hands over Bethany, feeling for a pulse. Blocking out the world around him he listened. Pressing his face to her chest, he caught the faint beat he prayed fought it’s way back to him.

“C’mon baby, that’s it, keep breathing. I’ll get you out of here.”

He had to get Mark’s limp body off her.

Then a click rent the air.

“Get us both out and back away. Bethany is mine,” Mark said inches from his face. Sweat broke out over his forehead.

Simone couldn’t let him fight alone, with the painful memories of last year sliding down her spine in icy blades.

Be cool Simone
, she held her sanity by a thread.
Remember you told Seth the nightmares had stopped, so at least pretend you were telling the truth. You’re tougher than visions in the dark. You’re Simone Dragoslava from Michigan. You nursed two babies at once. You got this
.

She crunched through the snow following closely in Seth’s large boot tracks.

Reaching for her flashlight hooked onto her belt loop, she pressed the tab, the soft glow spread out over the thick snow under her feet, lighting her way down the dank space. She held onto tree trunks, weaving her way through the night praying a wolf or bear didn’t come out. She’d hated killing that one last year but to save a loved one you did what you had to.

The echoes of voices bouncing off the trees were like breadcrumbs. She followed carefully not to give herself away, but the way her heart was beating anyone with ears could hear her coming.

Calm down, this isn’t the barn they kept you in. There are no chains on your leg. The bullet wound healed months ago and your babies are safe. Walk through that nightmare, because this time the gun is in your hands
.

Ducking around a large tree, she heard an unmistakable rasp of Munson’s voice a few yards away and the vibe of her husband not far.

“You just couldn’t let me run my investigation my way. Drop your weapon, Dragoslava!”

“Drop yours, Munson.” A shot rang out in the night. Her heart dropped. Instantly she knew in her bones Seth had been hit. She felt the drop kick to her stomach, and no one had to tell her he was hurt.

“You cost me everything I’ve ever worked for last year,” Munson complained. “That promotion was mine, but you had to go in and screw it to hell. You cost me the Captain’s position, you and your friends and that brother of yours.”

That was why he took this case, to get back at Seth.

“That’s your problem,” Seth said. “Nobody tortures my wife and lives.”

Munson’s footsteps came closer to Simone. “I know you’re hit Seth. I’ll give you a chance to run before I shoot you again or go and find your brother or that wife of yours.”

“Checked your pulse lately Munson. Mention my wife again and you won’t have one. Turn yourself in, Munson. We know you helped Greg, Mark, and Glenda. You’ll do hard time for this.”

A hand came over Simone’s mouth dragging her into the shadows. She kicked back into his shins. “Damn Simone, what’s on your feet, swords? It’s me Edward. That hurt, woman.”

She brought her foot down, turning in his arms too look up into his face. “Edward, he’s been shot, I know it. I feel it in here,” she said sucking down air a hand braced to her heart. “I can’t catch my breath.”

Edward’s face inches from hers in the dark, she felt his breath on her neck. “Shut off your flashlight, squat down on the ground and don’t move.”

“Bring my husband back Edward…that’s my soul, do what you have to, but bring him back.” Tears washed down her face with the pain cresting her heart.

Edward touched her hand. “Got your rifle”

“Yeah,” she said wiping hair off her face.

“Stay in the shadows. If Munson comes out, take him down. I’m not getting my ass whopped for letting you get hurt.” He squeezed her fingers then slipped away into the darkened tunnel his steps feather light. He was a trained tracker. He’d find Seth, and everything would be okay.

“Now where is the one I want…Mrs. Dragoslava? I’ve been waiting to get my hands on you for some time now,” he spat, crunching through the crusted snow.

He picked the wrong woman, on the wrong day, with a pocket full of shots.

“I know you’re out here. I can smell your perfume. Come out so we can talk.” Footsteps crunched around her. Simone angled around to a thicker tree making herself small behind the trunk.

Simone eyed him through the sight on the rifle, her finger itching to pull the trigger and blow him into the trees.

“Not much of a fighter. I thought he'd be tougher to take down, but what can you expect from a man who makes girls. A real man would have given you boys first.”

“Only a prick makes threats in the dark, Munson. Bring your punk ass one step closer, and I’ll decorate this forest with splatters of your blood. Stay right there.” She needed to see Seth first. If Edward didn’t find him, only Munson knew where he was out there. Possibly unconscious.

He laughed. “Oh the little American can curse.”

Could shoot too and he was about to find out how well. Taking aim, she sent a round into the ground two feet from his boots. The sound ricocheted off the trees, echoing through the night. Animals made scurrying noises under the canopy of the forest.