Page 17 of Ricochet
It always worked with women, telling them somebody else was after you, especially the women who already went through something similar. In those moments, they tended to forget everything about their own safety. Only the urge to help another poor woman was there, coursing through their bodies.
“Pozhaluysta.” I continued knocking, pushing the tears at my eyes. “Pozhaluysta, otkroyte dver’.”
Just as I was about to decide to knock the door down, and fuck everything else, the sounds of chains being removed traveled to my ears, and I knew I had her. But, seriously, who would open a door like this?
A woman I already saw in pictures stood there just a head shorter than me. Her dark hair framed her face, and the compassion on her face almost made me laugh. If she only knew.
“Bednyazhka.” She opened the door wider. “Zakhodi.”Get inside.
The interior of the apartment, if this could even be called an apartment, was almost barren. A lone couch sat on the other side, closer to the windows and a little boy stood just in front, looking at me with curious little eyes. His hair was the same color as his mother’s, but his eyes definitely belonged to his father.
Ocean blue.
I scanned my surroundings, seeing a chair next to the table on my right side. Perfect.
“Kto,” Svetlana spoke, but just as she locked the door, I turned to her and grabbed the back of her neck with my hand.
“Privet, Svetlana,” I whispered in her ear as I pushed her onto the wall. “Do you know who I am?”
She started struggling, trying to break free, except that won’t work with me. I pressed my index finger and thumb on the sides of her neck. She started whimpering and stopped immediately.
“Ne delay nam bol’no.”Don’t hurt us. It always fascinated me how hopeful these people still were, even after they saw the executioner with their own two eyes.
“I know you speak English, Svetlana, so cut the crap and stop pretending.” I turned her to me and slammed her head on the wall, her eyes closing with impact. “Do you know who I am?”
She opened her eyes, the blood vessels breaking from the impact with the wall.
“You’re a devil.” What did I just say? She does speak English.
“Oh my God.” I faked the excitement. “How did you know my nickname? Are we going to be besties now?”
She sneered at me, and I smiled at the sheer bravery this woman was showing. She still didn’t answer me, but living this life, being with that man, meant she knew more than she was showing. She knew who I was and why I was here.
She kept glancing toward the little boy who stood still in the same spot. If only she knew. I pushed her onto the chair and pulled out the two zip ties I stored in the pocket of my coat. I started tying her hands together, tightening the hold. I pulled the other chair and sat across from her, resting my elbows on my knees.
“For the last time, Svetlana.” She looked at me again. “Do you know who I am?”
Her lower lip trembled, but the scowl on her face, and no doubt, her pride, prevented her from crying in front of me. Well, maybe I could admire her before taking her life. Most men would start crying as soon as they saw me.
“I don’t know who you are,” she spoke. “But I’ve heard of you. We all have.”
Fascinating.
“Oh yeah? Tell me, I wanna know.”
“You’reBaba Yaga. Death, destruction.”
Baba Yaga? Now, that was a nickname I could get behind. The other ones usually sounded too boring. Murderer, psychopath, assassin, people really weren’t creative enough.
“And do you know why I’m here?” I stood up and slowly walked toward the boy. I sat on the couch and tapped the spot next to me. “Prikhodit’.”
“Please don’t hurt him.” I looked at her, panic written all over her face.Weakness. This little boy was her biggest weakness, and what did I do with those? I exploited them, took them and made their hearts bleed when what they wanted to protect the most was torn away from them.
“I won’t,” I lied. “If you answer my questions.”
“You want to know about Evgeniy, right? You want to know his location.”
I quirked an eyebrow at her, and the little boy climbed on the sofa, sitting right next to me. “Yes.”
