Iris Johansen - Chasing the Night

“Rakovac called and told me to put him up in the cell. He’s bringing Catherine Ling tonight.” Mikhal frowned. “I don’t see why we need to bother with these people. I’m willing to do Rakovac favors, but this may be too much.”

“I wouldn’t say that to him.” Russo pushed Eve forward. “Go along with him. I’m sure you’re eager to meet Luke and see if your age progression was true to him.”

“Rakovac hasn’t said that he’d continue with our arrangements after the boy is gone.” Mikhal was still scowling. “Has he told you anything?”

“I wouldn’t count on it. Though I could be wrong.” He turned toward the car. “I’d discuss it in depth with you, but I’m on my way to St. Petersburg to board a flight. My part of this is over. Rakovac said he wouldn’t need me again after I brought you the women.”

“That’s what he told me too.” Mikhal reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an automatic. “He’s done with you.” He shot Russo in the head.

Kelly made a whimpering sound as she instinctively moved closer to Eve.

“It’s okay, Kelly.” Eve’s arm slid around her waist. It wasn’t okay, but she didn’t know what else to say. She was as shocked as Kelly. Russo might have been as evil as Rakovac, but she hadn’t been expecting his murder. If Eve was this stunned, she could imagine what the young girl was feeling. “No, it’s bad, but we have to hang in there.”

Kelly nodded jerkily.

Mikhal had turned toward them and was gesturing with the weapon. “Come. I’ll have one of my men take care of that garbage. Luke is waiting.”

That sentence sounded faintly ominous, Eve thought. “Where are you taking us?”

“To the cell.” He was urging them up the staircase. “Luke’s second home. Actually, it’s not really a cell. Savrin House had none of those convenient advantages. It’s just a bedroom that we converted for that purpose. Rakovac insisted he be isolated on occasion as punishment. Sometimes I think Luke likes it better than his room. He certainly makes me lock him up there enough.”

“A cell?” Eve said distastefully. “A child in a cell?”

“But this child is like no other. Rakovac made sure of that.” Mikhal laughed. “And I admit I helped enormously.” His smile faded. “Though now it seems I’m to receive no gratitude for past favors.” He glanced over his shoulder at the front door. “Not even for ridding him of that carrion. Though I might have done it anyway. Whenever he came here with Rakovac, I could see he thought himself above us.” He stopped before a thick wood door and took a key out of his pocket. “Oh, I almost forgot.” He took out a camera phone and snapped a picture. “Rakovac is very fond of photos. Come. I have no more time for you.” He unlocked the door, untied their wrists, and pushed them both over the threshold into the half darkness. “Luke,” he called. “You have visitors. Treat them well. They may be your last.” He slammed the door shut behind them, and Eve heard the key turn in the lock.

No sound from the dimness of the room.

Eve waited an instant for her eyes to become accustomed to the lack of light before she looked around the small room. A small table with two metal kitchen chairs, an old leather chest pushed against the wall, wood floors. Late-afternoon sunlight trickled through the bars of the one high window directly across from them.

But the room was empty.

No, there was a small, dark shape huddled in the corner.

Luke?

Eve hesitated. Dear God, was the child hurt?

Or dead.

“Are you Luke?” Kelly had brushed past her and had fallen to her knees beside the boy. “I’m Kelly. Are you okay? Do you speak English?”

The boy didn’t reply.

“Answer me,” Kelly said shakily. “This is terrible enough without you-”

“I speak English.” The boy sat up straighter against the wall. His words had the slightest trace of a Russian accent. “And I don’t have to talk to you if I don’t want to do it. I don’t know you.”

“How do you speak English?” Kelly asked curiously. “You were only two when-”

“Kelly, it’s not uncommon for children to learn their birth language by age two and retain it afterward,” Eve said. “And Russo said Czadas had an attachment to everything English. He probably didn’t try to erase that part of Luke’s former life. Now stop questioning him. We need to tell him who we are and why we’re here.” She came over and stood in the stream of light so that he could clearly see her. “I’m Eve Duncan, and this is Kelly Winters. Your mother has been searching for you, and we came with her to find you.”

He didn’t speak.

Well, what had she been expecting? She had no idea what he thought about Catherine. The memory of her might have been so faint as to be almost non ex is tent. “She loves you very much, Luke. She’s going to try to come here and get you even though it may be very dangerous.”

No reply.

“We have to find a way to get you out of here. Then there would be no reason for her to run that risk. Will you do as I say if I can figure a way to-”

“I won’t do as you say,” He leaned suddenly forward into the stream of light. Eve smothered a gasp. Luke, the Luke of her age progressions, but so much more…and less. The same beautiful bone structure as his mother’s, olive skin, and wide-set dark eyes. But his face was thinner, harder, and his eyes were glittering with defiance and knowledge far beyond his years. He was probably the most beautiful boy Eve had ever seen, but the joyousness that had touched her heart in that photo was no longer there.

“Is this some trick?” Luke asked. “Why would he let you come here to me? Why should I trust you? Why should I trust her? All my life they’ve been telling me what a whore and a beast she is. Sometimes I believe them. Why should I-”

“Shut up!” Kelly was kneeling facing him, her eyes blazing into his. “You don’t talk about Catherine like that. I guess I’m supposed to feel sorry for you, but I don’t. Everyone is trying to help you. So be quiet and let us do it. Catherine loves you and deserves better. Don’t you call her names.”

Darkness and light. The two beautiful young people were kneeling facing each other, and Eve found herself mesmerized by the sight of them. Kelly, so fair-haired and fragile appearing, Luke dark and hard as a diamond. Both glaring at each other, caught in a storm of emotion.

Then Luke’s expression changed, anger ebbing, replaced with curiosity. “You like her.”

“Of course I like her. She saved my life. And she wants to save yours. Don’t you realize that these people will kill you? Did they brainwash you or something? You’re in a cell, for goodness’ sake. Are you stupid?”

“I’m not stupid,” Luke said fiercely. “And I don’t know anything about this brainwashing, but I think that’s an insult, too. Do it again, and I’ll knock you into that wall.”

“You and who-”

“Kelly.” Eve stepped forward. “Catherine wouldn’t want you to defend her in this way.”

“No, she wouldn’t defend herself at all. She’d feel sorry for him and think she’s to blame for what that monster Rakovac and Mikhal Czadas did to him.” Her voice was shaking. “She’s not to blame. They hurt her as much as they did you. And now she’s going to let him bring her here, and he’ll try to kill her because of you. Now you tell us how to stop it.”

“Kelly, what are you asking?” Eve said. “He’s a kid and a prisoner just as we are. There’s no way you can expect him to-”

“Yes, I can,” Kelly interrupted. “It’s a part of his pattern. He survives. Do you think he would have lasted this long if he didn’t have that drive? I’ve been thinking about him since we began to get hints from Rakovac that he was still alive. He’s Catherine’s son, and that would count a lot toward making him like her. He’d have her strength and endurance. And he learns from his mistakes. Two years ago, he knew enough about this place to help Natalie escape. And he was smart enough to know that he couldn’t go with her unless he had enough money to keep himself hidden from them. Luke thinks and waits and takes whatever is done to him.” She looked him in the eye. “But you don’t give up, do you? You never give up.”