Page 64 of Savage Warrior

I shake my head to clear the tangled recollection. I’m not the killer. They are. They shot the policeman.

They shot me!

Yes. That’s it. Another man was there, in the icy forest. Tall, with blond hair and a scar on his cheek. He yelled at me, called me a stupid, filthy slag, said I was going to die. He pointed his gun and he fired.

There was pain. Blazing, agonising pain. I was on the ground, screaming. I looked up and saw him, standing over me, his gun in my face. He was right, I was going to die.

But, maybe, somehow, I didn’t. Because I’m here instead. In a hospital. Alive.

How did this happen? I have no recollection beyond those terrifying moments when I writhed on the ground, my body on fire and that murderer towering above me with hate in his eyes.

The memories clarify, crystallise. It begins to make sense, all the pieces dropping into place. I was abducted, brought on a ship to this country to be sold. But I escaped. I ran away to hide, and I found a place. The cabin in the mountains, surrounded by trees. Then, ?tefan came.

?tefan. I shudder at the memories, but not in fear. He scared me at first. He was so angry that I was there, in his cabin. But he listened to me, and he let me stay. He protected me and said he would help me. He did help me.

He was there, with me in the woods, hiding from those men. Did they kill him?

No. He’s here. Or he was. I heard his voice, felt his hand on mine.

I settle back against the pillows and allow myself to relax. ?tefan is close by. He’ll be back before long, then we can go. Because I need to leave here soon. He knows that. I have responsibilities, people who need me, and ?tefan will help me to go home.

On that reassuring thought, I drift back to sleep.

“Is ?tefan coming today?”

It’s been three days since I finally, properly regained consciousness. Three days of waking, hurting, wondering where he is. He told me he’d be here, but he isn’t, and no one will tell me why. Or when he’ll be back.

The doctor at the foot of my bed glances up from the tablet computer she’s studying. Her name is Megan, and she doesn’t work here at the hospital, she told me. She works for the same organisation as ?tefan, and she was there, in the forest. I didn’t see her, but she told me what had happened.

?tefan called for help. I do remember that, the phone call. Megan came, along with other men, ?tefan’s friends. They killed the Russians who were trying to murder us, and they rescued me and ?tefan. He’d been shot as well, but is not as badly hurt as I am. He took a bullet in the leg, me in the stomach. Megan sat beside me when I first woke up and assured me he’s going to be all right. And, she said, so will I. Eventually.

They removed my spleen because it was damaged too badly. That’s why I’m swathed in bandages, and it hurts so much. They’re pumping me full of drugs, and that won’t stop. I’m to be on medication for the rest of my life.

But at least I am alive.

Megan walks around my bed to check the monitors. “I’m not sure,” she says in answer to my earlier question. “I don’t think so.”

“Where is he? Could I speak to him?”

“You need to concentrate on getting well again yourself,” she replies, evading my questions as she adds more notes to her tablet.

She speaks to me slowly, in English. I can just about follow what she’s saying. It’s the same with the rest of the staff here. They are all very kind and efficient, but the one person I want, need to speak to, has disappeared.

I try another tack. “How long will I need to be in hospital for?”

“Not long.”

“I need to leave. I have family waiting for me.”

“You’re not well enough yet, Arina. Just try to relax and—”

“But, when? I feel much better.” Not entirely true, but I have to convince her, and the other doctors.

“You’re out of danger and recovering well from the surgery, but it will take time for you to recover properly. You need to get your strength back.”

“How long? A few days? A week…?”

She arches an eyebrow. “Arina, it’ll be weeks, maybe months before you’re properly fit again. But don’t fret. You’re in good hands here. We all know what we’re doing.”

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