Page 125 of The Dark Side

In the safe room, Jolie sat on the ground with Helina tucked into her side as they watched Frozen in Russian. The words were rough, coarse, and difficult for her to work her lips around, but she tried her hardest to pay attention to the little girl as she went over sayings.

Jolie's mind was on something entirely different and terrifying, but she pretended for the child. She smiled and laughed, watching Helina get annoyed with her inability to speak Russian properly.

It was over an hour now that they were in this safe room. With soundproof walls and the movie blaring, there were no hints of what was happening out there. Jolie watched Tatianna, hoping for support, but the woman was fixing her makeup with a small glass mirror. Tatianna was as sweet as sunshine, but emotionally, she was empty. Was there nothing that bothered her?

Is Tatianna my future?

Jolie wanted to ask the woman thousands of questions about marrying into the Mafia, but she didn't dare in case she accidentally leaked that she was dating theotherbrother. Instead, they sat quietly, listening to the Russian voices of actors.

A weird sound rang in her ear, like scrapping metal against metal. "What is that?"

Tatianna shook her head. "I never know. It will be over soon. I hope this doesn't ruin our afternoon."

Jolie snatched the iPad and turned it off. Helina hollered at her, but Jolie quieted her, and they listened. The sound was a continuous vibration, and soon, the sound became familiar. It sounded like a tool her stepfather used on weekends when he built her a swing set. A saw. She got up on her feet, searching. "They're sawing through the ship."

Tatianna giggled. "No, sweetie, what would they do that for? They would have to know about the safe room, and only a few people know about it."

"Do you trust those people?"

"Adrik took the proper precautions, I'm sure." The sound stopped. Jolie put her hand against the wall tentatively before she pressed her ear against it.

Two inches from her face, the saw broke through.

Jolie jumped back, pulled Tatianna out of the chair, and picked up Helina. The little girl clung to her, once more spouting Russian. It brought the memories from the shootout fresh into her thoughts, and she gripped the little girl's head. This time, Jolie was ready with soothing Russian words. They were choppy and felt odd on her tongue, but she nonetheless whispered,"You're okay, princess."Jolie went for the door, but Tatianna gripped her arm.

"What are you doing?"

Jolie flicked her eyes between the woman and the sparks shooting out from the wall. "We can't stay here!"

"My son is coming. Just wait."

"They are breaking down the wall!"

Tatianna touched Jolie's arm. "I understand it is scary. But be patient, sweetheart."

The woman was out of her mind. Jolie was quite sure there wasn't a human in her. She was a shell of a woman, only acting like she was alive. Jolie ripped her arm free and placed her hand on the keypad. The door clicked as it unlocked, and Jolie pushed it open.

The door was pulled out of her grasp, and two black men stood before her. They were giants, grinning like fools, with guns in their hands. The first one reached for Helina, and Jolie resisted, pulling her back, but when a barrel pressed into the side of her forehead, her muscles weakened. Helina was pried out of her arms, her little fingers trying to grip Jolie's clothes, but the man peeled her off.

"On your knees," the left one ordered. Jolie wasn't paying attention; she was watching Helina, trying to soothe her. A sharp hit to the side of her head dropped her to the floor. She moaned, trying to push the dizziness from her brain.

A bomb went off from above, vibrating the ground. Jolie blinked, focusing on the noise, and she pressed a hand against the floor, feeling the movement. The drilling behind them stopped, and shouts weren't too far behind. But it was only a minute before the sound of a dozen bullets broke through the crack in the soundproof wall, and screams followed.

Jolie stared at the floor, her heart pounding, her breath coming in crazy pants. If she had waited, Adrik and his people would have saved them, and they would have remained unharmed in the safe house. Guilt barreled on her heavier than gravity. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to wrap her brain around everything, but she was lost. This was too extreme. She might have killed them all.

Helina shivered and whimpered as the man placed his hands on her shoulders. "Don't do anything stupid, and we won't hurt you. You understand?"

Jolie clenched her teeth, but it was painful. She forced out, "She only speaks Russian."

The mercenary flicked his eyes to her. "Then, translate," he bit back.

Tatianna whispered to her with a sweet, calming voice, and Jolie sunk to the ground in shame. She was criticizing the woman for not responding like an average person, yet she now saw Tatianna's attitude as more of a strength. The woman was impenetrable. She didn't whimper and shake. To her, this was a momentary misunderstanding.

If only I could tell my heart that,Jolie mused.

A shadow shifted in the backwall. “Dima!” Helina cried, but it was the worst thing she could have done. The man in front of her wasted no time, spinning around and firing into the darkness. Bullets ricocheted off pipes and hissed, sending out a stream of white smoke. “No! Dima!” Helina wiggled and kicked at the man, but he had one good hold of her shoulder and it was all he needed. Dima collapsed, his gun falling inches from him. He struggled with movement, trying to push against the ground to drag his body, stretching for his gun. Another shot to his head and the arm slapped against the ground.

Jolie clenched her eyes tight.Don't look, don't look, don't look. It's fine. He's fine.The words were illogical; even she knew that, but she kept repeating them.

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