Page 45 of Sworn to My Heart
I ask the pharmacist for painkillers, dropping the only name I know to sound credible and not require a prescription from a doctor, and glance at the soldier to ensure he’s not too close. The moment he shifts his attention to his phone, I immediately ask for a pain relief pill for myself as well, mentioning loudly enough that I have a bad urinary tract infection.
I pay for the two boxes of pills that the pharmacist puts in a small plastic bag and muster up my resolve—it’s now or never.
“I’m sorry, this UTI is unbearable. Can I please use your staff restroom?” I ask quickly. The pharmacist agrees with a smile and opens the passage behind the counter.
I turn to the soldier behind me, “Wait here, I’m just going to the restroom,” I say and follow the pharmacist into the back room without waiting for the soldier’s approval.
I breathe a sigh of relief as the door closes behind us, breaking the soldier’s line of sight with me.
The pharmacist points toward an old wooden door with a handwritten A4 sheet taped to it that says “Restroom.”
I nod at him in understanding, thank him, and head toward it. The sound of the door opening again behind me assures me the pharmacist has returned to the counter.
I quickly open the restroom door to find a tiny stall in front ofme.
A broken and dirty toilet stands with a mop bucket beside it. The strong smell of feces hits my nose, and I pinch it shut, struggling not to vomit up the dinner I had at Cora’s. I have to get out of here quickly before Luca’s man realizes something’s wrong, I remind myself, looking up.
Just as I thought, there’s a rectangular window that pushes outward. Cora underestimated my improvisational skills. The window is small, but there’s just enough room for me to squeeze through. Carefully, I climb onto the toilet, repeating “Luca, Luca, Luca” to keep myself focused and not second-guess my decision. The stench isn’t making my self-motivation any easier.
I push the window open with all my strength, and it slowly gives way, but a plastic handle at the top stops it from opening fully. I take a deep breath, hit it hard, and the handle breaks. The window swings open wide. I’ve just done them a huge favor; hopefully, they’ll thank me later.
I glance back to ensure no one is coming in, then carefully climb through the window, relieved that it’s a ground-floor store, though the jump is still high. The storage room door creaks open in the distance, and I leap in panic.
A curse slips out as I scrape my knee on the pavement, but I quickly recover, stand up, look around, and spot two taxis behind the pharmacy. I run fast, praying Luca’s man doesn’t spot me through the glass doors, and then I dive into the first taxi.
I urge the driver to start going and give him the address. My heart pounds as I stare out the window, confirming to myself that I did it—I escaped. The soldier hasn’t even realized I’m gone yet.
I take a deep breath and recall the map and their planned locations, checking my phone for map coordinates based onthe image they used and looking up pictures of the place to familiarize myself with it.
“Ma’am, we’ve arrived,” the driver announces after about an hour. I check the time—11 PM. They should be here by now.
I pay the driver, get out, and scan the area cautiously. I mustn’t be seen. The darkness and quiet give me chills.
I breathe in deeply, the scent of the sea filling my lungs, and the wind wrapping around my body calms me. The sea is very close. I move forward and see ships docked and a fenced-off area with many containers.
I reopen the photos on my phone, trying to orient myself when suddenly, I hear voices approaching. I run and hide behind some street bins to my left. The voices get closer, speaking in Russian.
“As soon as the shipment arrives, don’t take your eyes off the girl, got it?! She’s worth a lot of money!” a familiar voice threatens.
“Yes, boss,” another man responds immediately.
I recognize their voices—one of them is definitely Stas. I shrink into myself, feeling like they can hear my heart pounding.
If Stas is here, Luca must be here too, I strain to listen.
“Vladimir, you and Evgeny will go in first with the shipment. Get the girl out before anyone else. Fuck it up and, and you’re dead,” Stas commands menacingly as they move toward the fence.
I peek out carefully, moving a bit forward from my hiding spot behind the trash cans, just enough to see what’s happening. I spot more of Stas’s men cutting through the chains locking the fence toward the containers.
I freeze in place. If I move any closer, I’ll likely be caught before I can find Luca. I can’t jeopardize their mission.
I wait in my spot for ten minutes when suddenly, I feel myphone vibrating in my pocket. I quickly pull it out and silence it. Graham is calling. Great. The search party is probably already after me. I hope they haven’t alerted Luca yet, so he doesn’t lose his focus. I reject the call, and a message pops up immediately.
Get back to the apartment now! You’re not just risking yourself; you’re risking Luca too. He’ll go crazy if he knows you’re out there while he’s in the field. What do you think will happen to him?
11:18 PM
Graham is trying to guilt me into going back. He doesn’t know I’m here for exactly that reason—I won’t let Luca get hurt today.
