Page 80 of Season of Wrath

It took only moments for me to realize just how terribly I'd screwed up. And worse, I walked my daughter Sarah right into danger as well. I can’t believe I was so foolish, but I can’t afford to dwell on it now. Not with the ominous figures dragging us out of the back of a van into the gloomy, dimly lit parking structure of what looks like a very dilapidated and fire-damaged version of one of San Francisco’s local casinos.

My heart pounds against my ribcage, fear coiling like a serpent around my spine. I struggle violently against the men’s iron grips as they wrench me from the van.

“Let us go!” I scream, lashing out wildly with my foot and connecting with something soft belonging to the man on my right.

He grunts, his hold slackening as he doubles over for a moment. And I take the opportunity to redouble my efforts to escape from my other captor. But as I turn to confront him, he’s not willing to play games.

He backhands me with such force that the world seems to spin. The sharp crack of his skin on mine resonates through the still air, making my ears ring. I wince as pain radiates from my cheek, and I taste the metallic tang of fear as my world spins. Before I can determine which way is up, I hit the ground hard.

My palms scrape against the hard pavement, my knees bruising against the solid ground, and I glare up at them as I cup my throbbing cheek.

Sarah’s cries pierce the dark, and I turn to see her thrashing in the arms of another of our captors. Her tiny face is red and contorted, her voice a terrified sob that tears at my heart as she tries to run to me.

“Please, don’t hurt her,” I beg, scrambling toward Sarah only to have my captors snatch my arms and haul me back to my feet.

Sarah wails, reaching for me, and I fight with all my might to take her, but I can’t. One of the men holding me gives a low, cruel chuckle. It’s as if they’re using my little girl’s fear and anguish as a weapon against me. They’re reveling in the power of refusing to let me be with her, and I can see the utter panic on her face.

“Mommy!” she sobs, tears streaming down her cheeks as she continues to reach for me.

“Shh, sweetheart, it’s going to be okay,” I murmur, my voice trembling as I fight to calm her. I have to be strong for her. But I can’t suppress the gnawing terror and guilt, knowing that I’m the one who got us into this living nightmare.

The men haul us into the abandoned building, and as we get lost in the labyrinth of hallways, they finally release their hold on me, perhaps believing I’ve been cowed into submission or maybe confident that I won’t find my way back out.

But they don’t know the fiery determination that courses through me, the mother’s instinct to protect my child at all costs. For now, I’ll bide my time, hide my anger and despair if that’s what it takes to protect Sarah. They can’t keep me forever.

After several long minutes of walking, we’re ushered into a windowless room that reeks of smoke and melted plastic. Only then is Sarah released, and the men file from the room in quick succession. The heavy door clangs shut behind them, leaving us in eerie silence, punctuated only by Sarah’s soft whimpers.

“Oh, sweet girl,” I breathe, rushing to her.

I gather her into my arms, my trembling fingers brushing her tear-streaked cheeks. Her big, frightened eyes meet mine, and I tuck her head beneath my chin.

“It’s going to be okay, baby. Mommy’s here. I won’t let anything happen to you,” I whisper, my voice quavering. I only hope I can keep my promise, but I have no clue what they intend to do to us.

I hold Sarah close, the warmth of her little body providing me with some semblance of comfort as I rock her softly in my arms. She nestles against my chest, her sobs gradually subsiding into soft sniffles as she clings to me.

My mind races as I search for a way out of this nightmare, scanning the dim room with my eyes. I know I have to find an escape, to get Sarah to safety.But how?They might have underestimated me, thinking I’m just a pawn in this deadly game, but they have no idea what a desperate mother is capable of. And I will stop at nothing to protect my little girl.

The room looks like a private poker room, with two round tables occupying the medium-sized space. But it clearly endured a fire. The tables’ felt has been scorched away, the plastic cup holders melted into warped plastic. Black smoke stains creep up the wall like an insidious paint job.

I’ve never really had the time to explore San Francisco’s casinos, so I have no clue which one this is. But I vaguely believe it was up and running within the last few years. And judging by the smell, this fire must have been pretty recent. I wonder if the building is even safe to occupy. But it seems our captors have no concern with that.

I’m not sure the structural soundness is going to matter that much longer, either, and cold dread fills me at the thought. Redoubling my efforts to find a way out, I confirm that not only is the room windowless, but there is no second door. And the one we came through is thoroughly locked.

I feel horribly trapped and so helpless as I hold Sarah close, willing her, above all else, to be okay.

What feels like hours drag by in the dim, oppressive room. I can sense Sarah’s exhaustion weighing her down, her eyelids drooping as she clings to me. But she doesn’t want to drift into sleep. Every time she begins to, she starts back awake with a gasp. As heart-wrenching as that is, it might be for the best. We need to be vigilant, to seize any opportunity that might come our way.

As if on cue, the door creaks open, and the man who had introduced himself to me as Mr. Cherny enters the room, a wicked smile curling his lips. I know better than to think of him as a simple restaurant owner now. He made his true identity perfectly clear as soon as he took me prisoner in his restaurant.

Aleksandr Volkov, the very man Maks warned me about. I instinctively clutch Sarah tighter, my heart pounding in my chest. She stirs in my arms, sensing my worry, and tightens her grip around my neck.What does this man want?Maks told me he would hurt me, that he would use me to get to Maks.But why? Why would he take us? And why here, of all places?

“What do you want from me?” I demand, my voice shaking with a mixture of fear and anger.

Aleksandr’s eyes glitter with malevolence as he steps closer, his gaze locked on Sarah. “I want to put an end to the Federov Bratva. And you, my dear, are the bait to bring Maks in so I can kill him once and for all. The Federov brothers have been a plague on my city, taking all the best businesses and running this town for years. So tonight, I intend to butcher their leader. Then I’ll deal with the rest of his family.”

The words send a shiver down my spine. Maks, the man who offered to protect us, the one I foolishly rejected believing I could protect not only myself but my little girl, he’s the one Aleksandr wants. And Aleksandr’s intentions are far from noble. He’s out for blood, and it’s Maks’s blood he craves. But I sense that my life, and Sarah’s, would mean little to him if our deaths would help him capture his prey.

Sarah’s small voice pierces the tension. “Mommy, I’m scared.”

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