The Liars

by Brookeabee

This is a fan fiction in the way that 50 Shades was to Twilight (without the graphic content). It centres around Gabriel Gray as she ventures to Moscow to uncover the Russian Underworld. She finds herself in too deep and questioning everything she's ever known when she finds herself falling in love with the one man she was sent to hunt down. A fresh reimagining of Rose and Dimitri.

PROLOGUE

"Gabriel..."

"Gabriel!"

The sound of my name broke me out of my day dream. Gabriel, after the arc angel in the bible. My mother died giving birth to me and for weeks I clung to life in the ICU. My grandmother prayed to Gabriel to watch over me and when I pulled through, she honoured him by giving me his name. If it wasn't such a beautiful story, I might have been annoyed at being named after a male. But I guess it kind of grew on me. It reminds me of her, my mother I mean. I never knew my father, so it was my grandparents who raised me after her death. I looked up to see they had joined me at my table. I couldn't help the feelings that rose up inside me. I'd missed them so much.

"You look good, sweetie." My grandmother held my hand as her eyes darted around her. This place always made her nervous. She was beautiful for her age with short, dark hair and beautiful brown eyes. My grandad walked in behind her. He was tall with grey hair and baby blues that eyed me with amusement.

"Who knew that prison could agree with you?" My grandfather joked, coaxing a smile out of me. My grandmother shot him a glare that told me he would hear more about this later. I couldn't help but stifle a laugh at the two of them. For the eighteen years that I'd lived with them, I never tired of their banter. My grandmother was always slightly more serious than she needed to be. Apparently my grandfather thought he needed to compensate for that, and he was slightly less serious than he should have been. As much as they disagreed, I'd never seen two people look at each other in the way that they did. They could have silent conversations with just one look. It amazed me that after so many years, two people could still be so in love. She launched into telling me about their lives in every detail. Grandad settled back in his chair, I suspected it was because he knew that neither of us would be doing any talking for the next half hour. I looked around and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Orange jumpsuit, ponytail and handcuffs.

The hour went quickly as grandma filled me in on the outside world, including the infamous bingo cheating scandal she uncovered. I smiled at her stories, savouring every word and emotion that she shared with me. The hour always went too fast. That was my only regret, the time lost with the people that I loved. I just wished I had more time with them. They asked me about prison life and I brushed over it with some jokes about the food. I could see them eyeing me suspiciously and overanalysing every bruise or mark on the small amounts of skin that was exposed. I tried to suppress the sick feeling I had in my gut but I hated lying to them. I wish I could tell them the truth about me but I knew that I couldn't. I had to keep them safe. To my grandparents, this was my fifth year out of a ten year sentence for assault and grievous bodily harm. To me, it was a much different story. At the age of 18, I was drafted by the CIA Special Activities Division after unknowingly subduing three of America's most wanted in a bar fight. Don't be too impressed just yet. They may have been wanted men but they were still old enough to be on the pension. But unfortunately for them, they had chosen to harass the wrong girl. Usually I wasn't one to pursue violence, but continuous groping was a pet peeve of mine. I'll admit that beating up three old men wasn't my finest moment, even if they were wanted for war crimes. But it got the attention of the CIA and led me to where I am now. My age and martial arts abilities made me a valuable asset for a new project they were starting up. More and more crime syndicates were popping up and they were beginning to see the benefits of recruiting younger. At 18, I was the perfect age to infiltrate and assess their younger members. Majority of my time was spent on college campuses when bright, young students got mixed up in the wrong crowds for the wrong reasons. As you probably guessed my specialty was undercover field work, mainly infiltrating and exposing gangs and crime families. Up until now, my game had been relatively small, but I was ready for something bigger. 5 years into my CIA career, I'd become one of the fastest ranking agents in the service. In order to keep my family safe and to conceal my identity, I was entered into the prison system. I only come here every now and again to keep up appearances and to pick a fight that will send me to "solitary".

"Time's up!" I heard the guard yell. The mood instantly dropped as we knew our short time together was over. My grandma wiped a tear from her eye and kissed me like it was the last time. Grandad just punched me in the shoulder with a wink. The goodbyes always made me sentimental. I found myself holding back my emotions as they walked towards the exit.

Once they were out of sight, I was escorted out of the visiting area. I sighed as I knew it was time for another solitary stint. Other prisoners cleared the path in front of me, well aware of my reputation. The focus in my eyes would have told them what my intentions were. Although I had a skinny build, my martial arts training had provided my lean muscles with the ability to pack a punch when I needed to. And being 5"10, I towered over majority of my inmates. As the rest of the inmates scattered, one stepped forward. A scrawny brunette named Trish. She had tattoos covering her that matched her permanent scowl. Before I knew it, she had thrown a punch. I was slightly stunned by her audacity, but quickly responded and soon enough she was on the floor in front of me and I was being dragged off by four armed guards. I put on a good show, kicking and screaming as I was dragged away. By the time we reached the solitary quarters, I had calmed down and only one guard remained.

"Geez, Gabe. You didn't have to hit me so hard!" Tony, the remaining prison guard, laughed as he rubbed his chin. I gave him an apologetic shrug and a wink.

"Well next time don't get caught in the cross fire," I joked, making us both laugh. Tony and I had similar conversations every time I was here. I think he secretly liked all of this pretending. And taking a punch made him seem tougher to the other prisoners. We reached the administration building and he released my hands from the cuffs with a smile.

"Well, Gabriel, it's been a pleasure, as always," he said, gesturing towards his chin which was now going red from the blow.

"See you soon, Tony," I replied, giving him my best apologetic smile. He chuckled under his breath and then he was gone.

I picked my cell phone out of my pocket and hit redial.

"Return to HQ to brief on your next mission. Confirm details before extraction from Columbia Correctional Institution," A small smile crept across my face. As much as I missed my family, I loved this.

"Gabriel Gray. Codename: Archangel. Confirmed"

CHAPTER ONE

Home sweet home. It felt weird putting on my jeans and a scarf after being posted in 100 degree heat for the last two months. I had been sent to a base in North Queensland, Australia to update my survival training. After my posting had finished, I'd decided to stay in Australia to explore during my mandated two weeks off. It was nice to finally be back in Washington D.C. I stepped out of the same dorm-style accommodation that I always stayed in when I was back in town for work. The hotel was bustling with activity and I noticed a few of my field colleagues had also been booked in. I had seen my senior agent, Williams, earlier that morning as she had been placed in the room a few down from me. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply as I took my first steps onto the street. I had missed the smell of the Northern Red Oaks that covered the foot paths, gently rustling in the wind. It was an overcast day and a cold, brisk breeze pushed my hair across my face. Usually the uncertain weather was enough for me to get a cab but today I didn't care. I had a feeling that I wouldn't be home for too long, so I decided to enjoy it while I could. Parks were filled with dogs playing fetch whilst their owners gossiped about the weekend sports. A group of joggers ran past me and I laughed as the instructor shouted motivational commands at them. Rule one in life: Never take commands from a man in pin spandex. Half an hour of walking brought me to a large, industrial building. On the surface, it was just a silver rendered building that was no bigger than a regular storage hanger. However, underground it stretched for miles housing the countries deadliest weapons, both breathing and mechanical.

"Happy birthday, Gabriel!" I heard a female voice yell enthusiastically as I walked through the door. I spun around just in time to catch a hug from Suzanne, the office administrator. She was a beautiful lady in her early 60's. She had short blonde hair that flicked in small curls away from her head. Her blue silk dress clung to me as she pulled away to get a better look.

"Suze, I've missed you," I replied, "but hang on, my birthday isn't for another month."

"Oh, I know," she shrugged and then began walking back to her desk. She looked at me and then flicked her eyes to her office, implying for me to follow. I curiously paced into the room and closed the door behind me.

"Give it up, Suze. What do you know?" She broadened her smile, pulled out an envelope and handed it to me.

"I probably won't see you on your birthday so just thought I'd say it while I had the chance." Her face lit as up I opened the envelope and pulled out the ticket inside. I could have exploded from excitement.

"A one way plane ticket?" I squealed.

"To..." Suzanne said, pointing to the destination. I practically jumped onto her table when I saw what she was referring to.

"MOSCOW!"

I walked through the grey hallways and couldn't help the smile on my face. It doesn't matter if you do this job for the glory, the girls or the action, whatever it is, you'll find it there. Russia was a breeding ground for gangs and the underworld was only held together by carefully worded treaties and mutual fear. My last mission was a surveillance operation so I was dying for some action. Russia would be dangerous, but it was what I had trained for over the past half decade. I practically skipped into the briefing room.

"Amazing. As cold and deadly as the winter, yet mention Russia and you go all soft on me!" I could barely contain my smile as it was without hearing Daniel's voice. I turned around and lunged at him.

"You're back!" I squealed as I took him in my arms. He swung me around before placing my gently back on my feet. I stepped back slightly so I could take him in. He looked just like he did when I saw him three months ago, only older somehow. Older than his 27 years. He was tall, about 6"1 I think. He had piercing gray eyes and his blonde hair was hanging slightly onto his face in that sexy way only he could pull off. He looked so handsome with his slightly tanned skin and perfect teeth that stood out when he smiled. His blue snap-up shirt had a few buttons undone and was loosely tucked into his faded jeans. Daniel was my best friend. We met at training when he was the reigning champion in the boxing ring. I was a little happier than he was when I took his crown. Back then we hated being called 'agents'. I put it down to our hesitation to grow up. A bunch of us field agents just called ourselves 'The Liars'. The young geniuses who worked in the office behind the scenes simply opted to be called 'The Suits'. It kind of stuck. I smiled remembering the good old days. Daniel saw my smile and reciprocated with his own.

"Oh, Gabe. Just say you'll be mine and I'll never leave you again." We both laughed and he pulled me in for another embrace. This time when he pulled away there was something in his eyes, almost sad. Before I had a chance to think about it too much, Senior Agent Williams walked in and motioned for us to sit down. It was a large, blank room with a projector at the front. There were 3 agents who had come in from the training department to watch and 7 agents who would serve as back up and were to collect information via surveillance missions. Williams explained that I would be the primary agent coming in direct contact with our targets. Williams was in her late thirties and looked every bit a senior agent. She barked orders at us through her stony faced expression. She was definitely dressed for comfort over style in her ill fitted slacks and blouse which had, what I assumed to be, left over cranberry dressing from her turkey roll that she had for lunch. She had auburn curly hair which she always wore in a low, messy ponytail. She had a stocky build and an attitude to match. I was so caught up in my observations on her wardrobe choices when I almost didn't notice Daniel had sat down next to me.

"Wait, you're in this meeting too?" I whispered to Daniel.

"Who do you think is babysitting your fine ass?" He gave me a small wink and I felt my cheeks reddening. In the four years we'd been qualified agents, we'd never had a mission together. In fact, we'd never had more than a few days together at any one time. The thought of spending what could end up being months with Daniel excited me. I'd always thought he was ridiculously handsome and it's not like Daniel hadn't expressed his feelings towards me, but I felt that with us constantly being sent to opposite sides of the globe for months on end, we could never be more than friends. Daniel was amazing but I'd always felt terrible that I couldn't return his feelings. But maybe with time... I whipped my head around at the sound of my name.

"So Gabriel Gray and Daniel Renaldi will fly into Moscow along with the new surveillance team." Daniel squeezed my hand in excitement. "But this is no holiday. Last week, all communication with field agent Ross Black, codename 'Ivy' ceased." Ross Black. Why did that name ring a bell? Oh, yes. When I was just out of training, Ross took me on one of my first missions. He was a great agent and I remember being in awe of him. He was incredibly intelligent, and he got his codename from being one of the few field agents who attended an Ivy League school. Generally the geniuses stuck to the desk jobs. "Gabe, you will find a way to infiltrate a gang using information given to you by the surveillance team. Daniel will provide direct backup and will follow your every move so you won't have to carry anything that might pin you as suspicious. You will report back to Daniel and he will provide us with updates. " Damn, no gadgets. "Ross was in deep with the Boshkov Bratva. Alex Boshkov is the son of Sergei Boshkov, Sergei is the head of one of the most deadly crime families in Moscow. Alex runs the brigadier. At first, we just thought he was a little brat playing gangster on Daddy's money. However, before Black lost communication he sent through intel suggesting Alex was staging a coup against his father. We believe that if this happens, it will spark a war through the crime families that will spill onto the streets. If Alex gets a hold of his father's weapons there's no telling what he might do. Gabe, meet your new best friend."

A picture flashed up on the screen. A mugshot of a man in what I guessed was his early thirties. I opened my briefing up to the page on Alex Boshkov. The mugshot was a few years old. I studied the picture briefly. He had black shaggy hair which hung down passed his ears, stubble and dark eyes that showed no emotion. "Well, at least this one's not as bad looking as the last." Daniel held in a laugh beside me and as I looked up, I realised Williams wasn't as impressed with my joke as I was. She eyed me suspiciously before continuing with her same, cold tone.

"Your mission, Gabe, is to get close to this man. You need him to trust you. You need to find out what his plans are. But most importantly, you need to find Ross Black and extract him. We believe they would find him too valuable to discard. There are a few other people you need to know." She went through a few pictures of people who worked for both Alex and Sergei. All of which could be identified by a small brand on the side of their neck. The brand looked like a snake eating a hammer and sickle. I went through my briefing book which had maps and information that the surveillance team will need in Barvikha. Barvikha was the wealthiest part of Moscow and was where the Boshkov operations were based. Daniel and I would be staying in a small apartment in the centre of Moscow's nightlife. Damn, I was really hoping I'd get the mansion this time. Most of Boshkov's time as spent in a night club that he owned. The club stretched over the top three levels of a glass high rise in the centre of Moscow. The top level was a private lounge that was exclusively for the use of Boshkov and his men. Intel told us that he did not conduct business meetings here, however it would be my best way of getting in with the bratva without attracting too much attention. Sergei spent most of his time away from the city, but this was the best place to find Alex.

I was pulled away from my research by a gasp coming from one of the female surveillance agents. I looked at her in annoyance and realised she was staring at the projector. I turned around and noticed immediately what she was fussing about.

"I thought you might notice him," Williams said with the same emotionless tone she had been using all day. "Luka Volkov. Also known as 'Pravaya ruka Boga', or 'the Right Hand of God'." The man I saw on the screen WAS a god. It was a full body shot of a man in a dark, long trench coat standing next to Alex Boshkov. Boshkov was tall as it was, but this guy towered over him. He must have stood at well over 6" and had the most menacing body stance I'd ever seen. And he was young, very young. I doubt he would have been a day older than Daniel. The little I could see of his face showed dark brown hair to his shoulders, black eyes, slightly tanned skin and a jaw line to die for. "Alex's number one man. He would not be where he is today without Luka. No one will touch him out of fear of Luka and his strike team. Do not engage this man under any circumstances. From what we can tell, his parents were killed and he was taken in by the Boshkov's. At the time, there was turmoil in Russia so he was sent to Chicago to be schooled and trained at age 6. At 16, he was appointed as Alex's bodyguard and returned to Russia where he has stayed by Boshkov's side for the last 10 years. From intel we've recovered, he is as cold as he is deadly. He is not driven by friendship, only loyalty. Loyalty to Alex Boshkov."

I reviewed William's warning and suddenly felt cautious. I had been around dangerous criminals before, but the tone in Williams' voice suggested that she feared for her team. I had the feeling that for once she was not exaggerating the seriousness of the situation. I quickly glanced at Daniel and noticed that his facial expression was now hard, focused. He took extensive notes in his briefing booklet. After Williams' warning, the room fell deathly quiet. But with one joke, the room was brought back to its usual focus, but light, temperament.

"Looks like Gabe's finally met her match!" The room erupted in laughter. I think I even saw a ghost of a smile on Williams.

"Okay, that's enough," she snapped. "Gabe and Daniel, you leave at 0430 hours. Pack warm."

And with that, it was over. After a final hug with Daniel, I went back to my room and packed everything warm I owned. Unfortunately for me, my last posting was in Australia, so I didn't have a lot of winter wear on hand. I threw a wool jacket in the case and decided to crash early.

I opened my eyes to a banging on my door. My clock said 0300. "Just five more minutes!" I yelled, expecting Daniel to be at my door.

"Archangel! Get up!" Damn it. Daniel's smooth voice was something I could handle in the morning. The rough gravel of William's voice was not. I opened my door and my jaw dropped to the floor. A fleet of makeup artists came rushing into my room."Your Levi's and Chuck Taylor's might work for you here, but Boshkov has certain, um, tastes."

I looked in the mirror while they all set up. Dark Brown eyes starred back at me through thick black lashes. My layers had faded and grown out and my hair now sat at the bottom of my rib cage. My skin was tanned and sunkissed after a summer in Australia, helped along by my naturally olive complexion. I guess I could use a bit of a touch up. "What a beautiful young lady we have here," a male beautician cooed, petting me head. As he toyed with my hair one of his rings caught a strand and ripped, hard.

"Damn it!" I yelled as he gave an apologetic shrug.

"Uh, oh. Someone could use a little maintenance," he teased. My temper flared and I went to open my mouth and clamber to my feet. Williams clamped down on my shoulders and pushed me back into my chair.

"Can it, sleeping beauty," she warned, making eye contact to ensure her point was getting across. I let out a deep breath and closed my eyes, trying to get in a few more moments of precious sleep.

When I opened my eyes again, my hair had been died a beautiful chocolate brown and rollers had ensured it flowed in soft waves down my back. I looked more like a mail order bride than a weapon of the United States government. I am in no way opposed to makeup or styling, but there was a limit. I was a bloody field agent, not a street walker. That's when Daniel walked in. He looked like he'd also been attacked with a hair brush and a designer suit. He stopped in his tracks and stared for what felt like forever. "Well, well, the great Daniel Renaldi rendered speechless," I teased. He straightened himself back up and sat down beside me, handing me a coffee, the nectar of the gods.

"You look amazing, Gabriel." He said slowly, pronouncing every word. I gave him a sideways glance. "I mean, you're beautiful anyway, but... but... wow." I shook my head and gave off an exasperated sigh. I took one look at Daniel and that sigh turned into a laugh. He might have been one of the toughest people I knew, but right now he looked down right ridiculous. He was wearing a shy smile and tugging on a stray lock of his blonde hair. For the first time since he'd been back, he looked his age.

With one last accessory, I was done. The makeover team filed out of the room, followed by Williams. Daniel put out his hand to help me up. "Ma'am," he said with his best Southern accent.

"Why thank ya, sir," I said, my tone mirroring his. I gave him a quick twirl and his smile could have lit up the room. He leant in and kissed my forehead. He gave me a small smile before turning on his heel and heading for the door. He turned his head so that his eyes locked with mine.

"I've missed you," he whispered. He paused for a moment and his eyes looked deep in thought. I wish I knew what he was thinking. He shook it off and smiled. Daniel was back to his usual, light temperament. "Grab your stuff, we have a plane to catch." And with that I grabbed my bags and we headed for the lobby.

The plane ride was made longer by the fact that Daniel and I weren't seated next to each other. I was seated next to Sonia, the female surveillance agent I'd seen at yesterday's briefing. She was sound asleep so it gave me a better chance to study her. She had short blonde hair that was always immaculately warn in a bob. Her beautiful white skin contrasted so well with the light pastel colours she was wearing today. I think I remember her having emerald eyes. I felt so plain next to her, she was beautiful. I opened up my newly acquired compact mirror to put on some mascara and was momentarily shocked. I'd completely forgotten about my makeover. Staring back at me were almost black eyes with thick black liner ringed around them. My eyelashes were thick and jet black. Okay, maybe the makeover wasn't so bad. I mean, if I looked past my annoyance, I actually think I looked hot! I decided to test my theory and I looked back to find Daniel. He was sitting three rows back from me and immediately looked up when I whispered his name. I gave him my sexiest wink and his smile turned to something else. Something much hotter. With that look, Daniel could have caused global warming. We were pulled from our stare by the flight attendant locking eyes with Daniel. I thought she was going to combust. "Uh... S.. Sir? Hot towel?" She tried and failed miserably to keep her cool. I let out a small laugh before sitting back in my seat. I always liked Daniel, I could flirt with him all day. But I'd never really given us the chance to become more. I always assumed he would just be my best friend. But the way that he looked right now almost made me made me think that friendship couldn't be possible forever. Eventually one of us would end up hurt. I shook the thought away and told myself that the mission always came first. I couldn't have any distractions. I open my briefing book in an attempt to get my mind off Daniel and back on the mission.

I read through my bio and discovered that they would be including my "prison" time over the last five years in my international record. Grievous bodily harm might be a way to get in with the bratva. They always tried to keep our undercover bios very similar to the facts in order to prevent confusion or momentarily lapses of judgement. So as of today I was Gabriel Gray, released from prison two weeks ago and headed to Russia for a fresh start. Daniel would be an old friend from school who offered me that fresh start. They'd been paying for a room under his name for a few weeks now so everything would be ready for when we arrived. I read the details for the apartment. Two bedrooms, one bathroom and a joint living and dining area. The kitchen didn't look like much but I'd survived on a lot less in previous missions. I let out a sigh of relief when I read the apartment building had a fully serviced gym area. After hours of reading, my eyes began to strain so I put the briefing book away and nuzzled into the head rest.

I must have dozed off. When I opened my eyes I saw Sonia leaning over me with her eyes glued to the window. "Gabe, it's beautiful!" I followed her stare and what I saw made my breath hitch. It was dusk and I'd never seen so many colours in my life. It was the most beautiful mix of old, rustic buildings and state of the art high rises. Bright lights shot into the sky from the top of the buildings whilst the streets were brightly lit. I saw beautiful forest areas in the distance surrounding the wealthiest areas in the city. I'd never expected Russia to be so colourful and beautiful. It looked like Candyland. Large turrets spiralled with colour out of century old buildings. The buildings were decorated with every colour under the sun and it was awe inspiring up against the pink and purple skies. This was it, everything that I'd been dreaming about since I first joined the CIA. This was Moscow.

CHAPTER TWO

We arrived at the apartment a little after 9pm. The apartment was modest, but nice. It was in an older building that looked out of place, dwarfed by high rises and buildings that shone so bright you couldn't see the stars above them. While the surveillance team completed their hand over, Daniel and I were fully briefed on the information which Ross had collected before his disappearance. They provided us with detailed floor plans of the hotel, rooftop club and private lounge, as well as his men which frequented these. Photos of the private lounge were filled with drunken men, expensive hard liquor and beautiful women. Beautiful, yet hardly clothed. I now understood what Williams meant by Boshkov having certain "tastes". I caught Daniel peeking over my shoulder with a smirk on his face. "Well, well Grey. Looks like we'll need to get you some new clothes if you're going to fit in with your new friends."

"Clothes?" I asked too tired to process the underlying meaning.

"Or lack, thereof." I feigned disgust at the broad smile he now wore. It was cold out in Moscow so the thought of wearing any less than my long wool coat and 'ugg' boots I'd acquired in Australia was unnerving. Daniel opened his mouth, no doubt to say something wildly inappropriate, but we were interrupted by Helga. Helga was Ross's back up and had been the one briefing us. She was in her early thirties, had shoulder length black hair and a slim face which accentuated the dark rings around her eyes. I doubt she'd gotten any sleep since Ross went missing. She mumbled something that sounded like agreeing with Daniel's shopping trip. She handed the last of her reports over to Daniel and said it was in his hands now. We said our goodbyes and I suddenly felt exhausted.

It was the first time I'd really had alone with Daniel since I'd seen him yesterday. I moved to the couch and spread out. He came and sat down beside me, throwing his legs over mine. "Well, it's happened." I looked at him wide eyed, urging him to continue. He chuckled and went on. "I finally found a downside to my job. I get a free trip to one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with the most beautiful girl. But I don't get to tell anyone. Where's the justice in that?" we both grinned stupidly at each other.

"Pretty proud of yourself for that one aren't you?" I joked and he gave me his most adorable smile. I'd missed that smile so much. I closed my eyes and nuzzled into him.

"Gabe, you look like you could use some sleep. I'll wake you in the morning and we can go from there." I took that as my cue. I dragged myself into my bedroom and fell asleep to the flickering lights of the neighbouring high rises.

I woke up thirteen hours later to the smell of bacon and coffee. It reminded me of Sundays at the Grey house. It was a tradition that my grandmother had ever since my mother was a child. Sundays were family day, starting with Canadian pancakes and ending with night time board games. She would tell me stories of how my mother loved to dance and every Sunday she would put on a concert for the family. Grandad told me that I was a lot like her. 'Strong, passionate and stubborn as all hell' he used to joke. When I was little, I used to set a plate for my mother and place a picture of her there so she could be with us. I may not have met her, but my grandparents made sure that I knew my mother. My thoughts were interrupted by footsteps in the hall.

Daniel came around the corner wearing only his track pants and I felt like I should look away. It was evident by his wet chest that he had been working out, and it was paying off. He looked great. If only the flight attendant could have seen him now. The thought made me laugh and Daniel gave me a puzzled, yet amused look. I pulled my sheet up, embarrassed that I'd gone to bed in just a singlet and small night shorts. Thank god for indoor heating. "Like something you see, little angel?" Daniel said with that cocky smirk he wears so well.

"You know I hate it when you call me that," I replied, trying to stifle a yawn into my pillow. Daniel always loved to make fun of my name. "Put a shirt on, Fabio!" I yelled as he sauntered away chuckling. He motioned to the dining room table so I threw on some pants and I followed him out. Next to the table was a full length glass window that I hadn't seen the night before. The view was amazing during the day, looking over the streets of Moscow. I stood by the window and a man in the opposite building stared back and gave me a quick wink. "Okayyyy..." I said turning to face Daniel. "Pretty solid in my decision to put on pants now."

Daniel explained that our apartment was within walking distance of the popular night life areas of Moscow. Boshkov lived about 20 minutes out, which was where the surveillance team were holed up. He explained that Boshkov conducted most of his business in the centre of Moscow so it was best that we were close to this area. He went through a list of known businesses that the bratva frequented and owned. A lot of the restaurants and hotels they owned were fronts for drug and human trafficking operations.

Sergei Boshkov had started the bratva over 35 years ago. His father was an honest businessman who was murdered for failing to pay protection money for one of the gangs. At first, Sergei was involved in small crimes but after slaughtering the gang responsible, he earned a reputation for himself which insured his success in the Moscow underworld. Alex grew up in the underworld. From the time he was a child, his father had groomed him to take over. Alex didn't have to work for or earn anything, and his lack of discipline began to show once his father made him a brigadier. Sergei decided that Alex wasn't ready to take over his empire and stayed on as Pakhan, which was the Russian equivalent of Godfather. Since then, Alex has been planning to overthrow his father and force control of his empire and assets. Usually, the CIA wouldn't bother with underworld power plays, however there were rumours of Sergei's involvement in nuclear weapons. Sergei was a businessman. He would only be interested in the monetary aspects of the weapons, however the CIA feared that if Alex got his hands on them, he would not hesitate to use them if it meant getting out of his father's shadow and furthering his desire for ultimate power. Before Ross disappeared, he sent a transmission stating that he had important information in regards to nuclear weapons. My job was to get Ross out. It had taken Ross years of research and field work to gather this information, and with Alex on the verge of a coup, we didn't have the time or resources to end this unless we extracted Ross and the information he had. So not only was Ross's life at stake, millions of people could be affected if we failed.

I thought over this information whilst Daniel finished his breakfast and headed for the shower. I shovelled down my breakfast in record time and sat back in my chair when Daniel returned. "So what's the plan for today?" The smile emerging on his face told me it was something I wouldn't like.

"Shopping," he shrugged.

"Shopping?" I stopped in my tracks as I remembered back to the pictures of barely dressed females at the club. My expression must have looked terrified. Daniel laughed, dragged me off my chair and pushed me toward the bedroom.

"Next time you're captured, I'll tell them to skip the torture and just threaten to put you in a dress." He laughed loudly at his joke. His laughter was infection and I soon found myself grinning from ear to ear. I loved the way that Daniel could make any situation fun. I was stressed about the mission but one word from Daniel and it all evaporated. He gave me one final smile before closing the bedroom door behind him. "Get dressed, little angel." He said affectionately from the other room.

"Oh, rack off" I muttered through my grin and I could practically hear his smile through the wooden door.

After a brisk walk in the morning chill, we arrived at one of the largest shopping centres that I had ever seen. It looked like a modern day castle with its beautiful sandstone walls and fountains surrounded by what I thought were cherry blossoms. Black pillars spiralled up from the floor and were gilded with Cyrillic symbols. The upper levels were linked through a series of adjacent bridges that were lit via a giant skylight that ran across the top of the central cavern of the building. Arched windows lined the walkways which sprouted off to stores and food courts. Through the glass panels I could make out a large lake surrounded by colourful gardens that were being enjoyed by young families. The large building reflected back against the water. It was Venice rebuilt and I was in awe. I was soon distracted by Daniel's voice.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" I turned to Daniel who was facing me, eyes locked with mine. I blushed as I sensed a second meaning behind his words. After a moment, he grabbed my hand and led me into the first set of shops. I wasn't big on high end designers, but I couldn't see a single brand that I recognised. Daniel chose a small boutique with black and grey striped walls, lit by French chandeliers.

"No. Hell, no. Absolutely not!" Daniel tried to hide his humour as I stared at myself in the mirror. "Surely they don't ALL dress like this!" I was wearing a black, cropped shirt with a tear at the top to accentuate cleavage. It stopped at the bottom of my rib cage and two straps wrapped across my lower stomach. My only saving grace to the cold I was sure to endure was a pair of tight, shredded jeans and black, satin pumps with encrusted diamante heels. "I look like frigging cat woman!" I yelled as I glared at Daniel. He finally erupted into fits of laughter.

"I know! I can't believe you ACTUALLY tried that on!" I glared at him realising I'd been set up.

"Okay. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I couldn't resist." He pouted guiltily at me. I gave him a small smack on the head and instantly felt better. I took another look at the heels and took them off to look at the price tag. Ouch!

"You know what? I'll take the heels." I said, handing them back to the sales assistant. "Your shout," I teased as I gave Daniel an exaggerated wink.

After begrudgingly buying my new favourite shoes, the rest of our shopping trip was far less entertaining for him. He sat for hours whilst I worked with the sales assistant to find the perfect outfits. I was grateful that she spoke English. The outfits were still revealing but at least they weren't the cat woman outfit. I tried on the last one, a fitted black dress with long, tight sleeves and an open back. The hem rested about an inch above where my thigh high boots started. I took my hair out of its ponytail and flicked it over my shoulders.

"I'll take this one as well, thank you." I said to the sales assistant. "I'll be out in a moment to pay." She nodded enthusiastically and gathered my purchases to take to the counter. Once she had left the room, Daniel came in.

"I like this one." He said with his adorable shy smile. I returned his smile and he stepped towards me and put his hands around passed my head. I froze in surprise. When his hands retracted I felt something heavy around my neck. I looked down and saw he had placed a small necklace that draped down my chest. Resting on my décolletage was a pendant in the shape of angel wings. I noticed the chain was tangled so I reached my hand up towards it. When my fingers reached the chain, so did Daniel's. He too had realised the tangled chain. Neither of us pulled back at this accidental contact. Instead his eyes searched mine, as if asking for permission. My breathing hitched and I parted my lips slightly. His eyes suddenly became still, and his hand found my cheek. He leant forward and I closed my eyes. I could hear his breathing quicken and felt the warmth of his body as his lips brushed against mine.

"Cash or cred..." The sales attendant froze as our attention whipped to her. Daniel's lips had barely touched mine when they were torn away to focus on the startled assistant. "I'm... I'm sorry. Please pardon the intrusion." Daniel handed her the credit card and she stepped back out.

"I should let you change," Daniel said as he ran his hand through his hair. He looked at me once more offering a small, sad smile before leaving the change room. I realised I was holding my breath. I had no idea what had just happened. I looked down at the angel wings and my brow furrowed. I had never been more confused about my feelings for Daniel. I needed to focus and tried to clear my head as I changed back into my skinny jeans and tight polo. I tucked the angel wings inside my shirt and made my way back out to meet Daniel.

We walked out of the centre onto the busy street. It was late in the afternoon so we were joined by thousands of office workers on their way home. Cars weaved on to the street and I was glad that we lived close enough to walk. Even if I could manage to manoeuvre through the traffic, the whole driving-on-the-wrong-side thing would have been stressful enough to cause me a breakdown.

"Williams has suggested I go to the club tonight. Apparently the last time an agent was there was before Black disappeared." Daniel said as he kicked a rock out of his way, still staring at the ground.

"Okay cool. Just let me know when we should leave." I was still feeling a bit awkward about the change room, so I was glad we were talking business.

"Actually, Williams wants me to go by myself," he conceded. "She doesn't want you going in there until we make sure everything is safe. She's still a bit nervous about it." I was a bit annoyed to be missing out on the action but I figured another day wouldn't hurt. The rest of the walk was spent in silence. Occasionally Daniel would open his mouth to say something, but he would close it before anything came out. The only noise was the scuffing of his feet against the pavement, which I realised was a nervous habit of his.

Things were better with Daniel once we'd arrived home and we were back into our silly banter. We studied the floor plans of the club and lounge together over dinner. Daniel left a few hours later and I found myself replaying the change room situation over and over again. I quickly changed into my work out gear and headed down to the gym. To my surprise I had the place to myself. I headed straight for the boxing bag, clicked my iPod to shuffle and began working out my frustration.

Hours passed before I finally collapsed. If there was one thing that could make me feel better, it was beating on something until my body gave out. I was still suffering from a bit of jetlag so I had a quick shower and jumped into bed. Daniel came back a few hours later with photos and things that I would need to know. I noticed something red sitting just below his ear."Is that lipstick?" I teased. He immediately wiped it off and inspected the smudges on his hand. A smile played on his lips and he let out a disbelieving laugh.

"I didn't even know she had gotten me! These Moscow girls are a whole different breed, Gabe." He shook his head, amused.

"I hope you got her number," I taunted. He flipped me off with a chuckle and headed for the shower. "Get a good night's sleep, Gabe. Tomorrow night it's your turn."

After what felt like hours of waxing, manicuring, applying and curling I was finally ready for my first night of active duty in Moscow. Daniel had explained to me that morning that Boshkov hadn't been there last night, however he had learned that this week he would be hosting a series of parties. Boshkov was well known in Moscow as the owner of The Stairway hotel. He used this hotel and club to traffic drugs and weapons for his father's operations. The night club and lounge located on the top floors of this hotel were aptly named "Heaven". I hugged Daniel goodbye and made the five minute walk to the hotel. He would be there tonight but thought it best if we weren't seen together.

The Stairway hotel stood in the centre of Moscow's night life. The streets were crowded with people and the strobes from the surrounding hotels lit up their faces. Horns honked as club goers walked in and out of traffic. I was shoved from the sidewalk by a group of young girls who were busy gossiping in Russian. They muttered an apology before moving into the line for Heaven. I moved in behind them and stood close hoping to blend in. Excitement resounded throughout the line and it was contagious. Everyone was excited about Boshkov making an appearance in the club tonight. Apparently when Boshkov threw a party, it was one you wanted to be there for. I paid my entry fee and moved into the small elevator. My dark brown hair stood out amongst a sea of blondes. I noticed a tall man in the corner of the elevator eyeing me. I locked his gaze and gave an uneasy smile. He had cropped brown hair with a fringe that sat to one side of his face. That's when I noticed the scar behind his ear, a hammer and a sickle. He was part of the Boshkov bratva. His lips slowly spread up into an arrogant smile and I studied him a moment longer. The drink in his hand suggested that he was not on duty tonight. Peeking out of his pockets were a set of knuckle dusters. I immediately suspected that this man was a krysha. Kryshas were employed by the bratva as to protect businesses under the umbrella of the bratva from rival criminal organisations. They were highly trained and vicious. The ding of the elevator broke my concentration and we filed out onto the main club floor.

I don't think I'd ever been in more awe of any city than here in Moscow, and Heaven was no exception. Dance music pounded through my ears as the sweet smell of musk invaded my nostrils. Through the thick fog I could make out thousands of people moving harmoniously across the dance floors. Lingerie clad women danced in rustic cages above me. I looked higher and saw that the damask print walls were lined with open cages housing dozens of gyrating bodies. Three large bars were tucked into the corners. One bartender jumped onto the marble bar top, pulling sparsely dressed patrons up with her. She rewarded their bravery by pouring alcohol down their necks and finally into their mouths. Cheers and screams resonated above the music for a few moments. The strobe lights pulsed down on me and were the only source of light for the club. All around me couples were dancing, touching and kissing.

20 metres in front of where I stood was an amphitheatre style stage. Club goers looked adoringly at those gathered on top of it. In the centre of them was a face I recognised. Alex Boshkov. He slouched on a red leather couch with his elbows resting on his knees. About a dozen men stood around him occasionally whispering in his ear. His only acknowledgement of them was a simple nod each time. I sat down near the bar and was soon joined by a handsome man a few years older than me. I took this chance to blend in whilst surveying the area and Boshkov, and I exchanged pleasantries with him. He held the conversation as I kept my eyes on the stage. I recognised a few of the face from our briefings. I noticed a tall dark figure standing a few feet away from Boshkov. His back was towards me but I assumed from his height and build that this man was Volkov. A group of attractive women approached him giggling. His head stayed down whilst they made their introductions and pulled nervously at their jewellery and hair. I tried to move around to see his face, but a swarm of bodies blocked my view. A bottle of expensive champagne was brought over to the girls and they screamed their thankyous and one lent in and kissed his cheek. He simply nodded his head in their direction.

I offered up a few smiles and muttered agreement to the man talking beside me, but my attention was focused on Volkov. Something about him commanded so much presence. My table friend was so self-absorbed he barely noticed my lack of conversation. He was going on about some new car he'd just acquired. Even in Russian, a language which I found incredibly sexy, this man was boring.

A few moments later, Boshkov and his entourage stood and declared an open bar for the remainder of the night in celebration of Boshkov's recent 31st birthday. The crowd erupted into applause and awe. Boshkov then exited the club using the rear loading dock. "Izvinite" I muttered to the man beside me in an attempt to be excused. Before he had a chance to reply, I was out of my seat and exiting the night club. I decided it would be less suspicious for me to check out the loading dock if I left through the front entrance of the club as opposed to trying to follow Boshkov out. I walked around the side of the building through a series of dark alleyways.

When I got to the loading dock, any sign of Boshkov had disappeared. I took a deep breath in frustration before hearing a slight scuff of feet a few metres behind me. I tensed my body ready for action when I heard a low, gruff voice originate from the same place as the noise. "Vy poteryali malenʹkuyu devochku?" There was humour in his voice as he asked if I was lost. He added "little girl" onto the end of his question in a patronising tone. I turned around and before me stood the same man from the elevator ride up to the club. I hadn't noticed him after the elevator but he must have been by Boshkov's side as he left. I pulled my lips into a lazy smile.

"Ne bolʹshe," I replied. 'Not anymore' was the English translation for this. I was taken by surprise when the man switched to English.

"Little American girl. You shouldn't be out here. Let me take you back to where it is safer." There was an ominous warning behind his words that made me flinch. He motioned for me to step out so he could follow me back to the main street. I gave him a tight smile and turned on my heel in the direction of his pointed finger. I froze as I heard the clink of his knuckledusters. I realised he'd put them on and, judging by the ruffling of his jacket, his fist was now jerking towards the back of my head. I waited until it was close and then began my counter attack. I bent my knees and dodged his attack. I kicked my leg out, hurling my body around to face his. Before I could fully turn I was shoved out of the way. The unexpected force threw me to the ground, ripping the side of my dress. I hit the brick wall which momentarily stunned me. Behind me I heard the scuffle of feet and an exchange of harsh words too low for me to make out. The man from the elevator became panicked and began begging for forgiveness. They obviously had a history together. The last thing I heard before the sound of a neck cracking was from a voice I didn't recognise. With an accent barely audible, a cold, malicious voice replied "Not this time Chetsky". A heard a body slump to the ground and then there was silence. I regained my bearings and turned to see what had just happened. And that's when I saw him.

Before me was a dark figure, standing no less than 6"4 high. He turned to face me and what I saw made my heart stop beating. Seconds felt like hours as I gazed upon the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. Behind the shoulder length brown hair was perfectly chiselled features. His cold eyes were the most beautiful dark brown and they were staring directly at me. His perfect, lean muscles showed underneath his black V-neck shirt. He wore a single gold cross which rested high on his semi-bare collarbone. My eyes scanned his body which was but a few feet away from me. He wore a long, open trench coat down to his knees. I'd noticed that a lot of men here wore trench coats but the way the wind pushed it away from his body had me in a trance. He stepped towards me into the light and I could see every detail of him. From the slight stubble on his jaw, to the bruises on his knuckles. Something about him was familiar. Too familiar. That's when it hit me like a freight train. This was Luka Volkov.

He looked me up and down in what I thought was the same, enamoured way I'd eyed him only moments ago. But the realisation that this was Volkov had instilled caution deep within me, and I was sure that my expression mirrored this. I was unarmed with no backup, surely I was an easy target for him. Considering the body on the ground, this was probably the best emotion to portray as to not blow my cover. Anything in his eyes soon faded in a matter of moments and his look soon changed to one of annoyance as his eyes followed mine and focused on the body lying in between us.

His cold voice echoed through me. "What are you doing out here?" The sound of his voice was like velvet. Cold, hard velvet. I stuttered as I tried to find a response under his piercing gaze. "Damn Chetsky." The tone in his voice made me think this wasn't the first time that man had attacked a helpless girl. The thought made me shudder, but I was relieved his attention was not on what brought me out here in the first place. He was deep in thought for a moment before his eyes shot up and made contact with mine. "Be here tomorrow night. If I have to tell Boshkov that I just killed his krysha because one silly little American girl couldn't look after herself than I'm not doing it alone. Besides," he looked me up and down as if he'd had an idea, "you're just his type. You might be able to soften the blow for me." Volkov wasn't much older than me so being called a "little American girl" made me feel like a misbehaving delinquent. Before I had time to respond Volkov was on his phone arguing in Russian over a body pick up. His presence and power in which he moved sent shivers down my spine. In my 23 years I'd never felt a pull like this towards someone. I don't know whether it was the adrenaline running through my veins or the confident way he moved, but all I could think of was the way his shirt perfectly defined his torso, and what I would give to be able to see what was underneath. What the…. Earth to Gabe! Snap out of it! I shook off the thought and tried to focus.

He hung up the phone and turned back to me."What's your name?" he finally said to me.

"Gabe... Uh, Gabriel," I replied with about as much conviction as an ant.

"Gabriel, huh?" he said with a raised eyebrow.

"11pm at Heaven tomorrow evening, little girl. They'll know who you are." His eyes rested on my body and I suddenly felt ridiculously self conscious. I looked down and realised he was staring at the tear at the bottom left hand side of my dress. "You might want to do something about that," he said in a low, husky voice. A driver pulled up and Luka jumped in and started barking orders in a way that would have impressed a military general. With one final look, the car disappeared down the dark alleyway and I was left alone feeling completely and utterly confused.

I wandered home left with all of my thoughts and memories from the events of that night. What was he doing there? How did he fit into all this? Why did he save me? And HOW did someone look SO good in a trenchcoat? I walked slower than necessary and told myself to refocus on the mission. I must have finally gotten through because my heart rate finally slowed and my thoughts became more concerned with processing what I had just seen. Volkov killed that man like he was nothing. I got the impression that this was not the first time Chetsky had caused trouble for the bratva but that didn't make me feel any better. The handling of Chetsky was cold. I sleepily entered the apartment and began writing my report. Daniel must have just finished a work out as the shower was running and his trainers were by the door. Daniel didn't sleep much, as I had discovered in the past few days. I finished my report just as he was hopping out of the shower. I was exhausted, but knew it was important to brief Daniel. I went through my night in detail, omitting the inappropriate details of Volkov's effect on me. When I was finished, Daniel looked stunned. "Wow... So, Volkov?... Wow."

Daniel pondered over the information I had just given him and pulled out his report to add a few things.

"You did good, kid. Real good," Daniel said playfully. I felt a sigh of relief that he hadn't picked up on the way I had nervously recounted my meeting of Volkov. I figured he was too tired to notice my sweating hands or darting pupils.

The next day I avoided Daniel. He was going out to see the surveillance team so it wasn't that difficult. I felt guilty about the fact that I was so caught off guard by Volkov. I chastised myself continuously. I should have been more focused. I should have kept my mind on the mission. I spent most of my day on the treadmill with the new notes the surveillance team had sent over. It was pretty much just a recap of my findings last night but it kept me mildly occupied. The day dragged on and I was glad when it came time for me to get ready. I saw Daniel briefly but he seemed occupied with his reports.

I put on one final coat of mascara and adjusted my hair. I wore stilettoed red heels which contrasted perfectly against my leather mini skirt. I opted for boyleg panties in case I had another wardrobe malfunction. My toned midriff was showing below a Ramones fan shirt which hugged my chest and shoulders. The cut outs at the top amplified my cleavage. I opted for the rollers tonight so my hair formed soft waves that accentuated my layers. I applied my brightest red lipstick and gave myself a final look in the mirror. I looked badass. "Now this is a view I could get used to." I turned around the find Daniel leaning against the door way. He looked exhausted. The smile that he wore soon faded and his look became nervous. "You'll be careful, won't you Gabe?"

"Of course," I replied with a smile, trying to ease his tension.

"You just seem a bit distracted today, like something's on your mind." Damn it, I hoped he hadn't picked up on that.

"It's okay. Just a few jitters. I mean, I might be seeing Boshkov and Volkov again tonight, and I just want to make sure I'm prepared." His face relaxed and the tension seemed to leave him.

"Okay, well if you need anything or it becomes too intense for you, just let me know, okay?"

"How am I going to do that?" I joked, "They won't give me any gadgets!" A smile played on his lips and he gave me an obvious look.

"It's this new thing called a cell phone. You should try it." I laughed and made my way out the door, shaking my head as I went. He laughed behind me in the way he did when he was proud of his own joke. "Goodbye, Daniel" I yelled trying to sound annoyed.

"Good bye, angel."

CHAPTER THREE

I arrived at the club right on time and the tall, red haired woman stood at the reception desk.

"Vhat do you vant?" She said with a scowl and eyes looking me up and down. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes at her not so subtle attempt at bitchiness. I flicked my hair over my shoulder and locked eyes with her.

"Gabriel Grey. Luka Volkov has requested my presence." I radiated confidence and the woman flicked through her paperwork before muttering an apology and asking me to step behind the desk. She led me to a private elevator, pressed the top floor and wished me a good night with a forced smile. After a few moments, the elevator dinged as it reached the top floor. I walked out of the elevator and was handed a glass of champagne by a scantily clad waitress. No males had arrived yet but around me were dozens of beautiful females dressed in a lot less than me. There were a few tux-lingerie clad women, who I figured were hired waitresses. The other women looked to have been invited here, like me. The low hanging lights lit the room a deep red. The carpet was gold and black damask and was thick under my heels. Black vintage leather chaises lined the walls opposite the bar. There were several poles shooting up from black circular stages and in front of these were black chairs with gold threading and buttons where the leather was pinched tight. The bar was black marble with what looked like gold dripping down it. The bar was stocked with expensive liquor, champagnes and vintage cases. Behind it was a glass wall that looked out over the club. I didn't remember seeing it last night, it must have been a one sided mirror. A single bartender in a penguin suit was leaning against the glass, but straightened up and smiled kindly when he noticed me staring.

I was joined by a few girls roughly my age who introduced themselves in Russian. Maja was from Croatia and had long black hair and thick manicured eyebrows which made her bright blue eyes stand out. She had pale skin and a tiny frame. She boasted about the time she'd spent a night with Boshkov. Bianca introduced herself next. She was a tall Russian girl with big, hazel eyes and was skinnier than Maja. She explained that she was a part of the Russian ballet until she injured her ankle and she had been doing this ever since. The last girl to introduce herself was Lina. She took an instant dislike to me and eyed me suspiciously. She had long caramel hair that was immaculately curled so it sat just above the small of her back. She was the least dressed out of the three, sporting something that I would consider to be underwear. I briefly wondered whether they came to the club like that, or changed when they arrived. Maja and Bianca were genuinely interested in me and spewed questions about where I was from and what brought me to Russia. I explained that I was from Columbia, USA, and had come to Russia to get away for a while. Maja touched my arm reassuringly and said that I had come to the right place.

They were fretting over me like a new toy and I assumed that they didn't see new girls in here often. Bianca played with my hair before leaning into my ear. "We haven't had an American in here for a while. Mr Boshkov will be pleased with you."

That was all Lina could take. She scoffed deep in her throat before tightening her eyes at me. With that final gesture, she flicked her hair and stormed off to another group of girls. Maja and Bianca laughed. "Don't mind her, she's just angry that Boshkov never gives her any attention." I giggled along with them before deciding to pry further.

"So how often is Boshkov here?" I asked innocently. The girls gave up the information freely stating that sometimes it's several times a week, but other times they don't see him for a full month. They explained to me that they come here every night to entertain Boshkov's men and are paid handsomely for it.

"Think of this as a 'job trial'?" Bianca giggled. "Impress them tonight, and they'll ask you back again. And believe me, it's worth your while to be invited back!" she slipped her hair to the side revealing earrings dripping with diamonds. She went on to explain that the men often brought them gifts and showered them with money and clothes.

"Do you have to sleep with them?" I blurted out before I had time to stop myself.

They exchanged glances but Maja replied this time, "Only if you want to. Some come for that, but others simply come here to drink and stare. You'll soon learn which ones prefer which." She winked at me and I suddenly felt uneasy. The bartender brought over bottles of champagne and all of the girls drank and continued animated conversations about the men which they so often accompanied.

I heard a door opening and all of the girls turned to stare. At the other side of the lounge, about twenty men now stood. Some walked to the bar whilst others walked past us and sat on the lounges. A few girls immediately walked over and sat on the men's laps. I heard a few whispered conversations with the men asking about me. The women offered up any information they had heard before beginning to fetch drinks. Maja and Bianca's moods had changed and instead of their beautiful giggling smiles, they now wore sultry smiles and ran their hands through their jewellery provocatively. A few other women had joined us and we exchanged pleasantries. I took in my surroundings and tried to gather up as much information as I could. They wore their weapons visibly around their waists, under their jackets or placed on the tables beside them. Lines of cash were now spread across some of the tables and both the men and the lingerie clad women were drinking heavily. The entire thing reminded me of a 1950's gangster movie. There seemed to be one main entry and two emergency exits hidden behind lush, red velvet curtains. I was pulled from my thoughts by the giggles of the women next to me. Maja had begun fanning herself profusely in an animated gesture. I turned to look where she was and I saw him. Luka Volkov had arrived. He wore the same trenchcoat that made him look like a total badass. Beneath that was a grey, long sleeved V-neck which accentuated his muscular chest. He wore fitted black dress pants and thick, black worker boots. He stood for a moment in the doorway whilst the women exchanged lewd comments about what they'd like to do to him. I found myself laughing alongside them but couldn't pull my gaze away. He looked around the room before moving forward to reveal Alex Boshkov. This was the first time I'd gotten a good look at Boshkov. He was a few inches shorter than Volkov and wore a white dress shirt which was unbuttoned down to his ribs to show off his much less impressive pectorals. Gold chains hung around his neck and a gold belt buckled his matching white dress pants. He sat on the largest chair in the room whilst Volkov took the chair next to him. The girls were obviously affected by Boshkov's presence in the room and whispered rumours of the riches which awaited any girl that Boshkov picked. I gathered that it had been a while since Boshkov had chosen a girl from this lounge for his own. Maja whispered that the last girl spent months with Boshkov on his private yacht sailing the Caribbean. Once he tired of her, he bought her a house there and enough money to live out her days in paradise. I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes at their school girl fantasies.

It was then that all of the girls suddenly went quiet. Boshkov was staring straight at us. He whispered something inaudible to Volkov and a small smile played in his lips. I stared at Volkov's lips trying to lip read his response. He opened his mouth slowly and mouthed that I was the American girl. Boshkov laughed loudly and everyone stopped their conversations to stare. He held back his laughter for a moment to mimic Volkov's words from the night before. "Damn Chetsky" He said with amusement before continuing to laugh. The men roared with laughter with some pointing my way. Volkov nodded in acknowledgement, his eyes locked with mine with a look that gave nothing away. The girls stared at me for a moment before they too joined in on the laughter.

The rest of the night was uneventful considering and I only had to suffer a few "damsel" comments. But at least I'd made an impression. Boshkov and my eyes met a few more times and I gave him a small, shy smile each time. Many of the women rotated throughout the room giggling at jokes and receiving gifts from their favourite men. Many of the men were young and attractive but I got the impression this was one of the few chances they got to fraternise. I scanned them trying to establish a hierarchy. Many of the faces I recognised from my briefing books and surveillance videos that Daniel had showed me. I briefly wondered what Daniel would make of this scene. He probably wouldn't notice anything past the barely dressed women like the rest of the gentlemen in here.

Boshkov, Volkov and a few others left at about 3am. Some of the girls left with the men, but neither Boshkov nor Volkov seemed too interested. I noticed that every female admired Luka from afar, but said it was wasted time going after him as he had never shown any interest. He would dismissively wave them off. Some girls joked about placing bets on his sexuality. I laughed along with them but I desperately wanted to know more about him. Their offering of knowledge on Volkov was extremely limited. Many had their own theories about him but most just joked that it was God's cruellest joke. To put a man so perfect in our midst, yet make him so unattainable. I could definitely agree with that. We continued our conversations into the early morning until we had run out of things to say. I said my goodbyes to the women and gathered my things. On my way out, I was distracted by the receptionist running behind me calling my name. I looked at her with a puzzled expression whilst she caught up.

"Pardon, Miss Gabriel. I couldn't let you leave without telling you this. Mr Boshkov made it VERY clear that I ensure your attendance in the lounge tomorrow night." I was shocked and taken back by this request.

"Me?" I replied dumbfounded. "Why?"

"Apparently you make quite the impression, Miss Gabriel," she said with a smirk and I knew that she was referring to the 'damsel' situation. "Mr Boshkov doesn't like to be turned down, so we'll see you tomorrow. Same time. Looks like Heaven just got its first archangel," she winked in reference to the fact that I was named after an angel. I sighed inwardly at her poor attempt of a joke. And with that she waltzed back to her desk, leaving me dumbstruck. A personal invitation from Alex Boshkov himself. Things were developing quicker than I had hoped. I walked back to the apartment as quickly as I could. I couldn't wait to rub what I had learnt in Daniel's face.

CHAPTER FOUR

Over the next two weeks I hardly saw Daniel. Practically the only times I saw him was when we would quickly brief on the events of the night before over dinner. Most nights I wouldn't get in until well past 4am and my days were spent sleeping.

My nights at the lounge all went the same. I would meet up with Maja and Bianca and they would try to talk me into letting them be my personal stylists. I knew this was code for thinking I wore too many clothes. Each night Boshkov and Volkov wouldn't say a word to me, but I would catch Boshkov stealing a glance or two in my direction. After a few nights, the receptionist asked me to be one of the regular girls. There were different men there every night and I gathered they worked on a rotation system for their nights off. Like surveillance said, there was never any business meetings conducted here. I taught a lot of the men some American drinking games and was beginning to have fun. The men were tight lipped about the bratva and never gave up too much information. I would catch some names and places but nothing I could ever string together.

About two weeks after my first trip to the club, I arrived at 11pm like every other night. The lounge was filled with bratva when I arrived, only none of the men were drinking. They all sat around Boshkov whilst they watched the women dancing and socialising. After about an hour all of the men filed out of the club using the emergency exits. Two men volunteered to stay back and were left to watch over the lounge.

"They must be going to the negotiation," I heard Maja whisper behind me.

"Negotiation?" I asked with my eyes still locked on the two men left.

"They had a treaty with the brigadier in the next suburb over. Apparently one of their men was killed when he drunkenly pulled a gun on one of Boshkov's men," she explained. "It's more of a sign of respect to the dead than anything. Just a formality. You'd have to be pretty stupid to go up against Boshkov." She pointed to the tanned man that had remained behind. "He was the one who shot the poor bastard." The man looked up at me and puckered his lips. He laughed in a way that made my spine shiver. Something about him didn't feel right.

Half an hour went by and none of the men had returned. The two men still stood posted by the exit and many of the women were intoxicated by now. I sat and watched the two men, still feeling slightly anxious about the situation.

A few moments later, one of the men received a phone call. He nodded then clamped the phone shut. He raised his weapon and fired off a few shots. Screams erupted throughout the lounge as the women ducked for cover where ever they could. I grabbed Maja and Bianca and dived under the table. A third man entered the lounge through the front entry. Maja suddenly gasped and let out a small sob. I searched her eyes for an explanation. "He's the brigadier Boshkov was meant to meet," she explained through a little more than a whisper. Women were quietly crying for help all around me, afraid to make too much noise. The brigadier walked over to the tanned man and they hugged. Wasn't this the man who shot one of his men? I searched through the information that Maja had provided me earlier and frantically tried to come up with an explanation. Then it hit me. This was all a set up. The entire shooting had been a set up. They couldn't attack Boshkov with all of his men around so they were staging an ambush in the place he would least expect it... And the two guards that volunteered to stay behind were in on it. I searched frantically for an escape for Maja and Bianca. The three men walked towards me.

The brigadier looked at Maja, Bianca and I. "Kill all the women," he said with a smile playing on his lips. Maja and Bianca began crying while I stayed staring at him with a stone face. "Look here," he said noticing my lack of fear. "This one isn't afraid." He motioned to the tall tanned man. "Take her into the wine cellar behind the bar. We'll give her something to be afraid of." Before I had time to react, I was being dragged by my hair into the room behind the bar. Maja and Bianca screamed and grabbed for me but were silenced by the brigadiers' back hand. Three versus one, I'd had worse odds. The tanned man tossed me into a wine rack and the bottles broke against the force of my body. Blood now ran down my hands and knees. A small trickle of blood was moving down my forehead. The man laughed as he looked over me and closed the door. "Little damsel," he mocked as he placed down his gun and began undoing the front of his pants.

I took the opportunity whilst his hands were busy and lunged for him. My fist made contact with his jaw, barely missing his knock out zone. He cried out in surprise and knocked my shoulder with the palm of his hands so I was now facing away from him. I used my new position to gather up momentum. I swung my elbow around and made contact with his head. He fell backwards against the closed door. I walked towards him and from behind his back he pulled a large, serrated knife. He made a move for my legs so I reached up and grabbed the first weapon I saw, the AK47 he had put down in a feeble attempt to force himself on me. He froze as I pointed the gun towards his chest. "Put it down, little damsel before you hurt yourself," he taunted, fear now turning into mockery. His face dropped when I reached forward and pulled on the semi-automatic weapon's charging handle. He lunged at me and with a quick pull of my finger he was silenced. He slumped to the floor in a lifeless heap.

I took a deep breath and gathered my composure. This wasn't the first time I'd seen a dead body, or even the first time I'd been the one who'd caused it, but it never got easier. The gravity of taking someone's life was something I could never describe or forget. I forced myself to focus. Bianca and Maja were still in trouble.

I kicked the door open in front of me. The girls were still on the floor and all eyes shot to me. The brigadier and other guard stood up in shock as I raised my weapon towards the armed guard. He took the first shot as I dived below the bar. I studied my weapon as the armed guard was firing the same one. It was a standard curved magazine. 30 rounds, I thought to myself. I waited until I heard the weapon cease fire. 30 rounds, I thought to myself triumphantly. I peered over the bar to see him pulling a magazine from his back pocket. I stood up, aimed for his chest and fired. Women screamed as arterial spray landed around them. He fell to the ground and didn't move again.

I aimed towards the brigadier. He fled towards the front door and I fired. I watched in slow motion as his body flew forward from the force of the metal that had entered his back. When he finally hit the ground, he was still.

I ran to Maja and Bianca and wiped the red spatter from their faces. They were crying and thanking me in Russian. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain ripping through my side. The women went pale as they stared at my hip. I spun around to see the armed guard holding a knife weakly between his hands. He had only scraped the side of my flesh in a vain attempt to kill me before he died. I took the knife from his hand and watched him take his last breath. I checked his pulse before walking over to the brigadier. I kneeled beside him and placed my fingers over his neck, searching for a pulse. I felt nothing. I stood up, knees buckling from exhaustion and the shock from the knife wound. I held the ak47 in my hand, holding my wound with the other. I closed my eyes for a moment before hearing the front door slam open and men filing in the room. Before I could think, my body reacted. Thinking I was under attack, I brought the gun in line with my shoulders and opened my eyes to line it up before firing. I froze.

Standing before me was Boshkov and Volkov. They held their regular emotionless expression while two dozen men scattered throughout the room in an attempt to regain order. They gathered the women for questioning around me but I couldn't move. I stood there with the gun firmly planted in my hand, never breaking eye contact with Volkov. That's when I saw something in his eyes. He looked over me and rested over the wound on my left hip. He looked almost worried. He searched my face for anything that told him I was okay. I took a deep breath and relaxed my body. He visibly relaxed and I dropped my weapon. Boshkov took in his surrounds and gathered what had happened. The women around me confirmed his suspicions. I broke my eye contact with Volkov to meet Boshkov's gaze. He gave me a small, approving smile and turned to Volkov. "It looks like our little American is more than what she seems." He said before turning on his heel to leave. Once he was gone, I refocused my eyes on Volkov. For the first time since I'd met him, a small smile played on his lips. I had never seen a smile so beautiful. I was memorised by this man. He finally spoke and his words resonated through me. "Yes," he said softly. "She is."

The rest of the night was a blur. I was treated for my injuries by Boshkov's personal doctor. The girls gathered in large groups around me to tell stories of my bravery. I offered up a few smiles and comments, but my attention was on Volkov. We stole a few glances while he was deep in conversation with Boshkov, who had returned a short while before. Once my stitches were finished, I was exhausted. The doctor gave me some directions for my wound then nodded his farewell. Boshkov noticed his exit and made his way over to me.

He stood in front of me, looking as well groomed as he did when he left. He knelt down beside me and turned his attention to the gash on my head. He spoke in a soft, low voice. "I think you've earned dinner, Miss America." I blushed at his proximity and simply smiled. He let out a small chuckle before returning to Volkov's side. He whispered some instructions to him before motioning for two men to follow him out. A few moments later, Volkov signalled for me to follow him. The women around me gasped in awe as I stood and hobbled towards him. He walked with such power and grace as he escorted me down the private elevator and outside the lobby. I felt so ungraceful and uncoordinated walking beside him normally, and this feeling was just exacerbated by my injuries. Female passers-by stared and whispered their appreciation. I'm sure he heard them but he walked by unfazed. He led me into a low lit alleyway. Behind us the streets bustled; completely unaware of the events that had just taken place.

We reached a white limousine parked at the end of the alley with the door opened. Before I could step in, I felt a small tug on my hand. I looked down and noticed Volkov's hand in mine and his eyes staring down at me. A mix of emotions swelled up inside me, things I had never felt. It overwhelmed me. I stepped back against the car as he raised his hand to my head. I felt like my heart could have stopped in that moment. His hand was warm and his touch consumed me. His eyes were fixed on my forehead and I suddenly felt something trickle across my eyebrow. The gash on my head must have started bleeding again. He twisted his lip in a worried expression then used the side of his coat to wipe the blood from my face. I closed my eyes to savour his touch. His hand rested on my cheek and he dropped his guard. He gave me a breathtaking smile and looked at me with awe in his eyes. "Who are you?" He whispered, wonder resinating through his words. I could feel a ridiculously stupid grin spreading across my face, but I couldn't stop it. This beautiful, sexy, god of a man was beguiled... by me. Clumsy, hot-headed, smart-mouthed me. His beautiful smiling face stared at me and in that moment, I wished it would never fade. But after a few stolen moments, it did. He looked momentarily confused before dropping his hand and straightening himself back up. And just like that I felt an empty void inside my chest. I searched his eyes for anything but he just stared at me with no emotion. Finally he moved, he stepped back and motioned for me to enter the limousine. "Tell the driver your address. He will pick you up for dinner at 7pm. Don't be late." He wore his usual stone-faced expression. I yearned to see his smile again and feel his warm hand on my cheek. My good mood had vanished and I found myself wondering if I'd smacked my head hard enough to have imagined it. I clambered into the car, careful to avoid further injuries. He closed the door and I looked back at him through the open window. "Thank you, Mr Volkov." The car began to pull away as I gave him a tight smile. His expression saddened as his eyes followed mine.

"Call me Luka."

CHAPTER FIVE

Daniel was frantic when I got back to the apartment. Within minutes he had the entire CIA thinking that I was on my death bed. I was trying to convince him to call off the emergency extraction but I'd never seen him like this. By the time I'd gotten back, the incident with Luka had made my injuries the furthest thing from my mind. I must have looked like I'd been hit by a bus, no wonder Daniel couldn't be consoled. After everything I'd been through tonight, the last thing that I needed was Daniel yelling and ripping up my clothes in order to get a detailed description of my wounds. Before I knew it, he was pressing on my head asking if it hurt. He hung up the phone once the doctor was satisfied that my injuries had been properly tended to. Daniel was pacing back and forth chastising himself for letting me go in alone. Every emotion I'd felt tonight came welling up. I had the urge to scream, hit, cry and laugh all at once. Daniel came to an abrupt stop directly in front of me. He opened his mouth to say something so I did the only thing I could to shut him up. I couldn't deal with anything else this evening so I grabbed him and forced our mouths together. At first he was shocked but I didn't care. All of my emotions were bubbling inside of me. Every frustration I felt with Luka and Daniel was forcing my body closer to his. He finally responded and he kissed me back... hard.

Everything else faded away as he ran his hands across the small of my back. His mouth pulled away from mine only to make contact with my neck. His hands continued down until they reached the top of my leg. He lifted me up onto the bench behind me. He pinned my hands to the wall and his lips continued their way down my neck to my collarbone. I closed my eyes and gave into the sensation. He began to slide his fingers up and down the side of my leg. My emotions were on turbo-charge and they were being vented into every kiss, every touch, every firing nerve ending. That's when it happened. It was out of my mouth before I could stop it. "Luka."

Daniel froze mid kiss. An eternity passed while I stood there, eyes wide with fear. Finally, he took a step back from me and stared blankly. My entire body tensed and I searched his face for a reaction. But one didn't come. "Daniel?" I asked, still breathing heavily. He just stared at me for what felt like minutes. "Daniel I... I..." I searched for something to say and said the first thing that came to my mind. "I must have hit my head harder than I thought." His expression changed, slowly at first, but his face soon became filled with worry. I knew it was wrong to lie to Daniel but it's not like I could tell him that every moment I was with him, I was wishing I was with someone else. He reached his hand up to my head and offered me a small smile. Relief rushed through me, but I felt like the worst person on Earth.

"It's okay, Gabe. Just forget any of this ever happened. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken advantage of you." I opened my mouth to protest but decided I shouldn't. The pain killers I'd taken earlier were now kicking in and I suppressed a weary yawn. Daniel chuckled at my glazy eyed expression and all of the tension from a few seconds ago vanished. He led me to the shower and helped me out of my clothes. He was careful not to stare too long as he helped me step into the shower. It felt strange to shower in my underwear, but I think I'd put Daniel through enough tonight without him seeing me completely naked. I closed my eyes and wished that the memories from that night would wash away as easily as the blood that now ran down my body. I didn't think that sleep was possible after everything I'd gone through, but in the early sunlight, exhaustion finally took me.

I stumbled out into the kitchen at about 3pm. Daniel must had heard me get up and was rifling through the first aid kit for a fresh bandage. He passed it to me behind his back, never making eye contact. I discarded the bloodied bandage, cleaned my wound and wrapped the fresh bandage around it. "How are you feeling?" He asked, eyes full of empathy.

"Daniel, I..." He must have noticed the changed expression on my face and put his hand up to stop me.

"Gabe, don't. I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have taken advantage of you. We were both upset and I shouldn't have let it happen. I'm sorry. Can we just forget about it?" His request was almost a plea and with that I dropped it.

"I feel fine. Thanks for everything Daniel." He looked almost relieved as I uttered those words. I looked at the time and cursed under my breath.

"We better get you ready for your date," and just like that Daniel was back to his old self. I felt terrible about everything but I hoped that if Daniel's mood could improve, so could mine.

I was relieved when Daniel suggested a knee-length dress. It was black and so tight that it accentuated my curves. I had always been skinny, but the small Spanish gene in my family ensured that I could fill any dress out. The bandage dress had inch thick, low cut straps that met in the middle of my rib cage. I wore matching gold earrings and a long golden chain which sat perfectly on top of a hint of exposed cleavage. I had saved my gold Louboutin pumps for a special occasion and decided this was it. I kept wondering if Luka would like my outfit, or if he would even care. I was so confused after our exchange last night. All I knew is that I would go through it all again just to see his smile, or feel the sparks that vibrated through me when his hand held my mine. My hair was straight and full tonight with two small braids pulled back at the front. As usual, my long fringe hung on both sides in front of my ears. I didn't wear eyeliner tonight, settling for just some mascara and a light, lilac lipstick that shimmered against the lights.

Daniel smiled as he walked me down to the front of the building. It had taken a bit of convincing for him to let me go tonight, but I reminded him that I was a field agent and last night proved that I could take care of myself. As we reached the front lobby, Daniel stopped to hold open the door for me. "You look so beautiful tonight, Gabriel. You look so... you." I gave him a smile and a long, drawn out hug. I was so glad that Daniel was here in Moscow with me. I was so glad to be with my best friend.

The car ride was nice as the driver told me stories of his family in St Petersburg and his upcoming trip to see his first grandchild. It reminded me of what I was doing here in the first place. I had to focus. No more thoughts on Luka or Daniel. If these people were in danger, I had to help them.

I arrived in Barvikha and the car pulled up at a set of gates. The entire property was lined in spotlights, barbed wire and large fences that stood at about 3 metres tall. The gates were black with gold trim and had a large symbol threaded through them. The snake eating the sickle and hammer. The same symbol that the bratva wore on their necks. We passed perfectly manicured gardens and fountains larger than most swimming pools. The driveway was long and it was a few minutes before I saw the glow of the house lights.

The mansion was the size of a football field. The grey rendered castle stood at three stories high with turrets reaching up for the heavens. Behind large open windows were countless bedrooms, bathrooms and meeting rooms. Attached to the left of the house was a room with floor to ceiling glass and was as well lit as a showroom. Inside it was the most diverse range of super cars I had ever seen. Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Aston Martins and Audis from different decades over the last century were spread out over the three levels. I looked up towards the house. In the centre on the second level, above the entrance, was a massive dining table which could have easily fit a few dozen people. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling and reflected in ways that looked like diamonds dancing along the walls. A man opened up the large, stained wooden door and ushered me in. He led me up the grand staircase that was the centrepiece of the room. At the top of the staircase was the dining room that I had seen moments ago. Expensive artwork and sculptures lined the walls. An ancient mahogany table sat in the centre of the room. At the other side of the room was Alex Boshkov.

Uncharacteristically, he sauntered towards me with a smile. He grabbed my hand delicately and stroked my knuckles with his palm. He planted a soft kiss on the back of my hand before leading me past the table. He pulled me into a small room that was lit by only candles. Inside was a small table just big enough for two people. He helped me into my seat before walking towards a set of large, deep red curtains. He gave me a smirk before opening them. Light poured into the room and I was stunned. Beyond the large glass panel was a fountain that rivalled that of the Bellagio. Water spurted up in columns lit by L.E.D.'s at the base. The water swayed and shot up in time with a beautiful, orchestral piece. It was beautiful. I had to give Boshkov credit, he knew how to treat a lady. Once I had recovered my wits, I turned my head back to Boshkov. He assessed my reaction with a smug smile. "Thank you, it's beautiful," I said, still in awe of the fountain's sheer size and beauty. He nodded with acknowledgement but didn't say a word. I got the feeling that Boshkov didn't need to say anything and girls would still fall all over him.

A waiter entered and brought us our first course. I thanked God it wasn't pasta. One look at me eating spaghetti was enough to turn any man off. Instead, he presented us with traditional borscht. It was good. I sat quietly enjoying my meal. "So," Boshkov started with an intrigued expression. To my surprised he was talking in English. He continued with his thick, husky accent, "grevious bodily harm?" And with that I froze, my spoon still in my mouth. I cautiously continued with my mouthful and set the spoon back down. I wiped my mouth with the napkin and looked him dead in the eye.

"You've done your research," I replied and gave him an impressed nod.

"Well," he said, prompting me to elaborate.

"I'm sure there's not a lot I can tell you that you didn't read in the police report. It was late at a bar and three men got a little too bold. Needless to say, they grabbed the wrong girl's ass." He let out a laugh and I joined him, relieved that the conversation was going well.

"Women like you are very rare, Miss Grey. So you'll understand why I'd like to keep you around." I gave him a small smile as I finished the last of my dish. The waiter interrupted and explained in Russian that there was a man here to see him. He excused himself stating the matter was urgent and hurried out the door. My curiosity was peaking and I quickly asked the waiter where the bathroom was. He gave me a polite smile and explained the way. As soon as I was out of sight, I headed towards the voices in the hall. Boshkov and the man were talking in low voices so I could only make out a few words. They kept repeating " Komsomolets" and "Murmansk". I had heard these before but couldn't remember where. I pulled out my phone and noted down the words for later. I headed back to the room once I was satisfied I had gotten all I was going to. I rounded a corner and hit something that knocked the wind out of me. I fell backwards before a hand caught mine. I felt sparks shooting through me. I looked up, attempting to catch my breath and saw Luka. I felt a smile tugging at my lips and he immediately dropped my hand and resumed his strong stance.

"Miss Grey," he nodded with his usual tone. For a brief second his eyes left mine and glanced at my outfit. His eyes narrowed when they returned to mine, as if it were taking everything he had to keep his focus.

"Mr Volkov," I said, mirroring his tone. He furrowed his brow for a moment. I wanted to reach up and smooth the skin between his eyebrows. We sat there for a few moments. Neither of us said a word, yet there was so much passing between us. This man was the enemy. I was sent here to take him down. But how could a man who was looking at me this way be a monster? How could I have only talked to this man twice, yet feel like I've known him my whole life? I could read every emotion that crossed his face, hear every word he never spoke to me and I knew in that moment, that he felt the same.

We both tilted our heads in the direction of footsteps we heard in the hallway. "Good, you found each other," Boshkov rounded the corner as Luka and I instinctively took a step away from each other. "Volkov, I have business I need to attend to. Ensure the lovely Miss Grey finds her way home after she's finished dinner." Boshkov took my hand and planted a soft kiss over my knuckles. The way he was staring at me made me embarrassed. In the corner of my eye, I could see Luka stiffen. I smiled at Boshkov, mainly to play on any jealousy that Luka might have been feeling.

"Thank you for the lovely evening, Mr Boshkov. You're too kind," I said in my sweetest voice, ensuring to flutter my eyelashes at him. Childish? Yes. Effective? Definitely.

"Please," he said with his usual arrogant smirk, "Call me Alex." And with that he left the room. Luka and I stared at each other for a while until we heard the car pulling away from the house. He finally began walking towards the dining room and I followed. He ran his hands through his hair and shook off any emotions that still resided on his face. When we reached the smaller dining room, he pulled out my chair and helped me in. He sat down opposite me and stared out the window. I ate my food in silence as Luka's mood became increasingly dark. I tried to lighten his mood and get his mind off whatever was troubling him.

"How long have you and Alex been friends?" He tore his gaze away from the window and stared blankly at me.

"In my profession, you don't have friends, Gabriel." I looked at him, confused by his words. He sighed and finally elaborated. "Alex Boshkov is not my friend. His father saved me. I owe him my life." His words humbled me. He cautiously went on. "My father owned a local delivery company. He had been friends with Sergei since they were kids. He knew about Sergei's dealings but was never involved, and Sergei never pushed him to be. I spent the first few years of my life at the Boshkov's. They would watch over me and I considered them to be my second family. I was never a fan of Alex, though. "I giggled at his confession and the smirk he wore as he glanced at me sideways. "Spoilt little bastard he was. Still is. Always getting into trouble and trying to drag me into it." A fond smile played on his lips. His eyes suddenly darkened as he recounted the night that his parents died. "It was a dangerous time in Russia. Gangs were fighting for power and thousands lost their lives. A rival bratva had been planning an attack on the Boshkov's. They came for my parents one night, hoping to pay them off in exchange for delivering the Boshkov's to them. My father could never betray Sergei, so they killed him. My mother was next. She was shot in the back as she tried to run to my room. I remember the sound of their footsteps as they closed in. The door opened and I saw my mother lying there, lifeless. I was sure I was dead, but Sergei walked through the door. He had decided to stop in on his way home when he found my parents' bodies and the men responsible. He took me in but couldn't stand to look at me. My father was his oldest friend, and every time he looked at me, he was reminded of how he'd failed him. So he sent me to America to be trained in Chicago. I'd pledged myself to him and vowed to protect his family as he had protected me. For the next ten years I lived in Chicago. I was driven by vengeance and soon gained a reputation that preceded me when I arrived back in Russia. Sergei assigned me to Alex and for the last 9 years I have been paying back my debt to Sergei."

A single tear ran down my cheek as I mourned for the little boy who lost his parents. Luka Volkov was so many things. Dangerous, deadly, cold, calculating, but in that moment, he was vulnerable. I reached out and grabbed his hand and his expression softened. We looked into each other's eyes, both understanding what it means to lose your family. His expression suddenly changed. "You belong to Alex now," he said carefully, begging me to understand, as his hand wrapped around mine. We sat there for a while just taking each other in, cherishing every moment that our hands stayed together.

The time finally came for me to go and he led me out to the waiting car. "You look beautiful tonight, Gabriel," I turned around to see him admiring me. "But tomorrow you might want to wear something a little more comfortable."

"Tomorrow?" I asked, confused.

"Boshkov saw the photos of the three guys you took out at the bar. He wants to see what you can do... So do I" He gave me a quick wink before returning back to his hard exterior and nodding his farewell.

I returned back to the apartment and briefed Daniel on the conversation I'd overheard Boshkov having. He immediately looked confused and buried his head into his laptop. Whilst he was searching, I filled him in on my conversation with Luka. "I don't think he has anything to do with what Alex is planning." Daniel looked up at me with a puzzled look.

"Gabe, they're all mobsters. It doesn't matter if they aren't involved in every little plan, they're all really bad people."

"Look I just don't think that we should be dragging them all into this, Luka might be able to help!" I raised my voice slightly in frustration. I winced, instantly realising my mistake.

"Luka? So what, now you're on a first name basis with these guys?" I opened my mouth ready to hurl the full force of my short tempter at him but he beat me to it.

"For god's sake, Gabriel! This is not some school yard gang, this is the Russian Mafia! You can't trust any of them!" As much as I wanted to argue and smack some sense into him, I knew he was right. I didn't know Luka well enough to trust him with this. I bit my tongue and crashed into a heap on the couch.

"Oh, shit," Daniel's face went pale and his eyes widened.

"What? What is it?" I asked, panic lacing my words.

"Komsomolets isn't the name of a person. It's the name of a nuclear submarine."

CHAPTER SIX

K-278 Komsomolets was a Mike class submarine which sunk in 1989 after a fire broke out on board. It sunk in the Barents Sea with its nuclear reactor and two warheads still on board. The Russian government abandoned plans to salvage the submarine in 2012 as it was deemed far too costly and dangerous. It now rests 1.6 kilometres under the icy waters off Russia. Murmansk was the closest port to the submarine's final resting place.

"What the hell do they want with this thing?" Daniel asked, his face riddled with worry.

"I don't know Daniel, but I doubt it's good." Daniel immediately got on the phone to the surveillance team to send out some agents to the Port.

"Look Gabe. Go tomorrow and see what more you can find out. I know I don't need to tell you this, but please be careful."

When I tucked myself into bed that night, my mind was racing through a million thoughts. What did they want with a nuclear sub? What was I getting myself into? Were my feelings for Luka beginning to cloud my judgement? My troubled thoughts finally subsided and I drifted off into a deep sleep.

The next morning the apartment was filled with people. Everyone rushed around preparing for their surveillance mission that afternoon. Daniel had agreed to go with them while I was set to go to the Boshkov estate. I changed into my three-quarter black gym pants and my pink crop top. I packed a spare change of clothes and threw a jacket on before heading out the door. The driver was there on time, as usual. Boshkov's mansion looked just as spectacular during the day and I could see that the gardens stretched as far as the eye could see. I was led around to a building behind the main residence. It looked like a huge storage shed. I walked inside and before me stood an octagonal arena. There were a few scattered pads and weights on the floor surrounding it. I looked up to see a viewing box above me. Looking down was Boshkov and a few other men. Boshkov slowly lowered his head whilst never breaking eye contact with me. Suddenly, his eyes flickered behind me and a smile crept across his face. I turned my head over my shoulder to see what had distracted him.

My eyes fixed on Luka and my jaw dropped. He wore baggy grey track pants with a stripe up the side and not much else. His body was tanned and perfectly proportioned for his height. Every muscle in my body tensed as I studied his flawless figure. He arm muscles strained against the tape which wrapped around his biceps. He rolled the last bit of tape around his wrists and looked up at me. His eyes traced down my body. I was happy I'd worn my low cut crop top and tight pants. His lips parted only slightly and he took in a sharp breath as his eyes fixed on my bare midriff. My bottom lip rested between my teeth as his eyes made contact with mine. His expression darkened and I could hear the blood pulse through my veins. His eyes burned through mine and I felt my heart rate spike. Laughter coming from the viewing box broke my focus and I remembered that we weren't alone. Both of us awkwardly began warming up, grateful that our encounter hadn't been noticed by anyone else.

I taped up my wrists and fitted my pink sparring gloves. I don't know why, but pink gloves always made me feel badass. It was then that I noticed Luka strapping the pads to his hands. "Well this doesn't seem like a fair fight," I said innocently.

Luka's expression was now filled with humour. "Don't worry, little American. I'll go easy on you." I laughed as he said the words.

"It's not me I'm worried about," I retorted with a wink directed as Boshkov who had now turned all of his attention on me.

After a few warm up rounds with the pads and some half-hearted insults, Luka decided I was a worthy opponent. "You've had training," he said, sounding impressed. I shrugged and kept sparring. Suddenly Luka dropped the pads and adjusted the tape around his wrists.

I was confused but followed his lead and dropped my gloves to the side. Boshkov sat forward in his chair. I turned my head to look at him and Luka lunged at me. I barely avoided his grip as I instinctively spun to my left. A small smile played on his lips and I couldn't help but to reciprocate. He circled me but this time I didn't wait for him to make his move. My leg swung out towards the side of his head. He shot his arm up, taking the main brunt of my kick. I noticed his fingers spreading, ready to latch to my leg so I jumped into his arm and kicked my other leg around my back. I did my best Chuck Norris battle cry as my round house kick smashed into his chest and forced him backwards. I knew he was going easy on me, but it still felt good to be winning. Surprised registered on his face as he stood upright. He stood tall with his knees slightly bent. He raised his fists in front of his face and looked at me through hooded eyes. Any other situation, I would find his ferocious stance to be frightening, but right now I couldn't help but think how good he looked. He moved forward, taking advantage of his height and reach, and he grabbed me. I spun around so his bare chest was flat against my back. He pushed me against the wall and I was pinned. Damn it. He was using his sheer weight against me and I didn't have the body mass to fight back. He breathed heavily into my ear, but we both knew it wasn't because of the fight. I arched my back against him and I felt his lips part against my neck. That's when I made my move. I grabbed a hold of his arms which were tight around me and I brought my knees up to my chest. With one thrust of my legs against the wall, I sent us flying backwards into the ground. Before Luka could react, I jumped on top of him and sent my fist towards his face, stopping centimetres from his nose. He stared up at me, his breathing ragged. I suddenly realised that I was sitting astride him, with me left hand splayed across his chest. His hand now rested on the top of my thigh.

A slow clap began in the viewing box and Boshkov's voice echoed throughout the room. "Well, well Volkov. Looks like we've found your replacement," he joked. Luka and I immediately scrambled to our feet as Alex walked down the stairs to join us. He smacked Luka's back and loudly laughed. Luka offered a small smile and returned to his rigid body stance.

I was led to showers before I accompanied Boshkov to dinner in the main dining hall. He was more talkative this time, recounting my victory over Luka. He talked animatedly with the other men that I recognised from the viewing box. Luka was nowhere to be seen. I laughed along to the men's stories. Some were cruel and unjust but I did my best to keep my mood light.

After a few hours, the men grew tired and excused themselves for the night. They were guests of Boshkov and were staying here at the mansion. Once they had left, Boshkov offered me a small box. Inside it was a tear drop diamond pendant on a beautiful silver chain. I instinctively wrapped my hand around the necklace Daniel had given me. "It's beautiful," I whispered as he placed it around my neck.

"Someday soon, you will join me here," he explained. His eyes wore their usual smug look and in that moment I felt so cheap. What must Luka think of me? Alex didn't love me. He just liked the idea of having a body guard that could accompany him to bed every night. I suddenly felt sad and confused. Even if I managed to bring down Boshkov and stop whatever he was planning, what would happen to Luka? To me and Luka? And would he even want me once he found out who I really was? I shook the thoughts from my head and gave Alex a smile and expressed my thanks once again. He gave me a small kiss on the cheek before saying goodnight and leaving me with my escort.

He walked me down the stairs and into a part of the mansion I'd never been before. "Where are we?" I asked. The man ignored my question and continued to walk down the dark hallways until we reached a small library. The man exited and locked the door behind him. I looked around me but the room was dark and I could only make out a few things. Some shelves lined with old book and a chair in the corner. I saw something move in the shadows and I immediately moved into a defensive position. I heard a soft chuckle and instantly recognised Luka's voice. He walked towards me and I melted under his gaze. He was standing right beside me and the little light that shone in from the window now lit up his face. All of my feelings came rushing back to me and all I could focus on was him. He must have been feeling the same way towards me because the next thing I knew one of his hands made contact with the small of my back. The other grabbed the side of my cheek and his fingers tangled into my hair. With one final look, he leant down and I closed my eyes waiting for his touch. My entire body lit up as his lips came into contact with mine. His lips were soft and full as he gently ran them along mine. His hands stroked my back as his touch entwined with mine. My entire body was singing, every touch from him amplified. My mind went blank and the only thing that mattered was him. He kissed me passionately as his body pressed me back against the book shelf. The spell was broken as a few books from the shelf crashed down onto the floor. He stepped back and looked at me. His eyes locked with mine as his breathing calmed. We stared at each other with wonder and desire... and something else. It seemed like an eternity that we stood there, in our silent conversation that needed no words.

"You should go," he finally said and my heart dropped.

"I know," I agreed. His expression saddened.

"This can never happen again. It shouldn't have happened in the first place. But I couldn't live with myself if I never knew what it felt like to kiss you." His confession took me by surprise and I was speechless. His fingers ran down my collarbone and stopped when they reached the diamond pendant Boshkov had given to me. He studied it with a sombre expression. I reached for his hand and he stepped away from me. With a final kiss to my forehead, he unlocked the door and led me back to the lobby. Melancholy settled deep within me as I was driven to my apartment, savouring every memory of our stolen moment.

The next few days blurred by. There wasn't a second that went by when I wasn't thinking of Luka's lips on mine, or the feel of his hands gently holding me, or the way he looked at me with such... what was that? I followed Boshkov around like a little lost puppy, wearing what he told me to, speaking when spoken to. Luka was always around but barely said a word to me. We would occasionally exchange glances but he would quickly look away. I felt like a part of me was missing, a part I never knew I had until I'd met him. A part of me that I still didn't understand.

One night there was a private party at the Boshkov mansion. Dozens of women wore their best designer gowns and drank champagne from crystal glasses. The men sat in groups, all deep in discussion. Boshkov had taken me shopping early that morning. He picked out a low cut black gown which had thin straps and a large slit up the right leg. I wore silver sparkling pumps and diamond jewellery to match. My hair was pinned back in loose curls with my fringe waving over my ears. I opted for minimal makeup with just some mascara and lip liner with clear gloss.

Boshkov showed me off to his friends as I held his hand and twirled with a smile. After mingling for a while, he led me off to a small room with a few older men who looked concerned as I entered. "She's of no concern to you" Boshkov said in Russian as he seated me next to him and handed me a glass of champagne. I pretended to look preoccupied with my nails and hair whilst they began to talk. The conversation was quick and coded. My ears suddenly pricked up. "Murmansk. Midday. Two days from now" I continued to sip from my glass and sat back in my chair. Murmansk was the bay which Daniel and I had been researching ever since Boshkov mentioned it a week ago. Two days from now. There was no way I was sitting out on this one. Something was going down and I was going to be there for it. I knew that if Luka was involved, he would be there as well. And if he wasn't, this could be enough to clear him as a suspect for whatever was coming. And with that the meeting was over and I was once again ushered out into the main dining hall.

A few hours later, the party was dying down. I looked over my shoulder to discover a woman had approached Luka. My eyes instantly narrowed. They seemed to know each other. She gestured largely before resting a hand on his forearm. He smiled politely but I could tell by the tensing of his arm that he wasn't completely comfortable. I had noticed that over the short time I'd known him, he never let anyone touch him. Except me. Jealousy built up inside of me and he looked up and met my gaze. I could feel the scour forming on my face and I saw the ghost of a smile on his lips. Oh, great. I was amusing to him. My temper got the better of me and I stormed off to find Boshkov. Two could play at that game, Volkov.

When I found him, he had been drinking heavily. One of my American drinking games I suspected. He grabbed me and kissed me deeply. Normally he was quite reserved and stuck with kisses to my hands or cheek. I broke off the kiss and gave him a coy smile. He yelled back to his friends before grabbing me and dragging me stumbling upstairs. We passed Luka and the woman and his eyes narrowed once he saw Boshkov's intentions. I mirrored his slight smile from earlier in an attempt to mock him. His cold eyes were now focused on me as he watched me step into the elevator. Boshkov's armed encircled my back and I thought Luka was going to snap. Instead he looked away, regained his composure, and directed his attention back to the woman. I scowled as the elevator closed.

Boshkov's room was the biggest in the house, boasting a large bed that could have fit five people comfortable. It was dark but I could see a walk in wardrobe bigger than my entire apartment. The bathroom was floor to ceiling marble and had an open, locker style shower along with a jet spa and a basin stretching the length of the entire wall.

He rubbed my back suggestively and slurred something which I guessed was supposed to sound seductive. I shuddered under his touch but turned around and gave him the most seductive look I could manage. His hands ran up my arms and I thought I was going to be sick. I never realised until this moment how truly repulsed by him I was. I leant in close to him and he brought his lips close to mine. I shoved him down onto the bed and he let out a playful laugh. I told him to roll over onto his stomach and he complied willingly. I began massaging his back starting from the top of his pants. He moaned with pleasure and tried to turn around. I held him down with my knee and whispered "not yet." He stopped resisting as I worked my fingers further up his back until I'd reach his neck. I always found it amazing what pressure points could be triggered if you just knew where they were. Boshkov moaned again as my fingers reached the apex of his neck. And with a simple flick of my fingers, Boshkov was rendered unconscious.

I searched his room for anything that might be considered useful. I knew that in two days time they were heading for the Port. I searched diaries, computer files and in every draw I could find. Nothing. Then it hit me. If I wasn't such a technological invalid I might have thought to check his pockets for a cell phone earlier. And there it was. A lone message from a private number: "SS Kladbishche". The SS Graveyard? What kind of ship would be called the SS Graveyard? I decided it was time to get back to Daniel as it would be dawn soon. In the morning, Boshkov would discover a note on his bed side table, simply saying "Can't wait for next time. G x"

I slipped out of the room and quietly closed the door. I walked down the hallway past several rooms. Something caught my arm and dragged me into a supply closet.

Luka looked over me frantically and scrutinisingly and I felt anger welling up inside of me. "What happened in there?" He demanded. He doesn't talk to me for days and now he thinks he has the right to be jealous when he thinks I've moved on?

"What I do is absolutely none of your concern!" I yelled at him in my back-off-now tone. He looked like he was going to argue but threw up his hands in frustration.

"Gabe," he said, his voice strained with worry. But it was too late. I don't know whether it was the lack of sleep or the emotional rollercoaster I went on every time Luka was around, but I snapped. A single tear ran down my cheek.

"Don't you 'Gabe' me, Volkov! You have no right! How dare you act like you don't want me and then think you have a claim to me! You and Boshkov deserve each other!" My words had wounded him and he couldn't hide the distress from his face.

"Gabe... I..." He started.

"You what?" I yelled at him in frustration. He sighed deeply and just sat there, trying to sort through all of the words and emotions. I sniffled in the most unladylike way before turning on my heel. I had to get out of there. I paused for a moment while tears streamed across my cheeks. "How could you think so little of me," I sobbed as I reached for the door. I heard his heart breaking in his words as his emotions changed to guilt. I was so hurt that he would just assume that I would go anywhere near Boshkov, and for what, the money? The jewellery?

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. I couldn't let him see me cry. I walked as fast as I could down the stairs and out to the front garden. The brisk air hurt against my wet cheeks but I kept walking deeper into the night. I didn't wait for the driver on the way out and I instead took off my heels and began walking. It only took about ten minutes before a cab pulled up beside me and I jumped in.

I collapsed into a heap on my bed and sobbed loudly. I was wearing my dress which was now torn at the bottom and wet from dragging along the ground. My feet were aching form being exposed to the frost covered path. I heard my bedroom door creep open. Daniel didn't know what to make of me. He had never even come close to seeing me cry. He sat down beside me and stroked my hair for hours until I calmed down. Finally, he asked me what was wrong. And that's when it hit me. I wasn't crying because of Boshkov. It wasn't because of the harsh words I'd spewed at Luka and it was nothing he said. I was crying because I loved him. I was in love with Luka Volkov and there was nothing I could do about it.

CHAPTER SEVEN

It was a very rare day where I didn't see Boshkov, but I was grateful today was one of them. I couldn't stand to be around him or Luka. Flowers had arrived in the morning with a note saying I was now his and only his. The idiot actually thought something had happened last night. I'm sure by now he'd made up some tale and was gloating to any man who would listen, including Luka. Daniel laughed once he heard about me knocking Boshkov out. I told him I was just exhausted. That everything had hit me at once and made me emotional. He understood how hard this life could be, so he took my excuses without further explanation. I was so grateful for that. I didn't have the heart to tell him the truth.

We began planning for the next day by dredging up plans of the port. Murmansk was a huge industrial port lined by a harbour and oil rigs. It was a 2.5 hour flight from Moscow airport so we decided to leave tonight in order to stake out the boatyard before Boshkov arrived. I packed a small bag and met Daniel in the kitchen. He was still gentle around me after my breakdown last night but I assured him that I was okay and just needed a good night's sleep. He grabbed my bag in a sweet gesture and held the front door open for me. That small, simply act made my heart drop. Loving Daniel would be so easy. I walked out of the door and tucked myself under his arm.

As we stepped off the small turbo prop, I pulled my jacket in close to my neck. It was uncharacteristically cold. I'd once heard that the port could operate all year round due to the northern current keeping the waters ice free. The town was bustling with activity as we drove through to the motel we would be staying at that night. We checked in as newlyweds, which Daniel seemed awfully pleased about. They upgraded us to the honeymoon suit and I was pleasantly surprised with the room. I still didn't trust the bath just yet, though. Daniel walked into the room and immediately jumped, back first, onto the bed. He looked up at me and threw his head back with laughter at my expression. He looked like a little kid on Christmas morning. He reached towards me and dragged me on to the bed with him. I giggled hysterically and felt the pain I'd been holding on to all day fade away. "Remember the day first met?" He asked, giving me that boyish smile.

"How could I forget?" I looked at him endearingly. "The day you lost your crown, Mohammad Ali." I giggled. He leant over and grabbed my hand in his and I knew I had my best friend back.

We lay there for a while, giggling and reminiscing about our lives, both together and apart. When it was time to go, he helped me off the bed and left the room to let me change. When we reached the port I was glad I had remembered to wear my thermals. Boats of all sizes were spayed out across the moorings and harbour. Under the cover of night, we were unsure as to whether or not we would be able to find the "SS Graveyard", or what it would even look like. We searched each line of boats and weaved in and out carefully avoiding the spotlights. We searched the sides of countless fishing boats before coming to a fence surrounded by barbed wire.

Daniel and I glanced at each other sideways. "Double dare, ya" I teased. He lifted one side of his lip into a lop-sided smirk before taking off. He took a running jump at the fence, throwing his jacket up above him and catching it on the barbed wire which sat at the top of the high fence. He stopped once he'd thrown his leg over the fence to give me a quick wink. He jumped over the other side and I instantly wanted to wipe that smug smile off his face. I followed his lead and scaled the fence with a quicker pace. Once on the other side, his face dropped and I mirrored his arrogant smile that he had only moments ago. We strolled through the yard filled with luxury boats. Dozens of catamarans, sail boats and cruisers towered before us. Just one of these boats was worth more than anything I'd amassed in all of my life. That's when I saw it. "It's not a luxury boat." Daniel stared at me quizzically.

"Huh?" he said, eyes following mine to the corner where mine were now fixed.

"It's a salvage ship."

The boat was monstrous. And old ship which was easily twice the size of the boats surrounding it. It had massive cranes on its deck and the hull looked like it had been repaired one too many times. We searched the area for cameras or watching eyes before making our way onto the deck. The main cabin door was locked so Daniel pulled two lock picks from his belt. A few moments later we were inside. Daniel pulled out some surveillance equipment and began hiding bugs and microphones behind panels and in grates. I searched the ship and found nautical maps leading deep into the Barent Sea. Whatever they were planning, I'm sure we would find out tomorrow. I met Daniel at the main cabin entry and he nodded to let me know he was done. We walked back towards the fence. We stopped in our tracks as we heard the gravel shifting behind us, followed by a growl.

We both stared ahead and listened for a moment. "Dogs," Daniel whispered. I heard a second animal move in behind us, followed by another hallow growl.

"Two. Probably Doberman," I replied in a low voice. A few moments passed before we heard the gravel shift again. "Run!" I screamed as we took off towards the fence we had come in through. Daniel reached the fence first and scaled it in one liquid movement. I followed his lead and reached for the top of the fence. I went to pull myself over but felt something tug on my left leg, hard. I tried to kick the rabid dog off but its teeth dug into my shoe. I moved quickly trying to remove my shoe before the other dog lunged at me. I kicked it off and scrambled over the fence, landing hard on top of Daniel. His panicked eyes searched my face and body for signs of injury. I opened my mouth to speak, but instead I began laughing uncontrollably. Daniel joined me and we sat in stitches. I don't know what was so funny about almost being mauled but we couldn't stop laughing. Finally we decided to leave before the barking dogs behind us attracted too much attention. We jumped up still laughing and headed back to the motel.

I'd completely forgotten about the one bed situation. Daniel grabbed the spare linen and started putting together a makeshift bed on the floor. I laughed at his chivalry. "It's okay, Daniel. Jump in." I said holding open the covers. "I'll try to uphold your innocence." He laughed and jumped in. It had been a long time since I had shared my bed with someone, some primary school sleepover probably, but I drifted off into a deep sleep with Daniel by my side.

We awoke early the next morning to head back out to the boatyard before Boshkov arrived. We parked our rental van down a street where the abandoned boats were towed. It was close enough to hear the surveillance tapes, but far enough away to not draw attention. I missed stake outs. I made sure to pack the Cheetos and cola for old times' sake. We sat in the van for an hour or so before we heard commotion through the radio. The surveillance teams were posted all around the boatyard and they had just spotted Boshkov entering the port. They kept us updated as the entourage of cars made their way through to the boatyard and finally to the boat.

The radio chatter went deathly quiet as we heard footsteps coming through the bugs we had placed on the boat. There was Boshkov and three other men in the room. They went over the nautical plans that I had seen the night before. They kept mentioning the Russian submarine. Alex then mentioned his father. "Alex's father sent him?" This information didn't make sense. If Alex's father had sent him, how did this relate to the coup? We continued listening and after about ten minutes of talk on payments and mapping, a topic came up that instilled fear into both of us.

"So how do we extract the war heads once we salvage the sub?"

Shit. The radio chatter went crazy and everyone began screaming over the speakers. Some people tried to take control by barking orders but the chaos was too much. Daniel and I tried desperately to listen to Boshkov over the noise and he ended up throwing the radio across the van, shattering it. Boshkov continued that it was not their concern. The divers would go down and assess the submarine's condition and decide if salvaging the structure was an option, or if they would simply remove the warheads and nuclear reactor. The latter was the more dangerous option as it left the nuclear energy exposed and meant that the divers would come into direct contact with contaminated waters. Daniel furiously took notes and mumbled things to himself.

By the time we had arrived to where the surveillance team were posted, dozens of people had gathered and were all arguing furiously about what our next move should be. What happened next stunned me.

"Sit down," Daniel said in a firm voice that commanded the room. Everyone complied.

"Williams has given her orders. Boshkov himself said that their operation wouldn't be ready for weeks. We don't know what they want that submarine for, but under no circumstances can we allow them to get it. While you've all been arguing, Williams has called in the United States and Russian Navy and we are going to bury that submarine forever." I stared in awe as he paced back and forth and explaining the Army's plan of attack. "It's not going to be easy, and it's sure as hell not going to be safe, but we have no other choice. We need to create a distraction for the bratva. We need to ensure that they won't be able to get to site of the submarine until we're finished. Sonia and her team will be heading back to port tomorrow. You will continue to monitor the ship and ensure that it is in that Marina at 2200 hours in 3 days from now. Since the team has limited field experience, Gabe and I will be carrying out William's orders to shut down that port."

"And just how do you suppose you're going to do that?" One of Sonia's team asked snidely, obviously burnt by the fact he wasn't trusted with the operation himself. Daniels face slowly changed and a cocky smirk spread across his face.

"The only way we know how."

Excitement filled me during the plane flight home. Daniel's plan was brilliant, and he had included a special mission for just the two of us. We hashed out the details on the way home. When we got back to our apartment in the city, a note was waiting for me at reception. It was no surprise when I saw Boshkov had left the note describing his intentions for our date tonight. Ugh, Boshkov again tonight. I struggled to handle him on a regular day, but today I was exhausted. I was so excited about Daniel's plan that I had almost forgotten that I had to get through the next three days. I would also have to make up an excuse in order to cover me for my mission back to Murmansk in three days. I decided I would tell Boshkov that I would be going out of town to see a friend for 48 hours. The mission itself would only take 24 hours, but I decided I had earned some time off from my double life. There were some really cute places I had seen flying into Murmansk that I desperately wanted to see as well. The rest of my day was spent catching up on some much needed sleep and teaching Daniel how to bake my famous brownies.

I was surprised when I reached the garage that night as Boshkov himself was there to pick me up. He greeted me and told me he had a surprise for me. He told me to pack a bag and to include my bathing suit. He waited in the car whilst I threw together the clothes on top of my washing pile. Despite my nap, I was still too tired to notice what I had actually packed. Daniel was staring at me quizzically and I shrugged when he asked when I would be back. He laughed a little at my lack of enthusiasm, realising that I was exhausted. After a quick trip to the bathroom to grab my toothbrush I was ready to go. He opened the front door and pulled me close as I walked by. He gently kissed my forehead and I gave him a shy smile before we said goodbye.

The car ride was about two hours so I took the opportunity to catch up on some sleep. I drifted in and out of sleep which was interrupted occasionally by the car flooding with light from the nearby highways. Boshkov kept to himself, ocassionally stroking my arm a creepy way that made my stomach churn. I decided it was best to keep my eyes closed and pretend to be asleep. I was awakened by his face in close proximity to mine.

"Gabriel," he whispered into my ear with his telltale accent. I focused my eyes and before me was a 5 story hotel in front of a calm lake that stretched further than my eyes could make out in their weary state. The estate was large surrounded by manicured lawns and the occasional picnic table. Bright lights from the grounds reflected off the lake and private yachts' silhouettes danced across the shadows. Was everything in this country this beautiful?

The hotel was just as beautiful on the inside, sporting beige walls, expensive artwork and leather couches. The lady at reception was warm and friendly, quite a change from the receptionist that Boshkov employed. Her shoulder length brown hair bounced as she enthusiastically handed us the keys. I was disappointed when she announced that only one room had been booked for the both of us. I internally seethed that I would be staying in Boshkov's room. She then announced that the second room, booked for our security detail, was directly next to ours. Great, Luka would be in the room next to us. Boshkov had assured me that Luka would be arriving later that night. He had some business to attend to before he made his way up. I hated the way they used the word 'business'. I got the feeling that they weren't using it for the purpose it was intended. The knowledge of Luka's presence made me nervous. I hadn't talked to him since our fight the other night. I wanted everything to be okay between us, but I knew that I was too stubborn to admit that I might have blown things out of proportion. I wondered if he was upset about our fight, or whether he cared anymore. The thought made my chest ache. When we arrived at the room we unpacked our things and I took in my surroundings. The room was a spacious suite with a separate walk in wardrobe, lounge room and marble bathroom. I could have squealed in excitement when I saw the huge encased spa. Boshkov announced that we had a dinner reservation. I quickly changed and touched up my makeup before we headed downstairs to the main dining hall.

The dining hall was large, but private with only five or so tables set out. A large chandelier lit the room as private waiters waltzed around handing out drinks and meals that look like they were designed by an architect. It would just be the two of us for dinner and nerves gathered in me as the waiter showed us to our table.

Boshkov made some inappropriate comments about my rather modest wrap dress and strap heels. He kissed my cheek and said that he couldn't wait to take it off later. I forced a smile and took my seat next to him. I zoned out whilst he told me about his "business trip to St Petersburg". The man was almost as good at lying as I was. I continued nodding and giggling every once and a while. I was almost completely zoned out when Luka walked in. He froze momentarily while his eyes locked with mine. He dropped our stare and bit the inside of his lip nervously. He looked as if he hadn't slept in a few days. Like me, I thought. Boshkov placed his arm on mine and I stared at Luka trying to gauge his reaction. Nothing. Maybe he didn't feel the same way about me as I did him. He said he'd wanted to kiss me, but maybe that had been enough for him to decide he didn't want anything more. But what about his outburst the other day? I was so confused.

We had an amazing crème brulee for dessert before we left for upstairs. Beside the elevator stood a saw a small convenience stand and I got an idea. I waltzed up to the lady behind the counter with Boshkov in tow. "Aspirin and a bottle of water please," I said as Boshkov and Luka caught up with me and eyed me with curiosity. "Oh, and tampons."

Boshkov's face dropped as he walked off mumbling to himself. Luka look amused, impressed even. I felt extremely proud of my brilliant idea to defend my honor against Boshkov's wandering hands.

The elevator ride was silent. When we got back to the room, Boshkov suddenly had some 'business' to attend to, not that I was complaining. I took the opportunity to get some much needed shut eye, making sure to put the chain on the door in case Boshkov came in unannounced for some late night assault. I thought back to the sly, knowing look that Luka had given me only moments ago. Maybe he did care. I tucked myself into the bed and fell asleep thinking of Luka's smile.

I woke up to the alarm blaring in my ears. 5am. What the hell? I didn't remember setting an alarm. I dragged myself out of the warm covers and looked up to checked the door. Hmmm, the chain was still there. Boshkov didn't come in last night. I stumbled into the shower, turned up the heat and stood there for a while soaking up the warmth. I dried myself off quickly and began rifling through the things I had packed in my bag. At the bottom I found my gym clothes that I didn't realise I had thrown in. I decided to head down and reward myself with another warm shower after. I threw on my trainers and took the stairs down to the gym. To my relief the gym was equipped with a boxing bag and seemed to be empty. It was low lit at this time of the morning and it was soothing. It reminded me of when I used to train late at night with Daniel. I threw my gloves on the side, spread my feet and stretched my hands down to the ground. Stretching in the morning was definitely my favourite part of my day. I sighed quietly before hearing someone clear their throat behind me. Luka loved sneaking up on me. I had missed him so much and desperately wanted his company. My face split into a smile and I turned around to greet him. Only it wasn't him.

"Little American girl. You sure know how to make a man's morning." Crap it was Boshkov. I fought every instinct I had to keep the smile on my face from turning into a scowl.

"I missed you last night," I said picking up the gloves and beginning my work out.

"Ah yes," he replied. "Some business came up. I heard a little rumour last night that needed my urgent attention." He was fidgeting with his shirt and I noticed it was the same one from the night before. I saw something red spattered on the very top of his collar. I finished my rounds and went over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. Once I was close enough, I saw the stain was a dark red/brown droplet. Blood. I suddenly panicked realising that I hadn't seen Luka all morning. What if he had found out about Luka and I?

"A rumour?" I questioned, prompting him to elaborate. Boshkov stepped closer and now peered down at me through his lashes.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with. Sometimes my employees need to be reminded who is in charge here." The look in his eyes told me that he didn't want me prying further. I knew I couldn't ask him anymore but I had to know that Luka was safe.

"Where's your shadow?" I tried to ask in a joking tone, but the nerves were rising in my chest.

"Volkov? Hmmm I haven't seen him," he jeered. I wasn't sure whether he was emphasising Luka's unknown whereabouts, or that we were alone, but I didn't want to find out. A sick feeling started deep in my stomach and spread until fear shook through my entire body. I had never felt like this before and I had no idea why I was being so irrational. All I knew was that I had to make sure that Luka was okay.

I muttered to Boshkov that I was experiencing female pains and took off running upstairs. Tears now swelled in my eyes as I hit the elevator button. Hurry up… hurry up. The elevator was stopped on the top floor so I threw the door open to the stairwell and took the stairs two at a time. Sweat was dripping down my face and I was shaking with panic. Boshkov's words were echoing in my ears. I reached Luka's door and started banging on it frantically. It felt like minutes passed and there was no answer. Tears began streaming down my face as I began kicking the door. It started to budge when suddenly the door swung open and Luka's stunned expression stared back at me.

"Gabriel, what is it?" he said frantically, but I could barely hear his words. His eyes searched mine but staring at him now, I had almost forgotten the panic I felt only seconds ago. He must have just been in the shower as he now stood in front of me wearing nothing but a towel. His shoulder length hair dripped water across his firm chest, and skimmed his torso. Would I ever get sick of seeing his body? His towel was wrapped loosely around his hips. I could feel every heart beat resonating within me. His breathing was heavy with worry and every rise in his chest hypnotised me. I put my hand to my face and moved a stray hair that was obstructing my view. I could feel sweat on my forehead. I realised that I must have looked disgusting. I was in my tight gym gear with the tape still around my wrists. My shirt was almost transparent with sweat. I reluctantly pulled my eyesight from where the twist in his towel was and looked up into his eyes. They were now dark and hooded and taking in every inch of my body, the panic that was there before was now gone. Relief rushed through me as I came to the realisation that he was okay. I felt such relief and joy at the sight of him. Every second that I spent with my eyes locked with his was more hypnotic than the last. The way his eyes locked with mine made me never want to look away. The way his lips parted made me want to feel their softness on every inch of mine. I was drawn to him like a moth to the flame. It scared me.

After a moment to collect my thoughts, all of the fear came rushing back to me that I had felt a few minutes ago. I was so scared to love him, but the thought of losing him was unbearable. A stray tear left my eye before I could stop it. Luka pulled me into his room and shut the door behind me, making sure no one had seen. He pulled me in close and stroked my hair. He was so warm. It was the first time I'd felt his bare skin on me and it sent shivers down my spine. He held me for a few moments before tilting my chin up so he could look at me. "You're so beautiful, even when you cry," he whispered as I reached up and rested my arms on his.

"He had blood on him." I explained, sucking in a ragged breath. "Boshkov. I was so scared. So scared he knew. So scared something had happened to you," the words came out as a quiet sob and Luka's expression softened. He looked lost, as though he didn't know what to say. He stared thoughtfully at me.

"I've served the Boshkov's for my whole life. I swore to never let anything get in the way. No life, no family, no love. And it was easy, until I met you." My body froze but my mind raced, processing every possible way he could have meant those words. He looked like he was in pain. I reached up and touched his cheek with my hand. He leant into me. "I don't want anything to happen to you. But I don't know how to protect you. What you've gotten yourself into... it's bigger than you think." I only wished that I could open up and tell him everything. Tell him about the CIA, about my past and about what I was sent here to do. And I almost did. But before I could open my mouth his lips were on mine. It hadn't been that long since I'd last felt them, but I craved his touch like it was the first time. His lips were soft and gentle against mine, and his hands lightly skimmed down my shoulders, passed my chest and along my hips. It felt like ecstasy. He was my high. And as we broke off our kiss and he stared deep into my eyes, I knew he felt the same. His lips returned to mine but as his breathing grew harsh, so did his touch. The curtains were drawn so his room was still dark, but we managed to make our way away from the door. His fingertips explored my skin and every touch felt like a thousand fireworks exploding under my skin. I pushed off my trainers and socks before he edged me down on to the bed. His towel only barely stayed on as he pushed me back until I was at the head of the mattress. His lips teased my neck and his hands pushed my shirt off my stomach. He moved back and his eyes searched mine. I don't know whether it was my nerves or my general lack of experience that gave it away but he smiled gently, as if he could read my thoughts.

I had never felt this way before. My life had always been mission after mission. I had never had time for romance. And I certainly wasn't going to give it away to someone who didn't deserve it. But I loved Luka Volkov and in that moment I would have given everything to show him that. He gazed down at me in beguilement and I knew my expression mirrored his. His muscles rippled against me as he rested on his elbows and moved his face away from mine. "What's wrong?" I asked as I realised that I was so scared that I had done something wrong.

He kissed me softly and smiled a small, genuine smile. He smiled so rarely, but when he did I wished I could stop time and just stare at him for eternity. "You deserve more than this Gabriel. Your first time shouldn't be sneaking around in the shadows. And it shouldn't be with me. I've done so many terrible things. I don't deserve someone as pure and innocent as you. Even though you act like a total badass," he added with a chuckle. His expression changed as he pondered his words and something had affected him. He looked sad. This beautiful man shouldn't be sad. I wished that I knew how to bring back his smile. I did the only thing I could think of. In one, swift move, I used my entire body weight to push him off me. He didn't expect it, so it was easy to use my momentum to overpower him. When he was on his back, I jumped onto him so I was straddling him and pushed his hands down above his head. Shocked registered on his face, followed by roaring laughter. I laughed along with him before leaning down to kiss him.

I felt a sudden vibration moving through the bed as Luka shot up and reached for his phone. I heard a firm voice yelling orders down the phone. After ten seconds Luka hung up and looked at me. "The boss tells me a beautiful young woman has gone missing on the grounds. Apparently she's barely clothed and has a penchant for kicking down the doors of unsuspecting men and trying to have her way with them." I giggled at his joke as he leaned over me, grasping my hip. He dragged my leg around him before giving me a long, deep kiss. My insides blossomed just as he pulled away from me. "Come on, we should get you back." He said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

I put on my shoes but couldn't help my curiosity. "Luka? Are we?" I asked as my eyes felt warm with tears again. He looked at me as if he already knew my question.

"Gabe. I don't know right now. You just have to give me time to figure it out. But we can't do this again. I'm going to do everything I can to be with you, but your safety comes first. So until I know what to do, we need to keep away from each other." And with that, he led me out and kissed my forehead one last time.

I explained to Boshkov that I wasn't feeling well so I had found a quiet corner and read a book. I sighed with relief when he didn't ask further questions and we went about our day, which consisted of lunch and a swim on a private yacht, with Luka in tow. I was getting anxious about how Daniel's preparations were going so I was happy to have some time to myself before dinner. I jumped on a computer I found in the lobby and signed into my personal email.

"Hey Daniel,

Are we still doing dinner in two nights? I hope it's not too much trouble for you. I arrive back in Moscow tomorrow morning so you can call me then.

Let me know if you need me to bring anything!

G x"

I got a reply back straight away from Daniel.

"Everything's all set, Gabe. The roast is all ready and waiting for you ;)

Just bring yourself. Be ready at 3

X"

At that moment, Boshkov appeared over my shoulder.

"You're going somewhere?" it was more of a statement than a question.

"Just for a day or two. I'll be back by the weekend," I said as I looked up at him with a pout.

He looked at me, like he was deep in thought. "You'll just have to make it up to me, little American." I suppressed my gag reflex and instead stood up and sauntered over to the elevator. He gave me a possessive look that was an attempt to remind me that I was his. Since Boshkov thought I was experiencing my "female time", he didn't follow me to watch me change. For the first time in my life I was actually grateful to be in the half of the species that menstruated. I felt a bit better knowing that Daniel was up to speed with all of the preparations so I took my time and enjoyed a relaxing bath, remembering Luka's arms around me, wondering when, and if, I would get to feel them again.

We had a quiet evening, dinner with a few of Boshkov's friends followed by drinks on the lawn. I retired early and was happy to be in my warm pyjamas. I watched some bad television and drifted off to sleep alone. I woke up late in the morning to someone snoring beside me. I vaguely remember him coming in last night and I pretended to still be asleep. He smelled of cigars and whiskey, not an attractive mix. I went down to the gym for my morning workout and showered before packing my things. Boshkov was up and dress when I met him downstairs for breakfast. Thankfully, he had showered. I opted for French toast with berries and maple syrup, my favourite.

I enjoyed the view on the ride home. We drove through quaint villages that were engulfed by ancient trees. The Bentley looked so out of place here. I could see myself living here, in one of these tiny villages. Not worried by the outside world, the missions or whether each time my grandparents saw me would be the last. I stared out the window and pictured myself here. I'd never actually thought about marriage, kids, any of it. But now I couldn't imagine my life without knowing that's what awaited me. I wondered if Luka could find a way to get us both out of this mess. I wanted so badly to tell him the truth, but I just didn't know how. I knew soon enough that Boshkov would be out of the picture, but I didn't know what the CIA wanted with Luka. I didn't know how to ask them without them finding out about us. If they did, it could cost me his life, and mine. I wished I could talk to Daniel. He'd know what to do. Because at the moment I couldn't see there ever being a future for Luka and I.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Daniel and I had been tearing around the apartment since I arrived back at 11am. We had less than 24 hours to prepare an entire diversion that would hopefully stop Boshkov for long enough for the submarine to be buried. The day went quickly as we organised everything. Daniel would occasionally stop for a break and I filled him in on my trip to the lake. By the time night fell I was exhausted. I had just made the final arrangements when Daniel arrived back with some takeout. As much as I had enjoyed the five star cooking at the lake, I will killing for something greasy. Daniel filled me in on the last two days here and plotted out the final details of the next day.

We arrived in Murmansk at 9am. One surveillance team kept their eye on Boshkov back in Moscow, whilst the other had travelled with us to keep an eye on the boatyard. Our first stop was an old salvage yard. Daniel had found this place through his contacts. They stripped down old, decaying boats and rebuilt them using various parts. This made the origin of the boats untraceable and since this dealing was illegal, no names would be exchanged and our transactions would be in cash. Daniel wore a mild, yet effective disguise as he hashed out the final price with the owner. The boat was a bargain. It barely ran but it was quiet, which is what we needed.

Over the past few days, the surveillance team had been watching the boat yard to find out our best way in. The roads were blocked by several large fences and it would be too time consuming to stop and cut all of the bolts. The police station was only a few kilometres away so we had to be sure that we were in and out as quickly and quietly as possible. Excessive noise made coming in by air impossible. We noticed that although the road had numerous bolted gates, the sea entry only had the one. It would take minimal time to cut the bolt and a boat could easily come in without attracting attention. The guard's come around to the private yard every fifteen minutes on their rounds. They would check each dock against the manifests they carried. It would take weeks for someone to find another salvage boat of that size so we just had to make sure this one couldn't be taken out of the yard. Directly attacking the boat would draw too much attention from Boshkov and we needed him to suspect nothing until we had Ross's location. I had told Daniel that I might have a way to find out his location but I needed more time. I needed to make sure that I could get Luka out before I dragged him into this.

We towed the boat to a private marina a few kilometres away and began our work. Dozens of the finest safe boxes were loaded on to the boat. They came from all around the world, and even with the right contacts, it would take weeks to get every expert here to crack them open. The boat was beaten up quite badly and had a few holes in the deck. We set to patching them up to ensure that whoever found the ship would have access to the areas where the safes were quickly. We needed this marina shut down that night. The guards round was schedule for 9:00pm. It would take him approximately 5 minutes to work through the lot and would return 15 minutes later. As we were coming by sea, we didn't worry about the Dobermans that were left to roam the lot. Under the cover of night fall, we would tow the boat just outside of the gates that led to the Barents Sea. Once the guard had done his round and checked the locks, the bolts would be cut by our divers and the boat would, hopefully, start and be driven into the parking bay adjacent to the "SS Graveyard".

We loaded the last of the safes onto the boat and began filling them. The good thing about being with the CIA was that we had access to new technologies and substances that other governments couldn't even dream of. It would take them weeks of testing before they began to realise what was locked within this ship. We spent the rest of the day at the marina going over our plans for that night. The sun began to sink and we once again hooked the boat up to the tow and began the two hour trip to the marina.

We purposely chose the longer route, knowing that not many people came out this way and would therefore have less chance of being seen or stopped by authorities. Surveillance was right, there wasn't a soul out here. We drifted down the dark, murky water drawing closer to our target. Surveillance watched the coast line ahead of us and soon informed us of a boat heading our way. We detached the tow and everyone scrambled to grab a fishing line. By the time the boat arrived, we just looked like a bunch of lost tourists who weren't going to get a catch. The sailors laughed and shook their heads, muttering the only thing we would catch out here was a cold... We reattached the boat and after about ten minutes we were moving again. We reached the marina at 8:37 and waited. The tow boat detached itself and moved to its waiting position in deeper waters. We saw flashlights coming from the yard. "Something's not right," Daniel whispered and the hairs on my neck stood up.

Suddenly sirens echoed through the silence and the crew began scrambling to back the boat up. "Wait," Daniel said a little louder than before. We heard an alarm coming from one of the sheds where they stored the rarely used boats. The police rounded the corner and four men jumped out, waving their guns and screaming at an unknown source. A smile played on my lips. This couldn't have been timed better if we had planned it ourselves. It looked like someone was robbing the luxury yachts so every guard and cop had their attention on the storage sheds. We kept our voices down and made our way into the marina. We were careful to keep quiet in case we were mistaken for their getaway plan. We parked the boat in the designated area and signalled to the tow boat. I was suddenly worried.

"Daniel, how are the guards going to find the boat if they're all over there?" He paused for a moment, pondering my words.

"Well, were just going to have to make sure that they do," he replied with a spark in his eyes.

Ten minutes later, we were all set to go. We grabbed our oxygen tanks and placed them on before jumping into the water. It was freezing, even with our diving suits on. I flexed my fingers and willed them to work. "Now for the fun part," I said reaching for my gun and pointing it towards the flare that was now strapped to the cabin door. I gave Daniel a quick wink before I pulled the trigger. We dived underwater only to see the sky light up above us. We were pulled up to the tow boat and Daniel held me close to help warm me up. We watched the red and orange flames dance across the sky. We smiled as they died down behind us and we made our way back to the marina.

"GETAWAY BOAT CATCHES FIRE AFTER MARINA ROBBERY! ANTHRAX ON BOARD" was the heading of today's newspaper. Daniel and I laughed as we read it. We all knew that there was no anthrax on board, but we were pleased that our plan had worked. The CIA had been trying to create a new explosive powder that only needed small amounts and would cause catastrophic explosions. It didn't work. But one of the side effects was a powder that every machine on the planet would read as anthrax. It would take them weeks to figure out that the only treat this powder had to the human body was a choking hazard if ingested. Everyone was celebrating and I even received a call from Williams congratulating me on my work. We all knew that the hard part wasn't over yet, but after months of nothing it was good to have accomplished something worth celebrating. I used my final day off from Boshkov as an excuse to spend more time with Daniel. Williams had given us the day off so we decided to go on a road trip before heading back to Moscow.

The rest of my day was amazing. I forgot all of my problems and just spent my day with my friend. It was the first time in a long time where I wasn't worried about what was going to happen tomorrow. I think I got more photos of the floor than I did of the beautiful places we went. We pulled faces at the camera and photo-bombed each other's attempts at looking good. I wore my baseball cap and my aviators with a tight t shirt and jeans. He wore a black V-lined shirt and his jeans. It was warm today and the fog had cleared giving us a breathtaking view of the countryside. Neither of us wanted to leave. We both talked and laughed loudly on the plane and giggled when an older lady kindly asked us to keep it down. We talked about the possibility of going into the partner program, but only if we were together. I could do that, spend every day with Daniel. But what would Luka think about that? Luka. And with that one thought, all of my problems were back with me.

"Daniel, if we manage to take down Boshkov, what will they do with the rest of the bratva?" He paused momentarily.

"I don't know, Gabe. Just because Williams likes me a little more doesn't mean I'm privy to all classified information." He was right. I always expected him to know everything, but the truth is that he just listened a little more than I did. 'Selective hearing' I believe was the term Williams had coined for me. Apparently if it didn't sound like I was getting to blow something up, I would block it out. I leaned against his shoulder and changed the subject.

The next morning I stayed in my bed reading a book. I wasn't sure if Boshkov would be seeing me tonight, given that his plans with the submarine were now at a standstill. Daniel wondered into my room with a cup of herbal tea. "I talked to Williams," he began with an uneasy look on his face. "She said that the target was Boshkov and the other bratva are none of our concern. Our mission is to ensure that he doesn't get his hands on that submarine. Once the submarine is buried and black has been extracted, we'll be free to go home." I sighed with relief, Luka would be safe. Hopefully we could find a way to be together once all the dust has settled. "Except Volkov," he continued and every muscle in my body tensed with fear and anger. "They think he is too great a risk. He has been in contact with other mob leaders around the world and they're worried he'll go freelance." I knew the reason he was contacting them was to find a way for him and me out of Boshkov's grip but I couldn't exactly tell Daniel that. It was either bite my tongue, or explode harder than a nuclear reactor at Daniel, so I bit down on my tongue until it bled.

A little while later we were gathered at the table when there was a banging on the front door. Daniel and I looked quizzically at each other before he made his way over. Daniel opened it and Luka came crashing in. Oh no. He towered over Daniel and narrowed his eyes down at him. Every inch of Daniel's body froze as he stared at the tank of a man that was in front of us. Daniel stammered and regarded me with wide eyes. I knew that Luka would never mean either of us harm, but Daniel sure as hell didn't. I gave Luka a cheeky smile and his expression softened. "Can I help you, Mr Volkov?" I asked in a professional tone.

"Boshkov requests that you pack your things. Something has come up and he has requested you stay at the estate where you can be protected." He eyed Daniel carefully. I nodded and explained confidently that I would meet him in the car. Once he had left Daniel began to fret.

"What if he knows. What if he's just trying to lure you there?" Daniel panicked. I knew his feelings for me were crowding his judgement.

"Daniel, if he knew, he would have acted like nothing had happened as to not get my guard up. This is a good thing, Dan. If I'm at the estate, I can find out more. I can find Ross!" I pleaded. He walked out of the room dialling a number and returned a few moments later. He was suddenly all business. Daniel did this when he wanted to hide his feelings. I knew he was worried, I wished he would just talk to me.

"You are to check in every morning and afternoon. Acceptable communication is by voice confirmation only. "

"Yes, sir," I joked and threw a salute his way before gathering my things. I only had one suitcase full of things so it didn't take me long. I hugged Daniel and set off to the basement. Luka sat in the back with me as the driver weaved in and out of traffic. We sat in silence, occasionally stealing a glance. I desperately wanted to ask him what was happening but I knew I couldn't. I knew that if I was in any danger, he wouldn't have let me get in the car. We arrived at the house and he led me to my bedroom. I was relieved that I would be having my own bedroom and not sharing with Boshkov.

He walked in and closed the door behind him. He put his finger to his lips, pleading for me to stay silent. He conducted a security check of the room before finally relaxing. "What's going on?" I asked as I sat down beside him.

"I don't know how much Boshkov wants you to know, but apparently he was in the middle of a deal for his father and their plans have come to a standstill. They suspect that another bratva has sabotaged them."

I was shocked that Luka had not been told what was going on. I knew that beyond the cold, hard exterior he was a good person who would not support nuclear warfare, but I had not expected Boshkov to have thought he was enough of a threat to keep him in the dark. Unless of cause this had something to do with Boshkov overthrowing his father. Luka had told me once before that his loyalty was with Sergei, not Alex, so it wouldn't surprise me if Alex suspected this also. He was probably planning to have the deal go wrong, steal the warheads, kill his father and make it look like another power hungry mob boss had done it. If we didn't hurry up and bury that sub, I knew we were playing right into Boshkov's hands.

He must have seen confusion across my face. "I'm a body guard, Gabe. I don't need to, nor do I want to, hear about their business deals."That made sense. How could you defend someone's life when you knew they deserved to be dead? "Look Gabriel," his said and his expression was full of worry. "I promise I'm going to protect you. I don't know if we can ever be together. But something's going on here. Something they're not telling me, I can feel it. But the only thing that matters to me is you." His confession had thrown my guard off and my heart melted at his words.

He stood up and made his way to the door. After one final, longing look he left. I decided to unpack my things and get settled in. I had just begun rearranging the room to suit me when I was startled by a noise originating not far from my bedroom window. I dimmed the lights and peeked out from behind my curtains. There I saw Boshkov and a man I didn't recognise arguing by a tall tree. I couldn't make out their words so I decided to get a closer look. I crept out of my bedroom and walked to the study at the end of the hall. From there I climbed out of a small window and stood on the brick ledge. I jumped sideways and my hands caught on the fire escape. Pulling myself up, I could hear the voices. I climbed onto the roof and kneeled out of sight behind a pillar. It was hard to hear but when I finally focused I heard one name clearly.

"Ross Black?" the other man said and my ears pricked. "I ran the name and nothing came up." I could hear Boshkov pacing back and forth.

"He still hasn't spoken." I froze in shock. Ross was still alive! "He could be from any of them! MI6, Russian Intelligence... Fuck, my father could have hired him for all I know!" he growled. I was instantly relieved that they hadn't pinpointed the CIA yet, but Ross was alive! "No one has come to claim him yet, so unless he talks, his time is running out."

"Why is the girl here, Boshkov?" The 'girl'? Was he talking about me?

"You can't afford to start having feelings now," he said sternly. Boshkov scoffed at the man's audacity.

"Feelings?" he laughed loudly, "I don't want her for her feelings." Boshkov laughed again and my stomach churned with anger and disgust. The men continued arguing for a few minutes before the man excused himself and Boshkov made his way back inside. I raced across the roof and slid down the stairs. I jumped for the ledge but my feet missed. I was crashing towards the ground when one of my hands caught a brick. I slammed into the wall, injuring my ribs. I slowly pulled myself back up, realising that if Boshkov was heading for my room, I wouldn't make it back in time. I entered the study and closed the window. Figuring I was busted anyway, I sat down in the chair and nursed my rib cage.

After a few moments the door crept open. Crap, I was caught. I closed my eyes expecting to be berated by accusations but they didn't come. "I thought I would find you in here," Boshkov whispered, catching me off guard. "If it's books you want, I'll organise for these shelves to be moved into your room in the morning." I exhaled in relief, only to have my ribs radiate with pain. I winced but doubt he could see me with the low lighting. I thought about his comment before and fought the urge to wring his throat. Instead I just smiled and accepted his gracious offer. He explained that he had business to attend to and would see me in the morning. Once I was sure the halls were empty, I stumbled back to my room and removed my shirt. I could see large purple spots forming under my skin and confirmed my suspicions that I was already bruising. The pain subsided after a few minutes and I was glad I didn't have to seek medical attention or explain my mysterious injury to Boshkov. I didn't sleep well that night as I continued to monitor my ribs and my mind raced with thoughts of Ross. "His time is running out," echoed through my mind.

When I woke up the next morning, I decided to check in with Daniel.

"Hi Dad, I'm fine," I mocked when he answered. I could hear a yawn on the other end of the line. Apparently I'd woken him.

"I get it, Gabriel. Good bye," he said with a laugh.

"Wait," I yelled through the phone, a little too loud. "He's alive." I whispered.

"Who?" Daniel replied sleepily. I could suddenly hear the urgency in his next reply. "Wait... Ross? How do you know? Have you seen him? Gabriel you have to get him!"

"Sshhh," I urged him. "I don't know where he is. I overheard Boshkov, but he doesn't have long. There was a man here last night, I think he knows where Ross is. I didn't get a good enough look at him, but I hope surveillance saw him. Find him Daniel. Find him fast." My voice was fraught with worry as I said those words.

Days passed and I heard nothing new from Daniel. I only talked to him when I'd call to check in. Boshkov was busy dealing with the aftermath of the anthrax scare and I was grateful that he was rarely around. I only had to endure a few seedy kisses and inappropriate gropings. The man from the other night didn't come back to the estate and I didn't hear any more chatter about Ross. I began to worry that something had happened to him. Tonight we were having a masquerade ball, when Boshkov said he had something special in mind for me after the celebrations. Media began lining up at the gates in the early afternoon, hoping to get a glimpse of the rich and famous which would be passing through the gates. I was relieved that Boshkov had organised a hair dresser and makeup artist for me. I was in no mood to celebrate tonight, let alone attempt the clown makeup. I had picked my costume out yesterday on a shopping trip with one of Boshkov's female assistants. She had suggested, well rather pressured me into buying a costume which Boshkov had preselected. I wore a long white dress which had a plunging neck line that showed off my cleavage. The back was held together by only a few spaghetti straps that showed practically all of my back, stopping just below my dimples. He had purchased large angel wings for me, pun intended. I had been pampered within an inch of my life before being sprayed from head to toe with glitter. I wore a white and silver simple eye mask. My hair had grown out a little since it was cut and now sat in long layers that were accentuated by loose curls down my back. Sometimes my name was such a burden. These wings were itchy and heavy. Once everyone had left my room, I ripped them off and pulled out my phone. I had a better idea.

"Anya's tattoos," a woman answered.

"It's Gabriel. How long will it take you to get here?"

I had met Anya the day before whilst walking the streets to find my outfit. She was a tattooist with whom I instantly had a connection. We were talking for a long time and she suggested that if I ever wanted a little ink, I should call her. This had given me an idea. Thirty minutes later she had arrived. She had a short red bob which looked beautiful against her red and black sleeve tattoo. She was wearing a black, latex dress and army boots. "Permanent or temporary?" She asked, eyeing me with amusement. "Temporary," I laughed as I began explaining my plan to her.

An hour later I wished her goodbye and made my way down to the party. Boshkov had called a few times but I just brushed him off stating that I had a wardrobe malfunction. Luka was the first to see my new addition to the outfit. "Didn't like the fake wings, huh?" he asked. I caught a glimpse of my back in the mirror and it looked amazing. The black outline of angel wings stretched from the top of my shoulder blades down to the small of my back. For a temporary tattoo, these things looked pretty real. I smiled a genuine smile at him and he returned it.

"You like?" I asked, twirling so he could get a proper look. His eyes darkened as he looked me up and down.

"I love." He whispered matter-of-factly. I blushed at his honestly before realising there was a hidden meaning behind his words. He looked amazing in his black suit pants and a tight, grey V-neck sweater that clung to his muscled frame. I opened my mouth to respond but around the corner walked Boshkov. He stared at me for a moment before furrowing his brow. He continued to walk towards me and took me by the arm. He and Luka nodded at each other as Luka followed us down the stairs.

"I don't like that you defied me" Boshkov started, "but you do look beautiful, Gabriel." It was the first, almost-compliment that Boshkov had ever given me. I smiled at him as we walked down the stair case arm in arm. The entire back yard had been transformed. A large marquee had been erected complete with dozens of round tables with feathered centrepieces. An orchestra was positioned on the stage and played elegant instrumentals. Occasionally a woman with an angelic voice was step in with her operatic hymns. Portable chandeliers lit the space as hundreds of people turned to face us. Boshkov expressed his gratitude to everyone for coming out which was proceeded by an applause from the crowd. Beyond the marquee, the lawn was lit up by garden lights staked into the ground and fairy lights in the trees. Couples strolled romantically through the gardens, occasionally stopping to acknowledge other couples. Boshkov had introduced me to several of his friends. Some were political figures and others were sports stars and singers. After about thirty minutes, I excused myself and headed out to the lawn, trying to escape the smell of burnt cigars. I accepted a glass of champagne and an appetiser from the waitress before sitting down on one of the benches. A small quartet had gathered by the gondola and began playing slow dance music.

I heard a noise behind me and turned to face three women who were coming towards me. "Maya! Bianca!" I screamed in excitement as I took them both in for an embrace. Behind them stood Lina, arms crossed, sporting her usual scowl. "Lina," I said curtly, bowing my head in acknowledgement. Her eyes narrowed and she gave me her best death stare. The girls looked beautiful. Maja had her hair in a messy ponytail, showing off her embellished silver lace dress that hugged her hips then flowed down passed her ankles. Bianca had her hair in a tight bun that sat at the top of her head. She wore a modest baby blue chiffon dress. The sweetheart neckline and tight material made her look like she was still a ballerina. They both wore matching masks. Lina wore a red sequined dress with thin straps that pulled together her cleavage. It clung to her curves and I wondered if the visible outline of her skimpy underwear was on purpose. Her firey red mask boasted black feathers that hung down into her hair.

"Oh, give it a rest Lina," Maja joked as she stepped back and gave me a once-over. "We missed you Gabriel," she conceded.

"Life at the lounge isn't the same without you and your smart ass remarks," added Bianca. Gosh I had missed these girls. "Looks like you're living the good life here!" she exclaimed, eyeing my dress and the diamond earrings that dripped down to my shoulders.

"It has its perks," I replied with a shy smile. They continued to gossip about their theories about life with Boshkov. They imagined a star crossed romance, perfect dates and a doting man.

"I bet he's a prick," Lina said bitterly. I knew she was saying this out of jealously but I couldn't help but laugh that she was right. They asked me to fill them in how Boshkov had whisked me off my feet. I paused for a moment and a smile crept across my face. I knew I could never convincingly tell them about a love story with Boshkov, but there was one that I could tell.

"Well first it was just stolen glances, and maybe a smile here and there. I'd never been so drawn to anyone before. We only had to share a few precious moments before I realised that I was in love with him." The girls swooned. The smile on my face grew larger as I thought about the first few times I'd met Luka. I went through our history together, carefully substituting his name for Boshkov's. "I was never really sure how he felt; he is always so guarded with his emotions. But one night he pulled me into his study and he kissed me." The girls were practically melting, all except Lina who was now fuming. "It was amazing. Time just stopped and everything else melted away. Nothing else mattered except us and how we felt. We still have a long way to go and a few things to sort out, but I feel like we can get through anything together." I paused for a moment, realising the truth behind my words. I looked up at Bianca and Maja, who were wiping tears from their eyes.

"I never thought of Boshkov like that," Maja sobbed. "He always seemed so... well, mean."

"Ugh, no one wants to hear it, Grey." Lina interrupted. "He's probably just using you. Everyone knows he'd never settled for an American like you!" She said 'American' like it was a dirty word. I just laughed at her audacity before opening my mouth to retort.

"Oh, back off spinster," I said through howling laughter. Her jaw dropped before she spun around and stormed off. The other girls had now joined in on my laughter. We went back to the main party and, at their constant requests, I introduced Maja and Bianca to all of Boshkov's eligible friends. They flirted effortlessly and within a few minutes had the men eating out of the palm of their hands. My phone vibrated in my pocket so I crept off to a quiet corner to answer it.

"Sorry, Daniel. I totally forgot to call!" I said realising that he would have been expecting my call hours ago.

"Gabe, we found him. We found the man that was at Boshkov's that night. The one who might know where Ross is." A glimmer of hope surged through me as I waited for Daniel to elaborate.

"Well..." I said, prompting him.

"IT's not going to be easy. He's surrounded by a small army. We won't be able to get him out clean. Someone is bound to see." I considered his words. "Gabe are you sure that you can't get it out of one of Boshkov's men?" he continued.

"Daniel, I don't know. They're all incredibly tight lipped. I might be able to get it out of Volkov tonight. But you'll need to wait. He's with Boshkov tonight at the party and I doubt he'll be dismissed any time soon."

"Volkov? How are you going to do that? Firstly, that guy is massive, probably not the easiest target, Gabe. And secondly, even IF you did manage to beat the information out of him, he'd blow your cover. And we need you in there until that sub is buried. We're so close, Gabe. Another few days and the sub will never be an issue again, but we need to find Ross" I laughed that Daniel had thought that I would be beating it out of Luka. But, he didn't have any reason to think otherwise.

"Daniel, Volkov and I have gotten to know each other. I think that under the right circumstances he might let it slip. I'll just need to think of a good enough reason why I'd want to know where they kept prisoners."

"Oh ok," he said, relieved. "Look, I'll TRY to hold Williams off. But she's getting desperate. I'll let her know that you might have another way. I don't know if she'll go for it, but I'll do my best. I'll call you later."

"Okay, Daniel. Be safe."

CHAPTER NINE

A few hours passed as I anxiously waited for the crowds to disperse. At midnight, only a few close friends remained and Luka was dismissed. I followed him into the house and cornered him outside of his room. "You can't be here," he whispered, running his hand along my cheek.

"I know, but I desperately need your help." His face dropped and was now riddled with concern. "Luka, there is so much that I need to tell you. I don't know if you'll forgive me for what I've done." He looked at me confused. "I can't really explain it right now, I don't have a lot of time. But I need you to tell me something, something about Boshkov." He pulled me in closer to him and his eyes locked with mine.

"Anything," he whispered as he gently kissed my lips. My heart dropped as I knew that asking him this could cost both of us our lives. I didn't know what I was going to do with the information of Ross's whereabouts, maybe if I told Williams that Luka told me, she would grant him amnesty. But I knew that once he told me this, I would only have a few hours to get both of us far away from Boshkov. I opened my mouth to ask him but I was interrupted by the sound of footsteps pounding through the hall. He quickly opened his door and pushed me in, closing it behind me.

I heard Luka acknowledge Boshkov on the other side of the door. Boshkov was furious. I winced as he began yelling at Luka and I thought for sure we were caught. I listened closely to their heated conversation.

"He's gone!" Boshkov yelled. "The fucking idiot was captured a few hours ago! Fucking Dokic!" Dokic must have been the man that I had seen with Boshkov the other night. I froze as I realised what had happened. Williams hadn't waited for me. She must have panicked and gone ahead with her original plan. Shit! "Someone snatched him right in front of my men! I need him back Volkov!" I heard Luka reply but couldn't make out what he was saying. "I don't care how you do it. I bet it was those pieces of shit who tried to ambush me at the lounge! Get every weapon and every man. We're ending this once and for all."

Luka paused for a moment and then replied. "Those men outnumber us 5 to 1. Going in there tonight would be suicide. Not to mention half of our men are drunk." Boshkov was furious. He wasn't thinking straight. He was going to get them all killed. He was going to get Luka killed. The thought was enough to cause a burning ache deep within my chest. I put my hand over my mouth as tears flowed down my face in despair. How could Williams have done that? All I needed was a few hours but now Luka was walking into a suicide mission. I heard Boshkov shout a few more orders at Luka telling him to be ready in fifteen minutes. I heard footsteps retreating back down the hall. Once they were gone, I heard the door swing open. I jumped into Luka's arms as soon as the door was shut. I sucked up my tears and looked up at him. He was staring at the wall behind me.

"Luka, you can't go!" I pleaded. "You're going to get hurt, or worse," I panicked at my words. He stroked my hair and continued to stare passed me into the darkness of the room. Finally he looked down at me, his expression pained.

"I have to go," he said firmly, although I knew the words were hard for him to say.

"No!" I yelled. "Let's just get out of here. You and Me! Tonight!" I was begging now.

"Gabe, if I leave now I will be a traitor. Every man in Russia will be searching for me. Boshkov won't stop until he hunts both of us down and kills us. I'm so close, Gabe. So close to finding a way for us to be together. I've found some people who are going to help us. But it takes time, Gabriel. If we leave now, we'll be dead before we leave Moscow. Please, just trust me."

I tried hard to maintain my control but my temper got the best of me. "No, Luka! You can't go!" I screamed. He stepped forward and put his finger to my lips, hushing me.

"it's not just that Gabriel. These men, they're the same ones that hurt you that night. These are the same men who tried to rape and kill you that night at the lounge. They were from the same gang and we've heard rumours that since you're with Boshkov, you're a big target for them. I'm not doing this for Boshkov, I'm doing it to keep you safe. If anything ever happened to you, I couldn't forgive myself. And until we can get out of here together, I'm going to do everything I can to ensure your safety, and I'll kill anyone who threatens it. You mean everything to me." I stared into his eyes and I didn't see the cold, hard stare that was there the first time I met him. They were soft and warm, and only for me. He tipped my chin and up brought his forehead down to meet mine. We stayed there for a moment, staring at each other, searching each other. The moon light shone against his face as a small breeze blew, forcing our hair to entwine. His lips came down closer to mine but stopped when they brushed against them. We closed our eyes and I listened to his breathing as my heartbeat grew louder in my ears. His breathing matched mine and I opened my eyes only to have them lock with his once again. He took in a deep breath and uttered the words I'd been waiting for since I first laid eyes on him.

"I love you, Gabriel."

His lips briefly met mine before he stepped back towards the door. I felt the warmth disappear as his hand slipped out of my fingers and finally let go. Lights from the outside shimmered against him as he walked backwards away from me. His lips pulled up into a sad, slow smile and then he was gone. I sat back onto the bed and let the tears flow down my cheeks. I tried to grasp what had just happened. I heard the cars pull out of the driveway and the sounds of guns cocking. I was too afraid to move. We were so close to figuring everything out, but everything was such a mess. I knew that I would do anything to be with Luka, but I couldn't control what happened tonight. I snuggled into his bed, hugging his pillow that had the same oaky smell that reminded me of him. Hours passed as I sat frozen in his room alone with my thoughts.

Cars came and went but none of them were him. Men returned, beaten and bloody, but there was no sign of Luka. I could hear men talking of a gruesome gun fight and many men being lost. I closed my eyes tightly and hugged the now mascara stained pillow. My emotions were a mess. He had told me that he loved me, and it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard, but right now all I could feel was despair. I just wished he would come walking back into the room in that sexy, powerful way only he could and tell me that everything was going to be okay. I just wanted him to tell me that it was okay.

I heard someone approaching the door outside and I ran out to the hallway, praying to see Luka. A man stood, stunned before stammering an apology. "I'm sorry, Miss, I thought this was Volkov's room." I grabbed him by the collar and shook him.

"Is he back yet? Is that why you were looking for him?" the man frowned and dropped his eyes to the floor.

"I'm sorry, Miss Gabriel. He didn't come back with us. We were hoping he was here."

"Maybe he's still there!" I yelled, frantically trying to justify it to myself. The man's expression was full of sorrow.

"No, ma'am. We were the last there. No one else survived." With that I pushed him back and my knees collapsed under me. He helped me to my feet and scrambled for anything to console me. "Look, Boshkov went to see the Pakhan, the leader of the entire gang. Maybe, just maybe Luka escaped and is there." My sobbing quietened and I offered him the best smile I could. I offered a sincere thank you before retreating back into his room. My eyes were sore and swollen and were stinging from the mascara. I went to the bathroom and wiped off my makeup with a towel. I curled up on the bathroom floor and closed my eyes in exhaustion, not realising my fatal mistake.

CHAPTER TEN

I awoke to a crashing outside in the hallway. I carefully stood up and peaked out into the darkness of the bedroom. My eyes were hardly adjusted to the darkness but I could see that it was exactly the way that I'd left it. My heart sunk as I realised that Luka had not come back yet. I tried to maintain hope but I was terrified that something had happened to him. I looked out of the peep hole and saw a dark figured stumbling around outside. Drunken idiot, I thought as I moved back to the bed and continued to mourn for Luka. I closed my eyes again and exhaustion took me.

Something fell on me like a tonne of bricks. I awoke in a panic and tried to move but I was pinned against the bed. Someone was holding me down. Fear rose up inside me and my training kicked it. I used the entire force of my body and was just about to unleash when I felt a hand on my cheek. My eyes took a few moments to adjust but when they did I saw Luka's beautiful face staring back at me. I grabbed his head and kiss him deeply. It was the most beautiful kiss of my life. Relief flooded through me as I tried to grasp the fact that he was here. He was really here. He winced and pulled back as my hand ran to his hair. I felt something wet on my palm and put it to my face in an attempt to make out what it was. It didn't take me long to notice the deep red liquid was blood, and it had come from the top of Luka's head. It wasn't enough to kill him, but it probably would have hurt, even someone as strong as him. I pulled a pillow case off the bed and began dabbing it over his open wound.

"Luka?" I said wearily. "What happened?" He grabbed the hand near his forehead and pulled it down to his side. He didn't speak and just stared at me. I could feel the hunger in his expression as his eyes locked with mine. Whatever had just happened, all of the pain I'd felt in the last few hours, none of it mattered. Our only contact was his hand that still held mine to the side but that was enough to make sparks radiate through my entire body.

Every time I was with him I felt an uncontrollable urge to touch him, to kiss him, to hold him, and this time was no different. He opened his mouth to explain but I didn't care anymore. All that I cared about was that he was here. I pressed my thumb to his lips before tracing the edges of them. They were so soft and widened as I ran my fingers along. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes for a moment. When they opened again, his expression was raw. His expression burned into me and made my body flutter. Butterflies ran amuck in my stomach and my breathing shallowed. With one look, this man had turned me into a trembling mess. I stared into his eyes and couldn't help the words that slipped out of my mouth. After what seemed like a lifetime of thinking it, I finally said it. And I'd never meant anything more in my life.

"I love you."

Those words were his undoing. In the muted light I could see one of his hands reach for my face. The other hand dropped mine and grabbed onto my leg. I sat up off my ankles so I matched his height just as his lips came down on mine. His kiss was gentle and full of love, yet there was urgency behind it. I moaned against his lips, and it awakened something inside him. He cradled my head whilst the other hand made its way up my leg, stroking and caressing as it went. He reached my hip and pushed my body down below his. I felt consumed by him as his lips left mine and moved down my neck. His teeth skimmed my ear lobe and my body responded, bowing off the bed against him. He breathed in sharply before shifting his head to look into my eyes. They were filled with lust and wonder. He closed his eyes and I realised that this man was lost in me. And I was lost in him. I tenderly kissed his lips and whispered that I loved him again. One hand grabbed mine and pinned it above my head whilst the other slid underneath my dress and up my thigh. He pushed the dress to the side and pulled my leg over his back. We were completely entwined in each other.

He paused for a moment and looked at me, eyes wide searching for permission. I knew his question and freed my hand. I ran my fingers down his chest, in tune to every movement, every ripple of his muscles. I pulled the sweater he had been wearing all night over his head and tossed it on the floor. After that, we both knew there was no turning back. I wanted this man, I needed him. And the look in his eyes told me he felt the same. I could barely manage to move as he continued his assault on my body. His fingers dug into my hips and his teeth grinded against my collarbone. I was a mess. My dress was now bunched up around my hips and he pulled me up and dragged it over my head. I lay back down and his eyes fixated on my body. He wanted me more than anything else right now. He kicked off his shoes and his pants with ease.

He tugged me gently and we rolled so I was straddling him from the top. I ran my hands along his chest and he flexed his hips below me. I looked down and saw his muscles straining under my touch. The look in his eyes was dangerous and primal. He took in my body before sitting up so he was flush with me. He kissed me hard, his teeth grazing my lip as we separated. I kissed his neck and he threw his head back, giving me greater access. His stubbled tickled my tongue and I bit down on his jaw line. He reached one hand around and stroked my bare back. He threw it down beside us and rolled so that he was on top of me, his body resting on mine. "Are you sure?" he said gently, but his heavy panting gave him away. I looked into his eyes and I had never been more sure of anything. I gave him a small nod and within seconds the rest of our clothes were on the floor.

He was so, so gentle. Every little touch amplified throughout my body and I fell in love with him all over again. Every touch, every kiss made me feel whole. He made me feel complete, like he was the piece of my puzzle that I didn't even know I was missing. The love in my heart drowned out the ache my body felt as we became one. I felt every breath and every sound that escaped his lips. And as we gave into each other, everything in my world fell into place. All that mattered was us.

We lay next to each other, bodies still entwined. He watched me in fascination as his fingers explored my skin. Every inch was amazing to him. He smile played on his lips as his eyes met mine. "Ya tebya lyublyu, moy prekrasnyy angel," he whispered as he kissed my shoulder. My heart swelled. 'I love you' sounded so beautiful in Russian, and even more so coming from Luka's lips. And I'd been called a beautiful angel a few times but the endearment dripping off Luka's every word brought a tear to my eye.

We lay there for a little while, desperate to avoid reality for as long as we could. The first signs of daylight spilled in through the curtains and we could hear the birds stirring out the window. It was bliss. I wished every day could be like this. I rested my head on his shoulder as I lay beside him. But the dark feelings I had felt came creeping back to me. "I thought you were dead," I whispered, choking on the pain of the words. His hand swept to my cheek and he brought his head down to mine so he could look into my eyes.

"Shhh, it's okay," he reassured. "My beautiful Gabriel, I will always come back to you." I felt like my heart could explode with love for this man.

"The other men, when you didn't come back, they said you were lost." Tears welled in my eyes remembering the heart break I felt only hours ago. "They said they searched for you."

"Ha," he scoffed, distain laced through his words, "Those cowards wouldn't have stayed long enough to rescue their own mothers. They hid while a few of us did the work. I was gone by the time they crawled out from their hiding spaces."

"Where were you? Why didn't you come back right away?"

He sighed, reluctant to be ruining our post-romance bliss. "I went to Boshkov. The pakhan of the other bratva was cornered. He said he wanted to speak with Boshkov alone, said he had something of great value to trade for his life. I was injured, so Boshkov dismissed me. After that, I went to go see an old friend. He owes me a favour. He said he was going to look into a way to help you and I disappear." Something of great value? My mind ran a million minds an hour, maybe he knew about Luka and I.

"What did he have? You don't think he knows about us, do you?" Luka laughed then stroked away a stray hair from my face. He looked enchanted as he twirled it in his fingers.

"Probably nothing. He was probably just trying to say anything to save himself. Plus, if it was anything to do with me, he would have said it right then and there. Relax, Gabe. It was nothing." He gave me a small, shy smile as he looked down at our bare bodies, now lit by the sun pouring in. He was so confident and self assured, yet in this moment he looked so vulnerable. "You have to go soon, Gabe. I don't think they'll look for you in here, probably just think you were a little freaked out after last night, but still we don't want to take our chances." I nuzzled into his chest and closed my eyes, hoping to get a few moments of sleep.

I woke up to a kiss on my forehead. I fluttered my eyelids, remember how perfect the last few hours had been. My head still rested on his bare shoulder as he stared down at me adoringly. I felt the heat rising in my cheeks and he let out a soft laugh. "I could sit here and watch you blush all day, but we have to go." He said softly, his chest and shoulders rising below me. He gave me a quick kiss and I wished it could go on forever. He stood before me, dragging his clothes from the ground. He was perfect, and he was mine.

Getting dressed was a much harder task when I had Luka here to distract me. We exchanged smiles and laughs at our awkward attempts to dress ourselves without looking like idiots. It was so easy to have fun with him. When we were finally dressed he wandered over and gave me a long, deep kiss. Those familiar butterflies rose up in my stomach. He pulled away and looked deep into my eyes. He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything there was a knock at the door.

We both froze, staring at the door. Before either of us could react there was a loud bang and the door was slammed from his hinges and came to a stop a few feet in front of us. Panic rose in me as haze blocked my view of the hallway. I rubbed the dirt and debris from my eyes but before I could open them, my head was being forced to the ground. As my head made contact with the ground a ringing sound took over my ears and I blacked out for a few moments. When I came to, I could hear Luka fighting back, and he was winning. He called to me to get up, but I couldn't. My head was badly injured and my vision hadn't fully returned. I made out a black shape racing towards me, it must have been Luka. I put out my hand towards him before hearing a gun shot. Luka stopped suddenly and I could barely make out him reaching up for his chest. Luka had been shot. I screamed in terror and tried to crawl towards him as his body hit the ground with an almighty thump. I dragged myself beside him and curled my hands over a dark red patch seeping through his shirt. I could feel the burn of the bullet through his skin. Get up, Gabe! GET UP! I yelled at myself. I tried so hard to get my bearings and kill however had hurt Luka but my body wouldn't budge. I was too injured, and seeing Luka lying in front of me and knowing I could do nothing was the worst feeling I'd ever had. My vision was returning and all I could do was study Luka's wound. It had hit just below his rib cage. It wouldn't have ruptured any major organs but I knew without help Luka would die. I had to get him out of here. I had to do something, anything. I couldn't see the voice that came next, but I would know it anywhere. Boshkov.

"Well, well, little American. I would not have expected to find you here." I looked towards the voice and could see an army of men around Boshkov. There was also a female beside him in a ball gown from the night before. Was that Lina? I suppressed a groan as pain radiated through my head. I held on to Luka as he lay there, and he placed his arm protectively over mine. In his weak state, it wasn't enough to defend me. "Oh, isn't that cute. He's trying to protect her!" Boshkov explained, noticing Luka's failed attempt to shield me.

"Leave her alone!" Luka shouted through laboured breathing. He tried to get up but collapsed onto his back, rasping in pain.

"I've been looking for you, little girl." I could see Boshkov a little more clearly now. He wore a terrifying smirk and was still in the clothes from last night. "We're very grateful that Miss Lina had seen you come up here and reported your little tryst to me this morning, or we could have been looking all day. Thank you my dear, dear Lina," he said, effectively excusing her. Lina's eyes met mine and her face contorted into a twisted smirk. She looked so cold and evil, just like Boshkov. "Luka will pay for his little indiscretion later. Grab the girl," and with that three men ripped me up by my hair and began dragging me towards the door.

"Let her go!" Luka yelled in a cold, menacing voice, trying once again to get up. Boshkov laughed. I'd never seen Luka lose his temper before and honestly, it was terrifying. Malice ran through his voice and his facial expression was cold, hard and deadly. It took everything he had and I knew he was in excruciating pain but he finally stood up. He had the same body stance as the first night that I met him. He was so powerful and I could see the momentary panic in Boshkov's eyes. He didn't stand a chance against Luka and he knew it. It was short lived though, as Luka crashed back into the ground. I tried so hard to keep strong and not let Boshkov see how scared I was for Luka. When Luka hit the ground, I saw any trace of fear disappear from his eyes. He knew Luka was too weak to defend himself, let alone rescue me.

"So eager to defend her. Perhaps you wouldn't be so eager if you knew who she really was." He turned his attention to me and I froze. Not because of the certain death I faced, but because I couldn't bear to hurt Luka. I'd meant to tell him about everything. About the CIA, my career, and the lies that would certainly crush him. I had planned to tell him last night, before everything got so out of hand.

"Please, don't," I begged and he smiled further. "Luka, I'm so sorry," I whispered and I could see the confusion that now covered his face. I lowered my head in guilt. I couldn't bear to look Luka in the eye.

"Seems like the beautiful Miss Grey here was using us all. Does this look familiar?" I squinted to try and get a better look at the picture he had pulled from his back pocket. It was a photo of Ross Black in London, surrounded by tourists. I didn't understand what he meant, but suddenly it clicked. Standing just behind Ross was me. Someone must have been tracking us when I came to London just after my training five years ago. "Now what would you be doing with a known CIA agent?" He questioned, laughing at my harrowed expression. He had figured out that Ross was CIA. I suspected that whoever gave him this photo had let him in on that. "And that's funny, the date of the photo was when you were meant to be in the Columbia correctional facility, wasn't it?" I kept my expression blank. I knew he was either going to kill me, or torture me for information so I needed to keep strong. I couldn't let him get to me now. "Looks like the other pakhan DID have something of use to me." He said matter of factly. He sighed as his eyes rested on Luka. "Fucking idiot." He said as he shook his head at Luka. "I guess I should thank you for helping me catch her off guard," he laughed.

I raised my eye and my eyes met with Luka's. I could see the betrayal on Luka's face. His expression hardened and he turned his face away from me. He winced in pain and all I wanted was to go to him, but I knew he didn't want me to. I tried to remain strong in front of my oppressors but a stray tear made its way down my cheek. "Get her out of here," Boshkov said. This time, Luka said nothing to protest. I gave in. No amount of fighting would get me out of here, and nothing I said would get me Luka back. I stood still and closed my eyes as one of the guards walked towards me, placing on his knuckle dusters. I heard his fist retract and then make contact with my head before everything went black.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Drip, Drip, Drip.

I opened my eyes only moments before I felt my skull splitting in pain. Above me was a pipe line dripping God-only-knows-what onto my head. The room was lit by a single lamp in the far corner of the room and my eyes were fully adjusted to the low light. The smell hit me like a freight train. The stench of rotting carcasses filled my nostrils and I resisted the urge to gag. A freezing chill seeped up through the floor and into my skin. I gained some composure and checked over myself for injuries. I could move my legs but as I ran my hands down them I felt my torn clothes were spattered with warm liquid. I assumed from the cuts on my knees that it was my own blood. My arms were in a similar state and only my left elbow seemed to be injured. I assumed it was torn cartilage, not too major but still a problem. My shoulder had a large wound in it and my face and hair were smeared in blood from several large gashes on my head. My eyes were now fully adjusted so I attempted to take in my surroundings.

I lay on dark cobblestones in a room that was about six metres by ten metres. Pipes from above me leaked down onto the stones that covered the room. I could see patches of moss growing on the wettest areas in the room. Next to the lamp were floor to ceiling prison bars and a tiny path beyond that led off into the blackness. The walls were the same dark stones that paved the floor. There was no breeze, only stale air. I must have been underground for the air to smell this bad. The occasional chain lined the walls of my cell. From the distance I could hear men talking as they guarded the cells. Two men from the sound of it. They shouldn't be too hard to overpower. I needed to gather up as much information as I could. Two men in my cell block wasn't what I needed to worry about, it was how many men were waiting for me if I managed to get above ground. I sat there listening for hours to anything that would help me get out of here. I needed to know what kind of building I was in, what it was used for, where it was and how far I would have to go to get help. If I was lucky I would be on the edge of a town or city, but if I was unlucky I could be in the middle of a desert. If I missed a piece of vital information, I would die or be recaptured before I got very far. I had to get back to Luka. Regardless of whether or not he ever wanted to talk to me again, I had to make sure he was alright. My spirit broke a little when I realised that he could already be dead. They could have left him in that room to bleed out. I didn't know how long I had been here for and how long he would have left if I did manage to get out of here.

Every now and again I would hear keys jingling. I was relieved that I wouldn't have to search far for them when I escaped. It wasn't only Luka I needed to save, it was Daniel and the others as well. If they had traced Ross back to me, they could easily have gone back to the apartment for Daniel. I just hoped that Daniel had followed protocol and gone to safety as soon as he had lost contact with me.

I opened my eyes trying to find anything to distract my mind from thoughts of those I loved being hurt by the monster that is Boshkov. My eyes sunk in exhaustion and I could feel myself slipping. My body needed to sleep, it needed to recover and recuperate. I was just drifting off when I heard footsteps nearing my cell. Two men walked towards me carrying a jug. I closed my eyes and focused on their words as they became more clear. "They just found him out there wandering. The mudak was lost for six hours before they found him." They must have been talking about one of their comrades. We mustn't be in Moscow anymore for someone to be lost for such a long time. Where was I?

"Next time he's goes for a piss, we'll have to give him a map." The other man joked and they roared with laughter. The man with the jug slammed it through the bars of my cell and dropped it on the floor. Drinking Water. They turned around and walked back to their posting, still laughing at the misfortune of their lost friend.

When they were gone, I dragged my body across to where they had dropped the jug. I was severely dehydrated and exhausted but pulled myself through the mould filled puddles that were scattered on the floor. It tasted like Heaven. Every drop burned against my dry lips and throat but I could feel my body responding immediately. Saliva returned to my mouth and the sandpaper feel in my eyes began to mute. I figured that any water I got would be a luxury so I conserved as much as I could.

I looked down the cell block to where the muted light flowed in from the room at the end of the hall. Something a few feet away from the cell caught my attention. Something small and black flickered in the light. I put my arm through the bars and reached for it. Damn, it was too far away. I spun my legs out in front of me and used all of my strength to reach my feet forward towards the small object. My legs were bare and scraped across the harsh surface of the bars. I winced as my skin caught on the sharp edges. I looked down at my dirty body and saw that my dress was barely hanging on to me. It was torn, tattered and only hanging on by one sleeve. I ripped the dress off my legs and tied it high on one side of my thigh. The other side fell a little further down my leg, but hung loose enough for me to manoeuvre fluidly if I needed to. My foot finally reached the object and slid it into my reach. It was cold, wet and very thin. I picked it up and brought it closer to my eyes. It was paper-thin and water dripped off it down my hands. I wasn't sure if it was wet from the ground or wherever it had come from before. Through the muted light I saw it was a leaf. A large leaf from something the size of a fig or maple tree. Six hours. It all clicked. A forest, we must be surrounded by a forest. Someone could easily be lost in a forest for this time, and Moscow was surrounded by large forests, stretching as far as the eye could see. If they were holding me beneath the forest floor, the CIA would never find me. If I wanted to get out of here, I had to do it myself. They said there had been one path in and out, but it would be too dangerous to take if I ever made it out of here. I needed another way.

I couldn't plan anything useful in my current state. My body was weary and my mind was beginning to make shapes of the shadows. My eyes gave into the heaviness as I curled up on the damp floor and drifted into a troubled sleep.

I fell in and out of sleep several times, awakened by scurrying rats, hushed voices and footsteps from far away. During my training, I had learned to be very aware of my surroundings at all time and the best way to do that in this dark space was through listening. I counted rats instead of sheep to pull me back into my broken sleep, occasionally having to kick one away if it got too curious. I'd lay there for hours at a time just to get a few moments of sleep. Closing my eyes was worse than seeing the horrors around me. Nightmares haunted me and reminded me of the hurt and betrayal on Luka's face. I had to believe that he was still alive. It was the only thing that would get me through this. I had to believe that he would forgive me. I was pulled from my nightmare from a small noise in my cell block. Footsteps.

I slowly opened my eyes and my body went rigid. I listened for anything that would give me a clue as to who was coming towards me. I could hear the clinking of boots in large, evenly spaced strides. Male, definitely male. There was a calm demeanour to his walk, unlike the other guards who rushed around every time an order was given. His breathing was even as he neared my cell. I lay perfectly still on the ground with my eyes narrowed on my visitor. I knew exactly who it was before the small chuckle left his lips. I'd know that cruel bastard anywhere.

"It pains me to see such a beautiful creature locked away," Boshkov said with his tell-tale thick accent. I rolled over so I was facing away from his. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of acknowledging his taunts. "But you must be punished. I must say, I was quite impressed that you made it this far without being caught. You could have been a great asset to us… To me." His used his possessive tone to emphasise those last words. He waited for a few moments for me to respond and I felt his eyes burning into the back of my head. I sat quietly, trying to hold back the seething anger that I felt for this man. I wanted to lunge forward and make him take me to Luka. I wanted to strangle the life out of him. I wanted him to pay for what he had done to us. But I knew he was out of my reach. And I knew any questions about Luka would fuel his smugness and he would make a sick game out of it. He took a step towards the bars. One more step, I thought to myself, realising he would be within my reach. But he was too smart. He firmly planted himself just out of my reach and opened his mouth. "Don't feel like talking today, little American?" He questioned and I could hear the excitement in his voice. "I was hoping you'd be difficult. Well, I hope you last longer than your little friend Mr Black." Ross! I knew that Boshkov was just playing another game but I desperately wanted to find Ross. I knew Boshkov would never tell me if he was still alive so I'd have to find out on my own. I tried to reign in the panic that I felt. I couldn't let Boshkov know his words had gotten to me. Finally he chuckled and stepped back. "You're strong, Gabriel Gray." He said as he turned on his heel and walked away from my cell. "We'll have to change that."

I heard harsh whispers coming from the room at the end as Boshkov reached the entrance. After a few moments and an exchange of words, the guards scrambled for their weapons and started down the hallway. I knew what their intentions were, they were coming for me. I contemplated my options as they opened the cell and drew nearer to me. I could probably try and fight my way out, but I wasn't sure enough of my surroundings. I knew there was a forest out there, but I didn't know much more. I would only have one shot at escaping, as they wouldn't hesitate to kill me if I wasn't successful. I relaxed my body a little as I decided that unless they were here to kill me, escaping now wasn't my best option. I would wait until I had all the information, and hopefully, until I had Ross.

"Roll onto your stomach," the first man said and I willingly complied. My arms were pulled into the small of my back and they slipped thin, plastic cuffs over my hands and tightened them. One of the two men slipped his arms through my arms which were now secured behind my back and lifted me onto my feet. My legs shook underneath me and I felt like they were going to give out. I wobbled as the men muttered instructions to each other. "Walk!" the first man finally commanded. I tried to take a step but my feet gave out and I stumbled. The second man swore in Russian and I heard him shift on his feet before feeling an excruciating blow to the back of my head. My body hit the ground with force and I clenched my teeth together in pain and anger. The motherfucker had mêlée'd me! An argument broke out amongst the two men as apparently Boshkov had instructed them not to spoil me. The first man helped me to my feet before placing a sack over my head. I must have been going somewhere a little brighter than this if they were bothering to cover my eyes. I felt sick as the foul smell of the sack penetrated my nostrils. I had fully recovered from the blow to the head and I needed all of my spare senses if my eyes were to be covered.

They led me out of my cell. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, Right turn. Thirteen steps between my cell and the guard's room at the end. I could smell coffee and cigarettes. The two men greeted other guards which were in the room. Two other voices. So there must be four guards on duty at any one time. They continued pushing me in front of them as we continued straight. The air was still stale so I assumed we were quite far from the entry point. One hundred and twenty two steps were between the guard room and our next turn. I listened out for signs of other prisoners but there were none. Maybe I was the only one down here? We turned slightly left before I heard the sound of a television. There must have been another guard room down here and I felt the smallest bit of air push my hair slightly across my forehead. We must have been at a cross section in the path. One path continued wherever the guards were taking me, and the other led off to the television room. We continued straight for another seventy eight steps before the air became crisp. We must be near the entrance. We made our final turn to the right and I felt a cool chill blow across me. We took ten more steps, the air becoming more fresh with each, before we came to a stop. They opened a door and pushed me through. I could hear a bird above me in this tiny room, too small for the three people who now inhabited it. The men muttered a few words to each other and I took the opportunity to reach out in front of me. I felt a cold, hard cylinder at eye level. I ran my hands to each end and felt two more bars reaching up towards the light which now flowed through the sack on my head. It was a ladder. "Not you!" The second man yelled as he smacked my hands away from the ladder. He yelled at the first man to head up first and ensure I didn't escape. They forced me back and I could hear the first man scurry up the ladder, faltering once or twice. Then apparently it was my turn. With the sack on my head, I carefully secured my hands on the bars before lifting myself off the ground. It was steep and took me some time to make my way to the top. I figured the drop must have been about thirty metres. I reached the top and was hauled over by the first man on top a patch concrete. He signalled to the second man below to make his way up.

I could hear the bird more clearly now. It wasn't one that I was familiar with. I could hear the wind rustling through trees which confirmed that we were near a forest. Apart from the trees and a bird, it was silent up here. It mustn't have been heavily guarded. I couldn't hear any cars or engines either. I put my hand out in front of me and felt a brick structure. I ran my hand along it. It was only a few bricks across on each side. I wrapped my hands around the edges and traced my fingers as far as I could reach. It was the same on the other sides. I could hear the man shouting instructions at the second man still climbing and I knew I only had a moment before he would reach the top and we would move on. I reached up the brick and felt a flat surface. I followed the surface for about two metres before I felt an identical brick structure. It was like an open doorway, but too large to be one.

The second man reached the surface and I was soon being forced past the brick structure. Okay, so the bricks were to the left of the top of the stairs. About four steps away. After a few steps, there was a slight drop and the ground changed from concrete to grass. The grass wasn't long enough to be in a forest, and I could feel the sun shining a little on my face, so I assumed there had been a field cut into a small patch in the forest. Fifty one more steps were taken before I was stopped by the man now holding my shoulder.

I heard a loud creaking of a door before we stepped through into a room. I could smell hay, mixed with a chemical burning smell. The ground was hardened dirt and it was warmer in here than it was outside. I was grateful for the warmth due to my lack of appropriate clothing. They moved me further into the room before instructing me to sit. I sat onto a wooden chair and was strapped tightly before the sack was removed from my head. It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the light. I was in a barn filled with hay and water troughs with a fire in the corner. There was a table beside the fire that was lined with pointy tools that looked fit for a lobotomy. I knew exactly why I was here. This was where they were going to torture me.

I turned my neck to try and see what was behind me. I could see the two men waiting patiently by the large door that creaked on my way in. To the left of the second man was a window. I could just see out from where I had just come. I was right, there was a small field made in the middle of a large forest. The forest was dense with trees and grass, but I couldn't see the one way in and out that the guards had talked about. I leaned my head back hoping to get a better view. I couldn't see a path but I saw the large brick structure. The red bricks stood about two metres high and the two vertical towers were connected at the top by a horizontal line of bricks. I could just see behind it that there was a second brick structure that was identical to the first. On top of both were analogue satellite antennas. Years ago I had seen pictures of these. They were old communications towers that were set up during the Cold War. We must have been in an air defence bunker that had been abandoned after the Soviet fell. I thought that these had all been blocked off or destroyed.

My attention turned towards a man protruding from the hay bales in front of me. "Good morning, Gabriel." The man said in an accent so thick I could barely understand his words. He walked over to the table and began sorting through the tools as if he were arriving to work for the day. I watched him cautiously as he took his time inspecting and then arranging the tools. I suspected he did this in order to prolong the suspense. I resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably in my seat as he snapped a pair of razor sharp prongs before placing them back on the table.

A million thoughts ran through my mind, majority of which were trying to control the paralysing fear that was coursing through my veins. I mustered up all of my strength to put on a brave face. As tough and fierce as I was, there was still no part of me that wished to endure the torture that I was about to receive. My only saving thought was that they wouldn't kill me straight away and would try and bleed all of the information out of me that they could. I focused on each breath that I took and closed my eyes to picture the ones that I loved. I wish I could see me grandparents. I wish I could tell them how much they mean to me. After my mother died, they were told to put me into foster care as they were older and might be unable to take care of a child. I don't know why they chose to take me on, but I was so grateful. They taught me everything I knew. They taught me to be brave and to be strong. Growing up without my parents was so hard and a lot of the time I had to take care of myself, but I couldn't have asked for more from my grandparents. I just wished that they knew that. I thought about Daniel. Life with him over the past weeks had been crazy. Daniel was fun, loveable, arrogant, and sometimes down right frustrating. But he was my Daniel. I was so sorry for everything he would be going through right now, but I knew I had to make it out of here for him. I knew Daniel would be blaming himself for my disappearance and he would be running himself into the ground to find me. Regardless of whether or not we would ever be together, I knew that he and I would always share something special and we would always feel responsible for each other.

For so long, the only people I had been close to were my grandparents and Daniel, but sometime over the last few weeks, I had let Luka in. He was now my whole world. I didn't care if he never wanted to see me again, I just had to make sure he was alright. I had to let him know how sorry I was. I closed my eyes as hard as I could and pictured Luka the first time he had ever smiled at me. Just after the siege at the night club. He didn't smile a lot, but when he did my entire universe froze. That picture was the only thing that got me through the piercing pain that came next. I kept my eyes clamped closed as I felt a burning pain surge across my chest. My eyes opened for just a second to see the fire poker tearing through my flesh. My entire body went cold as the shock set in. My arms and legs became to shake slightly and my heart beat became erratic. The only warmth I felt once the poker was gone was my blood slowly seeping over my skin. I clamped my teeth together so hard I thought they might shatter. The only sound I heard was my blood pumping through my ears. After a few moments I realised that I wasn't breathing. I opened my mouth to get in a much needed breath of air, and my eyes opened automatically. I steadied my breathing and tried to calm my shaking limbs. I remembered something Williams had told us in training. "Avoid looking at your wounds, as they will panic you further". It took every bit of me to keep my focus away from the open gash in my chest. The rusty smell of blood filled my nostrils as I felt it dripping down onto my hands.

The man had returned to the table and was debating his next tools. He finally settled his hands on something and then turned to face me. "I don't suppose you're just going to tell us everything we want to know?" He questioned with a tone that suggested this wasn't his first time torturing someone. When I didn't respond he picked up whatever his hand was resting on. It was a small bamboo stick that had been fashioned into a makeshift knife no bigger than a nail file. One of the guards came into my vision and glanced nervously at the wound across my chest. He muttered something in Russian which was inaudible over the sound of my heart beating through my ears. The man nodded and continued towards me. I closed my eyes once again as the man reached my side. "Boshkov has requested that we leave your body largely intact in case he sees a further purpose for you." The words resounded in me. Large gashes weren't the worst form of torture one could be subjected to. It was when they had to get creative that it worried me. I felt his hand rest on mine and he lifted his hand up off the arm rest that my arm was tied to.

Pain ripped through me and panic once again rose in my chest. He was using the bamboo knife to pierce the soft skin underneath my finger nails. MY teeth clamped down but my tongue wasn't fast enough and my teeth sank into it. I could feel fresh tears pricking my eyes and I desperately tried to gain some composure. Don't scream. Don't scream. I repeated that phrase inside my head for what felt like hours of this torture. Every once in a while he would ask me a question but would continue as soon as I refused to give an answer. I could feel the blood from my tongue drying around my mouth. The next few hours were a blur. MY entire body was in shock. I thought the pain would subside after a while, that my body would become numb to it, but it got worse. MY body shook in pain and my head spun. I thought I was going to pass out. In my barely conscious state, I slipped up and opened my eyes. I was covered in a sea of red. Blood dripped down my fingers and puddled on the floor. That was enough to send me over. My stomach churned at the blood that lay in front of me, occasionally broken up by chunks of my flesh. MY eyes rolled into the back of my head and I tried to stop the hurling force that was inside my stomach. But it was too strong. I leaned as far forward as my restraints would allow me and opened my mouth. Vomited poured down onto the ground, catching on my legs as it went. I coughed and dry retched until my stomach was empty. The man had stopped and stepped back just in time. He stared at me for a few moments before returning to his table and removing his skin coloured gloves that I hadn't noticed before. He turned around towards the guards. "Get her cleaned up. I don't want her covered in that when I have to be near her again tomorrow." He motioned to my guards and let the room. My body was in agony, inside and out. I could barely stay conscious as the pain of my wounds coursed through me.

CHAPTER TWELVE

My body was in excruciating pain when they finally dragged me back to my cell. After the torture, I had been taken to a small underground room and blasted with a high pressure hose. My body was too weak to protect itself from the force of the hose so I just lay there, praying for it to be over. The guards threw me down in my cell and went back to guarding me from the room at the end of the block. I curled up and brought my fingers to my face. MY hands were bloody and my body was exhausted but I had survived it. I hadn't told them anything and I hadn't given them the satisfaction of hearing me scream. I knew there would be many more to come, but I thought that maybe if I could survive this one, than I could survive the rest that were still to come.

I have no concept of time as my cell was in perpetual darkness. The only way to count the days was when the guards would fetch me and take me back to the barn. Every day got harder and my will was breaking. The questions were always the same, "who are they", "where are they" and "what are you planning". I knew that even if I told them everything they wanted to know, they would never let me go. It wasn't the idea of being let go that was enticing me to the point of almost talking, it was the knowledge that death would take me away from this torture. But I had to stay strong, I had to get out of here. Not for me, my own will to live was now gone, but for Luka, Daniel and everyone who needed me.

The worst day was when I was introduced to water torture. I had never felt closer to death, then ripped away from it at the mercy of the men in the barn. My lungs burned for days from where the water had flooded through them. Many things had been done to me in that barn, electric shock, sleep deprivation, solitary confinement, and sensory torture, but none had come close to what happened to me on that day. Water always made me nervous, but as my head was submerged and held I was terrified. When my lungs were filled with water I was pulled out and one of the guards would inflict a sharp blow to my rib cage. I'd been hit in the ribs before, but nothing was as painful as this. I felt a rib break and puncture through the muscles, almost through my skin. This was repeated for hours and it was the closest I came to telling them everything they wanted to know. I was in despair. I had given up hope for myself. I wished in that moment that I could be selfish for once and just tell them everything, but I couldn't. If I was going to die here, I alone would die. I would not allow these men to kill my friends, to kill my family.

Time dragged on but it finally came to an end. Only one guard was ordered to escort me back to the cell. They knew that I was weak and wouldn't have been able to give much of a fight. The men argued over who would draw the short straw and have to take me back. Eventually, the more senior guard pulled rank and decided it would cut into his lunch break. The guard intrusted with me was tall, thin and a little uncoordinated. I assumed that he would new here and still trying to find his feet. He also didn't seem like he was trained for anything more than security work. He had buzz-cut black hair and always wore an overly serious expression on his face. I think some of the other guards called him Artur. If could get my strength up, this man wouldn't be much of a challenge for me. I knew that I'd have to somehow find a way to get out of here soon. I knew my time was running out. The men finished up their argument and I decided it was time for me to forge a plan to get out of here. I closed my eyes and slumped into my chair just as they turned to face me.

"Is she dead?" Artur questioned in Russian and I heard the panic in his voice. I doubted he'd ever seen a dead body before. The senior guard exhaled out of frustration towards Artur.

"She's unconscious, you idiot! Take her back to the cell!"

There was a moment of silence before Artur's puzzled tone filled the room. "How?" he asked, genuinely confused.

The senior guard was now yelling. "Throw her over your shoulder! I don't care! Just get her out of here so I can get some peace and quiet!"

After a few moments, I heard Artur walking towards me and after untying me with great difficulty, he threw me over his shoulder. To my surprise, he had forgotten to put the sack over my face. I'd thought this was a pretty stupid plan, but to my great surprise it had worked. We trudged across the field and he carried me down the ladder into the bunker, cursing under his breath with each step. When we reached the bottom and I was sure nobody else was around, I opened my eyes ever so slightly. It was dark and my eyes took a while to adjust. The walls were lined with unprotected light bulbs that were connected with power cords. They sat about three metres apart from each other and barely lit the path surrounding us. My ribs ached with every step as they rubbed against Artur's back but I was grateful to finally be able to see my surroundings. The path was dirt and the walls were concrete. Every now and again water would flow down from small cracks in the walls or ceiling. Artur continued to curse to himself, oblivious that I was fully conscious and plotting my escape. I knew that I was too weak to try anything today, but I was just hoping to find something in this dank place that would help me escape. As we rounded the corner, I found it. A small light illuminated the hallway in front of the tiny cell. A shadow moved in the darkness behind the bars of the cell. I narrowed me eyes trying to make out the figured that now moved towards me. The shadow brought its face closer to the light and that's when I recognised him. It was Ross Black.

His eyes searched mine and we passed a million messages between us. Through the despair in his eyes I saw hope and I knew he saw the same in mine. I knew this was the reason they wanted to blind folded when I came through here, so that I wouldn't recognise Ross and he wouldn't recognise me. I had found him and suddenly I had a renewed urge to escape. Seeing Ross was all I need to refocus my attention away from my self-pity and back onto finding a way out of here and to stop Boshkov. I studied the path back to my cell so I would know where to find Ross when the time came. We walked past a dimly lit hallway filled with tools and instruments that the bunker must have been originally fitted with. I tried to make out something useful amongst the piles of chairs and dusty radio materials. And there it was, sitting on a dust covered box was a defibrillator. It must have been here from when the bunker was first built for the Cold War. I hoped it still worked. That was all I needed to come up with a plan. I closed my eyes as we entered my cell and Artur laid my body down on the floor and left.

Emotions flowed through me as I thought about Ross in that cell. His clothes were tattered and barely there, he looked shaken up but surprisingly healthy. They must have been feeding him better than they were me. The thought haunted me. What if he had given them information in exchange for food? I shook off the thought. Ross wouldn't do that. I remembered the time I had spent with him just after my training. He was loyal and dedicated to his missions. And he loved those that he worked with, he would never betray them. I had to focus my thoughts on getting out of here and not on silly conspiracy theories that had no chance of being true. One thing I knew was that I had to gather my strength and I couldn't do that being tortured every day. I had to somehow get out of it tomorrow. I thought up a plan and when they came for me tomorrow, I would execute it.

The time dragged on and I passed the time by dreaming what it would be like once I got out of here. I needed to stay positive. I dreamt about Daniel and the fun we always had together but after a while all of my thoughts drifted back to Luka. The dreams were so real that I swore I could smell his musky scent and feel the warmth of his skin on mine. But every time I'd open my eyes, I was alone.

As always, the time passed painfully slow, but finally came movement from the room at the end of the cell block. It was time. I was scared. My plan was patchy at best, and if it didn't work I would be dead. But I knew that soon enough I would be dead anyway. The guards came to my cell and stopped in front of the door, jingling through their keys. I opened my mouth and tried desperately to find my voice. I didn't know how long it had been since I had used my voice, but I needed to find it, and find it now. Finally I took a deep breath and the words came out shakily. "Tell him I'll talk." I said quietly.

The guards stopped what they were doing and stared wearily at me. "Tell Boshkov I'll tell him everything" I repeated. "Just, please, don't hurt me anymore," I sobbed. The men turned to each other and shrugged, putting away the keys. They both walked back to the room and I could hear commotion over the radio channels. I knew I wouldn't have long, so I put my hand to my heart and listened to the rhythms.

I had never done this before. I had learnt about pressure points but I had never used one as serious as this before. They didn't teach it in my training, it wasn't until I had spent time protecting a monastery in Japan that I even heard of it. I saved the life of a monk on day, and to show his gratitude he said he would show me something that may one day save mine. I prayed that he was right. I didn't know if it was going to work, but I had to try. After about fifteen minutes I heard footsteps. Boshkov had arrived and was walking towards my cell. I knew I had about ten seconds before I was within his view so I acted quickly. I tensed my hand and curled my fingers. I knew this had to be perfect, there was no room for error, or I would die. I positioned my fingers and inflicted the first blow to my chest. My heart ached beneath my fingers and I could feel the muscle twisting and contorting under the pressure. I regathered my wits and delivered the rest of the blows to the pressure points surrounding my heart. My arm gave out just as the last blow was received. The world slowed around me and my slowing heart beat filled my ears. I collapsed to the ground just in time to catch Boshkov's eyes. Everything went silent and every second felt like an hour. Excruciating pain vibrated through my chest as I saw the guards open the cell and rush towards me. My head hit the ground and the world around me disappeared into the darkness. Before I let go, Boshkov's words echoed through my head. "Don't let her die!"

BEEP!... BEEP!... BEEP!... "Clear!" Thump.

"She's not responding!"

"The defib is too old! It's not working!"

"We need that information! We need to know what she knows! If she dies, you die!"

BEEP!... BEEP!... BEEP!... "Clear!" Thump.

Light poured through my eyes and my chest surged forward. My chest sucked in air before it fell back towards the ground. Pain filled my body as electric aftershocks jolted my limbs. The machine had been too old to deliver a full shock, but even a small one was enough to rip me back into consciousness. Two guards, Boshkov and the man from the barn stood around me. Lying next to me was the Defibrillator from the hallway. "Get out!" Boshkov yelled after a few moments of everyone staring. They all panicked and scattered leaving just Boshkov who was still hovering over me. "little bitch," he snarled at me. Oh no, I was caught. "Next time you have a heart attack, make it after you give me what I need!" I sighed in relief that he hadn't figured out my plan just yet. "Now tell me what I need to know! Tell me where the CIA are!" He yelled, shaking my arms at my side. I sat there in exhausted and didn't answer. He became increasingly frustrated. "Tell me how much they know! Tell me how I get around them!" He yelled and began shaking me vigorously. The man from the barn appeared and grabbed Boshkov's shoulder.

"She couldn't talk if she wanted to, Alex! Let the girl rest! She will tell you everything you need to know tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is your last chance, little American. After that, you become useless to me," he warned as he set me down on the tiles. "Get these wounds cleaned up. We don't want this happening again before she tells me what I need!" He scorned towards the man that had tortured me in the barn. Boshkov left and the man began to clean my wounds. I could barely understand what was going on and my mind was in a haze from the electric shock. The man finished by checking my vitals before leaving the cell and heading towards the room at the end.

It had worked. My plan had worked. Relief washed through me and I had my first glimmer of hope in days. The blow to the pressure points had forced my heart to slow down. Generally people are so terrified when they think someone is dying that it becomes hard to pick up someone's regular heartbeat, let alone a slowed one. I was probably in no real danger of dying, in fact the small electric shock from the defib probably did more damage to me. But that's not what the Russians saw. That's not what Boshkov had seen.

My body was in pain from the pressure points. I could feel the bruises forming from each finger moment. But I was relieved that I had been right about the defibrillator being too old to function. It had given me my original idea, but I in no way wanted that thing to be used one me. My heart rate regulated itself after a few minutes. But in bringing the defib, the commotion had given me the chance to grab something that was finally of use to me, two conductive metal prongs at the end of the defibrillator.

After a few hours of resting, I was still sore but I felt better. I touched each of my wounds to see the degree of injury and tested my parameter for movement. My body was healing well and I already felt a million times better. There was a guard outside my cell who was drifting in and out of sleep. I assumed it was the middle of the night due to his conscious state.

I knew that since I hadn't eaten in several days and I had incurred several blows to the head, that any plan I was going to come up with probably wouldn't be my best, so I just decided to go for the obvious approach.

"Is someone missing something?" I asked the guard and his head jolted up, obviously waking him.

"Shut up," he snarled at me, turning his head so he could half see me. I reached into my pocket and grabbed the prongs, jingling them slightly to resemble keys. I now had the guard's full attention. He snapped around to face me and grabbed the bars with his hands.

"What?... How did you get those keys?..." He began, slapping his pockets in search for his own keys. HE finally pulled his own keys out, and looked slightly relieved that I hadn't pickpocketed him in his sleep before he headed for the cell door. His plan was obvious, overpower me and take the keys that he thought I had stolen. As he unlocked my cell door, his face came into a streak of light. He was angry, very angry. I closed my eyes for a moment and prayed that I had enough strength to do this. He came barrelling towards me, picking up speed with every step. "Give me the keys, girl!" He screamed as if the words were venom in his mouth. He was now only about two metres away from me so I made my move. He lunged for me and I ducked, sliding my body beneath him. I threw my leg out while my other knee hit the ground, supporting me. I used all of my strength to throw all of my power behind my leg that was hurling towards the guard. My knee made contact with the bottom of his ankle and I heard a crack. Panic set across his face as his ankle gave out beneath him and he went crashing into the solid wall behind us. His head made contact with the wall first before the rest of him followed. His body then fell in a heap onto the cold floor. Rule #1, always ensure your opponent is down and out. You don't want them coming after you later. With that thought, I grabbed his head, which he was trying to bring off the ground, and smashed it into the concrete floor. There, that should keep him out for a while. I pulled his body into the back corner of the room, hoping that any passers-by would mistake him for me, and I slunk out of the cell grabbing the keys that were still in the lock.

The bunker was silent and the only noise was the dripping from the ancient drain pipes above me. I held my breath as my feet brushed against the pavement. It took me a few moments to get my bearings, but I finally remembered the way to Ross's cell. I just had to make it past the room at the end of my cell block and then I should be okay. I sat quietly, listening for any signs of life on the other side of the stone walls. Nothing. I peaked my head around and was shocked at what I saw. No one was here. Was this some kind of trick? I didn't have time to waste, so I moved quickly through the room, past the used coffee cups and dirty table that centred the room. After a few minutes and one wrong turn, I had made it.

I peered through the iron bars, hoping that Ross was still alive. "Ross," I whispered, my voice barely audible in fear of getting caught. Finally, I heard movement in the back of the cell. A face peered through the bars back at me, a face that brought me hope. Ross was okay.

He mustered up a weak smile and grabbed a hold of my hand which now sat on the cell bars. "Hey, Gabe. What brings you here," he coughed through his words and though he sounded weak he still managed to make me chuckle.

"Come on, old man. I think we've been here long enough." I reached for my newly acquired set of keys and opened his cell.

Ross's black business pants were ruined and his white collared shirt was barely there anymore. He stumbled into the dim light, holding himself up by the cell bars. Ross seemed unharmed compared to me. Aside from the dirt across his face, I couldn't make out any injuries. It was strange but I decided I could question him later, we didn't have time for chit chat now. I grabbed him and we hobbled down the path towards the bunker's entry ladder. We were one turn over when Ross grabbed me suddenly and pulled me to the side. "No," he whispered, "it's too dangerous. What if there are more up there?" I shook myself out of his grip and tried to continue on.

"Ross, we have no other way. It's this way or we die down here," I could hear the despair running through my voice as I uttered those words. His eyes met mine and he pulled on my arm again.

"There's another way, a secret tunnel. I discovered it when I followed Boshkov here, that's when I was captured." Uneasiness rose inside my gut. Something about it seemed off, but I wasn't thinking straight and just wanted to get out of here so I agreed. He grabbed my arm and led me through a series of passageways and tunnels. "Tell me what you know, Gabe. If only one of us makes it out, we have to stop him. We have to stop Boshkov from overthrowing his father."

I hardly thought this was the time for this kind of conversation but I understood his reasoning. "We know he was planning a salvage mission. There is a nuclear submarine off the shore of North Russia. They were planning on extracting the nukes and the reactor. I don't know how it all tied in with overthrowing Sergei."

"There's a deal, I think. Between Alex and another bratva. Alex will continue to play Sergei's little lap dog until the nukes are recovered. He was planning on trading the nukes to another bratva in exchange for men, enough men to overthrow Sergei. As soon as the nukes are packaged, the other bratva would hand over the men. All the while Sergei would be waiting for the nukes to arrive to him. But what will arrive is an ambush"

I was trying to process this new information as fast as I could. "How many men, Ross?" I said, louder than I should have.

"Hundreds. Nukes don't come cheap. Alex is looking to form a new bratva, one that will unite the warring gangs. They will be the biggest crime syndicate in Russia. Sergei and Russia won't know what's coming for them."

Bile rose up in my stomach and I thought I was going to be sick. When we originally took up this mission, I questioned why the CIA would take on something that seemed so insignificant to us, but now I understood. A bratva that large with that many nukes would pose a serious threat to anyone they had their eyes set on. I remembered Daniel telling me that the submarine had been sealed off, and it was only a matter of time before it became lost at sea forever. I knew what Boshkov wanted from me now. They must have known that I had something to do with the marina being shut down, but they mustn't have known that we knew about the submarine yet. He wanted to know what we found at the marina. "Well, it was a good plan, while it lasted," I finally said, relieved that I only needed to hang on until the submarine was buried.

"What?" Ross questioned, obviously confused. He stopped in his tracks and stared at me. "What do you mean 'was'?"

"Ross, come on," the twisting feeling in my stomach was back. Ross was acting strange, but I put it down to his time as a prisoner. I'd seen how it could change people. "Do you honestly think we'd let them get those nukes?" The look in his eyes was fierce, worried. "The marina was a decoy, we needed to keep Boshkov away from the sub for a little while, long enough so that we could bury it forever. It's already been sealed and in a few days, that sub will never be able to be found again." Something about Ross's stance had changed. He seemed panicked, unsure. "Ross?... Is everything okay?" I was so confused and he just stared back at me blankly.

"uh, yeah, um, this way," he said, regaining a tiny bit of composure before jogging forward again. It was a few more minutes before I saw light start to trickle through the darkness ahead. Hope began to rise up in me, I could see it, the daylight, my family, my friends. We rounded the corner and I skidded to a stop. All hope drained out of me and despair set back in. Ahead four men stood armed with ak47's like they had been expecting us. We were caught.

I knew that today was my one chance and it was gone. I'd die here. But as long as they didn't find out about the submarine, I wouldn't die in vain. They must have heard our footsteps echoing through the halls. They stepped towards me and I tried to fight back. In my weakened state, I would have been lucky to take down one or two, but now I had all four on me. I stared at Ross, beckoning him to help, but he just stood there. "I'm sorry, Gabe. I didn't want to die down here," and that's when it hit me. It had all been a rouse. The empty halls, seeing Ross, it had all been planned. They knew that I wouldn't talk to them, but I would talk to Ross and I told him everything they needed to know. And I had played right into their hands. They would soon find out about the submarine and it wouldn't be long before they found a way to stop Daniel and my colleagues. I felt so stupid. I knew that there had been something off about him. Looking at him know, guilt plagued his expression, but I didn't feel sorry for him. He had lied to me. He was my mentor and he had betrayed us all.

There was no point fighting, I would never win. I succumbed to my fate and let the men drag me outside. I was bloodied, bruised and broken. I was exhausted and my hope was destroyed. I thought that even if I could keep Boshkov from getting the information he wanted, that my death would be worth it. Now it was worth nothing. I would never see my friends again, I would never listen to my grandparents' banter, and I would be responsible for the deaths of hundreds. I hung my head as I was dragged out of the tunnel and into the light. I closed my eyes and a stray tear rolled down my cheek. They say that everyone has a breaking point, and I had just discovered mine. The emptiness echoed through me with every inch I moved forward.

Finally I was dropped and my body slumped to the ground. I could hear voices but I couldn't muster the strength to look around. I knew that I was here to be killed, that I had served my purpose. I could hear Ross relaying the information to someone. He hadn't been dragged here and had come by his own accord. He had truly betrayed the CIA, he was a coward. I wandered when he turned, whether it was when he was captured or even before that. I could hear Boshkov and through their muffled conversation, I heard a name that woke me from my despair, "Luka."

My eyes shot up as they desperately tried to adjust to the first light I had seen in two days. Behind me were the four guards who had dragged me here and in front of me stood Boshkov and Ross. I desperately needed to know that he was okay. Boshkov had noticed my sudden movement and was now focusing all of his attention onto me. " I think I have an idea," he said with the same sickly smirk I had become accustomed to. I felt a blow to the back of my head before everything went dark.

My eyes were heavy and my head felt like it had been hit by a freight train. Why do they always go for the head? I thought to myself as I blearily opened my eyes. In front of me was the barn and two men holding automatic weapons. I looked around, pushing through the whiplash I felt coming on and saw Ross. His eyes didn't meet mine but I could tell he was fidgeting under my gaze. Coward. I whipped my head around as I heard the creaking of the barn door. Boshkov now approached me and motioned for Ross to join him. Boshkov wasn't a man of many words so the bluntness of his next sentence didn't shock me. "Ross, kill her." One of the guards walked towards Ross and handed him his gun. My eyes finally met with Ross's and the fierceness of my expression made him nervous. Ross had always been kind and sweet, but I did always think he was a little too shy to be a field agent. I guess I was right. Even now, he faltered as he tried to take the safety off the weapon and aim for me. My expression stayed the same as he raised the weapon to my head. His shaking finger finally rested on the trigger and I closed my eyes, ready for the bang.

"Wait," Boshkov yelled, smacking Ross's gun to the side moments before he was to fire. Boshkov grabbed the weapon of him and fired it into Ross's chest. His body fell to the floor before my eyes. I could hear the last remaining air leaving his lungs as he took his final breath. Blood seeped into the floor around me as Ross became still and lifeless. Ross had betrayed me, but seeing his dead body before me caused a rift in my chest. Ross may have been misguided, but he had once been my friend.

My sorrow was interrupted my Boshkov's laugh. "Where would the fun be in that, little one?" He asked mockingly. "No, no. I have something much better planned for you." He motioned towards the other guard who entered the barn a few seconds later. Oh, no. My first thought was that they had captured Daniel. I couldn't bear any more heartache today. The guard emerged a few moments later and out behind him stepped a tall men in a long grey trench coat. Luka.

Luka stared at me with the same blank expression he wore so many times when we first met. Tears were now forming in my eyes and I fought to choke them back. He was alive. I couldn't believe it, but he was alive. I thought that my head was going to explode from the number of thoughts and memories that rushed through it. He looked just as handsome as ever. In all of this death and despair, if there was one thing I could find beauty in, it was Luka. I wanted to cry out to him, to tell him that I loved him, to tell him how sorry I was, but his cold, blank expression stopped me. He stared at me as if I was another stranger, not the girl that he loved. My heart twisted as he took his place beside Boshkov. No, Luka. I thought, realising that he wasn't here as Boshkov's prisoner, he was here once again as his bodyguard. Boshkov could see the pain in my eyes and his grin widened. If he wanted to see me suffer, he was winning. I was torn apart. Boshkov took the opportunity to rub salt in the wounds, "Luka was forgiven after his little indiscretion with you. You had him fooled most of all. He saw the error of his ways and immediately begged for forgiveness." I saw Luka flinched at this. I knew that Luka would never beg, but Boshkov was getting off on our pain. "All he has left to do is prove where his loyalties lie." I thought I saw a flash of uncertainty across Luka's face, like this was news to him. Boshkov walked to Luka, dwarfed in size by him, and forced the gun, handle first, into his chest. "Go on, Luka. Kill her."

Luka stepped forward and studied me. To anyone else, it would have looked tactical, but I knew Luka. He was torn. He didn't know what to do. My eyes searched his and I hoped that he knew how sorry I was. Suddenly, his eyes stilled and became cold and hard again. He pointed the gun out towards me and lined it up. I raised my head, exposing my chest. I knew what was coming. I knew that today I would die by Luka's hand. A moment before I closed my eyes, they met with Luka's one last time and for a moment, I thought I saw all the love that we shared in them. I thought I saw forgiveness. I closed my eyes quickly. I knew it was probably my mind playing tricks on me, but I wanted that to be my last memory. I wanted the last thing I remembered to be Luka. Not the cold, hard man that stood before me now, but the kind, beautiful, caring man that I had loved. I felt a small smile across my face as every moment I'd ever spent with him flashed before my eyes. And then it was over. I heard the gun shots and my body fell to the ground.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

My body hit the ground and I waited for death to take me, only it never came. A piercing ringing took over my head. I waited to feel the pain of a bullet, but it never happened. A gun had gone off next to me, but I hadn't been hit. I reached my hands up, preparing to pull myself off the ground. Only I didn't have to, a pair of hands grabbed mine and hoisted me back to reality. Brown eyes searched mine briefly before his lips were on mine. It was Luka.

Before our kiss even began it was over and he was throwing me a weapon from a guard he had taken down after he'd pushed me out of harm's way. We fired our weapons in sync as we desperately tried to fight out way out. Boshkov had disappeared down one of the tunnels but his guards were multiplying every minute. We were outnumber. Desperately, Luka and I made our way towards one of the manholes that led down to the bunker. Luka grabbed my hand and we escaped down into the tunnel. He threw me down first while he continued his gun fight with the guards. I landed with a thump on my broken ribs. Half a second later he was landing next to me and grabbing my hand. "Gabe, we have to run!" I could hear the urgency in his voice. Emotions ran through me, confusion, love, betrayal, but I knew there was no time for them now. I let him pull me to my feet and we took off down tunnels that I had never seen before. A force blew Luka and I apart and we landed on the pavement in the darkness. "What the hell was that?" I yelled as I clambered to our feet. "Luka?" I yelled once I didn't get a response. "Luka?!"

"Gabriel?" I heard a familiar voice yell, only it wasn't Luka. I thought I was surely hearing things but when his face came through the smoke and into the light, I ran for him.

"Daniel?" I yelled in disbelief just as his arms caught me. I thought for sure that I had smacked my head too hard this time. What the hell was going on? "How did you…" I started, unsure of what to say.

"Look, Gabe, we don't have much time. Dokic, the man who we brought in for questioning. When you went missing, we were frantic. It took us a while, but we finally got the information out of him. He sent us to the woods around here. We were searching when we heard gunshots. Are you okay?" All of this information was too much to process.

"Daniel, I'm fine. But Ross, he's dead. He was going to kill me. He betrayed us, Daniel. But we need to get out of here. We need to go!" I yelled in urgency. I still had to find Luka. The blast must have forced him down another tunnel but I was not leaving without him.

"Take this, Gabe," he said, handing me a radio. "You can keep in contact. I want you to get out of here, Gabriel. When you're safe, use this to contact us and we'll come get you. I'm not letting anything happen to you ever again." He grabbed me for one last hug before pushing me off towards the sunlight. He gave me one final look before disappearing back into the smoke and gunfire. In the distance, I could see CIA agents overrunning the bunker. I had to get Luka out of here, and I had to find him before the CIA did. I took off down one of the tunnels with the radio tucked into the top of my dress.

I could hear gunshots and explosions going off above me. I could hear chatter over the radio. The CIA had no knowledge of this area and were unaware of the extent of the tunnel network down here. I hoped it would confuse them long enough for me to get Luka away. I ducked in and out of hallways calling Luka's name as I went. The dim light was barely enough for me to see so I stumbled a few times. There was another rumble and dust poured down around me. "Luka!" I yelled, coughing in an attempt to get the dust out of my lungs. "Lu….." I coughed as I tried to take a breath and my lungs were once again filled. "Luka!"

"Gabriel?" I heard a voice about twenty feet in front of me and I ran to it. Through the haze I couldn't make out who the voice belonged to or its exact origin, but I kept running. I rounded a corner and suddenly there was a large open cave in front of me. Jaggered rocks lined the dirty cave which looked like it had only been used as an escape route. The ceiling was lower than the others and from it hung large stalactites sharp enough to pierce the skin. It looked like a dirt cathedral. I could barely make out anything through the dust but my eyes finally focused on a tall figure that had entered the cave through an adjacent entryway. "Gabe!" I heard Luka yell as his eyes rested on me. My legs made their best attempt to rush towards him. I took a few steps before a force from behind grabbed me and pulled me back against it. Arms found their way around my chest, pinning me to whoever had just grabbed me. The cold, hard of metal rested against my chin. I heard a tiny chink when the small handgun slid against my earring. I knew that it was Boshkov behind me before he even said a word. Chills ran up my spine, not from the gun but because of the way he pushed himself against me.

Luka froze in fear as he took everything in. His eyes shifted from me to Boshkov, to the gun and then back to me again. I could tell he was trying to figure out a way to get me out. He was the most dangerous man I knew, but in that moment he looked lost, helpless. In any other situation he would have won already, but he was scared. I was his weakness. He slowly pulled his hands over his head in surrender and I could hear Boshkov's tell-tale chuckle rising in his throat. "Pravaya ruka Boga, brought down by a woman." Luka said nothing to Boshkov's taunts. Boshkov brought his face closer to mine and I could feel his hair tickling the back of my neck. He ran his nose up my neck and Luka visibly tensed. Suddenly there was a rumbling above us and pieces of sharp rock came crashed to the ground around us. Boshkov grabbed me and pulled me back against the wall. I could hear faint voices in the distance shouting commands. An explosion must have gone off above us. The cave shook for a while after the blast, releasing dust into the air and sending spikes crashing down around us. We needed to get out of here soon, the cave wouldn't stand much more of this.

The dust settled and Boshkov kept me in front of him as a shield. I couldn't see Luka. Suddenly my senses peaked as I saw something in my peripheral moving towards us, fast. I ducked just before Luka landed a blow to where I was standing, hitting Boshkov in the head and sending him sideways. Luka and I had gotten to know each other so well that he had relied on me to know when to move. I rolled out of Boshkov's grip and hit the side of the cave. My ribs ached inside me as I pulled myself up. Boshkov had regained his bearing and pulled his gun up in front of him. The movement had caused dust to fly in the air and Luka was using this to his advantage. I saw his shadow only moments before Boshkov did. He fired shots at Luka, forcing him into the corner of the cave. Boshkov was closing in on him and I frantically searched around me for something that would help him. I could barely stand and would more than likely be killed if I attempted an attack on Boshkov directly. He pulled the gun up in line with Luka's chest and put his finger on the trigger. I looked above me and saw the rock icicles barely hanging on. I stood up and with everything I had kicked my leg around, generating enough force that when I kicked the side of the wall, several stalactites shifted and fell around me. The force of the blow caused the volatile cave to shudder. Boshkov and Luka desperately tried to regain their footing as icicles hit the ground around them. I grabbed the sharpest rock I could find and threw it towards them.

"Luka!" I yelled, just as Boshkov had readied himself to take the shot. He spun around to face me just as the spike reached Luka's hands. There was another rumble which knocked me off me feet. When I hit the ground, a gunshot rung in my ears. "Luka!" I screamed, trying my best to scramble to my feet. Where two shadows stood before, only one did now. A body slumped on the ground in front of it. I leaned back against the cave and waited in suspense while the dust settled. I was scared. I'd heard the gunshot, and Boshkov was the one with the gun. It finally settled and the shadow walked towards me into a small patch of light created by the crumbling cave. His long black hair clung to his neck and his face crept into a small, relieved smile when his eyes met mine. "Gabe," he whispered, his words laced with a thousand unsaid emotions. It was Luka. Luka was alive.

He ran to me and took me in his arms. For the first time in a long time I felt safe. I knew we weren't in the clear yet, but I felt at home. Every emotion I'd felt over the last few weeks ran through me as I lifted my head to his. His lips reached mine and the weight of the world left my shoulders. I couldn't remember anything else, why I was here, what happened to me while I was here, all I could remember was my love for this man. And I felt with every kiss that he was feeling the same way as I was. He moved his lips away from mine and rested his forehead on mine. It amazed me that such a sweet, simple gesture could heal all the pain that I had felt here, and ease all of the suffering I had been subject to. He leaned in again and gave me a soft kiss on my lips before whispering, "I love you." I closed my eyes, savouring the moment that I knew would soon have to end. We were so wrapped up in our reunion that I hadn't heard Williams and Daniel calling me over the radio.

"Archangel!" I was snapped from our bubble by William's voice screaming at me over the static. "Archangel, report!" I smiled a sympathetic, unsure smile to Luka before picking the radio out from my clothes.

"Grey, reporting. Eastern caves are clear but unstable. I repeat, unstable and unable to support backup," I responded.

"Well, well, Gabriel. We're glad to have you back. What's your ETA to the barn?" My eyes flickered to Luka. He mouthed that we were 10 minutes away.

"If the caves hold, I can regroup in T minus ten minutes."

"What's your status?" She asked and I almost sensed worry in her tone.

"Beaten up, but I'll make it. Just a few scratched and bruises. Nothing that some time off won't fix."

"Affirmative," she acknowledged, "Back up has cleared ground level and are currently making their way through the western caverns. We've lost Boshkov."

"Boshkov is down for the count. I repeat, Boshkov is down. The body is in an Eastern cavern but the cave won't hold."

"Good work, Grey. Very impressive. And Volkov's status?" The question I knew was coming, but hoped I would never have to answer. My mouth dried out as I tried to find the right words to say.

"Williams, Volkov is alive. I'm holding him here with me." I took a breath before saying my next sentence, sure to choose my words carefully. "He wasn't involved in any of this. But he's been an asset to me. He saved my life from Boshkov. He is no longer a threat."
Williams' response was immediate.

"Mission commands remain the same, take out Volkov." I panicked and lost my cool, beside me Luka was as calm as ever as he clasped my hand.

"It's okay," he whispered to me, but this just fuelled my rage. Why couldn't she just get to know him? How could she pass down an order on someone who had not only saved my life, but changed it?

"Williams, you need to listen to me! He is NOT a threat. I repeat, NOT a threat. He is an asset to our cause and is willing to exchange valuable information in exchange for sanctuary!" I knew that my unprofessional outburst might have clued her into my feelings for him but I would do anything to save his life, including defy her. I waited for what seemed like an eternity as Williams pondered over this new information. I could hear radio chatter in the background, I could hear Daniel. He would definitely be hearing this right now but I didn't care. After what felt like forever, I finally heard Williams sigh and begin to talk.

"Mission commands stay the same," she repeated, her tone cold and hard.

"No!" I yelled into the radio before throwing it against the rock wall, smashing it into a thousand pieces. My last hope was gone. The CIA would never let Luka walk out of here now.

"Gabriel, no!" Luka said firmly, locking his eyes with mine. "You can't do this for me. You need to go on, you need to have a life. I'll be fine" His eyes pleaded with me to see reason in his words but I couldn't.

"Luka, please. My life is with you now. Where you go, I go. Your battles are mine. You risked your life to save mine, and now it's my turn. I love you and I'll do anything to keep you safe." And with that his lips met mine and he embraced me with an urgency I hadn't felt before. Before I had time to think of our next move, I heard a gun cocking in the entryway. I swung my head around to see Daniel staring wide eyed at us, the gun flinching back and forth between Luka and I.

"Don't move," he said, trying desperately to come to terms with what he was asking me to do. I knew that Williams would have radio'd him his new instructions to take out Luka and subdue me.

"Daniel, please" I pleaded. I could see the pain in his eyes as he pieced together all of the clues of mine and Luka's relationship. I couldn't stand to see him hurt, but I couldn't help how I felt. I know I'd done the wrong thing while figuring my feelings out, but I prayed that he would understand that what I felt for Luka was real. His eyes shifted uneasily back and forth between us, torn by the decision that Williams and I had forced on him. Luka stood still beside me but I could feel that he was tense, ready to take on Daniel if he needed to. I grabbed his hand and eased the tension building up inside him.

"Daniel, please. I love him. He's not bad. He doesn't deserve to die." Daniel looked as confused as ever.

"Agent Ken, report!" Williams' voice came through the radio and echoed in the caves. When he didn't respond immediately she repeated herself, louder this time.

"Ken," I said to myself slowly, remembering the day he got his codename. A small smile came across my lips and my heart sank as I watched my best friend hold a gun to my head. "Do you remember that day?" I asked Daniel and his eyes softened a little. "You hated me for taking your boxing title," I giggled, remembering the look of surprise on his face. Confusion swept across Daniel's face as he stared at me with wide eyes. "Williams paired us and I was so angry. I told her that you were just some stupid Ken doll whose daddy had paid for him to get in. And you said…" I said softly, but was interrupted by a small chuckle from Daniel.

"I said that it was actually my mother who paid." A small, affectionate smile played on both of our lips. That was the day we became best friends. We had both been abandoned by our fathers at a young age. His had gone to the store one day when he was five and never came home. I didn't know whether or not my father even knew I existed. Once we had this common ground, we were inseparable.

Daniel put his gun in the air and fired a single shot. I flinched at first, but then realised the shot wasn't for Luka or me. The cave rumbled and bits of it crashed down around us. Daniel picked up the radio and responded. "No sign of Grey or Volkov. The cave has come down around them so I can't get through. Presumed dead from the cave-in." He said with a wink. "Get out of here, little angel," he whispered before firing more shots at the cave, causing the roof to begin caving in. We exchanged one last, loving smile before I grabbed Luka's hand and we raced for the exit. Daniel took off towards the main tunnels that we had all come through earlier. The cave came down behind us as we rounded the corner and saw glimpses of sunlight.

I wasn't sure where we would go from here. Luka said he had a plan. It didn't matter to me. All that mattered was that Luka and I were safe. And thanks to Daniel, we were. I didn't know where my life would take me, but I would never forget what Daniel had done for me that day. We climbed up a tunnel and we pushed through the overgrown vines into the sunlight. As he grabbed my hand and pulled me through, I felt the warmth of the sun on my skin. We were free. We were at the border of the forest, with no one in sight. Luka's eyes found mine and he pulled my knuckles up to his lips. "Come on, baby," he whispered. "I know a short cut."