Chapter 2

A knock on the door interrupted the couple cuddling on the sofa.

"That'll be the pizza," said Mike.

Kate sniggered. "I suppose you want me to get up."

He groaned overdramatically while attempting to but failing to get up, and then tried on his best boyish charming smile. He was far too comfy, snuggling with Kate to contemplate moving.

She elbowed him. "You get the pizza and I'll get the plates and some more beer." Struggling to resist his charming smile, Kate wasn't about to let him get away with that, and besides, she knew he had to use his leg otherwise it would become stiff and set back his rehab.

"All right, Kate. You win." As Mike rose from the sofa, he yelled to the deliveryman, "Just a minute!"

Mike got the money from his wallet, and then opened the door.

A balaclava-clad man barged his way in, elbowing Mike in the jaw.

Mike staggered back a few steps.

Andrei Szapolyai pointed a handgun at Mike's head.

"Kate! Run!" Ignoring the gun, Mike screamed as he grappled with the man.

"Mike?" Kate recognized the urgency of his order but ignored it, and raced toward the hallway.

Andrei easily dodged Mike's attack. He knew exactly where to hurt the Navy man when he brutally kneed Mike in his left thigh.

"Arghhh!" Mike screamed in agony, collapsing to the ground, but he didn't give up. He had to stop him, to give Kate a chance to escape. He stretched out and grabbed one of the man's ankles, stopping the attacker in his tracks.

"Shit!" Andrei didn't have time for this. Violently twisting around, he slammed the gun into Mike's head.

Mike dropped to floor like a dead weight, and this time, he didn't get up again.

"Hey!" Kate screamed as she saw the blow to Mike's head, and then launched herself at the man.

Andrei tried to aim the gun at Kate but didn't get a chance. She was quick, but he was stronger. He blocked Kate's first blow, and then delivered a hard jab of his own that stunned Kate. He lifted her up off her feet and forced her back down the hall, and into Mike's bedroom and onto his bed. He quickly secured both Kate's hands with a zip tie and then tied her hands to the bed.

White dots appeared in Kate's vision as she fought against the pain and the confusion. With a shake of her head, she recovered her senses, and then Kate renewed her fight, kicking and bucking, occasionally connecting with Andrei. There was no way she was going to submit meekly to whatever the man had in mind. Kate was unwilling to think about what he had planned either. She was too busy fighting for her life.

Gold buttons flew off Kate's white dress shirt.

"Stop struggling!" He wanted her to know why he was doing this. "Suka! Stop it!" Sidling down Kate's legs to stop her kicking, Andrei was impressed that there still was no fear in her eyes, but he didn't allow her to distract him from his mission.

"Go to hell!" Kate roared.

Andrei took the handgun and jammed it against her temple, forcing her head to the side, while the other hand held her down by the throat. "Enough!"

For the first time, Kate was scared as she felt the cold steel of the barrel press hard into her skin and she now couldn't move, let alone breathe.

He ran the hard barrel down her face and along her jaw and then pushed the barrel, forcing her to face him. The Russian smiled cruelly, knowing he was going to enjoy this. The barrel then travelled down the middle of her chest, around her breasts and then pressed onto abdomen.

Kate shuddered, but tried not to show her fear by spitting in his face.

It earned her a back hander.

Kate shook off the stars she saw and now really screamed for her life.

Mike woke, hearing Kate's blood curdling screams for help and he forced himself up. Kate was in trouble. As quickly as he could, he dragged himself toward his bedroom and the chilling sound.

Andrei aimed his handgun. "This is for Franz." He wanted to see the woman beg and then writhe in agony when he shot her in the gut, just as his brother had been. The bitch had killed his brother.

Mike launched himself, rugby style, at Andrei.

The gun went off.

Mike knocked Andrei off Kate. They tumbled off the bed, falling in a tangled mass of legs and arms.

Kate gasped, as the searing white-hot pain nearly engulfed her, but she was worried for Mike. She cried out, "Mike!"

Unfortunately, Andrei recovered first, and in seconds, he'd unloaded three quick punches that rendered Mike unconscious.

The police sirens grew closer.

Andrei swore again. He'd done what he wanted. He'd given her a painful gut wound. He only wished he could stay to watch the woman suffer, but he'd run out of time. Andrei picked up his gun and the shell casing, and left out the back.

TBC

Author's note - Suka is Russian for Bitch