Thanks to LadyDunla, Batteredpen and Antonia Caenis for your reviews of the last two chapters. Hope you enjoy this next chapter :)
The next day...
"Anatoly, look at these two photographs, I'm sure it's them." Sasha handed the pictures of Anton and Maxim over.
"Are you sure?" He asked, hopefully.
"Positive." Sasha hesitated. Things were still uncomfortable between them after last night. There had been a subtle change in the friendship, and Sasha wanted to put it right. "Also, I spoke to my parents last night. They don't know anymore than we do, Anatoly. They've never withheld information before, and it makes no sense to think they would arrange my kidnapping."
"No, I suppose it doesn't." Anatoly replied. "You sure they are alright? They are not in trouble?"
"If they are, they won't say." Sasha sighed. Let's concentrate on these two. We have their location, we can bring them in. Perhaps it will be enough to do that. Can you find Leo? I need to make a call, then we can go." Anatoly nodded and went to find Leo. Sasha picked up the phone and dialled his parents' number. His mother answered.
"We have identified the two men who kidnapped me," he explained.
Elena gasped. Already? She thought to herself. "That is good news!" she responded.
"We have information about there whereabouts, we are heading over there soon.
"Don't be ridiculous Sasha! After what they did to you!" We need more time, she thought desperately. Darling, I don't want you involved in this. You need to stay out of the way while we protect Russia. Sasha broke into her thoughts.
"What else am I supposed to do? Let them attack again? Let them kill you!?" Sasha's voice was full of anger and frustration at his mother. Since the attack, she had interrogated him twice about what had happened, while demanding that he cease to do his job. She was being completely irrational and his frustration had finally got the better of him.
"Do not raise your voice to me!" Elena shouted. "I am your mother, and I deserve some respect!"
"You are being impossible!" Sasha argued. "You keep asking me all these questions! There is a very real threat to your and father's life and it's almost as if you don't want them to be caught!" Sasha paused, trying to calm himself enough to move into a more reasonable conversation. He rarely fought with his mother, and hated it when he did.
"I won't be alone. Stop worrying, please. Just let us do our job. I'll see you later." He hung up the phone and sighed.
xxxxxxx
Elena tried to calm her feelings of panic. How could those thugs have been so stupid! The situation was desperate now. Since Sasha's kidnapping, she had formulated various plans in her mind, one of which it was time to use.
She called Mikhail .
"Pick me up from the park in 5 minutes, I'll explain when I see you."
Things were spiralling out of control. It was with some reluctance that she initiated this plan, but circumstances left her with little choice. She wrapped herself up in her coat and walked swiftly out the door, head bowed against the howling wind.
Sasha, Anatoly and Leo sat in the car as they drove along the dark road to the location, just 10 miles out of Moscow. Sasha's phone rang. He answered, and immediately heard his mother's panicked voice.
"Sasha, I'm so sorry! I think I'm being followed. I need you, please Sasha you –"
"Mother? Where are you? " Sasha's voice was tight with fear.
"Turn the car around!" he ordered Leo. Leo was subordinate to Sasha. He spun the car around and put his foot down.
"Mother what's going on? Where are you?"
"The park. I was angry, I took a walk, I think I'm being followed."
Her voice trailed off, as fear and panic threatened to consume Sasha.
"Mother? Mother talk to me!"
"Sasha!" she shouted. Sasha heard a brief scuffle before the line went dead.
"Sasha? What's happened?" Anatoly asked. Sasha was white, his eyes wide with fear. "They've taken her. Leo, drive faster, please."
