So in my note before prologue I wrote that there will be male!Belarus… I was wrong. During my writing I realized that I need regular Belarus, so I must sorry you for that small mistake.

chapter sixteen

Muffled sound of a mobile phone was coming from another room. Plucked from the dream Luise rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock, which was standing on the cabinet. It was late afternoon.

She swore badly. "How could I sleep so long?"

"Feliciano could you pick up the phone?" She called, but nobody answered her. Phone was still ringing.

"Feliciano?" She shouted, again and again, she received no response. "Where the hell he is?"

Vargas came to her every day, so Luise was surprised that he was not here. It was strange, because she didn't remember that Feliciano left the house.

"For sure, he went on shopping." She thought with a sigh, slowly sitting in a wheelchair.

The phone continued to ring, when Luise went to other room. She frowned at the sight of an unknown number.

"Yes?"

She heard someone's heavy breathing.

"Who is there?" She asked again.

"Feliciano is with you?"

At the sound of the voice Luise suddenly gasped.

"Lovina?" She asked, but she already knew the answer. "Why do you call?"

"Is my brother with you?"

"No." She said slowly. Could Lovina plan to kill her, when Feliciano was out? In that case, she was an idiot calling here. "I have not seen him today. Why do you ask?"

"So, it is truth." Lovina ignored her question. Luise sensed fear in her voice and it worried her.

"What is going on, Lovina? What happened to your brother?"

"It is your fault!" Lovina suddenly screamed. " If you just didn't…If I just… you then…"

"Lovina!" Luise called. She felt that something bad had happened.

"My brother has been kidnapped. And it is your fault!"

Luise couldn't believe it. She opened her mouth to say something, but no word came out.

"Feliciano? This clumsy, not entering anyone in the way boy was kidnapped? What for? Why?"

"Who…?" Luise managed to say.

"Adnan. "

"Why did Adnan kidnap him?"

"And how am I supposed to know? Damn it!"

Luise thought frantically, looking for connections, she knew that now it was not important, but it could disengage from the thoughts of Feliciano.

She thought that she could lose someone she loved…

"I know that the Turk will meet with his ex, for sure, you monitor this action. Where will they meet?"

Luise frowned, another meeting with Sadik?

"I don't know. I don't work for police. And even if I knew, why would I have told you?"

"So Feliciano means nothing to you?" Lovina hissed. Luise didn't respond. "I knew it! I knew!"

Luise was holding a cell in a hand and staring blankly at its screen. She stubbornly tried not to thing that Feliciano could be harmed. "It is mistake. No this is some bluff. Lovina wants information about the disk. Soon Feliciano will come like nothing happen, because nothing happened…"

And if Lovina told the truth?

"Then… Then I can't do anything." She thought, angrily banging her fist on her knee.

Then the phone rang again. She picked up immediately.

"Feliciano?" She asked, praying.

"What Feliciano, it is me Gilbert. You have my number."

"Gilbert? Could you check something for me? It is very important."

"I have no time, Sophie ran away."

"What?" Depressed Luise needed some time to associate the facts.

"She wants to meet with Sadik and give him the disk. Alone, without support, you know? I cannot allow her to do it!"

"What are you going to do?"

"The meeting will be in the hall where is Braginsky's antenna in the 0th district. I will go there. And you have to call Alfred and tell him where I am. He told me to wait for him in a hospital, but I cannot, do you understand?"

"He cannot wait. He cannot sit idly, when the life of someone he loves is in danger. And I can only sit in the apartment, where I am rotting for two years and I am not able to do anything."

When Gilbert disconnected. Luise tried to contact Jones, but he didn't answer. She put the phone on the table, hesitated for a moment.

"Feliciano means nothing to you." Lovina voice in her head. Luise bit her lip.

"Where will be the meeting?"

She chose the number of recently received calls.

"What do you want?" Lovina growled.

"I know where will be the meeting, but I expect something for information." She replied.

When she finished talking, she chose another number. While she was waiting for the call, she approached the dresser and opened one of the drawers. She was looking for something. Finally she pulled out a long ago abandoned thing.

"Stop idleness." She thought.

O

Antonio spoke by the phone with the Swiss, to whom he entrusted, for a huge sum of money, the care of Heracles. He was aware of that if someone was interested in the fate of Greek , he would pay more the he and the Swiss probably would broke the promise, but he didn't have a choice. The Swiss promised help with recover and escape from the city.

Last night, Sadik unexpectedly cancelled his participation in the action of exchanging Peter for the disk. Adnan told him to stay with a kid in the headquarter. Then he tried to take over the disk, which led to shooting and fire in the 0th district. It killed some of his own people but also some policemen.

"Sadik don't trust me anymore…" Antonio thought, setting the final details with the Swiss. "But thanks to his absence I managed to rescue Heracles. Only Peter left."

The door to his room opened when he hang up. Furious Sadik entered and looked suspiciously at the corners, then looked at Antonio.

"Sophie didn't give me my disk, in spite of my polite requests." He said looking into Spaniards' eyes.

"We still have the boy." Antonio said. Fierce expression of Sadiks' face awoke Atnonio's concern. "They will do anything to save him."

Sadik smiled crookedly.

"They should do more than anything." He said, drawling his words. "This is the end of this play. Send her a message, with a greetings from Peter and I will give her invitation for tonight. We understood each other?"

"You don't want to say that I…"

"It is a problem for you, Antonio?" Sadik took one step forward, he stood just behind Antonio.

"This is just a kid. No need to go that far."

"So?" Adnan hissed. "It is just scabby whelp."

In Antonio's head appeared a picture of a boy who tried hard to hide fear. But he couldn't, he cried for help.

Why was he so similar to Lovina?

"I noticed that you have some resistance." Sadik continued. "You soften like when you were with that small Italian girl. Lovina?"

Antonio hands clenched into fists.

"Stop it! I got rid of her, just like you wanted."

"Yes? So how it happened that Honda didn't kill her? Do you know something about that?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Antonio growled, flexing muscles.

"I should kill her long ago… I don't like when someone distracts my people…" Sadik moved away from the Spaniard and headed to the exit. At the door he stopped. "Will you go now or I should take care of the boy?"

"I will." He hissed through his teeth. Adnan smiled.

"Good."

After Sadik's leaving Antonio stood for a moment in the room, frantically thinking. After a long time he made a decision.

O

Peter jumped up when the door to his cell was opened. He calmed down a little, when he saw a familiar face of Antonio.

"It is you." He said with a mock of arrogance. "How long are you going to keep me here?"

Antonio suddenly rushed to the boy. Peter yelled, horrified of this attack.

"What are you…!" He shouted feeling like the Spaniard tied his hands on his back.

"Excuse me, Peter."

Peters' eyes were full of fear and tears when he saw that Antonio had a knife. The blade was lifted up, shining ominously. Then it sank rapidly and the cry of Peter long bounced off the walls of the cell.

O

Anya was not sober. She was drunk and angry and it was the worst combination. Felix and Toris were forced to sit in soft armchairs in her office. Anya stood and she seemed to be taller than in reality.

"You are plotting something behind the boss?" She asked, her eyed pierced Łukasiewicz, who looked at Anya with anger.

"Ms, just let me…" Toris began, but Felix interrupted him.

"We have no idea, what are you talking about. We should go back to work, after all you don't pay us for talking."

"Good point, I don't pay you for talking. So, again, why did I catch you at some suspicious chatting?"

"Suspicious? You are crazy…" Felix snorted.

"Stupid Russian with God complex, you heard about that?"

Felix jumped up from his seat.

"You follow us!"

"Maybe I should." Anya grabbed Felix's arm and squeezed. Łukasiewicz hissed in pain.

"Ms president!" Toris called but soon he fell silent, because of her angry look.

"For some time, I am getting information that some Honda is trying to destroy my business," At the sound of the Japanese name, Felix opened his eyes wide. Anya pressed harder her fingers on his arm, "I see you know what I mean. And do not be so surprised, I also have people in right places. Later I heard that you use every opportunity to destroy me. So I started wondering if Honda and you have something in common…"

Felix pulled his arm.

"I think you are crazy, like your sister." He growled.

Anya slapped him.

"Felix!" Toris shouted, jumping up from his seat.

"Don't mention my sister!" Anya roared and with incredible force she pushed Toris, who tried to shield Felix. "Do you understand? Never!"

She let Felix go and combed her hair with trembling fingers.

"An hour ago I received a message that Honda is planning a bomb attack." She continued after a moment like nothing happened. She looked at Toris, who just got up from the floor. "When I tried to contact my assistant I couldn't find him. It was easy to guess that he is with you." She threw Felix a meaningful glance. "When I came to janitor I heard your conversation about blowing up me and my company."

In her hand flashed a disk, which was given to Toris by Eduard.

"It is some kind of misunderstanding." Lorinatis wanted to explain. If Anya destroyed the disk, everything would have been lost. "We have a program that deactivated…"

"And you." Anya pointed at Toris, ignoring his speech. "You disappoint me the most, in a moment we will talk about that, but first we must get rid of Felix."

Felix watched as Anya opened the door and asked someone inside. He nearly choked, when he saw who it was.

"You." He managed to say.

"There will be no presentation." Anya said, smiled cruelly. "She wants to talk with you, personally. You have some cases to discuss."

"Yes." Natalia Arlovskaya said looking cold at Łukasiewicz. "Many cases…"

Before Felix stood Toris' ex – girlfriend.

O

Technical hall where the BraginskyNet's antenna was, was not just large depot, which filled the 0th district. There were many smaller rooms and control room, generators and service rooms and offices, all connected to each other by a network of corridors. And Antonio was lost in one of them.

His job was bringing Peter to the main hall, where soon Sophie would meet Sadik. The Spaniard closed the boy in the room and went on a tour of the area.

"How long have it been last? Peter asked when he was leaving. His voice was resigned and stared blankly at the bandaged hand.

"Not long." Antonio said after a while.

Now the Spaniard was wandering through the corridors, thinking about good evacuation plan. Then his eyes caught the light, which was coming out from the door. He moved closer to the wall and pressed his hand on his weapon. He sighed deeply and ran into the room.

"No! Don't shoot!" Someone exclaimed.

"Feliciano?" Antonio didn't hide his astonishment.

On the floor sat younger Vargas, rising his hands above his head. He had to cry, because his face was marked by tears.

"A…Antonio?" He stammered, when he realized who stood in the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" Carriedo asked, quickly looking around the room.

"I don't know. This morning I went out from Lu… Ms Beilschmidt, when a man went to me. He asked about hour. Then I think someone hit me in the head, because I don't remember anything more. I woke up here. What happened to your hand?"

Antonio knelt beside Feliciano and put his bandaged hand on his shoulder. He looked at the place, where two fingers were missing.

"Oh…it is… I had some work do. Listen. Feliciano… Do you remember that man who asked about hour?"

"Not really." Vargas sniffed. "He was wearing a bright suit and dark glasses. I don't remember more."

"Focus, it is important."

Feliciano bit his lip and furrow between his brows deepened.

"He… I think he was Asian." He finally said and suddenly opened his eyes wide. "A Japanese!"

"Honda." Antonio muttered to himself. "What does he plan?" He thought then said to Feliciano. "I must take you out. Soon here may be hot.'

Vargas nodded and stood up with the Spaniard . Antonio grabbed his arm and pulled him deeper into corridor.

"Hold on me." He said. "You can be pretty confused here. I guess I came from this side…"

They started walking, Antonio gave Feliciano a comforting smile.

"Everything will be fine. You will s…" He stopped when to his ears came the sound of a gunfire. He looked down on the hole in his chest, from which blood flew profusely, staining a bright shirt. He slumped on the floor.

Feliciano cry was far away, before his eyes was still the same picture: Lovina was standing at the other end of the corridor, with arms raised to the shot and the fear in her eyes.

O

Sophie took a deep breath and climbed the gate, which was closing the entrance into technical hall. She moved slowly towards the building.

At the flashing lantern stood Sadik, he was irritated, because of her slow pace.

"How long will I wait for you, love?" He cried. She didn't accelerated her pace. No more intimidation.

"Do you have the disk?"

"I have, where is Peter?"

Sadik nodded towards the entrance of the hall.

"There."

"And you think that I will go there and you just catch me?"

"You have no choice, dear. We can stand here forever, but Peter doesn't have that much time. When we are talking he might bleeding to death…"

This words made Sophie running to the door. Sadik didn't hide his smile.

"Peter!" She cried and her voice echoed in a large space. "Where are you?"

"You thought it will be so easy?" Sadik said behind her back. Sophie pulled Gilbert's gun out, she aimed Adnan.

"Tell me, where he is?"

"And? You will shoot me? Do you even know how to use it?" Sadik took two steps towards her and when she did not leave the gun, he jumped to her and violently twisted her arm. She screamed and the gun fell with a clatter. "Now, where is my disk, honey?"

He reached to the pocket in her trousers, putting his thumb under her blouse and touched the skin. She jerked, but he was holding her in an iron grip.

"Let me go!"

Sadik dipped his face in the hollow of her neck. She titled her head, didn't hide the disgust.

"You know, I missed you…" He murmured, kissing the skin just below her ear.

"Leave me…"

"Let her go!"

In the front door stood Tina. Sadik looked at her, still holding Sophie.

"So, you broke an agreement one more time?" He asked and then hit Sophie in her face, hard. She fell when Sadik let go her arm.

"Sophie!" Tina called. She wanted to ran but the gun aimed in her, successfully stopped her.

"Tina! I told you to stay in the hospital!" Sophie was desperately looking for some way of rescue. She felt a blood on her lips.

"It is not just your business!" Tina shouted, making a step towards, but then she raised her hands up, when Adnan slightly waved his arm.

"Tina?" They heard a voice from the other end of the hall. Peter was standing in a corridor. Sadik looked puzzled.

"How are you…" He began.

"Now, Tina run!" Sophie shouted, jumping on Sadik's back. Tina ran to Peter.

Sadik was surprised. He roared furiously and waved his gun blindly, hitting Sophie's head. She didn't let him. He hit her on the wall. She felt dizzy. He did it again. She couldn't catch a breath and she fell on the floor. He looked around the hall, madness in his eyes. He raised the weapon and fired.

"No!" Sophie managed to shout.

Peter didn't manage to move. He felt a war moisture on his face, he wiped it. On his skin glistened blood.

"It is all right Peter…" Tina's voice sounded above his head. She rested her hands on the wall over his body. She was covering Peter. Blood was running down her arm.

"Tina… why?"

There was not answer, she only sighed deeply, when she looked at ugly wound, which seemed to tear her arm.

"It is blood…? Tina asked weakly, her eyes fled deep into the skull. She fell limp on the screaming Peter. The boy quickly stopped panicking, he used bandage from his hand to dress Tina.

"Fuck." Sadik growled, seeing that the boy was still alive. "Why do you not want to die?" He aimed again.

"No!" Sophie cried, still she was unable to stand up, so she grabbed his leg. He kicked her.

"Shut up, bitch!"

"Sophie run!"

None of them noticed Gilbert, who suddenly appeared, hitting Sadik and knocking the gun. Then his fist reached Turk's face. Adnan was surprised, he wiped the blood dropping from his nose. He was smiling like a madman. He jumped on Gilbert.

"Don't do that." Gilbert growling, he had a spring knife in his hand. "Unless you want to show your bowels to everyone, but I doubt if they want to watch them…"

"Gilbert!" Sophie shouted when she gathered herself from the floor, she grabbed the weapon which Sadik dropped. "What are you doing here?"

"You think, you can happily crashed the bottle on my head and ran away? None of these things my dear!"

Sophie wanted to say something, but she only smiled.

"Thanks." She muttered at last.

Then the sirens sounded through the city. The speakers in the town flew message about terrorist attack.

"You gave him the disk!" Gilbert cried, blade pointed Sadik, who was spitting the blood.

"No!"

"So what the hell is going on?"

Then the shot was fired. Sadik fell, the blood flew from his knee.

"What…" Sophie began, turning sharply.

In the doorway stood Alice Kirkland, hitwoman, who she once ran away.

"Hello, Sophie Edelstein." Alice said, without rising her voice. "It was long time since we had last met."