Anna, Svetlana, Mikhail, Joe Pt. 02

My military training stood me in good stead, and I awoke at 4:25 p.m. I splashed water on my face and when to get the rental. I took the elevator down to the lobby and went to the front desk, and got the keys to the car.

Game time.

I went out and found the red Taurus and checked it out. No damage I could see, 3/4 tank of gas, and decent tires. What more could a boy ask for in a car.

I started it up and retraced my route to the Leningrad Club.

At 5:20, I entered and looked around.

It was dim, and it took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust. I saw about 12 tables and very few customers. I moved to a table and sat down.

There were about five 'young ladies' sitting at the bar- a short black girl, an Asian girl(a little thin, for my tastes), three white girls, two blondes, and one with streaked, multi-colored hair. ALL of them appeared to have had boob jobs, and only the black young lady and one of the blondes could be called attractive.

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But none who resembled the description of Anna.

A waitress came over in short cut-offs and a three sizes too small t-shirt. "What'll you have, pal?" she asked.

"Seven and seven," I answered.

She turned and went back to the bar. Minutes later, she was back with my drink. "Run a tab," I told her.

"Un, Uh," she said. "Twenty bucks."

'Wow, this could be an expensive night,' I thought. I peeled a hundred off and held it out to her. As she reached for it with her eyes wide, I pulled it back. "Just a minute-is Anna here?"

"Who wants to know?" she said, her eyes narrowing.

I looked at her. "A friend recommended her. Said she was worth the money."

She snickered: "She should be here in about 15 minutes" and reached for the money.

I smiled and said thank you.

I proceeded to nurse my drink, and after about 12 minutes or so, a tall, brown-haired young woman walked in from a back doorway. The waitress walked over to her as she sat down and said something to her, motioning to me. She turned and looked at me, then said something to the waitress. She got up and walked over to my table. She looked me up and down and said, "I hear you are asking about me, tovarisch. Buy a girl a drink?"

I stood and looked into her eyes. I shuddered inside. Her eyes were dead, no life at all.'She thinks they are both gone,' I said to myself. I pulled out a chair and motioned for the waitress. Anna sat down, and as the waitress arrived, she said, "My usual, and the gentleman would like another as well."

Running up the tab, I see.

She was stunning. Cold and dead on the inside, but a physical knockout.

She was maybe 5' 9" tall, dark brown hair that dropped to her shoulders, what looked like 38C's for a chest, a trim waist, and finely molded hips that supported a pert ass, definitely squeezable. Her long thin fingers were well-manicured, the nails just long enough. Her nail polish, her makeup, her cologne were all perfect. The dress ended about two inches over her knees, with a slit up the left side. It looked like it was sprayed on- blue, iridescent, and held up with two spaghetti straps. The girls were on display, but very discreetly so. Blue 4-inch heels and coffee-colored thigh top stockings completed the picture.

Everything about her exuded class and sex.

BUT the eyes- the eyes, the windows to her soul, were dead. They were dark brown, with gold flecks-but no light.

She was a shell.

She was only going through the motions. It was all business.

"So, what do you have in mind?" she asked.

"I would like to take you away for a night and help you forget all your troubles."

She smirked and said I did not have enough money for that in a cold, brittle voice.

"I don't need money," I said. I reached out and tried to take those beautiful hands. As Anna attempted to pull them away, I held them and looked straight into those eyes. "I have Svetlana and Mikhail."

All at once, the woman before me shattered. She seemed to age ten years; her shoulders slumped, and her hands grabbed mine and squeezed them.

"That is impossible. I-I-I saw her picture. They said she was dead. I saw her!!!!"

"Listen to me, Anna. They are both alive; I rescued them from Yuri and Vladimir. Svetlana sent me to get you out."

"But how do I know I can trust you?"

Crunch time-"Anna Doneshiona, Daisy, and Misc ha said you should trust me. But you have to do as I tell you when I tell you. Can you do this??"

This stranger had just jolted the life back into her after that swine Dmitri had ripped it out. He was asking her to trust him. No, Svetlana, Daisy was asking her. She searched his face and saw a decent man. A good man. A real man.

"SAVE ME, PLEASE!!" she begged.

He smiled at her and said, "First, I have to pay for you!"

I motioned the waitress over. I said, "How much o take the lady away for the night, and what time does she need to be back tomorrow?"

The waitress looked at Anna and said, "$850. She needs to be back by 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, or it's another $850, regardless of how late she is. I need your driver's license and credit card."

I peeled $1000 off my roll and handed it to her, along with my driver's license.

"Keep the change. And I want a receipt."

She smirked and strolled off to the cash register.

She returned and handed me my driver's license and the receipt.

Meanwhile, I noticed two big guys at the back of the bar watching me. I put my license away and the receipt in my pocket. We stood, and I escorted the lady out. As we made our way to the door, she whispered, "You just paid almost $1000 for my ass, cowboy, so why don't you grab a hold of it." So I did.

As I opened the door, I noticed the two guys rise and follow us.

We got out to the parking lot, and I moved her towards the red Taurus. I got her in and made my way to the driver's door, just as they burst out looking around. Key in the ignition, fired it up, and away we went. They hustled over to -you guessed it- a black Tahoe. I made the turn to the highway and started to the Best Western.

We made it to the motel and turned into the parking lot. We got out. I threw the keys under the front floor mat. We walked to the front door of the motel just as the black Tahoe pulled in.

We went inside, and I realized that as sexy as those 4" heels were, they were not easy to walk in. We got to the elevator, and our luck was holding. The doors were open, waiting for us. We got on the elevator, and I hit the fourth-floor button. As the doors closed, Heckle and Jeckle walked in, and they saw us.

As the cage ascended, I grabbed her purse. "Take off you shoes," I said.

She looked at me like I was nuts. "What?"

I was rummaging through her purse. "TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES. NOW!!"

"But my stockings!" she moaned.

I found it and removed her 'good luck charm.'

"Did Dmitri give you this?"

"Yes, he gave one to each of his girls. He said it would keep us safe." She was taking off her shoes, looking at me like I had lost my mind.

"Locator transmitter," I said. I handed her back her purse. The door pinged, and we exited and turned right.

I pushed her and told her to run to the end of the hall and open the stairway door.

As she started down the hall, I got to the door to my room and stuck the 'Do Not Disturb' card in the magnetic door lock. I dropped the transmitter on the floor, close to the door. Then I ran to follow her, and we ducked into the stairwell just as the elevator doors opened.

We started down the stairs.

"Now, listen to me carefully. We are going out the door. Across the parking lot, there is a big dark blue Ford truck. Go to it and get in the front passenger seat. Wrap yourself in the heavy blanket, and get down on the floorboards. I know this will be a little uncomfortable, but it will only be for a little while. Do you understand?"

She said she did, just as we got to the ground floor.

"Let's go," I said.

We went out the door and over to the truck, accompanied by a few 'Ow, Ow, Ow's' on the way. She climbed in and wrapped herself up, scooting down on the floor.

I got in and put the key in the ignition.

I reached down and grabbed my Seattle Mariners baseball cap and put it on.

I opened the concealed compartment under the dash and retrieved my pistol.

We were ready to go. I took two deep breaths and waited. Soon the big Tahoe came slowly around the end of the building. I slumped down in my seat as they drove past. They got to the other end and turned right around the corner of the motel. 1, 2, 3-second count, and I started the truck up, shifted into drive, and we pulled out.

We pulled out onto the street, and I turned on the headlights. I drove towards the Seward Highway. We were soon going southeast at 62 mph, well below the speed limit, but fast enough not to be suspicious.

"O.K., you can sit up now."

She got up into the bucket seat and buckled her seat belt. She reached down and rubbed her feet and put her shoes back on, crossing her ankles.

I reached into the console, handed her a bottle of water, and grabbed the other one for me. Then I got the burner phone, hit two on the speed dial, and then hit send. Almost immediately, there was a reply.

"Hello??"

I handed the phone to Anna.

"Svetlana???"

"ANNA!! " came the hysterical reply. The following conversation flowed into Russian; I had no idea what they said but figured I was in the conversation someplace.

We drove for a while as I monitored the traffic. The cruise control kept us at a steady 62 mph, and overtaking traffic passed us without a hitch.

The conversation went on, alternating between outbursts of laughter and tears all in Russian. We were making good time, traffic was light, and I was starting to relax.

Then I saw a set of headlights that were overtaking us steadily. They came upon us and swung around us on the left. They passed us, and I got a bad feeling. It was a black Tahoe, two men, and on a mission.

The girls were in another world. I intruded on that world.

"Anna, tell Svetlana to get in the backroom and take Mikhail and Joe with her. NOW."

"What is wrong?" She was worried.

"Nothing, I hope. But I don't want to take any chances."

Anna was talking to Svetlana in Russian, and I was watching the Tahoe. They pulled into the left lane and accelerated. We were approaching the crossover to the railroad crossing, and I slowed down a little more. A tractor-trailer swung out and passed me doing 70 mph.

He pulled back in front of me and kept moving along. The Tahoe slowed and turned left across the highway to the railroad crossing.

They crossed the tracks and started up the incline to the Bird to Gird Parkway.

I accelerated to 80+ mph and passed the truck. Up ahead was an emergency crossover, and I braked hard and made the turn. I checked for traffic without stopping and screamed out onto the highway, heading back to the railroad crossing.

As we approached the crossing, I switched off the headlights. The full moon and no clouds made for almost daylight conditions. I turned off the highway and eased across the tracks.

The Tahoe was already at the top of the trail. I slowed down.

"Is Svetlana in the room?" I asked.

"Da, she got everyone in there and shut the door. Who is this 'Joe'?"

"He is her protection. Tell her to shut off the phone, and don't come out 'till I tell her to, or I will beat her little ass something fierce."

She spits some Russian to Svetlana, and then she hung up.

"Now, who is Joe and why do you think he can protect my sister and nephew?"

I grinned and proceeded to drive slowly up the trail. My mind was running in a thousand different directions. I needed to think.

"Joe loves her. 'nuff said."

What did I miss? How had they found them??

They made it to the top and turned left.

I watched the headlights as the Tahoe drove forward. They slowed as they reached the driveway then moved on. They were looking for what?

They hit the split and continued to the right. I slowed as they stopped then backed up. They turned to the left and proceeded at a little faster pace. Then it hit me.

OF COURSE!!! They were following a GPS tracker, or possibly the On-Star system in the truck. I drove a little quicker up to the driveway to my house and stopped.

I jumped out and unhooked the chains, and moved the spike strip. I ran back, got in, and drove forward.

I jumped out again, and put the chain up, and dragged the spike strip out, scattering leaves and small branches over it. I got back in and drove to the house. I couldn't see the headlights from the other Tahoe, and I was confident they couldn't see mine either.

I hit the switch on the dash, and the double garage door went up. I pulled in and shut the door. I shut off the truck and motioned for Anna to follow. I opened the door and bellowed, "Svetlana!!!"

That's part 2. I hope it was worth it. Part 3 is on its way. It's pretty good if I do say so myself. Oh, wait, I did. Sorry 'bout that. I hope you enjoy it.

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