BREAK ME FREE (2 page)

“It’s not through choice. I’ve got too much on my plate and I’m surrounded by fucking idiots, that’s why she’s doing it.”

“That’s far from the truth and you know it. Tanya is perfect for the role as she is clever and dependable. Hell, if it were any of the other girls, they’d sell the phone as well as their arses.” Serge pointed towards the bedroom door. “Look, even if she has, then hitting her isn’t going to make it better.”

“No, but it sure makes me feel better.” Vladimir scowled. “Why the fuck are you so bothered about some dirty English slut?”

“I think she’s a good woman, that’s all.”

“She’s had more men on the floor than a heavy weight champ.”

“Yeah, and you’ve been in more pussies than a gynaecologist’s forefinger.”

Vladimir laughed. “I
… I like that one.”

Vladimir stepped into the bedroom. He could hear the shower running from the en-suite. Leaning on the frame of the open door, he could see Tanya’s naked reflection in the partly misted mirror.
Walking into bathroom he pulled a small plastic bag from his bottom pocket. With a credit card, he made a neat line of cocaine onto the marble sink top. Pulling a straw from his wallet, he snorted the drug into his nostril. Twitching his nose, he turned to face the showering Tanya. “Did you talk to anyone tonight?” There was a pause while he waited for her to answer.

“Sorry Vlad, say again. I got suds in my ears.”

“I said. Did you see anyone tonight?”

Tanya continued to massage her scalp. “No, just couple of wannabe punters.”

“Oh, OK.” He began undressing in the shower.

“You getting in?”

Vladimir didn’t answer as he struggled taking his sock off. Naked, he picked up a bottle of lotion and poured it into his hand before massaging his naked manhood. “You fuck with me … I’ll fuck with you.”

“Sorry?”

“Get out.”

“Why?”

“I said get out.”

Tanya screamed as Vladimir grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her out of the shower. “Vlad, get off me.” Her feet slipped on the wet tiles and she tumbled to the floor. Ignoring her screams, he dragged her out of the bathroom. Picking her up while she kicked and screamed, he tossed her onto the bed face down. “No, no get off me, you bastard.”

Climbing on top of her wet slippery skin, Vlad pushed her head into mattress with one hand and grabbed his stiff penis with the other. He parted her plump bottom cheeks using his manhood. “I know you hate getting fucked in the arse.”

“Don’t you dare.” Tanya whimpered into the silk sheets. “I was scared of telling you about the policeman, in case something like this would happen. But I promise I didn’t tell him anything.”

“You make me sound like a rapist.”

“I had no choice, he wouldn’t leave me alone.” Tanya closed her eyes and yelped as she felt the head of his penis touch her anus. “I told him to leave me alone but he persisted.”

“I bet you fucked him as well.”

Tanya tried in vain struggle from his grip, but the weight of his body kept her in place. ”Fucking get off me!”

“But I hate being lied to, Tanya. You know that.” Vlad pushed himself into Tanya’s tensed up body.

Tanya bit into the scrunched up sheets. She screamed through gritted teeth, “You bastard, you bastard.”

“Is there anything else you need to tell me?”

“No, I
… I … I don’t know.”

Vladimir pushed himself deeper, so his sac rested against her shaven vagina. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“Serge.”

“What about, Serge?”

“He … He wants to go back to Moldova.”

“He wouldn’t. You’re lying again.”

Tanya whimpered as tears rolled down her pink cheeks. “I’m not. He wants to farm.”

“What?” Vladimir laughed out menacingly. “That’s the best joke I’ve ever heard. I always said he smelt like shit.” He slapped her across the back of the head. “I’m surprised your arse is still so tight, I can feel you clenching.”The springs of the bed rattled and creaked in time with Tanya’s sobs and Vladimir’s groans.
The sweat rolled down his grimacing face as he neared his goal.

Vladimir screamed out as he climaxed, then collapsed on top of a whimpering Tanya. Blinded by the pain, Tanya’s body ached as she lay where he left her.
She didn’t even notice when he got dressed and left the room.

* * * *

Vladimir opened the heavy door of his safe. He reached to the back and dragged the money out into an open sack. He then picked up a pistol and tucked it into the rear of his trousers. In a blind panic, he raced out of the front door.

Parking
his car on the pavement outside Serge’s apartment, Vladimir jumped out and punched the buttons on the intercom.

“Who is it?”

“Vlad.”

“What the fuck?”

“Open the door, you prick?”

“Language.”

“Fuck you.”

“That’s more like
it.” The front door clicked open. “Come on up.”

Vladimir bit his lips as the elevator took an age to reach the floor of Serge’s flat. A bell
signalled Vladimir’s arrival and he stepped from the elevator to knock on the polished oak panel door. “Knock, knock, fucking knock.”

Serge opened the door. “I thought I just left you an hour ago?”

“Moldova? What’s all that about?”

“What?”

“Serge MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-fucking-O.”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“What about it? When were you going to tell me?”

“I would have, once I made a decision. But I’m not going anywhere yet.” Serge glanced down at the sack in Vladimir’s hand.
“What’s in the sack?”

“Don’t leave me.” Vladimir scratched his head as he smiled. “I’d be lost without you.”

“The sack, Vlad. What’s in there?”

“Money
… If you don’t trust me, if you think I’m cutting you short, I want you to keep it.” Vladimir tossed it into Serge’s chest. “That’s what’s left out of my cut from the last shipment.”

“You’re losing your mind. I think the coke is rotting your brain.” Serge couldn’t help but notice Vladimir’s half smile. He only wore it certain situations, mostly when he felt the need to do something bad. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Remember, only a bullet would separate us.” Vladimir stepped up to Serge and pointed a finger in his face.” You said that. Right, Bro?”

“I did.”

“So why the fuck have you decided that you prefer the smell of manure to that of pussy and coke?”

“I’m just growing old and want an easy life
.” Serge stared Vladimir dead in the eye. He pointed at his own temple. “I’m tired, and I don’t like how big this … empire is becoming.”

“You’re just scared.” Vladimir embraced Serge and whispered into his ear. “You might want to get out, Serge
…. But you know as well as I, that there is no way out of this.” Serge stiffened his shoulders as he was forced to listen to Vladimir. “Not if you want to stay in this world, anyway.”

“You’re a liability when you’re pissed.” Serge pushed Vladimir back and threw the sack at him. “Take your money and fuck off. I’m going to bed.” Serge turned and paced towards his bedroom. “You better leave before I take your empty threats seriously. Oh and don’t think I’ve not seen the piece you’re carrying, be careful you don’t shoot your cock off.”

“Just for protection, you can’t trust anyone anymore.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You … You were the only one I trusted in this whole world.”

“What about Igor?”

Vlad spat with anger. “Fuck Igor … I’m surprised he even remembers to wake up in the fucking morning. He pointed towards Serge. It’s you that I trust, you that I depend on …. It’s fucking you that I want, and need, at my side when things get rough. Igor might be my brother, Tanya might be my pussy. But it’s you that I’m fucking proud to call my best man.”

“You always sound like this when you’re drunk.” Serge shook his head “Get some sleep.”

“I mean it. If this is about money, keep it. “Vladimir tossed the sack onto the leather couch. “It’s yours.”

“How did you know I was thinking about going home to Moldova?”

“Tanya admitted everything.”

Serge stared into Vladimir’s dilated eyes. “What did you do to her?”

“Hey she’s my girl, my business.”

“Just let her go, why do you even bother with her?”

“I’m attached to her.” Vladimir bent his arm at the elbow. “She’s like my arm.” He then grabbed his crotch. “More like my cock actually.”

“Get out of here, you crude bastard.”

“I just can’t believe you told her rather than me.”

“She was upset, I was just distracting her from her
….”

“What was she upset about?”

“Your drug taking, she hates it.”

“She snorts more than me.”

“Look, I’m tired. Fuck off home.”

“Ok, I’m off, Jesus, you know how to make a man feel welcome”

Serge held the front door in his hand as Vladimir stepped out. “Hey, Vlad.”

“What.” The door slammed an inch from his nose. “Fuck you.”

The house was in silence as Tanya woke in pain. She rubbed her bruised wrist and sat up feeling nauseated. A broken woman, she needed a way out. Stepping out of the bedroom, she saw the safe was open. Bank notes were scattered on the tiled floor. “Shit.” Kneeling on the floor and peering inside the safe, her thoughts of sorrow turned to revenge. A nondescript CD sat on the top shelf. “I know exactly what this is.” Running into the bedroom, she threw on some clothes before flicking through her CD collection. Back at the safe, she swapped the CDs.

* * * *

The rain fell in streams as Tanya sprinted through puddles towards the police station. Her hair was glued to her dripping face as she tripped and stumbled through the doors before slamming both hands on the desk sergeant’s counter. “I need to speak to Detective Bentham.”

Sitting alone in a small, dimly lit room, Tanya warmed her hands around a plastic cup filled with a sugary tea. She glanced over her shoulder as the wooden door opened. “This place hasn’t changed one bit since I was a kid.”

“Tell me about it, I wrote a memo six months ago about a broken toilet seat.” He laughed as she sat on his chair. “Still moves when you sit on it.”

“We still have a deal, Detective?”

“As long as you tell me what’s happening with Vladimir Petrovic.”

She took a sip from her tea. “I’ll get straight to the point. One of his whiz kids has found a way to hack into the TFC computer system.”

“Transatlantic Freight Company …. So that’s why you spent weeks outside their container yard.”

“I was gathering reconnaissance for a raid that they’re planning.”

“When.”

“I haven’t a day, but it’s soon,”

Bentham sighed with disappointment. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, tell us about the hack.”

The hack program gives him access to the digital cargo rosters and manifests, but what they’re really interested in is creating ghost containers on the TFC’s system. Meaning that the real ones go unaccounted for.”

“I’m guessing he used the containers to spread his business abroad.”

“This allows him to infiltrate the yard and fill the unaccounted containers with his drugs or whatever else he has his fingers into. Then they manipulate the roster and ship them off on TFC’s ships.”

“You need to get me that program.”

Tanya opened her handbag. “Here it is.”

“Seriously?”

“When he finds out what I’ve done, he’ll want me dead.”

Bentham looked at his distorted reflection on the CD. “You don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

“I want to be out of his filthy hands
… forever.”

“You’re safe now.”

Vladimir squinted as the sun hurt his eyes. He rushed from his Porsche and stepped into his apartment block. Searching from room to room he saw the scattered notes over the living room carpet. “What the …?” He took out his pistol and flipped the safety off. Flashbacks of the night’s events then flooded his mind. “Fuck I need to get a grip of myself.” Staring into the safe he was relieved to see his CD. “Think it’s about time I give up the hard-living. It’s going to be my downfall.”

The safe locked once again Vladimir walked into the bedroom saw the unmade bed,
with the bed sheets still damp from dragging Tanya out of the shower. “All she needed to do was tell the truth.” His eyes were then drawn to a tear stained letter from the bedside cabinet. “I know exactly what this is.”

Dear Vlad,

I think it’s time to go our separate ways. Don’t bother looking for me as I’ll be long gone. Your drug-fuelled rages have gotten the better of me once too often.

I have given this relationship my all.
I have only ever loved you and I’m currently crying my heart out writing you this. For me, you were everything, but to you I was merely nothing but a play thing.

Vlad, I did everything you ever asked of me, even when it came at a cost to me personally. I may have been young and naive when we met, but I’m a woman now. I know I have been manipulated and abused by you.

However, all I want now is my freedom. So I have cleaned my hands off you and never wish to return. So Vlad, good bye.

PS. I had the grace not to touch your ill
-gotten money, even if you did leave the safe open last night.

Love, no more.

Tanya.

Vladimir screwed up the letter and threw it across the room. “Fuck, I was just starting to like that girl.” Feeling himself coming down, he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

* * * *

The mobile vibrated with a call. Vladimir searched the bed with his eyes closed. Grasping the phone in his hand, he accepted the call. “Yeah.”

It was Serge. “So what the fuck was all that about last night?”

“What d’ya mean?”

“Seriously?”

“Look, you know I’ve been stressed. I tried to relax, things got a bit out of hand.” Vladimir touched his lips. “My mouth tastes like arse.”

“How is Tanya?”

“Shit, yeah her ….” He glanced at the screwed up letter on the floor. “I think the bitch has finally had enough and gone.”

“What do you mean, gone?”

“Gone and done one …. Left …. Good riddance to the used up pussy.”

“Probably best. Hey, you left a hundred grand in my pad last night. You serious about me keeping it”

Vlad slapped his head. “Keep it …. Just don’t come asking for anymore for a long, long time. Got it?”

“Yeah
…. I’ll put it towards my childcare costs.”

“Eh?”

“Looking after you.”

“You’re a fucker, Serge.” Vladimir yawned into the phone. “For the first time, in a long time I have the bed to myself, so do you mind fucking off the phone and let me sleep.”

“Bye.”

“Speak to you later.”