Dark Desires: Deliverance (2 page)

"I know what I
asked then, just as I know what I'm asking now. I need them back or consider
your services terminated!" he snapped.

"No problem man,
anything else?" Mike answered resignedly.

"Yes, track
Val's number. I tried calling but the phone is off."

"Easy…"

"Then get it
done in the next twenty minutes! None of that bullshit you pulled last time of
sending me what I asked for the following day. The minute you get that
information is the minute you dial me. Got it?"

Sensing that Vlad was
not in the greatest of moods right now, Mike took it in stride. All his clients
were bastards at one time or another, however, when he thought of the cheques
they sent his way, he brushed his annoyance aside and remembered why he
tolerated them in the first place. "I'm on it."

Vlad hung up and tried
to calm down, he already knew that he wouldn't be able to reach Val when he
called her number, but the reality of the situation was harder to swallow. He
was an asshole for taking it out on Mike who only ever did the jobs he was
assigned. He was the best in the business, his reputation preceded him and his
fee matched that. If he chose to let his pride rule him for a moment longer, he
would delay her return or worse, he would lose her. He called up
Andrei,
he needed his best friend and brother by his side to
help him figure things out. Together they were ruthless animals and a force to
be reckoned with. As things stood, he was incapable of thinking rationally
because his woman was involved.
Razvan
would know
what to say and do to control his volatile temper and prevent it from reaching
a tipping point, but calling him was not an option – he had a family of his own
to look after.

"Andrei…"
his voice croaked, clearing it he tried again
. "
Frate
, can you fly in for me."

Andrei straightened
in his lounge chair at the sound of Vlad's voice. He was still watching the
semi-naked women parading around his apartment in various lingerie and swimsuit
designs. He wasn't surprised by the skipped pleasantries and out of the blue
call. Vlad was a loner of a man who came and went as often as the tide. "
Buna
frate
," he replied while eye-fucking an
up and coming model dressed in a harlot red bra and panty set.

"I need your
help." His eyes immediately snapped away from the tempting sight at the
sound of Vlad's voice from the other end of the line. The tone put him on edge.
Vlad was close to breaking and usually that was never a good thing for those
that pushed him to that point or those that stood in his way. "What's
wrong?"

"They…" he
paused, thinking he should wait until Andrei arrived so that he could explain
everything in a chronological order. He had been so tense and poised to strike
for the past hour that he eventually decided to release some of the inner
turmoil that was raging within him. "They took her."

To say that Andrei
was confused would have been an understatement. Vlad sounded cryptic and trying
to get the man to explain anything ever was a self-defeating endeavour. There
had been many hers in Vlad's life – hell there were just as many in his based
on the sea of feminine bodies he was surrounded by. He barely remembered their
names and none had ever evoked the kind of emotion he was sensing. "Took
who?"

Vlad was not going to
have this talk over the phone, "I. Need.
You.
To.
Fly. In."

"Okay
frate
, calm down." He walked to his study so
that he could have this conversation in private without all the other
distractions. "Just tell me where you are."

After getting the
details of Vlad's whereabouts he immediately dialled
Razvan
.
He wasn't sure whether he knew what was going on. If he did then he needed
clarification and Vlad was too volatile to try and wheedle information from.

"
Raz
, what's wrong with Vlad?"

"What?"
Razvan
was in his office, bouncing his son on his knee as
he tried to get some work done.

"I just got a
random call from him after more than a month of silence, mind
you,
there are times when almost a year will pass without us
hearing from him. Get
this,
he wants me to fly to Cape
Town in South Africa!"

"Did he tell you
why?" At the serious shift in conversation,
Razvan
peeled his eyes away from the contract in front of him to pay attention to the
call. Vlad and Andrei were never a good combination in any kind of situation.

"You know how he
is when he's on edge, I just told him I would come, and he mentioned that ‘they
took her'. Do you know who or what he is talking about?"

He looked down at his
son - his brother's namesake and saw that the contract he had been working on
resembled the abstract art that decorated various walls around the house. There
was not much that could be done to salvage the papers when his three-year-old
was attempting to be Picasso. He had infinite patience for his offspring, not
so much for his adult siblings and their antics. Suddenly the words spoken by
Andrei dawned on him with new meaning. "Shit!" The call had gone from
mildly annoying to worrying. The only woman that came to mind was the one that
Vlad had come to ask for advice on during his visit to Romania. He should have
known that something was up when he voluntarily returned to their home country
– something he swore would happen over his dead and mutilated body.

"Not you too
fucker, you need to spit it out. What the hell is going on?"

"He's… in love
with a woman from there. Something must have happened."

"Why am I the
last to know?"

"What do you
know of love when your dick is not involved?" He cursed internally at the
use of foul language around his impressionable son. "Don't answer that. I
have a few things to sort out but I'll fly in as soon as I can."

"Okay let me
know when you land. I'm leaving on the next available flight I can get."

Hanging up, both men
went to prepare for the disaster that was waiting for them when they reached
Vladimir. Andrei booked a flight, packed a bag and headed to the airport. He
would have to tell his personal assistant to reschedule all his meetings. Any
other pressing matters would have to go through his executive board. If they
couldn't cope, then they would be fired on the spot upon his return.

Razvan
sat in his office, thinking of the last time Vladimir was here with him,
drinking
ţuică
made by
Mihaela
.
The man truly was in love. If this woman could make Vladimir face his demons by
returning to his homeland, seeking advice on how to be a better man, then she
was
the one
– she was Vladimir's
Mihaela
. If
he knew his brother, then the man was on the warpath which is why he had called
Andrei and not him. He didn't do this kind of shit anymore. He had told Vlad
when they were together that he’d left that life behind him in order to be the
kind of husband and father his wife and son deserved. Picking up
Dorin
, he went in search of
Mihaela
.
He just hoped his wife understood why he was going back into the world he had
promised never to touch again for the sake of their family. He wished that he
didn't have to choose between the two, yet he couldn't abandon Vlad who needed
him now more than ever.

Val got out of the
car feeling hot, sweaty and bone wearily tired. This had been the longest
journey of her life. A direct flight would have taken nine hours but, there had
been two layovers. They changed flights in Johannesburg and again in Qatar to
remain elusive, and in doing that their travel time had nearly doubled. There
was no conversation between the two. Her questions were greeted with silence.
Mehmet had refused to engage with her, treating Val like an errant child he had
begrudgingly agreed to babysit when the role of husband bored him. Surely they
must have arrived where she was supposed to be taken after the six-hour drive.

The immense building
in front of her looked like an oasis in the middle of the dry and desolate land
they had spent the last few hours driving through. It was early morning, but
the sun was blazing high, emitting a heat so radiant her clothing stuck to her
back. The
niqab
she was forced to wear made it
difficult to breathe in the sweltering heat, however she dared not take it off.
With a strange man, in a strange land, she would do whatever it took to get out
of this ordeal alive.

Walking past the
trees that provided blessed shade, she could not be more grateful to be indoors
where the air was cool. She noticed that armed guards were placed everywhere -
along the high walls, at intervals outside the compound and sparsely inside.
The place was a fortress, not only was it seemingly in the middle of nowhere,
but anyone who wanted to come in or go out without notice wouldn't manage the
feat alive. She stuck close to
Mehmet,
he was the only
person she knew. Yes, he had kidnapped her but what if he left her here and
these people hurt her in a worse way.
Better the devil you know than the
devil you don't.

She would have been
impressed by the architectural beauty around her if she had arrived under
different circumstances. There was no mistaking that she was in a palace. The
high ceilings, the arched doorways, the crystal chandeliers and the intricate
Persian tapestries lining the walls were all a display of opulence that both
awed and intimidated her. Mehmet was right, these people didn't want Vlad's money
because they seemed to have a good store of their own. Could he manage to get
her out of this mess? She had spent hours trying the think things through and
come up with some sort of a plan. Right now, the reality was beginning to set
in and the thought of regaining her freedom seemed more of a challenge than she
was capable of overcoming by herself. Her throat constricted with tears that
burned to be set free. For the first time since being forced to cover her face
she was grateful, no-one could see the turmoil that her face would have
displayed. Behind the veil, she could hide her emotions and feign the strength
she needed to get through it all.

She heard her phoney
husband share a few brief words with one of the guards, if she could understand
them, then she would have paid attention. Instead, she looked around her at the
vast empty space that resembled a museum more than a dwelling space. Her
thoughts were interrupted when Mehmet turned to his side to address her.

"He will show
you to your room," he said, pointing to a man dressed in all black pants,
shirt, boots and a cap pulled so low over his brow she couldn't make out the
features of the top half of his face. She was scared. She didn't want to follow
him. The gun strapped across his back gave him a menacing flair.

"Please, don't
leave me" she begged, the controlled tears that sat on the surface of her
eyes finally began to run free onto the veil covering her cheeks and
mouth. 

Mehmet had hoped to
remain impartial for the duration of his assignment however, her tears moved
him. She was an innocent in this scheme and he had never subscribed to hurting
women in his line of work. If there was anything he could have done to prevent
her involvement, then he would have, but as things stood his hands were tied.
The events of the past eighteen hours were beyond his control. "I have
completed the task that was set before me. Don't do anything stupid and you'll
be fine." Reaching for her hand, he slipped the ring he had given her off
her shaking finger. Thereafter, he turned around and walked down the hall of
the palace's east passage.

"Come." The
guard commanded and began walking ahead of her. She watched as the last link
she had to Vlad disappeared and hopelessness seeped into her pores. After a few
moments hesitation, wondering whether to chase after Mehmet or do what she was
told, she decided on the latter.

They walked quickly
and in silence down the west passage, up a short flight of steps and turned left.
She thought she would be able to take her time and try to memorise the route in
case she thought of a way to escape, it was futile. The place was built like a
maze. The arched pathways all looked the same – dome shaped and lined with
gold. The pattern carved stone walls were the same and the marble floor with
its coloured tile and mosaics were indistinguishably similar.

They finally arrived
at a large wooden door which the guard unlocked, he stepped back he let her go
in. Once inside, the door closed and she heard the lock turn. This would be her
prison. She cried in earnest now, thinking of how every plan she had come up
with, in the event that an opportunity for escape presented itself, had failed.
They were angry tears and she ripped the
niqab
off her face along with the
abaya
that had
covered the shorts and vest she had left Cape Town in. The items offended her,
she did not choose this life, and she did not choose anything that had happened
to her in the past eighteen hours. Worst of all, she was helpless to prevent it
and even if she were to figure out the why's and the how's of her role, she had
absolutely no power in this country to get the help that she would need.

Mehmet had completed
his task and was heading to see the sheik to collect his cheque. They used to
be close friends a long time ago when they were younger, but life's
circumstances had robbed
Keyaan
of any humanity he
once had. Standing outside the office, he waited patiently for the guard to
announce his presence before he could be let in. A few short minutes later he
was allowed through the door and stood in front of the man's desk.

"
Salaam
alaikum
"

"
Wa
Alaikum
salaam
"
Keyaan
replied.

"She is safely
in your care."

"Excellent"
he then reached into his drawer, took out the thick, stuffed envelope filled
with the prior arranged fee and tossed it over.

"Thank you, Your
Highness. May I speak to you for a minute?"

"Yes, but choose
your words wisely. You know I am a busy man who doesn't like to have his time
wasted."

"Of course, know
that what I say is only because I worry about your safety." The guilt of
his actions had been building to a crescendo. The least he could do to appease
his conscience was to leave a warning in the event that the sheik wished to do
Valerie harm. "The
Impaler
, he is in love with
her. At first, I thought she was just some woman he was seeing while on holiday
but he purchased a home there and they moved in together." Remembering the
cold harsh voice he spoke to on the phone the day before he continued. "I
am convinced she is his. I have no doubt that he will come for her and when he
does, it will not end well."

"Why are you
telling me this? Her importance to him is the exact reason we took her"

"Yes, I
understand that, but he is also a mad man. You saw what he did to our informant
who posed as the driver a few months ago. Just imagine what he will do now that
we have his woman. You need to return her alive and unharmed when he delivers
on his side of the deal." Mehmet had come to like Val. Even though he tried
to avoid communicating with her to remain neutral, he could not deny that she
was a good person. She was an innocent who did not deserve to be thrust in the
middle of a war, let alone have
Keyaan
, who was
unstable on a good day, set his sights on her.

"Is that
all?"
Keyaan
asked nonplussed.

Knowing that he had
probably overstepped his mark and that his warning was falling on deaf ears he
relented. "Yes,
Your
Highness." When
Keyaan
returned to what he had been working on before his
arrival, Mehmet knew he had been dismissed and quickly left the room.

Keyaan
tried to return to his reports, but Mehmet had roused his curiosity. No one
dared to question his orders or decisions. Why would Mehmet, the charismatic
yet weak man he had been friends with in his younger days, feel the need to
speak up for a woman he hardly knew? He had to see for himself who this woman
was - the one who had captured the attention of a greedy mercenary and the
heart of the notorious
Impaler
.

A few minutes into
her despair, Valerie stopped the water works and focused. Tears would
accomplish nothing and she would be damned if she was going to act like a
damsel in distress waiting for prince charming to save her. It was her “prince
charming” that had put her in this position and she decided then and there that
she would be the one to get herself out of
it
.,
Valerie examined the room that would be hosting her for the duration of her
stay. It was spacious and had a comfortable, large bed accentuated by a
majestic, Persian design headboard. Across from it sat
a
lone
, Ottoman style couch and coffee table. There was an archway in the
room that led to a bathroom. Within she found a deep tub on one end and a
shower in the other. For a prison it was luxurious.
Let's see how luxurious
it will be if Vlad fails to do what these people want and they kill you.
Her inner voice had taken a turn for the worst. Gone were the investigative
questions she had on the trip here and in its place stood the tone of
pessimistic doom and gloom.

She stripped out of
her clothes, retied her braids in a bun and took a quick shower. It was not
meant to be relaxing, she just needed to get clean - to wash away the thoughts
of what had happened to her and what still could happen to her. In less than
five minutes she was done. Grabbing a towel from the rack next to the wash
basin, she dried off and began to redress in her worn outfit.

Half way through, she
heard the door to the bedroom unlock and open. She didn't want to be caught
semi-nude and there was no door between the outsider and where she stood.
Panicking, she chose to forego the bra and pulled on the vest. Stilling her
movements she listened for whoever was out front waiting for her but heard
nothing. She waited for a few moments and still, silence greeted her. She walked
to the threshold of the doorway and peeked into the room.

A man in a white
thobe
sat on the Ottoman across from the bed staring straight at her. He didn't move
or say a word, he just waited. Feeling embarrassed at being caught with her
pants down, Val felt the need to apologize. Maybe this was his room, and she
was just put here temporarily until she could be moved again. Not to mention
that she had used a complete stranger's shower and towels.
Luxurious my ass,
I'm about to be hauled off to a dark and mangy dungeon.

"S-sorry, I just
needed a shower," she told the man meekly.

"It's fine. The
room is yours"
came
a gravelly voice, the kind
that had been corroded through years of smoking.

Valerie breathed a
sigh of relief that she would get to stay and let silence pass between them.
They both continued to stare at each other across the expansive space. Val was
trying to determine who this man was, but she couldn't see his face clearly. He
didn't appear to have a gun which meant that he wasn't part of the security
team however, that didn't mean he was harmless. She felt safe in the bathroom,
at a good distance away, partially hidden from his view.

"I don't have
the black robes with me" she supplied in answer as to why she refused to
come into the bedroom, pointing at the
niqab
and
abaya
that lay on the floor.

"It's fine, this
is my home" was his reply as he continued to wait for her. Still she made
no effort to move, she didn't have her bra or shorts on. Guessing that the man
was not going to leave until she came out, she went back in to put on the rest
of her clothes.

Keyaan
hadn't been able to see her because the light from the bathroom cast a shadow
behind her. The room he put her in was at the west end of the palace where the
sun hardly shone through the high windows. Its weak light only let one know the
difference between day and night.  He wasn't a man known for his patience.
He had tried the accommodating approach by remaining seated as she finished up
in the bathroom. The little patience he had was worn thin when she returned to
the other room. Exhausted by his attempt at pleasantry, he went to have a look
for himself. He wanted to see The
Impaler's
little
treasure.

Just as Val was
reaching for her bra, she heard the footsteps behind her and gave a sharp gasp.
Placing her hand over her chest in an effort to calm her racing heart she
noticed that she'd drawn the man's attention to her breasts. She swallowed the
sick feeling that washed over her, hoping that he wouldn't force himself on
her. His sharp gaze moved from her chest to meet her eyes. They were a radiant
hazel framed with long, black lashes. His black beard was neatly trimmed and
ran across his cheeks and around his mouth as it connected to his sideburns
,.
He wore a white
gutra
over his head that covered his hair and stood at about 6 ft. Val took a step
back into the bathroom on instinct, but when she thought about it, that she was
moving further from the exit and closing herself in, she stepped forward.