The Tiger's Mail Order Mate (Paranormal Shifter Romance) (14 page)

“I doubt either country will listen, and it will wind up even more in the dark.” She said sullenly.

“Maybe.  But at least, this is all over with for now.” He assured her.

“You know, we’ll never be safe for as long as we’re alive.  The Illuminati and Templars will be pissed that this scheme of theirs has been thwarted.”

“The Dragon has our backs, now stop being so damn negative.  We exposed them.  We’re going to go up to the UN and answer their questions and that will be that.  We’ll be in the spotlight, so they wouldn’t dare try to kill us.” Russell explained.

“Don’t put it past them.  Remember, they have their ways.  Hopefully, we can escape to a small island somewhere in care of the Dragon and live together in peace.  That’s all I want.” She said.  “Maybe raise a family, who knows.”

“You want to have a kid?” he asked.

“I was never against it, but I might not be able to, so who knows.”

“What do you mean?” Russell asked.

“Well, the radiation that gave me my reflexes and stamina, probably did something to my reproductive system as well, rendered me sterile.  That’s what the doctors at the Ballet School told me, anyway.  Of course back then, evaluating women’s health was still a long way off.”

“True.  They were probably going with what they knew at the time.  If you start feeling that maternal buzz, we’ll see if the Dragon can get us a good doctor and see what we can do.  Remember, it has to be done with artificial means because of the animal side.  They will need to remove the tiger genes somehow.”

“I’m sure they can work things out.” She said wistfully.  “I just want to live a normal life for once.”

“Same here.” Russell said as he hugged her.  “Same here, but considering what we are, that’s probably not going to be possible.  I think we should just go for living a life without a gun constantly held to our heads.  That seems like a reasonable goal at the moment, don’t you think?”

She watched the newscaster drone on about the timeline of the Crimea crisis and about the remote village in Russia that had been wiped off the map by the government.  “Yeah, seems pretty reasonable.”

She replied distantly.  “I just have a nagging feeling that we aren’t totally finished with this just yet.”

“Yeah, but hey, let’s make the most of this downtime and publicity while we can.  While the light is on us, at least we can keep our brains in our skulls for a little longer.  They know if they kill us while we’re being interviewed, it will look bad on them.  Hence, why they wanted to kill us before we made it to Germany.” Russell said.

“At least the Dragon will be in our corner.  Who knows, they might negotiate with the other two to leave us alone.” Sonja said as she felt a shred of optimism bud in her chest.

“That’s the spirit.  Always look on the bright side of life, is what I always say.  Hell, when you’re living in a windowless lab for most of your life, it’s either that or go insane.” Russell explained.  “They treated me pretty well at least, but there was no real emotional attachment.  So I always looked forward to the next day, maybe they would take me to the fair, maybe they would let me outside to play, it’s finding that one shred of hope in a life that’s just dark and full of nothing but shit, it’s what kept me going.”

“In the school, I didn’t have that chance.  It was kill or be killed.  I don’t know what kept me going.  It sure wasn’t optimism.” She got up to get a drink.  “Do you want anything?”

“If they have beer, grab me one, it’s been so long since I’ve had any, I miss it.”

She bent over and opened the bar fridge, and Russell appreciated the view of her naked bottom pointed directly at him.  She grabbed two bottles, one water, one beer, and closed the door.

“Here you go.” She said as she handed him the bottle.  “I want to keep my wits about me.”  She finished as she cracked open the bottle of water and took a sip.

The TV went black for a moment and when it came back to life, the Mouth Of the Dragon was on screen. 

“Now, I can’t hear you, but I know you can hear me, so listen well.  You will be landing in Frankfurt in twelve hours, we will be picking you up as soon as you land, and our vehicles will be on the tarmac.  You will need to be ready for action, because our models show that the Illuminati and Templars will want to make sure you do not make it to the United Nations hearings to testify. 

We need this to happen so we will pull out all the stops to make sure you make it in one piece, no expense has been spared, as you may have noticed, but money is no real object or concern to the Dragon, it is just a means to an end.  Anyway, we will see you in Frankfurt, and drive you to a safe house in Nuremberg.  There, you will wait to be summoned to the United Nations Security Council where you will give your testimonies.  You both will demonstrate your abilities to the council to show that the experiments have indeed proven fruitful.”

The woman on screen took a drink of water and continued.  “Now, there will be outcries to have both of you...euthanized, but human decency will prevail, in other words, we will bribe the correct officials and get you that island you so genuinely deserve.  There, you won’t cause any conflict with our models, or the rest of the world, and we will be able to keep our eye on you.  I hope that is satisfactory.” With that, the television went black again and switched back to the news.

Russell looked at Sonja and hugged her tight.  “Almost over, see?”

“Yeah...I have a feeling that the worst is about to come, though.”

CHAPTER 12

The jet touched down in Frankfurt after a long flight from Pyongyang. Russell Kahn and his handler, Sonja Fedorenko stepped off of the plane and directly into the black SUV provided by the Dragon. The weather was overcast and drizzly as they made their way along the German roads. The SUV was driven by a man who had his mouth sewn shut, as were the other three vehicles. Inside the two dummy vehicles there were armed men and women ready to jump out and defend their precious cargo at a moment’s notice.

“So, we get to hang out in a hotel in Nuremburg and wait until we’re called to testify at the UN,” Russell said. “It’s going to be so boring.”

“Well, it’s better than getting shot, isn’t it?” Sonja quipped.

“True. We won’t even be able to go out to eat,” Russell bemoaned.

“Oh boo hoo. They’ll bring us anything we want and you know it. I think its best we stay alive until our turn at the hearing, and then we’re home free,” Sonja stated. It was an unexpected role reversal. She was generally the pessimist.

“You have a point. I’m just getting tired of being on the run; this whole thing can’t end soon enough,” Russell said.

“I know. We’re near the end at least. Just a few more days of this shit and we’ll be free.”

Russell grunted as he looked out the deeply-tinted window.

The neatly-groomed German countryside rolled by as they rode in silence down the Autobahn. Faster cars overtook the motorcade in orderly fashion, there was no horn honking or rude gestures, just a blinking of the headlights and the motorcade moved over to allow the faster vehicle to pass.

After a while, one half of the convoy broke off and took one exit, and the half Russell and Sonja were in took another. It was done that way to keep any pursuers off their trail.

The phone next to Sonja rang and she picked it up.

“This is the mouth of the Dragon speaking. You will be going to your hotel, and you will stay there until we move you. You will be ready to move at a moment’s notice, and the location will never be told to you. Don’t bother unpacking and you’ll be fine.” With that, the voice cut out.

“I don’t think we’re allowed to get too comfortable,” Sonja said as the caravan pulled into a luxurious hotel.

Russell looked up at the three storied stone and mortar building. “I’m getting tired of not being comfortable.”

“Let’s go,” she said as the two large, mute guards escorted them inside.

One of the men walked up to the counter while the other ushered them up the stairs. The Dragon had a specific room for them to stay in, and the mute guard knew where to bring them.

The guard opened the door, ushered the couple inside, and stood outside as the door closed behind them.

“Well, there’s not much we can do but wait around I guess,” Sonja said as she tossed her duffel bag next to the door.

Russell turned on the television to see if he could find any English language news stations. He flipped the channels until he found a station out of the United Kingdom, sat down in the modern chair, and proceeded to watch.

“The United Nations Enquiry began today in Nuremberg. The Presidents of the United States and Russia both made their depositions in front of the United Nations Security council and denied any unethical scientific behavior. When approached for a comment after their testimony, our journalists were deterred by the respective secret service guards. The European Union allegedly has some strong evidence regarding this case and will present it tomorrow during the continued hearings.”

“So we might head on over tomorrow. Fun times. They really don’t waste any time do they?” Sonja asked.

“Well I wouldn’t blame them. I think there is going to be some screaming and arguing when the Dragon, or whoever presents the SD card to the Security Council. I wish I could watch,” Russell lamented.

“I doubt we’ll be allowed. I think we’ll be shuffled in, we tell our stories and then we get shuffled out,” Sonja replied.

“That sucks. I wanted to see the fireworks,” Russell whined.

“Oh stop being such a baby,” Sonja chided. “Sit back and relax for once. I think we should try to get some sleep.”

“That sounds like a plan,” Russell said, yawning. “That plane ride was crazy long and I’m jet lagged.”

Suddenly there was a soft thud at door and Sonja and Russell sat up. Sonja silently padded towards her duffel bag to retrieve the pistol she had stashed there. She held the gun up to her chest, and pressed herself against the wall.

Russell slowly removed his clothes and changed into his tiger form. He hid out of sight from the door so whoever was about to burst in would come into an apparently empty bedroom.

Russell heard a muffled voice whispering instructions from behind the door. He crouched down in case Sonja’s bullets missed their marks.

The door handle glowed a bright red as an external heat source was applied to melt the lock mechanism inside. The door handle slid out of the hole and onto the floor in a smoking puddle of molten metal.

The door slowly swung open as Sonja hugged the wall on the hinge side so as not to give the intruders any indication she was there.

Two, black-clad men silently stalked into the room, guns with silencers on the barrels at the ready.

“Heh, I bet they’re fucking. Figure pop them in the heads at the right moment and they will at least die happy,” one of them said.

“What a way to go, eh? the other teased as he approached the bed.

“It doesn’t look like they’ve...” he said as two rounds fired by Sonja landed in the back of his head from her silenced pistol. She silently slid back behind the cover of the open door as she prepared another two rounds.

The man’s teammate looked at the fallen corpse with wide-eyed fear as Russell pounced on him and quickly tore out his throat. The entire incident was carried out as silently as possible.

Sonja’s phone rang. “We knew that would happen. The Illuminati and Templars are both trying to assassinate you. You will dodge them. You need to go to a certain internet cafe, you will know which one. It’s marked with butterflies. When you go in, order a double espresso. The barista will know it’s you and usher you into a safe area.”

“I thought we were in a safe...” The line went dead before Sonja could finish her question.

“Get back to being human; we’re going to go have a coffee,” Sonja instructed Russell.

He looked at her, shook his massive feline body, and began to transform back into his human body. He put his clothes back on and grabbed his duffel bag. “Man, housekeeping is going to hate us,” he said as he shook his head.

“Don’t worry, I think the Dragon has their own house keeping staff,” she said as two mute guards strode into the hotel room to clean up the dead bodies.

They took the stairs down to the lobby and ambled down the neatly-kept streets, seeking the internet cafe that she was instructed to find. The one thing she couldn’t stand about the Dragon was the lack of precise directions.

There were crows landing in the wastebaskets looking for any kind of scrap to eat. The narrow, cobbled streets were full of bicycles and small cars trying to make their way around the ancient city. A couple of old cathedrals that managed to survive the repeated assaults during the two great wars stood proudly over the old Bavarian houses. There central square was open and bright, filled with tourists ambling around. In the late fall, there was a Christmas Market set up to sell all kinds of seasonal goods.

Sonja looked across the square and saw a cafe with butterflies in the window. “Hey! There it is!” she said as she tugged Russell’s arm.

“Nice. I could go for a coffee.” He yawned. “I was hoping to get some sleep but...”

“Same here, so let’s go get a coffee to get us through,” Sonja said as she quickened her pace.

The couple entered the coffee shop and Russell sat down. “You order. You probably know German anyway,” he quipped with a grin.

“Yeah I do, actually,” she replied.

She looked at the red-haired, green-eyed barista. “I’ll have a double espresso please,” she ordered in German as she watched the girl’s face. “Oh and a caramel macchiato for my friend over there,” she said as she motioned to Russell.

The girl nodded as she prepared the beverages. “No charge. You will go pick them up around back,” she said looking around the empty cafe.

Sonja motioned to Russell to follow her around the back of the coffee bar where the creamers and sugar were kept. The barista handed her the two drinks and said “I think you’d appreciate a private table, ya? You two look very tired,” she said and opened up a secret panel in the floor that lead into a dimly-lit, unfinished basement.

They carefully climbed down the rickety, wooden stair case onto the cobbled basement floor. The bare, incandescent lights hung from the low wooden beams.

Amazingly enough, there were no cobwebs in the musty basement, but boxes upon boxes of coffee beans and flavor syrups. The barista ushered them further into the basement towards an old wooden door.

“This way please. There are tunnels all through the city. You follow this one to the very end and you’ll come up into an abandoned house. Don’t turn on any lights and stay away from the windows. You’ll be fine until we come for you for the trial.” With that, the barista went back upstairs to continue on with her work day.

Russell opened the door and looked inside. The tunnel was dark, and had cobwebs and roots dangling from the cobble stone ceiling. There was a flashlight sitting on a small stool next to the door. He grabbed it and turned it on. The old flashlight sputtered and a thin yellow beam of light proceeded to shine from the plastic lens.

The dim beam illuminated the old stone tunnel. Dust motes swirled in the dank, still air of the Nuremberg underground. The dull sound of traffic rumbling overhead filled the still air of the tunnels, and the musty smell of old long forgotten places filled the couple’s noses.

They wound their way through the old tunnel until they found the end. The old wooden staircase looked rickety and unsafe, but they had no other choice but to try it.

Russell went first, since he was the heavier of the two, and placed a cautious foot onto the rotting wood stair. As he shifted his weight onto the foot, he felt the wood give beneath him just a little, but it held fast.
Okay,
he sent wordlessly to her.
It’s holding, we just need to get up there and stay quiet.

Sonja nodded as she waited for Russell to push open the trap door. He braced himself as he shoved the heavy wooden door upwards with his broad shoulders. The door slowly creaked open as he managed to ease it open with minimal creaking.

Russell supported the door so it wouldn’t crash onto the old wooden floor, announcing their arrival in the abandoned house.

The dimly-lit stone structure had graffiti on the walls with various German sayings. Over the massive hole left in the plaster of one wall there was an obviously Neo-Nazi tag, complete with a swastika and two S.S lightning bolts.
Well, we’ve come to a rather cheery place,
Sonja sent to Russell.

I know, right? I hope they don’t plan on keeping us here for very long. I don’t think we’ll be able to leave to get something to eat
, he replied silently.

Sonja looked around the destroyed room and noticed a backpack in the corner. The black canvas bag didn’t have any dust or debris on it, marking it as a recent addition to the house.
Or maybe they’ve taken care of that for us,
she said silently in Russell’s mind.

She walked over to the bag, avoiding the shards of broken glass and splintered wood that littered the common room of the house. There were bricks from the destroyed fireplace strewn around the room, and the shattered windows were boarded up, letting very little sunlight to filter into the descript house. The stench of human waste and decaying rodents filled their nostrils and they tried not to retch.

Sonja carefully picked up the bag, in case there was some kind of trap inside, and eased it towards Russell who had managed to clear a space free of debris on the floor around him. She set it on the floor and crouched down next to it. She slowly unzipped the cheap plastic zipper that had been keeping the contents inside and peered in.

Inside were enough boxes of military ready-to-eat rations to last both of them for upwards of three days.

Looks like we’re here for a few days at least
, Sonja projected to Russell.

Great. We’re going to stink like rotten piss and dead rats when we go to the Security Council. That will look good
, he sent sarcastically.

Yeah I know, but it can’t be helped. Maybe they’ll let us clean up before shuffling us onto the floor. They can at least do that much for us.

Right on. I wonder how we’re going to sleep in here. I don’t feel like getting tetanus
, Russell wondered.

Well, we can clear a corner, or explore the rest of the house and see if there’s any bed left or whatever. It can’t be all like this, right?

They climbed the stairs and took in the second story. Their hearts fell to their feet. The second floor was way worse than the first. Rats skewered on sharpened stakes made out of furniture decorated the holes that were in the flimsy plaster walls. The floors were littered with even more smashed beer bottles and glass from the pane windows and more bricks from the in room fireplaces were all over.