Vengeance (SSU Trilogy Book 1) (8 page)

No. She wouldn’t remember. She had to stay strong. She closed her eyes, forcing the memories away. Searching for her place of calm, where nothing could hurt her and emotion was forbidden.

Her breathing evened out and she relaxed her fingers.

Someone bumped into her shoulder and her eyes flew open, stomach clenching as she braced for an attack.

But it was just a young couple heading to the bar. They shot her annoyed glances as they passed and spoke harshly to her in Russian.

Jenna followed them, her heart rate increasing with each step, until she thought the speed of it must be visible even through her layers of clothes. So much for fighting off panic.

Relax.You’re dressed as a boy. No one will recognize you. No one’s going to hit on you. Lock the fear away.
Besides, tonight she had her weapons on her body, not in her purse. A knife was strapped to her ankle and a pistol rested in a custom-made holster under her left arm. Mark had raised an elegantly manicured eyebrow when she’d presented him with her weapons for clearance through customs, but she had to give him credit, after she’d pointed out that she might need to save his life if something went wrong he’d given in without protest.

Her tongue touched the cyanide cap on her back tooth. And if necessary, she had a way out no one knew about.

Still, even though she was armed, her stomach threatened to throw up the soup Niko had coaxed her to eat for dinner. Maybe she should just go back to the hotel.

No.

Kai could
not
be allowed to go unpunished, no matter what it cost her.

Determination and anger propelled her up to the door just as a large group was ushered through. A different doorman was on duty this evening, yet Jenna knew her eyes were unique enough to be remembered. So she tugged her newsboy’s hat lower, ignoring the pain as it scraped against the swollen cuts on her forehead from where she’d hit the faucet. Slouching in her worn army jacket, she hoped the doorman would only see a punk boy, if he noticed her at all.

She skirted around the laughing, jostling people and made it inside without challenge.

It was much more crowded tonight. She couldn’t even see the wooden bar through the throng. She worked her way around the edges until she spotted an empty two-person table in the corner. Sitting away from the main flow of traffic, the table was protected from attack by walls on two sides, and provided a view of all the entrances. She dodged her way through the crowd, but no one else seemed intent on claiming the table. When she sat down, she realized why. Thanks to a broken leg, the table listed at a dangerously steep angle. So what. She wasn’t here to eat, and she could easily hold her drink in her hand.

The waitress sauntered up, gave Jenna a quick once-over, and lost her friendly attitude. She barked something in Russian. Jenna pulled some money out of her pocket and set it on the table. Then, mentally crossing her fingers, she gave the hand gesture she’d seen the old men at the bar use when they signaled the bartender for vodka.

The waitress shrugged, grabbed the money, and walked away.

Jenna let out her breath and felt some of her tension ease. Two hurdles down. First, even though she didn’t understand the Russian alphabet or street layout, she’d managed to find the bar again. All she’d had to do was hand the taxi driver the matchbook she’d tucked into her purse before the attack. He’d nodded in acknowledgement and she hadn’t needed to speak a word.

Second, she hadn’t been recognized.

Through a break in the crowd she saw that this afternoon’s bartender was still on duty. She wished she could question him further about Kai, but not only would her voice give her away as female, if she spoke English she’d give away the fact she wasn’t one of the locals. She’d only drummed up the courage to come to the bar alone by convincing herself no one would notice her. So she’d have to be content with watching the entrances to see if her brother showed up.

She scanned the people milling around. No one looked her way and a little more tension left her body. She scooted back into her chair, slumped her shoulders, and prepared to wait.

She wondered if she’d make it back to the room before Niko returned. He’d left again shortly after bringing her the soup, saying something about meeting with a local contact. She’d tucked a note into the picture frame by the door where he’d be sure to see it, explaining where she’d gone, and why.

A woman at a nearby table screamed with laughter.

Jenna stifled the urge to cover her ears with her hands until the shrill laughter faded. Instead, she carefully scanned the patrons. She hoped Kai showed up soon. She…

Uh-oh.

Mark Tonelli pushed his way through the people near the door. He glanced at the crowded bar, then sat down at a table that had just freed up near Jenna.

Damn it, what was he doing here?

She waited until his head was turned away from her, then pulled her cap down lower on her head. A few scoots shifted her chair until she could watch Mark without being obvious.

After about fifteen minutes, the bartender left his post. Mark got up and followed him into the back.

No fair. She wanted to hear what the bartender had to say, but even if she managed to get close enough to eavesdrop, she didn’t understand Russian.

Cursing her ignorance, Jenna twirled her glass around on the table until a bit of vodka splashed out. She was mopping up the spill when Mark returned. The bartender must have said something encouraging, because Mark sat back down at his table, a smugly satisfied look on his face.

Full of cautious optimism, Jenna settled in to wait.

#

By one o’clock in the morning, Jenna was about ready to give up. The cigarette smoke made her head ache. Fighting to stay alert had her nerves stretched taut as a bowstring. Every time someone passed her table, she flinched.

Many of the patrons had moved on. With the thinned-out crowd, she was more conspicuous. Mark had been sending her increasingly suspicious glances for the past half an hour, but to her relief, he hadn’t confronted her. Although how he’d recognize her, she had no idea. Her coat collar was turned up so that between it and the bottom of her cap appeared maybe an inch of skin. Maybe he just thought she looked suspicious in a general way.

He shot her another glance as he settled back at his table after visiting the men’s room. Jenna shivered. She’d barely sipped her drink tonight, terrified of having to use the bathroom. Just thinking about walking down that corridor again made her throat close up and her stomach cramp.

Coward. What if Kai shows up in that hallway? Will you be too afraid to go after him?

She shoved the table away and surged to her feet.

How could she call herself an operator if she couldn’t face her demons? How was she supposed to survive long enough to get her revenge if she fell apart the first time she ran into trouble?

To hell with being afraid. She strode toward the restroom. Of their own accord, her feet slowed as she reached the hallway. Walking the last few feet felt like pushing through molasses.

She reached the place where she’d been pinned to the wall and her stomach lurched.

Remember, you fought him off. You escaped. Focus on the positive.

Inhale. Exhale. Push forward.

Now she faced the door. The corridor was deserted. She took a deep breath. Reached a shaking hand forward…

You can do this.

And opened the door.

The bathroom was empty, but her mind populated it with her attacker. Remembered the chill of the water and the suffocating feeling as her air ran out.

Silver spots danced before her eyes and she threw a hand out, bracing herself against the edge of the door.

She didn’t want to go inside. Thought she might fall completely apart if she had to.

But how could she respect herself if she didn’t?

Just two steps. That’s enough to prove you can do it.

And she did it. Slid first her left, then her right foot into the room. She was sweating by the time she was done, but she stood fully inside, with the door closed.

Her eyes darted from the sink, to the floor, and back.

Tamp down the fear. The shame. The fury. Lock all emotions away.
You survived. That’s what you do. You’re a survivor.

Think strong.

She forced herself to stay in the room for two minutes. To think about what had happened. To acknowledge and then accept that she’d gone over the line in the way she’d hurt her attacker.

She’d be stronger next time.

Then she allowed herself to leave.

When she stepped out into the hallway, a figure to her left near the back entrance caught her eye.

Jenna turned her head for a better view. And froze. A man with a stocking cap pulled low on his forehead walked almost timidly down the hallway toward her. His eyes were focused on the floor, denying her a chance to see his eyes, but her whole body stilled nonetheless. There was something familiar about the shape of the man’s head. Something familiar about the angle of his jaw and the way he held his body.

Kai? Adrenaline poured into her system. Colors became brighter. The smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke became tangier.

What she could see of the man’s face was thin almost to the point of gaunt. And he didn’t have Kai’s confident walk.

But still, instinct had her stepping forward.

The man sensed her presence and looked up.

And Jenna found herself staring into a familiar pair of golden eyes.

Kai!

The scene canted to the left, as if she was on the pitching deck of a ship. When her equilibrium returned, the man—no, Kai!— had already spun around.

He bolted back down the hallway and out an unpainted metal door.

Jenna charged after him, then stopped just before setting foot into the alley behind the bar. She swiveled her head, searching for danger, searching for Kai.

No one. Dammit, where was he?

There! To her left, walking swiftly away.

Jenna’s throat worked as she struggled to call out.

She didn’t even manage a croak.

Tears of frustration blurred her vision and she swiped them away. The psychologists said guilt stopped her from being able to use her voice in traumatic situations, but this wasn’t traumatic. It was triumphant. She’d found Kai. Why couldn’t she use her voice now?

She started to follow Kai, but he abruptly changed direction and headed back toward her, chased by shouts echoing from the end of the alley. Jenna reached out her hand as Kai dashed past, but he didn’t even look her way.

She ran after him. No way was he getting away from her.

He threw a quick glance over his shoulder as he ran.

That’s right. I’m coming after you, you bastard! You’re going to pay for what you did.

But his focus was on something behind her. Jenna peeked back. Four bulky men wearing black jeans and windbreakers were chasing them.

No. Chasing Kai. She was just in the way.

Well, tough. Kai was hers.

Jenna put on a burst of speed and almost managed to grab Kai’s jacket just as he reached the end of the alley. At the last second, Kai skirted to the left and her hand met only air.

No!

Her eyes were on Kai so she didn’t see the broken wooden crate until her feet had already collided with it. The impact pitched her forward.

As she fell, she tucked and rolled, landing on her back in the middle of a garbage-strewn puddle.

She immediately jumped up.

A fist collided with the side of her head, knocking off her hat and sending her back to the ground. She swept out her feet, knocking her attacker down. As he fell, she grabbed a broken board from the shattered crate and slammed it into his head.

She rolled and once again pushed to her feet. And barely dodged the charge of another man. She stepped quickly to the side and grabbed his arm.

A quick twist and he too, was on the ground. She spun around, checking for the location of the other two men she’d seen in the alley.

One was on the ground. As she watched, the other thug grappled with a man with frizzy blond hair.

The newcomer was fast. He ducked a blow that would have dislocated his jaw, drove his shoulder into the man’s sternum, and followed his opponent to the ground.

She didn’t wait to see who won. She raced to the end of the alley and onto the busy street. Dammit, which way had Kai gone?

Picking randomly, she chose left. She hadn’t gone more than a few paces when a taxi pulled over to the curb a block ahead. A man stepped forward, quickly opened the door and slid inside. For just an instant, Jenna saw his face.

Kai!

She tore after him, but the taxi pulled away before she could get its license plate number, leaving Jenna standing in the street, her jaw slack with disappointment, her hands clenched into impotent fists.

God, she’d been so close!

Jenna fought back tears. This was only a temporary setback. Now that she had proof Kai was here, she could find him again.

She glanced back toward the alley to see if anyone had followed her. Nope, all clear. She started in the direction the taxi had been taking. Not because she thought she’d see it again, but because there looked to be a busy intersection up ahead. She had a piece of note paper in her pocket with the address for Niko’s hotel. She’d flag down a taxi and head back.

A few steps later, some sixth sense had her looking back over her shoulder.

Two pale blond men in black suits were closing in on her. They weren’t anyone she’d seen in the alley, but the cold way they focused on her let her know she didn’t want them to get any closer.

Ahead of her, at the end of the block a black town car idled at a red light. Such cars were common on the streets, but this one sat a little too close to the side of the road.

Uh-oh. The men were herding her toward the car.

Jenna checked her options. On her right was the long, unbroken expanse of a building. By the time the building ended at the streetlight the men would have caught up with her.

If she ran and they chased her, they’d grab her before the corner. Her legs weren’t long enough to make her head start last.