Diego’s question interrupts my mindless punching spree. Wiping sweat from my forehead, I turn to see the young Mexican standing there, his gloves already prepped. Behind him are a couple more guards waiting their turn.
Judging by the looks on their faces and the soreness in my knuckles, I must’ve been working off my anger for quite some time.
“It’s all yours,” I say, forcing myself to step away from the sandbag. “Go ahead.”
As I leave the gym, I debate going back to my house to take a shower, but I’m not calm enough to face Yulia yet. So instead, I make my way to Esguerra’s mansion to use the shower by the pool. He keeps a stash of T-shirts there in case of any unexpected bloody business, and I grab one of them to change into when I’m clean.
I rinse quickly, and as I’m pulling on my shorts and a fresh T-shirt, I catch a glimpse of a familiar dark-haired figure hurrying into the house.
Rosa.
I’d all but forgotten about the maid. She must’ve taken my words to heart, as I haven’t seen her since our talk in Esguerra’s kitchen. Hopefully, I didn’t hurt the girl too badly, but it couldn’t be helped. I didn’t want her lurking anywhere near Yulia.
Feeling marginally calmer after my hard workout, I head to Esguerra’s office for a call with the Israeli intelligence agency.
* * *
We spend the next two hours talking with the Mossad about the recent developments in Syria and the rest of the Middle East. As the call wraps up, I consider telling Esguerra what I’ve uncovered about UUR so far, but decide it’s not the right time. I’ll speak to him about Yulia and her agency when we return from Chicago. By then, I should have more concrete information, as the hackers are finally having some success sifting through the coded data in the Ukrainian government’s files.
After the call is done, Esguerra and I go over last-minute logistics for tomorrow’s trip.
“When we land, we’re going to go straight to Nora’s parents’ house,” Esguerra says. “They want to see her right away, even if it means a late dinner.”
I’m long past wondering about the insanity of this trip, so I just say, “All right. I’ll be with the guard detail tomorrow night to make sure everyone knows what they’re doing.”
“Good.” Esguerra pauses for a second. “You know Rosa is coming with us, right?”
I actually didn’t know that. “She is? Why?”
“Nora wants her company.”
“Okay.” I don’t see how that changes anything. Unless… “Do I need to bring extra men to look out for her, or will she be with you and Nora most of the time?”
“She’ll be with us.” Esguerra seems vaguely amused. “All right, then, sounds like we’re all set. I’ll see you on the plane tomorrow.”
“See you,” I say, and head over to the guards’ barracks for my meeting with Diego and Eduardo—the two guards I’m appointing as Yulia’s jailers in my absence.
* * *
“Walk me through it again,” I tell Eduardo after I give him and Diego the full list of instructions concerning my captive. “How many times will you visit my house to let her use the bathroom and stretch her legs?”
The Colombian rolls his eyes. “Three times in addition to releasing her during meals. We got it, Kent, I promise.”
“And what will you do if she attempts to escape?”
“We’ll restrain her, but not harm her in any way,” Diego says, his lips twitching with amusement. “You’ve got to chill out, man. We understand. We’re not going to touch a hair on her head other than to make sure she doesn’t go anywhere. She’s going to have her books, her TV shows, and yes, I’ll take her out for a walk once a day.”
“And we’ll keep our mouths shut about the whole thing,” Eduardo adds, parroting my exact words. “Nobody will hear a peep about your spy princess from us.”
“Good.” I give them a hard look. “And food?”
“We’ll bring her products from the main house and let her cook them,” Diego says, openly grinning now. “She’ll be the most well-fed, well-entertained prisoner in existence.”
I ignore his ribbing. “And at night?”
“I will shackle her wrist to the metal post you installed by the bed,” Eduardo says. “And I will not lay a hand on her. It’ll be as if she’s a sack of potatoes—but a really important one,” he adds quickly when my hand tightens into a fist. “Seriously, Kent, I’m just kidding. We’re going to take good care of your girl, I promise. You know you can trust us.”
I do know that. That’s why I chose them for this task. Both guards have been working here for the past two years, and they’ve proven their loyalty. They might find my orders amusing, but they’ll do as I say.
Yulia will be safe with them.
“Okay,” I say, nodding at them. “In that case, I will see you both tomorrow morning. Be at my house at nine sharp.”
And leaving the guards’ barracks, I go to the training field to check on our new recruits.
26
Yulia
I don’t know how much time passes before I get my tears under control, but by the time I open the book Lucas left for me, the sun is already setting outside. I stare at the words on the open page, but the text fades in and out, the letters jumbling together in front of my swollen eyes.
I failed my brother. Because of me, he’s going to be killed.
I attempt to focus on the book, to push the devastating knowledge away, but it’s all I can think about. Old memories press in, and I close my eyes, too tired to fight them off.
“Please watch your brother,” my mother implores, her blue gaze filled with worry. “Check on him before you go to sleep, all right? He seemed a little feverish earlier, so if his forehead feels unusually warm, call us, all right? And don’t open the door for anyone you don’t recognize.”
“I won’t, Mom. I know what to do.” I might be ten, but it’s not the first time I’ve stayed alone with Misha while my parents rushed to my grandfather’s sickbed. “I’ll take good care of him, I promise.”
Mom kisses me on the forehead, her floral perfume teasing my nostrils. “I know you will,” she murmurs, stepping back. “You’re my wonderful grown-up girl.” Her face is tense with stress, but the smile she directs at me is full of warmth. “We’ll be back as soon as your grandfather stabilizes a bit.”
“I know, Mom.” I smile back at her, unaware that my life is about to change forever. “Go to Grandpa. I’ll watch over Misha, I promise.”
And I tried to do exactly that. When the policemen came to our apartment the next morning, I didn’t let them in until they showed me pictures of my parents’ bodies in the morgue, broken and bloodied from the car crash. I insisted that my brother stay with me when Child Services tried to separate us, claiming that a two-year-old shouldn’t attend his parents’ funeral. And when Vasiliy Obenko approached me at the orphanage a year later, offering to have his sister and her husband adopt Misha if I joined his agency, I didn’t hesitate.
I told the Head of UUR I’d do anything if he gave my brother a normal, happy life.
Opening my eyes, I try to focus on the book again, but at that moment, a flash of movement in my peripheral vision catches my attention. Startled, I look up and see a dark-haired woman standing in the middle of Lucas’s library.
Rosa, I realize, my pulse jumping.
“What are you doing here? How did you get in?” I can’t hide the undertone of panic in my voice. My hands are handcuffed, and I’m bound to the chair with a thick layer of ropes. If she means to harm me, I can’t stop her.
Rosa holds up a key ring. “In the main house, we have a spare key for every building in this compound, private houses included.”
I don’t see any weapons on her, which is somewhat reassuring. “Okay, but why are you here?” I ask in a calmer tone.
“I wanted to see you,” she says. “Tomorrow, we’re leaving for two weeks. Going to Chicago to visit Nora’s family.”
“Nora’s family?”
“Señor Esguerra’s wife,” Rosa clarifies.
I frown in confusion. I now recall that Nora is the name of the American girl Esguerra kidnapped and married. Lucas didn’t tell me the reason for his upcoming trip, but I assumed it was business-related. I had no idea Lucas’s sadistic boss has any kind of relationship with his in-laws.
“Anyways,” Rosa continues, “I wanted to see you in person before I left.”
My confusion intensifies. “Why?”
Rosa steps closer. “Because I don’t think you belong here.” Her hands are locked together in front of her black dress. “Because this isn’t right.”
“What isn’t right?” Does she want me strung up in some torture shed like she’d implied before?
“You. This whole thing.” Her brown eyes regard me steadily. “It’s wrong that Lucas has you here like this. That he’s leaving you with Diego and Eduardo. They’re good guys, both of them. They like to play poker.”
“Poker?” I’m completely lost.