21. Nat

This late in the day, the park is quiet. A few people walk dogs in there or use it as a cut-through to the main street where many of the popular bars are, but by the time I reach the bandstand, I'm all alone.

I sit down on the same bench as last time. I'm a few minutes early, so there's no sign of Margana, or whoever she is. Although I know she works for the mayor, I have no clue in what capacity. She's not said and I haven't asked.

Ten minutes crawl by as the sky gets darker. Lights located at intervals illuminate the pathways, but it's getting dark. I'm not normally afraid of the dark but I feel like a sitting duck.

A lone female, all alone in a deserted park.

It's a classic horror movie trope.

OK, so perhaps this is a bad idea. Have I been lured here for a reason?

Just as I'm about to say fuck it and leave, Margana appears. Like last time, she's wrapped up in a coat and her hair is hidden under a headscarf. She looks like any other forgettable middle-aged woman. Even down to the sensible flats on her feet.

"I was just about to go," I comment as she sits down beside me, her eyes flicking around the park nervously.

"Sorry, I thought I was being followed, so I took a longer route."

"Followed?" The skin on the back of my neck prickles uncomfortably. I peer into the ever-deepening shadows beyond the bandstand, but there's nothing there. "By who?"

Margana grips her small bag tightly, her knuckles white. She's so tense I'm concerned she might snap like a brittle twig.

"I think the mayor knows I downloaded his emails. He's been watching me more closely than usual."

"Does your job not give you access to his emails?"

"Work ones, yes, but he left his laptop open one lunchtime and I accessed his private email account. I downloaded as many as I could."

Her small frame hunches over like she's trying to make herself invisible.

"Can you leave town? Go somewhere safe?" I don't want anything to happen to her. No story is worth someone's life.

"No. Nowhere is safe from him. He has a long reach." It's a cool evening but sweat soaks my underarms. From what Micky has found out about the mayor's friend, Anatoly Uriov, I know she's right.

"We shouldn't meet again," I tell her. "It's not safe for either of us. Stick to email."

"I know, but I needed to give you this." She dips her hand in her pocket and retrieves another small USB drive. "I managed to download some more emails before he got suspicious. That's all I can do. He doesn't let me go in his office alone now."

"Thank you." I squeeze her hand as she passes me the drive. For a brief moment, she looks up. Her eyes are green. She must have been very beautiful once; I can see it in her delicate bone structure.

Now, though, she just looks exhausted, as if working for the mayor has nibbled away at her soul, leaving a desiccated shell behind.

"Make him pay, Natalya," she says, her voice so low I can barely make out the words.

"He got me pregnant. I wanted to keep the baby, but he made me get rid of it. I'm too old to have children now." Her voice breaks and she stares at the pavement beneath her worn brown leather shoes.

"I'm so sorry." I feel bad even uttering such pointless words. Nothing I say will give this poor woman back what she lost. "He'll get what's coming to him. I promise you that." It's not a promise I'm positive I can keep, but I will do everything in my power to make it happen.

Margana nods briefly and then stands. "Be careful," I tell her. She pauses for a second and then reaches out and touches my hand with hers.

"You too." Two words that feel so very ominous, given how deep the shadows are now.

Margana leaves in the direction of the south exit while I walk hurriedly toward the main gate. There are a few people still around but I'm on edge. Margana's warning has spooked me.

I can feel eyes watching me. It could be paranoia, but I'm not so sure anymore. I duck my head low, wishing I'd worn something less conspicuous than a long, red coat. It stands out against the blue-black darkness, even as the brightly lit park entrance comes into focus.

A group of young men mill around by the tall metal gates. They are drinking and laughing. One of them looks up as I approach and whistles, but I ignore him.

He breaks away from his friends, preening like a rooster.

"Hey baby, wanna have some fun?"

I don't dignify the question with an answer. It's safer to pretend I haven't heard him, but just as I reach the gate, he steps into my path, forcing me to stop abruptly.

My heart clamors in my chest, threatening to break free of the confines of my rib cage. The feeling of being hemmed in reminds me all too well of how often Rick used his physical strength to overpower me.

This young man doesn't have the same bulk, but he's still taller and stronger than me. Strong enough to overpower me if he chooses. He leans in and I can smell his body odor, a mix of cheap cologne and pungent sweat. The wolf tattoo on his neck snarls at me, its jaws dripping with blood.

My lungs seize to the point where I struggle to suck air in at all. Everything shrinks until there's just the two of us. He's so young, but in my mind's eye, his face morphs into Rick's. Sharp cheekbones become fleshier, brown eyes turn blue.

The logical side of my brain reminds me Rick left, but my body isn't listening.

"Get out of my way, please." My voice is firm even if my nerves are jangling so hard I'm concerned my legs might collapse from under me.

"Aww, why would I do that?" He smiles while edging closer, using his height to intimidate me.

The sound of my phone ringing in my pocket is a momentary distraction. I grip it tightly.

"Because I'll scream if you don't," I manage to discretely swipe my phone screen to accept the call. I have no clue who just called me, but at least they might be able to hear what's going on.

"Natalya? Are you OK?" Something in me calms. Max helped me once before.

I have to let him know what's happening somehow. He's probably miles away, but the knowledge that he can hear me helps ground me, giving me the courage to yell,

"Get away from me!"