Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

LUCA

W hen I’m back in the small guest house, the guards wait outside and lock me in. The house is basically one big room, and I can see through the windows that they are walking the perimeter. I’m also aware that this house is bugged and there are cameras around the exterior.

It’s going to be almost impossible to get away, but I’m not giving up. The first thing I need to do is warn Vitaly. If I leave now and go after Nolia, I might not be able to tell him afterwards. I want to be able to find her and get the fuck out of here before they suspect anything, but I can’t bet his and Pru’s life on it.

Taking off my boot, I pop open the secret compartment in the heel and pull out the tracker. Vitaly has people keeping a watch on it at all times, so I tap the button on it three times before I toss it on the floor and crush it. That’s the signal that trouble is coming their way and to be prepared. It’s not enough, but it’s all I’ve got. If I call or make a move to communicate with him, they’ll know about it. This is a signal for him to get Pru to safety and prepare for a war.

Once the alert is sent, I strap my boot back on and go to the bathroom. The first time I took a shower in here, I noticed the steam escaping through a crack in the ceiling. I’m not sure who designed this house, but after a quick inspection, I could see a way out.

I search the bathroom thoroughly to make sure there were no cameras or listening devices, but when I stand on top of the closed toilet lid, I still make sure to stay silent. As I push against the crack in the ceiling, a large panel lifts over my head, and I can see light. This must have been used for maintenance access, but they didn’t seal it up completely.

Reaching up, I pull myself through the panel and then gently put it back in place. Once I’m in the crawl space, I see where the light is coming from. There’s an air vent on the other end of the house. Crawling on my hands and knees, I go over to the vent and pop it open.

I’m going to have trouble squeezing through it, but I should be able to use it as an escape as long as there aren’t any guards outside. As carefully as I can, I peek outside and look down at the ground. There are two guards below talking to each other, and I strain to hear what they’re saying.

“How long are we supposed to be out here?” the one wearing a gray suit says. “I’m not in the mood to babysit.”

“You heard Marco,” the guy in the black jacket sighs. “We’re supposed to stay here until he gives us the signal.”

“I’m really not in the mood to clean up a dead body,” Gray Suit huffs.

“Especially one the size of that guy.” Black Jacket shakes his head.

“This is stupid. He’s not going anywhere. He told Marco exactly where to find Vitaly, and he’s already dispatched the hit. What does it matter now?” Gray Suit’s walkie-talkie beeps, and he holds it up to his mouth. “Say again. Over.”

“Tell Marco we’ve got the girl. She was trying to leave, but we’ve moved her to the basement. Over.”

A mixture of panic and rage flows through my veins as I think about someone capturing Nolia. I’ve heard stories of tortures that happen in the basement and the thought of anything happening to her makes my blood run cold. I have to find her and get her the fuck out of this house of horrors.

“Where the fuck is Marco?” Black Jacket asks the question, but Gray Suit shrugs.

“How the fuck do I know? He sent us here.” He hits the button on the walkie-talkie again. “We’ll tell him. Over,” Gray Suit says and then tucks it into his belt.

“Why’d you say that?” Black Jacket asks.

“So we can be the heroes that tell him where she is. Come on, he said he was looking for her.” Gray Suit slaps him on the back, but Black Jacket is reluctant.

“If he doesn’t kill us for leaving our post,” he mumbles but ultimately follows after him.

Once they are gone, I release a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Just as I’m about to pull myself through the vent, my watch buzzes. Nothing on the face of the watch changes, and it’s so subtle anyone else would have missed it. But I know exactly what that means. Nolia has clicked her pen.

She’s in danger, but she’s able to communicate with me, so she’s still alive. I slide my finger across my watch and enter in a code that connects me to the pen. I send a ping back to her so the pen vibrates and tells me her location. A small area map comes up, and I can see a red dot southwest of my location. That’s where she is, and that’s where I need to go.

The sun has almost fully set, so I know I’m running out of time. I can’t do anything more to help Vitaly and Pru, but I have to get to Nolia before Marco does.

I’m able to shoulder my way through the vent and then drop down to the patio below. Thankfully I’m on the back side of the house, and it’s probably why the guards came back here to talk. There aren’t any cameras back here, so they wouldn’t get caught leaving.

In the distance are rows of shrubs that border the main house, so I crouch down next to them for cover. While I’m low to the ground, I make my way to the kitchen entrance at the back of the house. This is where they do big deliveries with steps down to the storage below. I studied the blueprints of this place before I left, so I know there’s a secret passage from the storage to the rest of the basement. They put in a lift to the upstairs kitchen, so it’s not used anymore, but it’s still there and the perfect way for me to sneak in.

Taking the gun out of my belt, I hold it in front of me as I descend the steps. There’s no going back now, as if there was even a choice.

I’m leaving here with Nolia or they’ll carry me out in a body bag. Either way, I’m not going down easily.