Breathe
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Breathe in, breathe out.
The mantra repeated itself over and over like a looped recording on repeat. It was the only thing I could hear as my heart pounded against my chest. My hands shook with adrenaline and fear. The bodyguard stood behind me, waiting for instructions. He’d been silent since we’d entered the room, but now his eyes narrowed at my entrance into the room.
“I’ve got this, Dmitri,” I said quietly to him, trying to calm myself down before speaking to the man who had just walked in from across the hall.
He was tall and leanly muscled, wearing a well-tailored suit that fit him perfectly. His hair was a dark blonde color, almost red, cut short. He smiled as he looked me up and down, taking in the way I was dressed.
“Ava,” he greeted me warmly before looking at the bodyguard next to me. “Good to see you again.”
“You too, Mr. Smith,” the bodyguard replied politely.
Dmitri nodded once before walking toward the bar area of the suite where two glasses sat waiting for him. A fresh bottle of vodka rested beside them, along with a couple of ice buckets. As he poured himself a drink, I turned around to look at the room. There were several large windows with curtains covering them, making it hard to see inside. It appeared as though there was no one else in the room other than the two of us.
I wasn’t sure what to do or say. Was this some sort of test? Could he be here to kill me? I didn’t want to sound like a coward, but I’d never handled something like this before. I’d trained for months and months to become proficient in various forms of self-defense, but when faced with actual danger, all my training went out the window.
“Do you know him?” Dmitri asked, cutting through my thoughts.
“No. I don’t recognize him,” I answered honestly.
Dmitri chuckled softly. “It’s fine. We’re alone together, so there shouldn’t be an issue. He has a few questions about your time at the Academy.”
My entire body tensed. This guy was from The Program. I didn’t know much about it, only that they took teens and experimented on them until they were broken. In my head, I couldn’t help but think of Ryan. Did he ever get caught? And if he did, how far did they take their experiments?
“Who is he?” I whispered.
“An old friend,” Dmitri answered nonchalantly.
I glanced back at the man sitting in the chair beside the door. He stared at me with no emotion on his face. If I had to guess, I would say he was older than Dmitri, maybe by ten years at least. His hair was silver, cut short to his scalp, and his blue eyes seemed to stare right through me.
He wore a sharp black suit that hugged the lines of his body perfectly. His tie was loose around his neck, giving him more freedom of movement.
“What are you going to do?” I asked Dmitri quietly.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he answered simply. “Just answer the questions. You need to tell him everything.”
“Why?” I asked, shaking my head slightly. “How can you trust him after what happened?”
Dmitri sighed softly. “Because he’s changed.”
“When did you meet him?” I asked nervously.
Dmitri took a long pull from his glass before answering. “We met in elementary school. I think we were eight years old at the time.”
I swallowed hard, trying to process everything. “And then you just ran away from home together?”
“Not really,” Dmitri said with a chuckle. “But it started off as nothing more than friends. We were kids, Ava. We thought running away was fun—something we’d never have to worry about growing up.”
“So, he’s your best friend?” I asked slowly, still unable to wrap my mind around the idea of trusting anyone who’d been involved with The Program.
“He’s my brother,” Dmitri corrected me gently. “That’s why I can’t let anything happen to you. Because he chose to run away from the program, I have to protect you.”
I waited for more information, but Dmitri continued to sit there, staring at me without saying another word.
“But you keep telling me you don’t want to be here,” I pointed out, finally feeling brave enough to speak again. “Why do you care if he kills me?”
Dmitri set his glass down on the table. “Because he’ll never find you.”
***
“Are you okay?” I heard Dmitri ask as I tried to process everything that had happened over the last twenty-four hours.
I knew I needed to talk to Ryan, and I was desperate for answers, but I wasn’t ready to do it yet. Not when I was so emotionally raw from the past few days.
I’d been sitting outside of Ryan’s room for almost thirty minutes now, waiting for him to come out and talk to me. But he hadn’t responded to any of my messages or phone calls. And I was starting to grow suspicious.
It had to be because of our conversation yesterday. I still couldn’t believe he was at the Academy. But hearing him admit he wasn’t a part of the military anymore had taken a huge weight off my shoulders. Now I could concentrate solely on getting him out of there.
“Ava?” Dmitri asked again, sensing my hesitation. “Should I call the doctor? Maybe she can make you feel better.”
I shook my head quickly, waving my hand in front of my mouth. “No, it’s okay. I’m just tired.”
Dmitri leaned forward and picked up a piece of bread that sat on the table next to his plate. “Do you want some more soup?”
“Yes, please,” I answered gratefully.
Dmitri put the bowl down in front of me and pulled another one out of the oven.
I barely tasted my food as I concentrated on listening to the conversation between Dmitri and the man who’d shown up while I was eating dinner. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was the same man who’d taken Ryan into custody all those years ago. It was possible since Dmitri had told me he was an old friend, but I had no way of knowing for sure.
As I ate, I kept a close eye on the man standing beside the door. He spoke casually to Dmitri, keeping his arms crossed over his chest as he watched me eat. There was something intimidating about him; I could feel it in the air around us.
“Is he your father?” I asked, unable to stop myself from asking the question. I’d never seen Dmitri with anyone else but his mother and sister, and I’d never even thought he came from a family, much less a father.
Dmitri laughed lightly. “My father was a soldier in The Program,” he explained. “He was killed two years ago while we were on a mission.”
The man beside the door stiffened.
“Ryan told me what happened,” I said softly. “You’re the reason he’s here.”
Dmitri looked surprised by my statement, and for the first time, I noticed that he had a slight accent. It sounded like Russian.
“How did you know Ryan?” Dmitri asked, turning to look at the man.
“I’ve known him for quite a few years,” the man answered. “We used to play in the woods behind Dmitri’s house.”
“He was a good kid,” Dmitri replied. “Always polite, always kind.”
“It’s hard to believe he’s grown up into such a dangerous man,” the man said, shaking his head.
“Everything he’s done has been for you,” Dmitri said. “He’s the only person who knows how to get you back to where you belong.”
“Where does that leave you?” the man asked with a raised brow.
“In danger,” Dmitri admitted, meeting my gaze for the first time. “But I don’t plan on being here long.”
“Don’t worry about me,” I assured him, picking up my spoon and stirring my soup. “I’m not afraid of him or whatever he wants.”
“What makes you say that?” the man asked, looking at me curiously.
“Because if he wanted me dead, I would already be gone,” I said, wiping a tear from my cheek before it fell. “The only thing keeping me here is Ryan, and I don’t think he’ll let anything happen to me.”
“That’s why I have to go home,” Dmitri said, looking at me intently. “Once the plan goes through, you and I will be able to leave together.”
“And then what?” I asked, watching as the man turned to face Dmitri.
“Then I’ll come back for you.”
I nodded, trying to hide my disappointment. “Okay.”
Dmitri dropped his napkin onto the table and stood up. “I’m going to go check on Ryan,” he said, leaving me alone with the stranger.
I swallowed hard and wiped my eyes again, surprised when the man didn’t say anything. Instead, he just stared at me in silence, his dark eyes piercing me from across the room.
“Why are you staring at me?” I finally asked.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I was just…surprised. You look so much like your brother.”
“Oh,” I said, trying to keep the confusion out of my voice. “Do you know Ryan?” I asked, hoping to change the subject.
The man smiled warmly at me. “Not personally, but I know his reputation. Everyone does. His name is synonymous with death and destruction. He’s a ruthless man, and everyone fears him.”
“Everyone except me,” I whispered, wondering if he knew the truth about Ryan.
“That’s because you don’t know the real Ryan,” the man said, nodding. “Dmitri is lucky to have him as a friend.”
“I guess I am,” I murmured, feeling a little uneasy with the way he was talking. “Are you okay?” I asked, noticing that the man’s hands were clenched tightly behind his back.
“Yes,” he replied, looking down at the floor. “Just a little tired.”
“You should probably lie down,” I suggested, pushing my chair away from the table. “Maybe take a nap.”
The man nodded slowly and walked over to stand next to the bed. Once he took a seat, he slipped off his shoes.
“Why are you sitting there?” I asked, watching him warily.
“To give you space,” he said simply, closing his eyes. “This is your safe place.”
I looked around the small room, taking note of the simple décor. “Do you know the truth about Ryan?” I asked hesitantly.
The man opened one eye and looked at me, his expression was unreadable. “No,” he answered, shaking his head.
“But you must know something.”
The man closed his eyes again and leaned back against the wall, and I could tell he was thinking.
“What do you want to know?” he asked after several seconds, his gaze still on the floor.
“Everything,” I said quickly, relieved that he hadn’t denied knowing anything about Ryan. “I need to know everything.”
“I can’t tell you everything,” he said, shaking his head sadly. “You have to trust me.”
“How can I trust you? We hardly even know each other!”
The man chuckled softly and sat up straighter, his jaw working as he tried to decide how to answer.
“I understand,” I said, though I didn’t really.
The man sighed and opened his eyes again, looking at me with an intensity that made me nervous.
“I’ve never told anyone this story,” he began slowly, “and I hope you won’t judge me harshly for what happened.
The End