Unmitigated Greed

Chapter 26

Sasha was used to being by herself, but this was the first time she was looking forward to someone coming home at the end of the day. It gave her the same giddy feeling she would get as a little girl waiting for her father to return from work so she could show him a new picture she had drawn. Crayon artwork may not impress Mike, but coming home to a completely organized house and a home cooked meal would.

She went to work opening the remaining boxes brought from his torched house and finding the best place to hang the few pictures Mike owned. Sasha spent most of the morning turning a haphazardly arranged kitchen into a functional one, carefully making a list of items that were either missing or in need of replacement. Her plan for the afternoon was to learn Annapolis a little better, and buy some of the items on her list.

Illya arrived at Mike’s townhouse just in time to watch his target leave. His plan was to confront the two of them at the same time. He wanted to make them watch and suffer as he alternated between torturing first one then the other. Now he would need to change things up. Illya considered his options. It might be easier to capture her first. With her totally under his control the man would be more compliant, willing to obey his commands in a futile attempt to keep her from harm. Yes, a much more satisfying result. Bykovsky patiently sat in his car waiting for just the right moment.

Stakeouts are exceptionally boring. Munching on junk food, drinking lukewarm coffee, peeing in an empty plastic water bottle, and waiting for the perfect opportunity to get the drop on your prey. Illya would have been enjoying his life back in Russia if it wasn’t for revenge, possibly the strongest of all human emotions. He felt duty bound to avenge his friend Yuri’s murder no matter the cost. Now it looked like his patience was about to pay off.

Sasha had completed a deep clean of the townhouse just the way her mother had taught her. Now the only thing left to do was walk to the dumpster with the trash. She thought about putting it in the trunk and dropping it off on her way out of the complex, but it was such a nice day she opted for a walk in the sunshine instead. Maybe it was the beautiful day or the fact that she was lost in her thoughts of Mike and the wonderful future they will be sharing that caused her to let her guard down. That all changed the moment she heard his voice and felt a pinch in the base of her neck.

“Hello, little sparrow. It’s so nice to see you again.

Sasha’s training kicked in immediately, but the drug Illya injected her with worked even faster and the world began to spin. Illya put an arm around her waist and guided her back inside the house. Once indoors he zip tied her to a dining room chair and let the drug run its course. Whatever this stuff was caused Sasha’s mind to float from childhood fun and games to the way her stomach wretched the first time she pulled the trigger on her sniper rifle and watched her targets head explode all over his wife’s dress. Her memory surfing lasted for more than an hour until her brief flashes of lucidity broadened back into the here and now.

“Welcome back my little sparrow. You recovered faster than most.”

“My name is Sasha, and I was never yours even when they forced me into that hell hole you called a school.”

“Ah, still the same firebrand I remember. Does your new boyfriend enjoy that about you? I bet you have him wrapped around your little finger or maybe you control him with what’s between your legs. I must remember to ask him when I see him. By the way, my sparrow, when will he be home? I want this to be a shared experience.”

“I don’t know when he’ll be home, you animal. He’s working and may be gone for days. You’ll just have to settle for me. Besides, Mike killed Gregor. I was the one who killed your cowardly boyfriend Yuri while he was attempting to stab Mike in the back. It’s only me you want not him.”

“How noble of you, my dear, but I know your lying. How, might you ask? While you were on your shopping trip I was here planting bugs, so I know he’ll be back tonight. I just don’t know when, and it seems neither do you. It seems we have nothing but time on our hands. I think we should play some games.”

Illya reached into his back pocket and removed a switchblade knife. He hit the release button which extended the blade and cut the top button from her blouse.

“I’m going to like this game. I hope Mike comes home in time to play.”