Chapter Sixty-Two



Eli

It's been a few weeks since Greggson brought Babkin in, but there's been nothing. I haven't heard from Greggson and Arrow hasn't mentioned anything particularly out of the ordinary. We're at Christmas Eve and Dani and I are at my parents' house for dinner. Dani doesn't want to join us for dinner tomorrow, so we made a compromise. She's been a lot more open with me, talking about some of her nightmares. I've been sleeping on the bed as well, which seems to help her. Some of the atrocious things she's had to endure would make you sick. I thought I'd seen everything, but Dani's abuse has proven me wrong. There are some seriously sick people out there. They even branded her with their initials using blades. How awful is that?

I haven't had a chance to ask her if she'd be ok with Ash training her. She's been doing so well, and I haven't wanted to upset the calm. I want to get through Christmas first. I'm sure this is a tough time for her, especially seeing as her parents aren't around to share the season. My pops breaks my thoughts, “Are you guys working tomorrow, Eli?”

“Yes sir. Just the day though. Bravo team has the night shift. We're on 7am til 8pm though. Are Ash and Momma K joining us tomorrow?”

“Yes. Tyler's bringing his girlfriend and Maria, John and Fiona will be here as well.”

My mom asks, “Are you sure you don't want to join us, Dani?”

“No thank you, ma'am. I don't want to intrude.”

“Not at all. You're part of the family now, there's no intrusion.”

Dani smiles a little, that gesture seems to be getting a bit easier. “Thank you, but I'm really ok with staying at home. I promise.”

She doesn't want to say she'd rather not be here.

My mom smiles and nods before saying, “Well, Don and I got you something. I'll give it to you now.”

My mom disappears into the kitchen and I see the panicked look on Dani's face. I mutter in Russian, “Relax. Take the gift. There's no hidden agenda.”

Dani's eyes widen and she breathes out, “You speak Russian?!”

I chuckle, “A little. It's taken me a year to do. It's a hard language.”

“You speak Russian!”

Her little outburst causes me to laugh and her to cover her mouth in embarrassment.

“Yes, I'm not very good though.”

“I can't believe it. Do you understand me when I'm muttering?”

“Sometimes. When you don't go too fast or use slang.”

“Wow, just wow.”

I chuckle again, but our conversation is stopped by my mom appearing at the table. She puts a small package on the table and slides it towards Dani slowly. She learned the hard way about Dani's panic attacks.

Dani just stares at it in awe and disbelief, so my dad says, “You're allowed to open it, Dani.”

“Oh, yes. Sorry.”

Dani carefully unwraps the paper and just stares at the little box in front of her. I don't actually know what they got Dani. My mom wouldn't say, so when I see what it is, I'm just as shocked as Dani. I see a tear fall as she holds the box close to her. She doesn't know what to say or do. My mom has tears in her eyes as well, as she says, “I thought you'd want to remember your mother, but I'm sure you have no belongings from back then. It wasn't an easy task, but I managed to find most of her dance recitals from New York and a few from back home in Russia. I had them put on to DVD, so I don't know how good the quality is...”

Dani lets out a shaky breath and then she does something that shocks all of us. She stands up, walks over to my mom and gives her a hug. At first, my mom is so shocked, she doesn't do anything. But when she wraps her arms around Dani, Dani bursts into tears. Not the heart wrenching sobs that I've heard coming from her, but a different kind of tears. She just keeps whispering, “Thank you.” over and over. My mom whispers, “I know I can never take her place, but I think of you as my daughter now and if you ever need anything, all you have to do is ask. Ok?”

Dani sniffs and replies, “Yes ma'am. Thank you so much.”

My face is hurting from the smile that's plastered on it. Even my dad looks like he wants to shed a tear. He knows how difficult the struggle has been; he knows that Dani giving my mom a hug is an extremely big step forward.

After Dani steps away from my mom, she whispers an apology. Probably for crying, so my dad quickly says, “You've got nothing to be sorry for. I'm just glad you like it. Would you like to watch one now?”

Her eyes sparkle, “Really?”

“Yes. We'd like to see it as well if that's ok with you.”

“Oh yes sir.”

My mom makes coffee as we settle in front of the TV to watch Dani's momma dancing on stage. She really was a truly amazing dancer. Now, I'm not a fan of ballet, but she has a grace and talent that even I can appreciate. I can see where Dani gets her beauty from.





Dani

We're on our way back to my house, and it's almost 11pm. I can't believe Connie and Don got me these DVDs. That has to be one of the best gifts ever. I feel guilty because I didn't get them anything, but Eli assures me they weren't expecting anything in return. He also tells me that he bought something for them from the both of us. I have to admit, I'm starting to feel like part of the family. Those drugs seem to be working better now and I'm not so on edge all the time. I don't think I'll ever get rid of the dirty feeling I have inside, but I'm starting to see that if Eli can accept me then maybe his parents can as well. Maybe not everyone is like the people who took me and tortured me.

Eli holds my hand as we go to sleep. We've figured out that it seems to be a link to reality for me, and it makes the nightmares more manageable. I feel a little like a child, as I sleep with the DVDs on my bedside table. Before I know it, it's morning time.

As we get ready to leave for work, Eli reaches for my hand and he whispers, “Happy Christmas, sweetheart.”

“Happy Christmas, Eli. Thank you for everything.”

“You're more than welcome. I did get you something.”

“You did? You shouldn't get me anything. You've already done too much for me.”

“I wanted to get you something. Do you want to open it now?”

I shrug, feeling embarrassed. Eli hands me an envelope and says, “It's nothing big, but I thought it was something you'd use.”

As I open the envelope, a smile appears on my face. He knows me well. Getting me a book voucher is the perfect gift. I've read everything I own already and I'm in desperate need of new books.

“Thank you, Eli. It's perfect.”

“You're welcome. Shall we get this day over with?”

“Yes sir.”

Work is relatively quiet, surprisingly. Maybe people aren't awake yet or something, but the teams end up training for most of the day. They get called out to a bomb scare around 4pm, which I run comms for, but they clock out at 8pm, just like they're supposed to. Eli drops me home before heading to his parents' house.

He gets back at 1am and he doesn't smell of alcohol. I must voice this out loud, because Eli says, “I knew I'd be coming back here, so I didn't drink. I know you don't like it.”

“I'm sorry, Eli.”

“It's cool. Not upsetting you is more important. What did you do this evening?”

I can't help the smile as I say, “I watched my momma dance.”

“I'm glad you like it. My mom did good on that one.”

“She really did.”

We settle into our night time routine and try to sleep.

Eli's cell scares me, as it rings a few hours later. That's never a good sign. He snatches the cell and answers, “Ramirez.... Right sir, I'm on my way.”

He hangs up and grabs his clothes.

“Eli? What's wrong?”

“All teams have been flashed. There's been a warning of a major bomb scare at Grand Central Station, multiple devices. Cap needs me in now.”

“What about me?”

“He said you don't need to be in. There's too many people everywhere. He said you can log in from here and keep an eye on the situation, but he needs you out of the precinct.”

“Yes sir.”

I actually breathe out a sigh of relief. If it's going to be exceptionally busy, then I don't really want to be there. I will work better away from everyone.

I jump up and put coffee on while Eli gets ready. I pour some into a travel mug and hand it to him as he puts his boots on. I place my hand on his chest as I say, “Please be careful, Eli.”

“Always sweetheart, always.”

I grab a cup of coffee myself, as I sit down and log in to my computer. This is where my old hacking skills come into play. I hack in to every camera I can and monitor the situation on the ground. The guys are going to need my eyes as much as possible.

It's nearly 5 am when the teams are dispatched to the scene, which is full of commuters and the general public. I keep my eyes glued to the screens, looking for anything I can relay to the Captain or Eli.





Eli

As we're on our way to Grand Central Station, my cell rings. At first I think it's Dani with some information, but Greggson's name flashes on the screen. I frown, but take the call, wondering what he's doing calling me.

“Ramirez.”

“Lieutenant, I wanted to give you a head's up. We've had Babkin in for questioning again. We've just released him. I got wind that they've had a major drug shipment in the last 24 hours, so I want to see if he tips them off. If we can catch them moving the good, then we'll have a good chance of holding them.”

“Thank you, Captain. I'm on my way to Grand Central Station right now. You have men on him, right?”

“Yes. He's not going anywhere without us knowing. Be careful out there, Eli. It sounds like it's pretty serious.”

“I will, sir. Thanks for the head's up.”

Something doesn't sit right with me as I hang up. Everything seems to be happening at once, like it's meant to cause confusion. I call Dani, to check in with her.

“It's mayhem out there, Eli. The cops on the ground have sectioned the station off, but there's a lot of surface area to cover to find multiple bombs. I'm doing what I can to look, but there's so many places to hide devices.”

“You locked the door, right?”

“Yes sir. What's wrong?”

“Nothing. I just didn't wait to hear the locks slide because I was in a rush. I usually wait. No funny calls or anything?”

“No sir. Should I be worried?”

“No, no. I'm just being paranoid. I just want to make sure you're safe. I'm on the ground now, so I have to check in with the cops here. I'll call you to check in soon.”





Dani

I can see Eli and his team on the surveillance cameras, but I can't focus on them right now. I need to look for devices and do what I can to help the emergency services on the ground. Because of Eli's paranoia, I grab my gun and place it next to me on the desk. It doesn't hurt to be cautious, does it?

It's a couple of hours before I even look away from my screens. The guys are still searching the station for devices. They seem to have found at least one, because the bomb squad have been called in to check something. I look away from my screens because I think I hear something outside. I listen carefully, but there's nothing. I decide I'm being paranoid myself, but I pull my gun a little closer to my side.

I focus on the screens again and then there's two loud bangs at my door. I jump out of my skin and look at the door. My eyes widen in fear as I see shots through the two hinges on my front door. I grab my gun and make a run for it, but I'm not quick enough. A group of people rush into the house and try to grab me.

It's them! They found me! Eli's not here and they found me. The bomb scare is a set up. They're diverting the team! But they could be in serious danger. These men will go to great lengths to protect themselves. As my mind is racing, someone advances towards me and grabs at my clothes. It's the 'breathing man'! None of them are wearing masks so they either intend to kill me or they're going to take me again. I can't go back there again! I'd rather they kill me. Suddenly I remember I have a gun in my hand. As unsteady as I am on my feet, as frightened and shaky as I am, I point the gun at the breathing man. All my hatred is focused on him. He's the one who ruined me for the first time; he's the one who started all of this. So, as he advances for me, I shoot. I don't even think about it, I just press the trigger and release multiple bullets into him. I see the look of shock on his face before he falls in front of me.

There's a moment of extra panic from me and a moment of shock from the rest of the men here. I run for the bathroom so I can lock the door and hide. I manage to get into the doorway of the en-suite, but before I know it, I'm being tackled to the floor and the gun is knocked from my hands. I see it slide under the book shelf in the bedroom as I feel the blows start. My face throbs as a punch hits me. It seems like they've all pounced on me, because I feel like I'm receiving blows everywhere, all at the same time. My head is slammed against the tiled floor multiple times. There's a blow to my ribs, which causes me to curl up and the breath to leave me in a whoosh. There's no pause in the beating. My clothes are ripped from me and the beatings continue. I feel the coldness of metal as I feel another blow. They must be using a butt of a gun or a weapon. Why don't they just shoot me? Why can't they just finish this?

I hear one say in Russian, “You think you can escape from us?! We'll show you not to mess with us! We'll make you feel pain like you've never felt before! You'll be begging for our drugs by the time we've finished with you! You're a Bratva whore, always have been and always will be!”

The blows are relentless, like waves beating on the shore. I can't even find the energy to panic any more. My whole body is throbbing with pain and my head feels like it's going to explode. I want to die, I can't take any more of this. If they want me dead, then they should just do it. I want to beg them to kill me, but something in the back of my mind stops me. I don't want to ask them for anything. I don't want to give them the satisfaction of begging for my life. Eli wouldn't want me to do that. Oh Eli! I'm so sorry Eli. This is all my fault. He's going to blame himself and it's not his fault. After the beatings have stopped, these men take it in turns to claim my body, laughing while doing so. This is just a joke to them; I'm just a way of feeding their sick pleasure.



When I think I can't take any more and the darkness starts to welcome me, I hear some loud bangs. I can't make out what they are because the thudding in my head and the fuzziness is too much. I grip on to the arms that are holding me down because I feel even more pain, a sharp, searing pain. It's like someone has burned through me, but I can't tell where the pain is coming from because my whole body hurts too much. I feel my grip loosen on the arms I'm holding as the darkness takes over and I slip into unconsciousness. As I slip into the abyss, I can't help but apologize over and over again to Eli for the mess I've made of everything.